“Don’t worry,” Stephanie said. “There’s plenty of time to think of all of that later. For now, we’re here to help.”
I was used to Stephanie talking with such candor, but not usually with me. It was comforting in a weird way. I wished I was capable of handling this on my own, but I clearly wasn’t, and it was nice to know that someone was taking charge.
Stig had done that, while he was here. Now it was Stephanie’s turn. Following her orders to the letter, I did start feeling better.
At first, I was angry with Stig for just disappearing like that, assuming he’d just dropped me. The more I thought about it, though, the less likely it seemed. It really didn’t sound like the Stig I knew.
It was then that I started to wonder if something had happened. Something terrible that would mean I’d never see him again. It was a prospect so contradictory to everything I’d come to know that I decided to block it out entirely.
“Did you ever know all of this would happen when you came to Suspicious Activity?” Stephanie asked at one point and laughed.
“Not at all,” I told her. “In fact, I wanted to be a hair and makeup stylist! I just took the receptionist job to make money and maybe find some styling clients. I never knew I’d stay for so long and then be promoted to Seth’s assistant!”
“You never told me that,” Jonna said.
Oops. I was a bit embarrassed by my over-sharing. I think my pregnancy hormones were making me emotional. Plus, Stephanie and Jonna felt like they were my sisters, taking care of me like this. The confession had just fallen out of my mouth.
“Well, it’s silly,” I explained.
“It is not!” Jonna insisted. “Listen. I’ve already been going crazy sitting at home so much and I’d love to fill in for you once you have the baby so you can take a nice long maternity leave. And after that, we’ll really let people know about your styling services! You can switch to doing that for the company, or you’re always welcome to be Seth’s assistant again. Lord knows I see enough of him at home. It’ll be up to you. Either way is fine with me! You can even do a bit of both.”
“Thanks so much,” I told her, and she and Stephanie both hugged me.
I had never felt so loved by friends in my life.
After some more fussing and fawning over me, the sisters left, and I was alone again with my thoughts, since luckily my stomach was feeling much better now. So, I decided to call it an upside.
Not content to sit and stew, and having a day off, I decided to go for a walk. Discman spinning at my hip, I took the stairs down to the lobby.
It was then that I saw Keith. It was only his back, but that was enough. His walking style was unique enough for me to spot him from across the street in a thick fog.
Something like a reflex took over me, the fear response taking the wheel and driving me back up the stairs two at a time. He hadn’t seen me, so there was still time.
I had to get back into my apartment and feel safe behind a locked door. The security door in the lobby would hold him off for a while. I just needed time— for what, I wasn’t sure.
Once I was back inside and had packed a bag, I checked the hall before leaving. After not seeing anyone, I flew down the hall toward the door to the stairs. Where I was going, I had no idea.
All I really knew was that I needed to get in the general direction of “away.” I figured that taking the stairs down to the parking garage at the back of the building was a good start, and so that was what I did.
Nobody ever said they wished they’d spent more time at the office, but it was the only place I could think to go. I headed there as quickly as possible and then rushed inside.
“Holly, you look—”
As if the universe had planned it, Seth Black came down the hall from his office at the same moment I ran inside.
“She looks like shit. What happened?” Claudia asked.
“I-I’m not— I don’t—”
“Right, in my office,” Seth said, immediately taking charge. “Claudia, bring in some water and hold my calls.”
After giving me a big hug, Seth led me back to his office, closing the door behind us once we were inside.
“Okay, start slow, and take as much time as you need to explain to me what is going on,” he instructed me.
After a few slow, ragged breaths, I managed to organize my thoughts and find my words.
“Stig— well, he’s gone, vanished. And Keith came to my place, like he knew. He was right at the door. I ran anyway and, well, got here.”