Chapter Three: The Sweet Smell of Desperation
I’m sitting in the conference room hoping that the shock and betrayal that I feel aren’t obvious on my face. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Danny, but the fool in me is somehow hoping that there is a reasonable explanation for him stabbing me in the back. The hoodrat in me is resisting the urge to jump up and crack his head wide open.
The low buzz of conversation dies down as the senior partners enter and prepare to announce the name of the person getting the promotion. My promotion.
Miranda Lawson, the other senior partner stands up at the head of the long table. "I’m sure you all know why this meeting has been called, so let’s not waste a lot of time. I would like for you all to join me in congratulating our new Creative Director, Megan Evans."
Megan gets up, flipping her long auburn hair over her shoulder, fake surprise in her big blue eyes. Everyone breaks into applause, but I can’t do anything but sit and stare. How in the hell did she get this job? I try to catch Danny’s eye, but he’s turned the other way giving his full attention to the freak show taking place at the front of the room.
Megan starts droning on in her annoying valley girl voice and I completely tune her out. Me and her have never exactly gotten along. We’ve clashed on every project we’ve ever worked on together. She’s constantly trying to undermine my authority. And to top it all off, she makes no secret of the fact that she’s got a thing for Danny. Now this trifling trick has gotten the promotion that I deserved which means that basically I will be working for her. Oh hell no.
After she finally finishes giving her long winded speech, everyone starts filing out of the conference room. I sit there fuming for a few minutes, then I storm to Danny’s office, ready to find out what the hell is going on. But Paige, his pitbull in a skirt personal assistant, won’t let me in the door.
"I’m sorry Ms. Monroe, but Mr. Mcpherson is very busy this afternoon and has asked that no one be allowed into his office."
"This is very important. If you just let him know that I’m out here, he’ll tell you to let me in."
"Mr. Mcpherson was very specific that absolutely no one be allowed in. If you would like to make an appointment, I’m sure he’d be able to squeeze you in sometime tomorrow."
Squeeze me in? I’m two seconds away from squeezing this heifer’s neck. But goodness knows these people would call the police on me before I got both hands on her. I take a deep breath and attempt to regain my composure.
"Thanks anyway, Paige. I’ll just talk to him at another time."
"Very well. I’ll be sure to let him know that you stopped by, Ms. Monroe." The tone of Paige’s voice is sickly sweet and she’s got the slightest bit of a smirk on her face.
Why do I get the feeling that I may be the only person that doesn’t know what’s going on around here?
I get back to my office and sit there, plotting my next move. Suddenly, my door pops open and someone lets themselves in. Without knocking I might I add. I look up hoping to see Danny, but I find Megan standing there instead.
"I hope I’m not disturbing you Reece."
I plaster a smile on my face. "Of course not, Megan. What can I do for you?"
"I just wanted to stop by and tell you that I hope there’s no hard feelings about me getting that promotion instead of you."
"Why would there be? The partners made their decision and I have to respect it." I don’t know how I’m managing to get these words out considering the fact that my back teeth are grinding themselves into powder.
"I’m glad you feel that way. I know that we’ve had some problems in the past, but I’m just hoping that we can start with a clean slate."
"Fine by me."
"That’s just great." Megan treats me to one of her big phony ass Colgate grins and heads for the door, but then she stops and turns around. "I almost forgot the other reason why I came in here."
She comes back toward my desk and drops the pile of files that she’s been holding in her arms.
"The last creative director left a complete mess behind. There are proposals that need to be typed up and a lot of these papers aren’t where they belong."
I glance down at the load of junk she just deposited, then I look back up at her. "Why did you bring this to me?"
"I was hoping that you could sort these files out, flag them in order of importance. Things like that."
"That sounds like work for your assistant to do."
"Well of course it is, but I haven’t had time to go to the secretarial pool and pick out an assistant. I don’t want to trust this work to just anyone, so I was hoping that you could do this as a personal favor to me."
"Forgive me for asking, but why can’t you do this yourself?"
"I would, but the senior partners and some of the executives are taking me to a celebration dinner tonight. I really need to have this straightened out by tomorrow morning."
"I really don’t think. . ."
Megan cuts me off mid sentence. "I hope that you can do this for me. Of course you can say no, but now that I’m your boss your refusal could be misconstrued as insubordination. I would hate to have to tell the senior partners that you’re not a team player." Her pleasant tone does nothing to diminish the threat implied in her statement.
I sit there contemplating my options and it occurs to me that I really don’t have that many.
