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| The day still being far from over, I sighed and leaned back against the smooth leather chair. Out of the corner of my eye, I gazed at the now crumpled document sitting on the ground by my desk. Sighing silently again, I bent down and picked up the mass, straightened it back out, and read it again. This time, the words seemed even more horrifying than the first few times I had studied the words and phrases.
�Sir?� Gloria peered into the room as she opened the door. I dropped the paper back to the floorboards as my hands started shaking anew. �What is it now, Gloria?� I was still a little bothered by both the letter and the phone call. �Sorry, sir, but I just came in here to tell you that Mr. Guire has requested your presence in his office now.� She stared at me as I stood from my comfortable posture and walked to the door. �Everyone can see how you�ve been acting since you received that letter this morning.� I half-ignored her as I exited my office and walked to the elevators. �You haven�t been yourself, sir.� The doors slowly closed, cutting off the conversation of worry. Although I hated to admit it, I knew Gloria was correct about the difference in my usually sarcastic attitude after Lewis�s visit to my quarters. �Fancy seeing you here, Jenkins.� I dreaded the voice that spoke my name from behind me. �I just love making our visits a weekly ritual.� Being already in an unusually wretched mood, I turned toward her with a scornful look upon my face. �Leave me be, Sylvia.� I growled at her. �I�m not in the mood for your unnerving games.� �Aren�t we a little touchy, Mike?� She grabbed my arm again and pulled me to her. �Have you forgotten what we had together?� �That�s the point, Gloria,� I yanked my arm away, �what we had together. Past tense I believe, Sweetie.� A disgusted look crossed her face as she glared intently at me. �I hope you�re happy with your decision, Mike.� She took a step away from me. �I�m getting fed up with your run-arounds.� Gloria and I; well, that is actually a very interesting story. Long before she joined the firm, we had been together for a long time. Of course, this was long before I began to condemn how flawless she was in her own scanty world. Another obsession that I still have yet to confess is the fact that the name I scorn upon its mention is the same name I groan while alone in my bed. �I can feel your heart, Mike.� She positioned her dainty hand on my chest. �I can feel it beat and break.� I grasped her hand and tossed it from my essence. �You feel nothing.� I growled as her expression seemed to suddenly turn indignant. �All you feel is yourself.� The elevator dinged and the doors opened to the corridor that would set me free from this conversation. I could feel her frosty stare as I exited the compartment and walked down the red-carpeted hall. I detested being that hidden from her. I loathed the way I would never tell her what the mystery was behind my harsh words and empty stares. Somehow, I yearn to enlighten her now. I pounded my unsympathetic fist against the heavy wooden door and gradually turned the knob. �Mr. Guire?� I scoffed into his office. �I received your message.� His chair was turned toward me and his face beheld a scornful gaze. �Come in, Mike.� He leaned forward against his desk. �Have a seat.� I could feel the bitterness of the air as I entered the room and slowly shut the door behind me. �I�m all right, sir.� I walked nearer to his desk. �I would rather stand.� �Let�s cut to the chase, shall we?� He paused as I placed my hand inside one of my pockets. �Neither one of us like each other and we both know that the only reason you are still with the company is because you are the only worthy lawyer in this city.� He leaned back against his chair and placed both his arms on the armrests. �Did you call me here just to criticize me, sir, because I already get that a lot from the other�� �No, Mike,� he rudely cut me off as I removed my hand from my pocket, �I did not want to judge you, I just wish for you to converse with me about, well, important things.� �Important things?� I finally sat in the chair he had offered formerly as the confusion reigned on my mind. �I don�t understand what things you�re talking about, Lewis.� �That letter you received this morning,� he paused as he leaned against his desk once again, �who was it from?� �Don�t know, sir.� I crossed my legs and also leaned against the back of the chair. �There was no author or return address anywhere on the document.� He scowled at me more and the intense stare began to make me feel quite uneasy as I sat there. �I don�t like the fact of you receiving unlabeled mail, Jenkins.� He pointed at me with his glasses as he spoke. �I also don�t like the fact of you coming to work late and leaving early everyday.� �Well, sir�� �No, Mike. That�s enough. I�m tired of your behavior and this is all gonna stop.� He lowered his spectacles and leaned back. �I�ve scheduled you for two months of paid vacation as I think of what to do with you.� �Yes, sir.� I knew better than to quarrel with Lewis when he spoke with his eyeglasses as tools. Regretfully, I stood and walked toward the seemingly vile door. �As long as it�s paid vacation,� I turned the cold brass knob, �I�ll start it now.� I exited and shut the door after me before he could disagree. I guess I halfway smiled as I walked back down the passage and into the already ajar doors of the elevator. I had almost gotten fired; yet, I seemed almost pleased at the outcome of our discussion. Maybe I really was crazy as people think now. I entered my office and snarled at the blinking illumination of my Voice Mail indicator. I had only been out for a few minutes and someone had already found a method to finish me off. I slumped down into my chair and pushed the blinking button. �You have one new message.� the computerized voice spoke. �Message One�� I could almost feel the breath on the back of my neck as I listened to the startling message. �Mr. Jenkins,� the mysterious voice once again spoke to me, �I hope you have made a decision as to how we might accomplish our meeting at seven tonight. I would be dreadfully disappointed if you were not to arrive. I recommend that you meet at the appointed time and place instead of making it much more difficult than it has to transpire. Have a good day, Mike.� The deafening beep erupted in my office as the mystifying person hung up the phone. I shuddered slightly. Although I had heard the voice once before and read his letter many times, he still seemed, well, out of place. Something was wrong with him and I could feel it. Suddenly, the phone rang and I was reluctant to answer it at first but soon, I picked up the handset. �This is Jenkins.� I half-mumbled into the microphone. �What took you so long, Mike?� A womanly voice instantly relieved my remorse. �I was about to hang up for a second there.� �I�m sorry, Leslie,� I laid my head in my hand, �I wasn�t expecting it to be such a friendly voice.� Leslie Turk was a hospital administrator down at Cathman Memorial and also a very good friend of mine. Recently, she had gotten married to another one of my good friends, Jerry Hopkins. I keep forgetting. Now she is Leslie Hopkins, not Turk. �It�s all right, Mike. I just called to tell you that Lewis called here and told me about the argument you two had a few minutes ago.� I lifted my head abruptly and stared out the window at the hospital across the street. �Why?� I questioned as I saw a figure move past the window. �He never told me that. He just explained to me that you were going on vacation for two months, paid. Also, a stranger called here for you but refused to tell his name.� The hairs on the back of my neck instantaneously stood up. �What? What did you say?� �You heard me, Mike. I�m still confused as to why he called here but he told me to relay a message to you.� She paused. �Robust at seven.� My breath caught in my throat as I tried not to gasp in terror. �What�s that supposed to mean, Mike?� �I have to go.� I could hear her calling my name as I hung up the handset and yanked the phone from the wall. I threw it to the opposite side of the room and stood out of my chair. I immediately picked up my briefcase and rushed out of the scraper while all the people stared at me as I ran in ultimate dread. |