Birthdays had never been fun for me and today was no different.
Five o’clock couldn’t come soon enough - I wanted out of this hell-hole, and quick. Didn’t everyone want to leave sooner rather than later on a Friday? Surely I couldn’t be the only one.
Maybe my reasons were a little different than everyone else’s, though. While some wanted to be off because it was the gateway to a weekend of freedom, I was ready to be off because it was my birthday.
Yes — I was the grand-old age of twenty-five.
My younger sister, twenty-one as of two weeks prior, had tried to convince me to call in sick today, but I hadn’t. I told her I couldn’t afford the time off, although really I could.
I am an accountant.
I am good with numbers and finances. That’s what I do well.
I had enough saved up that I could last at least a month without worry, but that didn’t matter. I didn’t want to miss time if it wasn’t necessary. Kate believed it made me a stick-in-the-mud. I believed it made me a reliable employee.
Still, tonight was supposed to be special.
Michael had sent me a text around lunchtime, mentioning he had something to talk to me about tonight when he came over to my apartment, and Kate and I were planning on seeing the midnight showing of some new movie she was dying to see.
I love Kate, but her choice in movies sucks.
I mean, really sucks.
This was some new vampire romance I knew nothing about. The next best thing since Twilight, which I still had mixed feelings about. I’m a firm believer that vampires are monsters. I had more love for Count Dracula than I did Edward Cullen. Kate loved it though and she wanted to see this new movie. I didn’t know anything about the storyline, but I’d take her to see it because I love her.
“Claire?” I glanced up at the sound of my name and saw Don, my boss, standing at the entrance of my cubical.
His face, which always looked frazzled and drawn, looked even more so.
There was a mixture of worry and sorrow in his eyes that made a cold fear develop in the pit of my stomach.
It settled down like a cold, dead weight, and I swallowed hard around the lump caught in my throat.
“Yes, Don?” My fear burrowed in my brain like worms in the earth, but I didn’t let it show in my voice, which I kept sweet and pleasant, as I did with all the clients I spoke to as well.
Granted, most of my work was done via email and over the phone these days, but—as my mother would say, “A woman whose tongue is thick with honey is taken more seriously than that thinned with barbs.”
I never understood the phrase, but somehow it still made sense.
“Can I see you in my office before you leave for the day?”
“Of course, sir.”
He gave me a quick nod and turned away.
I couldn’t imagine what he wanted to talk about.
Fear filled my stomach, like a glop of hardened oatmeal, making me sick with worry.
I spent the last hour of my shift going over every account I’d worked on for the last month with a fine-tooth comb, trying to see if I had messed up.
If there was anything to see, I was blind to it.
Just before five, I stood from my desk, satisfied that whatever was going on, it wasn’t due to lack of funds in any of the accounts I’d been working on.
The notion made the sour feeling in my stomach disperse somewhat, but I noted that it was still there, just quiet, waiting. My heels clacked against the floor as I walked toward Don’s office, the silence echoing around me.
Where was everyone?
Had they gone home already?
The worry I’d been trying to get rid of raised its ugly head and struck with full-force once more. Panic threatened to choke me again.
I paused outside Don’s office door, my hand shaking as I reached for the knob.
There’s nothing to be nervous about, I thought. He just wants to tell you happy birthday, and then you’ll be on your way.
I knew it wasn’t the truth though.
I had never told anyone at the office when my birthday was.
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