Ms. Ramirez was in the middle of telling her about one promising interview she’d had at an auto supply store when Lauren saw Dolores flagging her down.
“I’m so sorry,” she said. “That’s my boss. I’ll be right here, but—”
Ms. Ramirez waved her on, hurrying a little to catch up with Eddie, who was already inside the Snow Globe. Cold World was experiencing its usual post-Christmas lull, so there weren’t many people there that day despite school being out. Lauren tried to remind herself that was totally normal and expected, but she still couldn’t shake a slight despondency as she thought about the possibility of the entire place shutting down. She kept waiting for some formal statement from Dolores at an all-staff meeting, but it had only been three days since the disastrous presentations.
Three long, excruciating days. Three days where she kept picking up her phone, wanting to text Asa, before remembering that she couldn’t. Three days where she’d cried herself to sleep at night and woken up with her eyes almost swollen shut. Three days where she’d splurged on Starbucks she absolutely didn’t need just to avoid any chance of running into him in the break room. Three days where she wandered into the break room aimlessly, half hoping he’d be there.
“I know you took the afternoon off,” Dolores said now as she approached, “but I had to tell you the news.”
Lauren steeled herself for it. The deal had gone through. The investment group was buying Cold World. There was a promotion in it for her—or there wasn’t. She didn’t really care.
“I took the plans you and Asa came up with to the city,” Dolores said. “They have grants for the arts and educational programs in particular, and they said we’d be a shoo-in for one if we can fill out the paperwork before the January fifteenth deadline. I know you have classes starting up, but I was hoping you and Asa might be available to help?”
Of all the things Dolores might say, Lauren hadn’t expected that. She felt a surge of hope before remembering that there was no her and Asa anymore. “Um,” she said, not wanting to turn Dolores down but not knowing what else she could say. “That seems like good news at least? That we might get a grant?”
“I did a lot of thinking after you all left my office that day,” Dolores said. “There are a lot of adjustments that could be made—including about Daniel. He’s my son and I love him, but you’re right, he was a drag on the payroll.”
Okay, of all the things she could’ve said, that was actually the most shocking. “Really?”
“I want to talk to you more about that comment you made as you left,” Dolores said. “But I know this isn’t the time or place. Perhaps you would be willing to come to my office tomorrow morning, and we could go over the grant and other concerns or ideas you might have about the way Cold World has been run? Asa, too, of course.”
Lauren glanced over at the ice rink, as though she’d be able to see Asa from where they stood, but of course they were too far away now. Maybe this would be good. They could work together, right?
I can’t do this anymore. She’d always known, deep down, that one day he would say something like that. It was better that he’d done it sooner rather than later, surely, before her heart was too engaged.
At least that was what she told herself. But then why did it feel like every last corner of her heart had been cracked from that one sentence?
“Tomorrow’s New Year’s Eve,” Lauren pointed out. “I’m off—and then the next day is New Year’s Day, when Cold World is closed. Maybe Monday?”
Dolores beamed at her. “Perfect. Will you tell Asa?” She gave Lauren’s arm an affectionate squeeze. “I love that you’re together, by the way. I had an inkling after the incident in the Snow Globe, and then when you got trapped in here overnight. The way that boy lights up when he looks at you!”
“Wait.” Lauren reached out to stop Dolores from leaving before she could think about the gesture, about how probably inappropriate it was to manhandle your boss. “You knew? About the overnight thing, I mean?”
“Of course,” Dolores said. “Daniel told me. I asked him to check in with you, to see if you needed the security code, but he said you told him you were fine. Obviously I would appreciate if you didn’t make a habit of staying here after hours, but I trust you and Asa. If that’s what you felt you needed to do to put together your presentation.”
And then Dolores winked at her—winked. Like “put together your presentation” was just a euphemism for something else. Lauren didn’t know if she was going to burst into flames of embarrassment or start hysterically giggling. The only thing that stopped her from doing both was that at least she knew there were no cameras in her office, so Dolores couldn’t know just what a euphemism that was. She also realized Asa had been right all along. Of course Dolores knew. And she didn’t care. Nobody cared. Except Lauren, and she’d messed everything up.