The Contract

Chapter 18

I pace my living room floor and stare anxiously at the clock on the wall, for what feels like the hundredth time.

Donovan is on his way here as I speak, and after an hour of trying to calm myself down, I still feel as bad as I did a week ago, when I woke up the day after.

It's been a month since I saw him, a whole month and the first time I'll see him after so long, I'm going to get fired, I just know it.

At the end of the day, he's still my boss.

He had probably found out everything that happened that night, and since that night, I've been dreading going outside, wondering if someone saw me, or posted somewhere about it and wrote about it.

Going to work every day with this dark cloud hanging over me, wondering if today is the day... all because of what he said that morning...

Flashback

The line rings once... twice... and then he picks up.

I open my mouth but the words don't come out, and even if they did, what the hell do I say?

After what felt like forever, I put on a brave face.

"Hi." I start, nervously rubbing my neck. "How is Europe?" I ask sheepishly.

There was a long pause.

"How's Europe?" He repeats, his deep cold voice sending shockwaves down my arm hairs and making my heart beat quicken.

"Did you just really ask me that?"

I've never heard him sound this angry before... no matter what I say, he's not going to drop the subject.

"I'm sorry." I force out. "Look, I- my friend, I didn't know you'd call, if I knew-"

Donovan interrupts me with a sigh, making me shut up mumbling, and wait for him to speak.

"I'm flying back next Friday." He starts saying. "Until then I want you to go to work, and then head straight home, or is that not in your capability, Mr. Beckett?"

I feel like he just punched me in the stomach as I nod my head.

"Am I fired?" I whisper out, holding my head in my hands.

He doesn't say anything and the line goes dead, he hung up on me.

I end the call and just as I was about to throw my phone on the bed, I see that he sent me a message.

ᴅᴏɴᴏᴠᴀɴ: Friday 5:20, your apartment

End of flashback

I look at the time again and it's currently 5:20, on the dot, making my pacing come to a stop as I run my fingers through my hair and stare at the door like he's somehow going to arrive right now and start firing me.

What the hell am I so nervous for... I don't know if it's because he found out I got completely or because someone might've seen me, completely wasted, making it a PR nightmare, or because I haven't seen him in a month, and the last time I did see him, he left abruptly, making me feel like I pissed him off.

Seconds pass... then a minute... and another, until it gets too much and I sit down from stressing myself out, from lack of sleep from worrying about the day, and from filming all day for the next episode.

There's a knock coming from the front door, making me freeze, and then slowly get up from the sofa, and walk over to the door, each step I take is a reminder of who's on the other side of the door.