My throat tries to close up around the words, but I force them out anyway. "I’ll get started right away."
"Good. I knew I could count on you. Have that on my desk by nine o’clock tomorrow morning. Thanks." She gives me a little wave and flounces out of the room.
Those files really were a mess and it took a lot longer to finish them up than I would have thought. By the time I finish, my eyesight is blurred and I’m too tired and disgusted to do anything other than drag myself back to my apartment. My empty apartment.
I’ve already moved most of my things over to Danny’s and the rest I’ve put in storage. I’ve already given up the lease on this place and technically this should be the last night that I spend here. I’ve been checking my cell for messages every ten minutes and Danny hasn’t called even once. He’s not answering his phone and I keep getting the machine when I call his house.
I know I should go to his place and demand some answers, but the truth is I’m afraid. I carry myself as though I’m a fearless, take no shit kind of person and usually I am. But I have got so much of myself invested in my relationship with Danny, I just don’t want to know the truth. At least not tonight. I need one more night of ignorant bliss before I face the probable shit storm that’s going to rain down on me tomorrow.
I still haven’t spoken to Danny. He avoided me all morning and he left early today, which isn’t all that unusual. Most of upper management leaves early on Fridays. It’s not like I’ve had the time to talk to him or look for him anyway. Megan has been running me ragged. When she doesn’t have me doing secretarial work, I’m just flat out doing work that she should be doing. By the time she finally lets up on me long enough that I can take a lunch break, I don’t even want to eat. I want to take a nap.
My chin is resting on my elbow and I’m nodding off. Or at least I would be if Jess would shut up.
"I hate to be the one to say this Reece, but something foul is going on and you know it."
I open one eye and resist my urge to stab Jessica with one of her carrot sticks. "Maybe Danny did the right thing. Maybe I wasn’t ready for that much responsibility. He may have been just trying to save me the embarrassment of getting a job that I wasn’t prepared for."
"I’ve got to call bullshit. Let’s just say that he did have your best interest at heart. Why wouldn’t he have said something beforehand instead of letting you find out from Mr. Meyers? And why hasn’t he talked to you since?"
"He’s probably trying to give me a chance to cool down before we talk about what happened."
"Wake up, girl. I’m probably the most naive person in the state of California and even I can see that something is wrong. Take your head out of the sand and face what’s happening."
"I’m tired of talking about this. I’m going over to his place after work to finish unpacking my stuff. I’ll give him a chance to explain himself and I’m sure that we’ll be able to get everything straightened out."
"Do you want me to go with you? Just in case something ugly jumps off and some asses need to get kicked."
"Listen to you, trying to sound all gangster. Nothing is going to ‘jump off’. I’m sure Danny has a good reason for everything that he’s done."
Jessica twists up her lips and gives me a rather unconvincing, "Sure."
I can tell that I’ve done a piss poor job of reassuring Jess. Come to think of it, I haven’t done a much better job of reassuring myself.
After I left work, I stopped by my old apartment to drop off my keys with Mr. Moretti, the building manager. He said he was sorry to see me leave, but I know that was a lie. I was forever complaining about something and I know that he’s probably glad to see the back of me.
I’ve been driving around in circles, trying to prolong the inevitable. But finally I come to a stop in front of Danny’s house and make the long walk up the steep incline of his driveway. I get to his front door and put my key in the lock, but it won’t work. I squint in the dark and try to make sure that I took out the right key. I try again, but no luck. I knock on the door and after what seems like forever, Danny comes to let me in.
"Come on in Reece. We need to talk."
I definitely don’t like the sound of that, but I make my way into the living room and take a seat on the sofa.
"Did you get the locks changed? My key isn’t working."
"I’ll get to that in just a second. But first I want to explain a couple of things to you and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t interrupt."
"Alright."
"First of all, I don’t know if you already know this or not, but I’m the person that blocked your promotion. You just weren’t ready for that kind of position."
"But that cow Megan was?"
"Don’t talk about her that way." Danny shakes his head and brings his hand up to massage his temples. "That kind of nasty attitude is a big part of why this is happening."
"What is happening? What’s going on Danny?"
"You and I have had a lot of good times together, so it hurts me to say this. But this just isn’t working out."
"What did you say?"
"I’m sorry to spring this on you and I know that it must seem sudden to you, but I just don’t want to see you anymore."
I’think I've gone into shock. My skin is burning, my throat is closing up and I can hardly breathe. Danny uses my silence as an opportunity to keep on talking.
