She passes me a giant bottle of Evian. I’m thirsty enough to want to gulp it down, but also fearful of what will happen if I put too much of anything in my stomach.
“I’ll go and get you the pills,” Lauren says. “Do you want anything else? Maybe some dry toast?”
“No thanks. Pretty sure I’ll never eat again.”
I curl up in bed with the water and look at my phone.
There’s an ominous text in all caps from Magda.
Magda:WHERE IS THE MEDIA LIST?
Fuck. I got distracted with my dad’s call yesterday and completely forgot to send her the list from Lana. Now it’s a day late.
I drag myself over to the desk and email the list to Magda. Then I send her a text.
Hope:So sorry for the delay.
Hope:It’s in your inbox now.
Hope:Let me know if you need anything else before I’m back at the end of the month.
I’m hoping this line will remind her, once again, that I’m on vacation. I assume I won’t hear back due to the time difference, but she writes back immediately.
Magda:You sent me the wrong draft of the speech yesterday. If Heidi hadn’t caught it we’d be completely fucked. Totally unacceptable.
I freeze.
Hope:I’m so sorry! I don’t work on that account so I just pulled the latest file from the drive.
Magda:Why would you send it when you don’t work on the account? Get it together, Hope.
I flinch. I know that I don’t deserve this—I was only trying to help—but I am too desperate for this job to advocate for myself.
Hope:Won’t happen again.
Magda:You’re set to send out the launch press release on Monday?
I stare at my phone. Why wouldI, a person several time zones and many countries away, send out an important press release?
Hope:I was going to task Lana with the distro since I’m abroad.
Magda:I’d prefer you be on it.
I frantically grab our cruise ship tablet programmed with the ship’s schedule. On Monday we’ll be in the Bahamas, so at least I won’t have to rely on ship Wi-Fi. Rockabye is Conifer’s first new product in sixteen months, and they are among our biggest clients. Magda will fire me if the release goes out late.
Hope:No problem.
She doesn’t respond. I very badly want to throw my phone out to sea, but instead I program in ten reminders to myself to send out the press release.
While I’m doing that, a new text comes in from Felix.
His name, after being bombarded with Magda’s so many times, is like a balm to the soul.
Felix:Hey, let me know when you’re awake. Worried about you x.
Hope:I’m ok. Rough night but feeling better now.
Felix:Can I come by your room? I have something for you.
