He nodded in disgust and crossed his arms at his chest. When he failed to step in with a response, I continued.
“I’ve got a little advice for you, Grey Sinclair. When you get this upset, maybe you should consider whether or not you’re one hundred percent sure you're happy with the choices you’ve made in life. Seems to me if you were, then what I say one way or another wouldn’t bother you in the least.”
With his arms still tight across his torso, Grey didn’t respond, but instead thinned his lips as he glared in my direction.
“Yeah,” I said as I grabbed my clutch from the table. “That’s what I thought.”
A split second later, I was at the door.
“Maddie,” he began, as I placed my hand on the knob and prepared to open it. “I’m, uh, I’m sorry. That was out of line. And stupid. My offer still stands.”
Doing a half-turn over my shoulder as I pulled the door open, I looked at him.
“I’ll give you my decision tomorrow. That is, unless you’ve changed your mind about that also.”
Shaking his head, he looked at me as I passed through the doorway and into the hall.
“No. That’s fine,” he replied.
Without a word, I slammed the door and began to march down the hallway back towards the bank of elevators. About halfway there though, I started to feel lightheaded and a bit wobbly in the knees. The walls seemed to close in around me as my footing started to fail. I stopped and leaned against the suede wallpaper in an effort to calm myself.
Just breathe, Maddie. Everything is fine.
I reached down in my clutch to see if I had any money for a cab or hell, a bus. I didn’t want to see Armando and put him on the spot, in case Grey decided to ask questions about me. Anyway, I’d see Grey tomorrow on the way to the airport. I was just over all of it for tonight.
As I searched through my bag, I pressed my back to the wall and slid down its entire length until I sat, legs spread, on the hallway floor. Finally I felt something made of paper and pulled it out.
It was Grey’s check. As I looked at it, I realized there was enough here for a hundred microwave ovens. With someone like him on my side, there was no telling how far ahead I’d get. Whatever the case, it would be a helluva lot further along than I was right now which, obviously, was nowhere.
Leaning my head against the wall, I stared up to the ornate crystal light fixture overhead. Long crystals hung down like icicles, casting subtle rainbows across the ceiling as the light reflected off them. For a moment, the subtle beauty of the distraction soothed me.
Tomorrow I’d make the biggest decision of my life.
I turned and looked back down the hall towards Grey’s suite.
Had he already made his?
Thank you for reading!