“Under the circumstances,” Claire went on, apparently getting to her grand finale, “we think it would be a good idea to bring up your transfer date. Since you’ve applied for time off over Christmas, it would seem appropriate for you to start your new job right after New Year’s.”
She’d expected this, but the speed...“That barely gives me three weeks to pack,” she protested.
“The relocation company can forward whatever you still have in your apartment when you leave,” Claire said, not a trace of sympathy on her face. “We have openings in Rio, Singapore, and Delhi.” She stood up and handed Ellen three sheets of job descriptions. “Think about it, and let me know by the end of the week.”
Ellen automatically took the sheets, unable to speak. Claire nodded to Jon and swept out of the room with the air of a person who believed she’d performed her job admirably.
Jon looked miserably at Ellen. “I tried, Ellen, believe me.”
“I do,” she said through white lips. “I’m sorry about this. All of it.” Tears came to her eyes so suddenly she was caught by surprise. She dashed back to her office and shut the door, just managing to close the blinds in the window facing the hallway before falling, sobbing, into her chair.
What was she going to say to Kane? That this hopeless dream they’d been sharing was now going to last barely two months, instead of four? That she’d been right from the beginning? That she loved him? What good would that do?
When the first shock of tears had subsided, she tried to reassemble her dignity with tissues and a make-up mirror, and turned to her inbox. She stuffed the job descriptions in her purse without looking at them. She already had voicemails and emails from clients to return. “No, of course the newspaper is wrong,” she said about twenty times that day. “The Rosette has no need to try and get around the INS. And neither do I.”
“So you’re staying?” a few of them asked.
“For as long as they’ll have me,” she hedged.
One of the first voicemails was from Lucía. Ellen waited as long as she could before she called her back.
“What the hell’s going on over there?” said Lucía without saying hello. “I don’t see you for weeks, I haven’t had any follow-up on the proposal, and now you’re getting thrown out of the country?”
“I’m not getting thrown out of anything.” At least, not for the reasons Lucía thought. “My visa is fine. It still runs out soon. And... I didn’t follow up about the contract because... well, once I started going out with Kane it wouldn’t have looked very good, would it, for you to hire my hotel?”
“I’ll tell you what, Ellen,” said Lucía, sounding more pissed than Ellen had ever heard her. “The fact that you’re leaving is more of a reason for me not to use the Rosette than whatever’s going on in your private life, and I would have thought you’d have enough faith in me to know that.”
Ellen dropped her forehead into her hand. “Well, thank you. And it’s not a question of faith, Lu, it’s ethics.”
“Like not dating a guy you were trying to do business with?”
Ellen winced. “Exactly. Look how great that’s turning out.”
“I can’t look, can I, because I haven’t seen you for weeks.”
“The papers are happy to—”
“Oh, sure, now she thinks I’m going to listen to gossip about her. Jeez, Ellen. I thought we were better friends than this.” And she hung up.
Ellen tugged on her hair with both hands. Her friends had been everything to her, hadn’t they? That and her career. Six weeks with Kane and it was all going to hell. Maybe she should just get out before she hurt anyone else. Or herself.
At lunchtime she got a text.
Kane: What did they say?
She couldn’t call him. Her throat closed up at the very thought. At least he wasn’t expecting her that night, as Carl was coming in from New York. She had planned a nice evening curled up in her own space, enjoying her own bed while dreaming about the blissful ten days she’d just spent in Kane’s.
Ellen: Hi. It wasn’t that bad. I’m okay.
Kane: What kind of okay?
Ellen: Fine. Don’t worry. Going to work late tonight though. Have fun with Carl.
After a pause during which she could almost feel him glaring at her, he replied
Kane: I can help, if they fire you.
No, you can’t.
Ellen: They haven’t fired me. It’s all good. Got to get back; talk to you later.
Although how she was going to do that, she had no earthly idea.
