deciding to take a long, hot bath while I’m at it. I slip on my robe and walk out, looking for Tiff, who is now trying to pack her things. “I think you’re right,” I say, grabbing the clothes she has on her bed and folding them to place in the suitcase. “I’m going to quit.”
“Before you just quit,” she says, “you only have one more day before you are off for ten days. Just take the ten days to regroup and then see how you feel.”
“I guess that’s a good idea.” I look over at her. “Maybe I can clear my head and finally let go of the fact I like him.”
She pffts. “You don’t like him. You love him.” She turns and puts her foot up. “Now, can you please pack the bag for me? My parents are coming to get me first thing in the morning.”
I smile at her, and I try to forget about how crazy my life has gotten in the past two days.
I kiss Tiff goodbye the next morning with the promise to text her every single day, and that if I want to get away, I’ll go to her parents’ house.
After making a pit stop at Starbucks, where I grab myself a coffee, I head into the office, smiling at the receptionist who’s wearing candy cane earrings today. “Happy last day at the office.” She smiles at me, and I make my way to my desk.
The whole mood in the office is festive. People are standing together, laughing. Christmas music plays just a touch louder, and everyone has dressed down.
“I guess we didn’t get the memo.” I look over to see Zach standing there with a coffee in his hand. He’s wearing a blue suit.
“Was there a memo?” I laugh, putting my cup down and then walking over to the closet. My black leather skirt goes to my knees, and I paired it with a deep green shirt. It screams Christmas and also brings out the green in my eyes. “I must have missed it.”
He just nods, and the wheels in my head start turning. If I leave, I won’t see him every day. “I’m leaving early today,” he says, and I just look back at him. “I’m going to fly out tonight instead of tomorrow morning and hopefully miss the rush.”
“I’ll make sure everything is ready for you,” I tell him.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that. I did it myself,” he says, and I look at him weirdly. In the past year, he has never booked his own flights or accommodations. “I had time last night, so I just did it.”
“Great,” I say, avoiding his eyes by pulling out my chair and sitting down. My mind’s going a million miles a minute. Maybe he changed his plans so I don’t know where he’s going. Maybe the letter freaked him out, and he doesn’t trust me. Oh my god, Tiff was right. I have to quit.
I listen to him in his office when I open the confirmation email from the hotel. I click on it and see he upgraded from just a regular suite to a villa suite located on the beach with its own private pool. It looks like it’s for newlyweds, and my heart suddenly sinks even more. He’s going there with someone. I blink away the stupid stinging in my eyes and close down the screen.
For the next three hours, I make sure that everything I need to do is done. “Okay, Chloe.” I hear from behind me and see Zach standing. “I’m heading out. My flight is at four, and I have a couple of things to get before I head to the airport.”
Grabbing the pen on my desk so he doesn’t see my hands shake, I plaster a smile on my face. “Well then, I wish you a very Merry Christmas.” He just smiles at me. “And a Happy New Year.”
“To you also,” he says. “I will see you in the new year.” I don’t tell him that he won’t. “Why don’t you finish what you are doing and then take off early?”
“I think I’ll do that,” I say. “Have a safe flight.” He nods, and I watch him walk away. The minute he is gone, I open my computer and start my resignation letter.
I print it out, and unlike the last letter I wrote to him, this one I fold and write his name on it. I walk into his office and place it in the