"I’ve given this a lot of thought and you just aren’t the kind of person that I need in my life. Personally or professionally. I’m going places at the agency and I need to have the right kind of woman by my side. You just don’t project the right image."
My shock starts to subside. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"For starters let’s talk about the company that you keep. You have lunch everyday with a girl from the secretarial pool. Do you know how that looks to upper management and the senior partners?"
"Jessica is not just some girl from the secretarial pool. She’s my best friend. But what does she have to do with anything?"
"You sit around gossiping with her when you should be working. It just doesn’t look good; but hanging around with people that are beneath your position is just part of the problem. You’re loud, obnoxious and completely unprofessional. You don’t even know how to dress properly."
"You wait just a minute. There’s nothing wrong with the way that I dress. I wear the best clothes that money can buy."
"The clothes are expensive, but they aren’t suitable for the office. Your skirts are too short, your tops are cut too low and your heels are too high. You usually look like you’re going to a cocktail party instead of work. Have you even noticed the way that Mr. Meyers looks at you?"
"So now it’s my fault that Mr. Meyers is an old pervert with a wandering eye? You have got to be kidding me."
Danny doesn’t even acknowledge what I just said. Now that he’s started running me into the ground he can’t seem to stop.
"The truth is Reece, you’re immature, self-centered and materialistic. I mean, look at that car you just bought. You know good and well that you can’t really afford the thing, but you bought it anyway. You seem to have no grasp of how to conduct yourself like a mature adult or how to think about the future."
"I’ve heard enough. If I’m just this horrible person that’s not good enough for you, why did you ask me to move in with you? I gave up my lease. All of my things are. . ."
I trail off as I look around and start to realize that I don’t see my boxes or any of my things.
"Danny, where are my things?"
"I had everything that you brought over here put into storage with the rest of your belongings."
"Why are you doing this to me? Why is it that you have just suddenly decided that you can’t stand to be with me anymore?"
Danny looks down. "I kept hoping that maybe I could change you, but things weren’t getting better, they were only getting worse. Then about two months ago, I met someone else."
I start grabbing anything within my reach and throwing it at his head. "You low down piece of shit. You just stood there trying to convince me that I was the worst girlfriend on the face of the planet when the truth is you just want out because you found someone new."
Danny starts backing up and trying to use his arms to defend himself from the flying objects I’m sending his way. "I knew you were going to behave childishly. That’s why I put off telling you for so long."
"You put off telling me because you’re a coward. I ought to beat your natural ass."
I close in on Danny and start landing blows on him anywhere that I can.
"You get away from him or I will call the police."
I stop beating on Danny and look around to find Megan standing at the foot of the stairs with a phone in her hand. Must have been blind not to see this one coming.
Danny turns to look at Megan. "I told you to wait upstairs until I was done."
Megan comes into the living room and puts her arm around his waist. "I know. But I heard yelling and breaking glass. I was worried about you."
He kisses the top of her head and I have to make a conscious effort not to throw up.
"Reece, you have every right to be upset and I’m sorry that you had to find out this way. But I’m glad to finally have all this out in the open. I know you’re going to need some time to cool down and think things over, but I hope that you’ll see this break up is what’s best for both of us."
Then Megan has to add her two cents. "Danny’s right. You two just weren’t meant for each other and it’s best that you found out before things got anymore serious. I know you’re upset right now, but I hope that this won’t affect our professional relationship. It would be unfortunate for all of us if we allowed this situation to interfere with our work."
As soon as the words leave her mouth, I’m assaulted by images of actually going to work on Monday morning and having to look at the two of them. I can’t believe the years that I wasted on this man and this relationship. I feel like a complete fool.
I hold my head up and try to grab on to the last shred of dignity that I have left. "You won’t have to worry about our professional relationship. I quit."
Danny removes himself from Megan’s grasp and puts his hand on my arm. "Don’t you want to give this some thought before you do something rash? I know that this is all kind of embarrassing for you, but you’ll get over it eventually. You know that you need this job Reece."
"I don’t need this job and I don’t need you. I am damned good at what I do. I’ll have ad agencies begging me to work for them." I jerk my arm away from him and head to the front door. "I hope you two jackasses are very happy with each other." With that I throw the door open and then slam it shut behind me.
I get in my car and make it around the block, before I have to pull over. I fall across the steering wheel, crying so hard that I can hardly see. I let myself have a fifteen minute nervous breakdown, then I straighten up and start trying to think of how I’m going to fix the mess that my life has become. I’ve got no job, no money and no place to stay. Not having a boyfriend is the least of my problems.
