“At the end of the year, performance reviews will take place,” she says. “You’re going to have to work to repair your reputation a little bit and it won’t be easy. But I think if you focus on staying out of trouble, sharpening your skills, and showing us a new dedication toward conducting yourself in a way that aligns with our firm’s standards, then everything will turn out just fine.”
7
SAVANNAH
The smells of clean laundry and all-purpose cleaners float around the small space of the cottage. Right on cue, I began my rage cleaning the second I got home for the weekend after another week at work. I sincerely enjoy my job but it’s significantly less enjoyable knowing I’m on probation.
There’s no getting out of the mundane tasks thrown my way in place of real casework, and walking around the office on eggshells was unavoidable all week. I don’t feel like I have control over any part of my life except for this one right now.
When things get dicey, as they often do, I drown my thoughts in scrubbing floors and dishes. I don’t ever ask anyone to come visit whatever home I’m living in. But if they did, they wouldn’t find a single speck of dust or item out of place. Which is honestly hilarious considering the mess that is my life outside these walls.
As I’m folding a navy-blue bath towel, my phone pings with a text notification from across the room. I place the towel on top of the neat pile of already folded ones and walk over to pick up the phone to see who texted me. My eyes bug out of their sockets when I see Warren’s name. After pausing my music and rippingout my headphones, I slump onto the cream-colored loveseat to open the message.
Warren
Hey Savvy
I know it’s a text, but I swear I can almost hear him saying those words in his deep voice. We haven’t spoken since he picked me up from jail. I thought he’d given up, and that should have made me feel satisfied. The reckless side of me perks up at the possibility that maybe he wasn’t ready to quit after all.
That realization sends a shiver up my arms and I cross my legs tight to try and shake off the swoon. God, I’m pathetic. I know the bar for men must be in motherfucking hell right now because why am I still crushing over a guy I swore I’d stop thinking about just because he was nice to me a week ago?
Warren
I was hoping you might want to come hang out this weekend. Are you busy?
The text bubbles continue to pop up underneath his last message, disappearing several times and it makes me laugh. I picture him typing up something to convince me to come and then erasing it seconds later. After watching this happen for another minute, I decide to put him out of his misery and text him back.
I have plans sorry.
Between the wine, way-too-long baths, and staring at the ceiling, my schedule is jam-packed for the weekend. Definitely no time to squeeze in hanging out with the confusinglysometimes awful, sometimes sweet man that I’m trying desperately to stop fantasizing about.
Warren
Come on, I could come pick you up. The food’s always good and the beer’s cold. And I really want to see you.
What kind of food
Warren
I’ve got a brisket on the smoker as we speak but I could go grab some other stuff whatever you want
We’re not friends.
Warren
A damn shame.
*eye roll emoji*
INCOMING CALL WARREN
Oh shit. Before I can think about it, I hit the decline button. It feels like there’s a tennis match going on in my head with him. The yellow ball bounces back and forth between two sides: wanting to forget about what happened and give in to the urge to spend time with him and then back to the side of common sense where I remember that I don’t know if I can trust this man.
INCOMING CALL WARREN
With a sigh, I stand up and stab the green button to accept his second call. Before saying anything, I put it on speaker sothat I can set the phone on the counter and resume cleaning to distract myself at the same time.
“Savvy…” his voice rings through the small space around me. My movement only falters for a split second when hearing it.
