City After Dark

Chapter 4

Friday morning dawned bright and clear. I had stayed up far too late the night before, first fuming about Andrey, and then fuming about the fact that I couldn't access the article about Collin De Vita. When I finally collapsed in bed at 3 AM, it was to restless sleep interspersed with thoughts of how terrible Saturday could go.

Though every fiber of my body screamed against it, I dragged myself out of bed at six am to get ready for work. I scrubbed my teeth, threw on a clean pair of jeans, and grabbed my laptop and keys. I pulled into the office just after seven. As per usual, the upper level was mostly silent. I made we way down to the basement and entered to a surprising flurry of activity. There were more people than usual working that morning: Dora and Sam were there, and so were Amelie and Michael. As I stepped further into the room I also saw Lisa, leaning against a wall and chatting animatedly with Dora.

"Wow," I said, "The entire team's here. What's the special occasion?" Amelie turned to me and grinned broadly. She strolled over and linked arms with me.

"You are, of course. We heard about your assignment at Renaissance." I slipped out of Amelie's hold and walked to my cubicle. She followed close behind.

"That's nice," I said hesitantly, "But you guys could've texted me. You didn't have to come in for an early shift."

"Scott made us," Sam clarified from desk. He was typing furiously at his laptop. "He thinks if we finish up and publish the articles we're currently working on we can attract some reader interaction for your upcoming article."

"Why would Scott do that?" I asked.  "That sucks." Sam shrugged. He glanced up at me. His dark brown skin glistened in the harsh basement lights. 

"It's no big deal," he said, "But that article better be amazing, honey," I smiled. Sam had joined the team over three years ago. He was a middle-aged black man who worked as a guidance counselor. He said he had picked up journalism for some short-term extra income, but had covered the sports section so well he just stuck, and later, his wife Sam joined him. He was one of my favorite coworkers, and he and I occasionally caught drinks after work.

"Of course she'll do great," someone voiced. It was Lisa. I turned to her, slightly confused. Lisa was typically out of the building, and when she was in she worked in her office. She was a tall East Asian woman with deep brown eyes. She kept her hair in a meticulously sleek ponytail, and wore pant suits to work everyday. As if understanding the source of my confusion she said,

"Scott's out of the office this morning, but he asked me to help you go over your questions for tomorrow."

"My questions?" I blinked.

"You have prepared them, correct?" 

"Of course I've prepared them," I said, annoyed at the suggestion. Amelie clapped in excitement.

"We should all look over them together," she said, "That way Cassidy can have multiple people's input." Several people in the room looked to me. I looked to Lisa.

"It's Cassidy's decision," she said.

"I'd rather just Lisa," I said quietly. Amelie seemed somewhat disappointed but shrugged and went to her desk. I followed Lisa out of the main area and towards the back where her office was. I waited as she unlocked the office and stepped aside to let me in. I flicked on the lights. Lisa's office was very plain: she had cabinets, a desktop, a printer, a side table with a half-empty coffee pot, and a beanbag chair. On the wall behind the desk was a photograph of her and another woman, their eyes crinkling with joy, their faced pushed together. They looked similar, and I figured they were sisters, or at least cousins. As soon as I heard the door shut behind me I said,