(3) Lunch and Spreadsheet

Zoey's POV

My phone blares in the quiet room frightening the living daylights out of me. I hiss as the hot liquid from the mug scorch my skin.

It must have spilled when I jumped back.

Placing a hand over my beating chest I fetch the phone from my handbag. I briefly look at the caller ID before I swipe up the screen then put the device to my ear.

"Zoey where are you?" My older sister's voice comes on.

I lightly slap my forehead, I totally forgot we are suppose to have lunch today. Apparently I'm twenty minutes late, I observe looking over at the digital clock on my desk.

"I'm sorry Jaz," I place her on speaker and set the phone down to grab a few baby wipes from my bag. "I'm on my way,"

"Okay," I hear her sigh, "I'm still here."

I hastily begin wiping up the small spill on the table.

I'm just glad it didn't throw away on the keyboard.

"I'll see you," I hang up. Grabbing up the wipes and cup I go to my adjoining bathroom. I disposed of the wipes and rinse out the mug bedore setting it on the counter. I quickly relieved my bladder, wash my hands then exit the bathroom.

I place the cup down on the small counter near the machine. I then grab my purse and phone off the desk before I went out the door.

I arrived at the restaurant under ten minutes, fortunately it is just down the street.

I inwardly sighed at the cool temperature as soon as I step inside the building. The temperature has been slowly climbing since the other day, I guess because it's almost summer and this is California. I kid you not but if you leave a popsicle outside it will melt in under a hot minute.

Pun intended.

I walk up to the table d'matre and give her the information, I was then directed to Jaz's seat by a waiter.

"How you've been?" I tackle Jazylynn in a bear hug,  as soon as I reach our table, to which she groans feigning annoyance. As I sit down I eye her four month belly. Her husband is currently in Europe attending a mandatory event dinner so she decided to come all the way out here to spend time with me and my son. She doesn't want to be and I quote "cooped up in the huge ass house".

"I'm fine, mostly exhausted," the woman sighs placing a few strands of brown hair behind her ear. "How about you?"

"Same," I smile clasping her right hand. "Let's order, you must be starving,"

×××××××

I really enjoyed lunch today. I'm happy that my sister is here, even just for a few days. It's so nice talking to her again just like old times. I'm glad mom got us back together.

I paid for the meal and we both got up and left. I offered to drive her back home but she fanned me off saying she wants to go sightseeing with the 'little one'. I just hope she doesn't get lost or worse hurt. 

I'm so happy for her pregnancy though and that she's married- that she finally found the person just right for her. I guess some people do get their happily ever after all and she really deserves hers.

I got back just in time as lunch is almost over. I sip on the chocolate milkshake I grabbed at a nearby cafe as I take the elevator up. I look down on my phone once more.

12:55 pm

I have a small meeting in my office a few minutes away from now.

××××××

I briefly knock on the glass door before entering my boss' office. The room is way bigger and well decorated than mine; I can still see the beach from here though. A refreshing scent of Jasmine and lavender hit me as I walk over to her desk.

"Here are the rest of the spreadsheet for the day," I drop the brown paper folders on the desk.

"Thanks Zoey," she smiles over at me grabbing a folder off the small heap.

We have been friends for quite a while now; a few months actually. We go out for drinks once or twice a week and just like Kathy she urges me to jump back in the dating world. Though she puts it way more decent than Kat could ever put it. I mean wayyyy decent.

I turn to leave deciding to sign off for the day but she stops me when I was halfway out her office. I watch as she takes off her small framed glasses placing it on her desk. Her thick black curls sways gently as she draws her office chair closer to the desk gesturing for me to sit in front of her.

"Zoey I need you to prepare a financial spreadsheet for Thursday." Tracy begins once I am seated. Her dark brown eyes rests on my face. "I have this big shot company coming in town to talk about merging even though I explicitly tell them no over the phone,"

"Of course," I lean back in the slightly uncomfortable chair. "I'll get started right away. Uh, which company?"

"Xavier's and Co. Enterprises," she sighs not missing a beat.

My heart immediately beginn to race by the mere mention of his stupid name. I swallow the lump of bile that rose in my mouth, I don't know why I feel so damn dehydrated all of a sudden.

I need a big bottle of water. I think I might just chock on my very own spit... Or lack thereof.

"I believe it will be great for business but these big companies often take advantage of the smaller ones..." She pinch the bridge of her round nose and continued completely unaware of my reaction. "I just need to be a hundred percent certain of what I'm investing in. We've worked so hard over the years—"

I half listened to what she is saying. I honestly do not want to be apart of this. After all these years I'm gonna see him again face to freaking face. The universe sure does have a weird way of sorting things out.

I politely excused myself— making sure to let her know I'll get the spreadsheets done— and exited the room like my ass was on fire.

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Kellisa Kelly