Jessica is pacing around and looking about as menacing as a former cheerleader from Iowa can look. "Are you sure you don’t want to go back over there and handle your business? I could hold Danny back while you put your foot in Megan’s behind."
"No, I don’t want to go over there. As a matter of fact what I want most is to sit here and pretend that they don’t exist. I’ve got bigger things to worry about than them. Where am I going to stay?"
"You can stay here for a while, but all I can offer you is half of the sofa bed."
Jessica is sweet to offer but her roommates will kill her if they think she’s trying to bring another body up in here. There’s already four of them staying in a two bedroom apartment. Besides I may be down, but I’m not out. Reece Monroe does not sleep on anybody’s sofa.
"Thanks for the offer, but I don’t want to cause any trouble with you and your roommates."
"Maybe you could get your old apartment back. They can’t have found someone to take it already. I bet if you go to Mr. Moretti and explain things to him, he’ll let you come back. I could help you get your stuff moved back in tomorrow."
"Are you joking? Mr. Moretti hated me. There is no way that I’m going to go over there and spill my guts to that old asshole. Reece Monroe does not beg."
"I hate to break it to you honey, but you’re up shit creek without a paddle. You might have to start doing a lot of things that you normally wouldn’t do."
"Whatever." I pick up my purse and my jacket and huff my way out of Jessica’s place.
I get back in my car and start driving around aimlessly, trying to think of anywhere else that I could go. But the truth is, there isn’t anywhere else. A lot of what Danny said was total bull, but he was absolutely right about one thing. Sometimes I do have a nasty attitude. Outside of Jessica, I don’t have any girlfriends. I can be a bit bitchy sometimes and a lot of people just don’t know how to get along with me.
After driving for a while and dismissing the idea of sleeping in my overpriced car, I find myself back in front of my old building. I swallow back the bile I feel rising in my throat and go knock on Mr. Moretti’s door. He lets me in and I tell him my story. I don’t go into all the details, but I give him enough so that he can see how desperate I am.
He sits there silently with a smug look on his face. "I’d love to help you out Reece. You can move back in."
"Oh thank god. Thank you so much Mr. Moretti. If you could just give me the keys back."
"I’ll give you the keys. After you give me first, last and a security deposit."
"What?"
"You can’t just get the place again for free."
"Alright." I dig in my purse until I come up with my checkbook. I have just enough money in my savings to cover it.
"No, no, no." I look up at Mr. Moretti to see him shaking his head. "I’ll need cash."
"This is Friday night and you’re asking me for almost five thousand dollars. I can’t withdraw that kind of money from the bank until Monday."
"I can’t hold the apartment for that long. There are plenty of people that would be willing to give me the money right now. Have that money to me by tomorrow or I’ll have to give the place to someone else. Now if you’ll excuse me, I was trying to sleep."
Then he hustles me to the door and slams it shut in my face. I stand out in the hallway, not sure of what to do next.
I can’t bear the thought of going back to Jessica’s place with my tail between my legs, so I drag myself to the Starbucks on the corner. I get my café mocha and go sit at a table in the back. Where am I going to get five thousand dollars in cash from? My atm withdrawal limit is five hundred a day. I dump my purse out on the table and start sifting through all of my junk. As though there was five thousand dollars that I didn’t know about floating around the bottom of my bag.
How could I have sunk so low, so fast? I’m coming pretty close to having another of those fifteen minute nervous breakdowns, when I spot a crumpled piece of paper. I unfold it and there’s a phone number and the initials JC scrawled on it. It takes me a minute to remember whose number this is, but then it comes back to me. I don’t want to do this but I’m not exactly drowning in options.
I dial the number and it rings so many times that I’m just about to hang up, when a sleepy voice comes on the line.
"Hello?"
"Hey, JC. This is Reece."
The line is quiet for a little while. "Who? How did you get this number?"
Typical man, I saved his ass just yesterday and already he’s forgotten about me. "You must remember me. I’m Reece, your sassy black girlfriend. I saved you from your booze hound ex at Starbucks."
More silence. "Oh yeah. I remember. What’s up?"
"Do you still want me to go to that party with you?"
There are traces of surprise and humor in his voice when he speaks. "I thought you said that there was no way in the world you’d go with me. What changed your mind?"
"You don’t need to get all in my business. Do you want me or not?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Fine. Now let’s talk money."
I guess Jessica was right. Reece Monroe might have to start doing a lot of things that she normally wouldn’t do.
