Things To Say Before I Go

Chapter 15: Jess

I walked into work the next morning, feeling extremely satisfied with my life. I didn't even mind the shitty elevator music on my way up to the tenth floor. I was even prepared to introduce myself to the silent people that always claustrophobically surround me in the elevator, I was that happy. I walked over to my desk with a new enthusiasm. Kelsey noticed almost immediately. 

"Seriously, do you need to rub it in all of our faces that you are finally happy with your mediocre life while the rest of us are still trying to figure our shit out?" she asked, toying with a pen in her hand. 

I laughed sarcastically. "You can be cynical all you want, but I am in a good mood today and nothing is going to ruin that." I looked down and saw Kelsey had gotten me some coffee. "Except maybe that." I took a sip. Shit, that's bitter. "Don't you think we could try a different brand? I mean, I swear this comes from the soil the maintenance staff pulls out of the potted plants in the lobby." 

Kelsey almost spit hers out, laughing. "Ugh, you suck, you know that?" She asked rhetorically. I knew, I just didn't care.

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Nancy and I had just finished talking about what Nate and I had done at Mike's the night before when, oddly, Melanie came out of her office and called my name. She was gesturing for me to come into her office so I did as I was asked. She closed the glass door behind me as I took a seat in one of the chairs across from her desk. I didn't like the feeling of the meeting. And the strangest part was that Melanie hadn't talked to me since I made my list of demands after D-Day. She took her seat behind her desk, went into her computer to pull something up and then turned to me with a strange smile. I couldn't place what emotion she was trying to convey with it. All I knew was that there was something she knew that I didn't and I was scared. 

"How are you doing today, Jess?" she asked, a eerie calm about her. 

I stared at her suspiciously. "I'm doing fairly well, thank you. Why did you call me in here, Melanie?" 

She smiled again, angling her head to the side a little. "Well something has come up that I need to address with you and I just wanted to make sure I talked with you before anything happened so-" 

"Could you please cut the crap?" I interrupted her. Partially because I was so nervous about why she was so calm and content, but also because she and I weren't on good terms and the last thing I wanted was to have her belittle me. "Just tell me, what is going on?"  

Her fake smile disappeared and anger flashed in front of her eyes. "Okay, fine. How's this? Manuel, as of this morning is no longer working for our maintenance staff. Do you know why that is?" 

I felt a chill go down my spine and I straightened up as she finished the question with force. I shook my head. 

"Oh, I believe you do," she said, turning her computer screen to show me security camera footage of Manuel giving me the key to the elevator a couple of nights ago with Nate. "Does this ring a bell?" I knew she was loving this because she knew I had nothing to use for a defense. She smiled again, this time very obviously devious, and shook her head. "You know, the last time we talked, I was horribly embarrassed by my actions. I did make a poor decision, but you pushed me against the wall and used my poor decisions against me. And now, it's time to pay you back." 

She minimized the screen and showed five other footage reels of me getting into the building using an elevator key that Manuel gave to me. 

"I came clean to my superiors, Jess," she said confidently, a look of horror spread across my face. "I don't have to hide anymore. I don't have to give you what you want anymore." She leaned in a little, spitting out her newly triumphant words at me. I was getting very scared now, knowing I was in hot water. "This video footage clearly shows you getting access to the building after hours which is against our company policy. However, this was not the only violation."