In The Office

Chapter Four:

I am awoken by a distant chaos. A cluster of voices and footsteps and beeps. I open my eyes and groan. My neck aches from its awkward position and I realize that I fell asleep kneeling on the floor with my head on the edge of mom's hospital bed. It takes me a few seconds to comprehend where I am and how I got there but once I do, I shoot up. "Shit!" I curse as I reach for my phone in my pocket. I try to turn it on but the screen won't light up. Dead battery. I look up at the clock hanging above the bed and curse. Quarter to nine. I was supposed to be at work at eight am.

I check on mom. She's sound asleep. I am thankful that my outburst didn't wake her up. I check her temperature and it's normal. Little blessings. I step out of her room as silently as I can and close the door behind me. Then, I rush to the restroom trying to fix my clothes as I go.

Ten minutes later I'm in a cab with a ruffled attire, a dead phone and a very foul mouth as I try to shape my mess of a ponytail into a resemblance of a neat bun. The results are less than decent. The cab driver keeps looking back at me with a concerned look but today is not the day I start caring about my madwoman behavior.

"We're here." he finally announces just as i give up on my hair and try to stop myself from having a full on panic attack for going to work on my first day with a messy bun and casual jeans.

I thank the driver and pay him before stepping out and staring at the huge skyscraper in front of me. Nope, I didn't imagine it the first time. It's still a giant intimidating concrete monster.

With a defeated sigh and an internal pep talk, I step into the lobby.

"Hi," I smile at the receptionist.

She must recognize me from yesterday because she smiles back and says, "hello, Daniella Parker, right?"

"Yes,"

"Well, you're a bit later than we expected but just step into the elevator and go to the twelfth floor. I'll ring the chief architect and inform him of your arrival."

I nod, flushing at my tardiness, and thank her before stepping away.

As soon as I'm in the elevator, I pull out my phone that I managed to charge for a bit in the cab. I quickly call Emma's number and she picks on the third ring with a sleepy groan. I am once again thankful that my best friend is a freelance photographer and has a very irregular schedule. I press the button for the twelfth floor and wait for the doors to close.

"Hello."

"Emma, thank God you answered. I need a favor."

"What?" her voice is more alert immediately.

"I'm at work. I just got here and I need you to go check up on mom. See if they're discharging her."

"Sure. I'll be there as soon as I can."

I hear someone step into the elevator and I focus on anything but them. I feel so underdressed in my graphic t-shirt and jeans. I turn to face the back of the elevator pretending to be busy.

"Thank you so much. You're the absolute best."

"Don't mention it. Love you."

"Love you too. Bye."

"On your phone again, miss Parker?" The deep hostile voice sent chills up my spine and a ball of dread to the pits of my stomach.

I turn to face Adam, flushed and flustered.

"Sorry, sir. It's an important call.

"More important than your job?"

I bite my tongue to not answer that. He is nothing but a douche and he does not deserve to know shit about me or my life.