TWO WEEKS LATER, THE DAY Derrek returned from a trip, Allison found him alone in his office. She knocked lightly on his door. He didn’t look up. She stepped inside.
“Derrek.”
“Hello, Allison.” He glanced up, then back to a set of drawings. “How is everything with you?”
“Fine.”
“Good, good. What can I do for you?”
Dampness crept onto the palms of her hands. “I need to talk with you.”
“How long do you need?”
“Probably half an hour.”
Derrek looked at his watch. “I’m afraid I can’t do that right now.”
“I understand. I looked at your schedule in Google Drive and saw you have a full day, but you’re open at four thirty, so I’ll block off that time for us to chat.”
“What is this regarding?”
“That’s best left for the conversation.”
“Oh?” Derrek raised his chin and gave a few nods. “I see. Is there anything you can tell me to help me prepare?”
“I think it’s best if we wait.”
“Then I think it’s best if we schedule something a bit later in the week.”
“I think it’s best for both of us if we have this conversation sooner rather than later.” Allison stepped forward and placed her hands on his desk and leaned in. “There are a number of things I need to tell you. Truths I’ve learned about myself during my time here at Wright Architecture and truths about you that you need to hear.”
“Ah.” Derrek’s eyes flashed anger and worry, but only for an instant. Then he smiled and said, “In that case let’s plan on late this afternoon as you suggested, four thirty.”
“Half an hour.”
“I heard you, Allison.”
“Good to know. Thank you.”
He turned back to the drawings on his desk. “Anything else?”
“Yes. This meeting is for you and me only. No one else. And I’d like to finish all my thoughts before hearing yours.”
“If that’s what you like.” Derrek leaned back and pulled his arms across his chest. “Anything else?”
“Not as long as we’re clear on the parameters for the meeting.”
Derrek chuckled and held up his palms in mock surrender. “My, my. Aren’t we the little attorney today.”
Allison stood straight and clasped her hands behind her back. “I’ll see you at four thirty.”
She strode through Derrek’s office and spotted Linda standing at the lobby’s front desk, her jaw set tight. Little doubt she’d heard every word, but it didn’t matter. She’d locked down her time to speak with Derrek alone.
Lunchtime came and went without her stomach sounding any desire for food. At two she went to the lunchroom and heated up a bowl of soup, but after two bites she had to stop. Work on a few projects? Impossible. The thoughts in her mind continued to flit around like a frantic butterfly, and she finally gave up. Time crawled past three, then four, but finally four twenty-nine arrived and she smiled at how quickly it now felt like it had appeared. With a deep breath, she stepped out of her office and marched down the hall.