Deadly Love

Chapter 2

I ran my hands through the picture of Charlie and me together. It was taken when we had gone to a camping trip when I was eighteen years old and he was twenty. We were grinning like crazy. His arm was around my shoulder and mine was around his waist. There was so much light and radiance in his warm, jade eyes. It was one of the best memories him and I had together.

A tear leaked out of my eye and fell on the picture. I sniffed and swallowed a sob, closing my eyes. I missed him, terribly. I have not seen him for months and not knowing where and how he is, is excruciating.

Putting the picture back at the side table I got up from my bed and grabbed my bag and blazer from the chair. I was getting late for work and Evelyn, my boss and the editor would have my head if I was not on time again.

Locking the door of my two story brown bricked house behind me, I unlocked my gray Toyota Camry and got in. Half an hour later I reached the headquarters of The Tampa Tribune, a large white, glassed building. I always wanted to be a reporter. Don't know how I got that yearning in me, maybe due to the fact that Charlie used to read me Superman's comic books when I was three years old and I wanted to be like Lois. He would sneak in my room and read to me for hours. He loved Superman and because of him, I loved him too.

Parking the car in the lot I got out and entered the building. Evelyn was as usual screaming at the top of her lungs when I stepped on my floor from the elevator. Evelyn was a darling but only when she wants to be. When you are giving her authentic, confidential information, when you are giving her juicy and saucy news and when you are giving her the best articles of the top notch, you will be her favorite person in the world. She will lavish you with attention, praise you and even treat you in one of the best restaurants in the area, but if you don't do any of this, she will probably insult you until you lose hope and resign yourself.

I was a crime reporter in The Tampa Tribune and quite popular one at that. Evelyn had been satisfied with me since the day I started working here three years ago. She even considered me to be her right hand man or rather woman and expects me to never make a mistake. But that title of mine is almost at stake here. For months I haven't been able to provide her with any substantial material due to my anxiety and depression, and she was on the verge of lashing out on me.

Every one of my colleagues and friends were stiff with their backs straight as Evelyn continued to berate them one by one. She was a pesky woman alright! Skinny as hell with bones protruding out of everywhere, she was close to being emaciated. She wears thick nerd glasses but she was anything but that. She always dresses in nice office outfits with her dark hair up in a bun and men considered her to be attractive. Ask me because usually I am the one setting her up on dates when they request me to. She was a player in her own way, always going on dates with different men every week and frowned upon relationships and commitments. But she was close to what I would call a friend for me!

She was shrieking in her shrill voice at Sarah, a colleague of mine, who had her head lowered and tears falling out of her eyes. Poor girl. It would be no surprise if she resigns tomorrow. Thank God I wasn't spotted yet!

I was about to make my way to the other side of the room where my cubicle was, tip toeing, trying to be invisible when...

"Where do you think you are going Jade?" her voice was apparently calm, but that was the calm before the storm.

I closed my eyes and silently groaned. Busted.

"Work!" I said as I turned towards her. Her hands were on her hips and there was a scowl on her face, which only deepened at my answer.

"Don't use that smart mouth with me!" she said forcefully.

I lowered my head. It was the ultimate gesture of obedience, which she liked.