Billion Dollar Chance - Linnea May Page 0,11
face the inevitable scolding that’s waiting for me. Mrs. Glenn let me leave right after that horrible meeting and gave me the rest of the day off, as it was always planned—but she didn’t do it without letting me know that there will be consequences.
Of course, there will be.
I swallow dryly as I get the coffee machine ready, the revolving noises of it working in the background while I make my way through the office to open most of the windows, allowing for a nice and refreshing air flow throughout our dingy little halls. As renowned and important as this institute claims to be, it’s also a lot more run-down than my former workplace. Our computers are slow and running on ancient operating systems, and the furniture is mostly used up and cobbled together as if the entire interior was acquired at a flea market. Top that with an old and stained carpet and you get the most stifling air building up overnight, no matter how high the air conditioning and ventilating systems are running. What a waste of energy.
Sometimes I can’t believe that I’m the only one in here who believes in impact ventilation. It’s the easiest and the most climate-friendly way to air an office. Yet, my colleagues accuse me of trying to freeze them out every time I do it, despite the convincing data I’ve given them on the matter. They just won’t listen.
So, I do it in the mornings, before anyone is here to complain. I stand by the open window next to my desk, taking in the cold morning air while I watch the parking lot below. Soon, a red Nissan will pull up and occupy one of the spaces at the far end of the lot, announcing the arrival of Caroline, Mrs. Glenn’s assistant. Caroline is my age, but unlike me, she obviously didn’t cause a sharp bend in her career by fucking up at her first position after graduating from college, so she’s a few steps ahead of me on a ladder I never intended to climb. It still bothers the hell out of me, even though I’d never admit that in front of anyone else.
The moment I see her car appearing in the parking lot, I step back from the window and close it, before I make my rounds through the entire department and do the same to all other windows. Airing time is over—and so is my early morning grace period. Shortly after Caroline shows up, the office will fill with people and the day will begin. A day I have been dreading ever since the proposal meeting with the government attorneys ended.
My throat closes up as if someone was holding it in a tight grip, making it hard to breathe and providing me with a feeling of nausea when Caroline strolls through the door and casts me a cheerful smile.
“Morning!” she pipes as she walks past my desk, and I repeat the greeting with a forced smile.
Her desk is opposite to mine, tucked in a corner and facing the rest of the room while I have my back turned to it.
“You had a good weekend?” Caroline asks across the table, peeking up from behind her screen while her computer is booting excruciatingly slowly. It appears that she’s oblivious to my shameful blunder, which gives me hope that Mrs. Glenn won’t make a big deal about it. If she hasn’t mentioned it to her own assistant, then maybe she’s not as angry as I’d feared she might be?
“Mhm, it was okay,” I respond, trying not to sound too evasive. “How was yours?”
Caroline starts rambling about a Tinder date who took her out to a fancy brunch, but I am barely listening while I keep an eye on the door. I’m sending polite nods toward every single person who shows up, as I do every day, but when Mrs. Glenn rushes through the glass doors in her usual hasty manner, my throat closes up and I have to suppress a sudden urge to heave.
The look on her face is ice cold as she reciprocates my nod and Caroline’s chipper morning greeting. It’s not unusual for her to refuse a smile, especially on Monday mornings, but I’ve never seen her look at me like this.
And the worst part: Caroline noticed it, too. I fail to avoid her gaze when I turn back to my screen, catching her looking at me with her eyebrows raised in surprise as if to say: “What’s up with