C .02-Working hard
1429 Words
When the time came to call it a day, rain was pouring down outside. Juliette figured it would be best to do some extra work, since it was a heavy downpour.
It wasn’t like she had an infant or a husband to go home too. There was no one waiting for her after a long day.
She sighed heavily.
Releasing a breath, she shuts down the computer and grabbed her bag. Taking the coat from the rack, she pushed one hand in, then the other and walked out of the office, closing the door behind her.
Everyone had left some hours ago, so now the building was empty. Mr. Stauber had advised her not to stay too late when he left for the evening, and though she had promised she wouldn’t, he had known otherwise.
It was the one thing he loved about the young woman. Her hard working attitude. He knew he had made an efficient decision when he offered her the job.
She pressed the ground level button on the elevator keypad and waited as the doors closed. Hearing the soothing melody coming through the speakers, she slumped against the icy wall for a slight relief from her feet.
Tired, exhausted, and her body almost falling to the floor resulted from a long day. She didn’t know the meaning of go slow. No matter how hard the work was, her determination to get it done, always left her feeling withdrawn. Even when some of her regulars throw their most difficult designs at her, she never ceased to amaze them and herself.
She felt proud for all she accomplished over the years, and if working a little harder than usual gets her to the top, she will make the sacrifice. It was worth it, making a name for herself. A legacy for her future children to be proud of standing behind.
The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open with a small thud in the underground parking lot. She pushed off the wall and stumbled to her car.
“Working late again, Ms. Stryker?” The night guard in the booth called out with a knowing smile.
“Hey George. Unfortunately so. You be safe now.”
“Same to you and have a safe drive.”
She gave him a small wave with a tired smile. At how tired she felt, she had thought about calling a town car, yet she didn’t want to inconvenient anyone.
Five feet away, she pressed the alarm on the car to unlock it and got in. She threw her bag on the passenger side, keyed the ignition and reversed out of the empty parking lot and onto the lit streets of Exeter.
The distance to her home was a drive away, and she can already feel her body slumping at the wheel. The last thing she wanted was an accident, so she turned on the radio to help to keep her awake and not drift off into a slumber.
Finally, she got home and parked her white Audi A4 in the garage. The rain had somewhat run its course, so she could get to her front door without getting wet.
Inside her low and comfortable two-bedroom home, she removed her shoes at the door and dropped her bag on the counter.
Her phone started ringing, and she had to dig through all the contents in her bag to find the device. She found it at the bottom of the bag and slid her hands across the screen to answer the call.
“Hey girly, you home?” The voice sounded on the other side of the phone.
“Hey, just got in, what’s up?” She started removing her jacket with her free hand and switching the phone to the next ear, to pull out her other hand.
“Oh, nothing just here. I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me Friday night… to a club, perhaps?”
“Becca, I would love too, but I’m not sure how the day will go as yet. I’ll let you know if anything?”
“Really, Jules? You work so hard, sometimes I wonder if you even have time to do anything else. C’mon, one night out won’t kill you!”
The young woman rubbed the forefront of her head, feeling a slight headache brewing in the background.
She should have known saying no to Rebecca was out of the question. It had always been that way since the first day they became friends. Rebecca had saved her from a douchebag who was trying to hit on her after her breakup with Kallum.
She had gone to a club where she met Rebecca. When they met, Rebecca had called it fate that they were both at the same place at the same time.
She had taken the time to explain the reason for her time at the club. Rebecca didn’t miss the glint of sadness in her eyes at the sound of his name from her lips.
From what Juliette had told her, she knew the last thing she needed was a man hounding her to get between her thighs. So, to get her mind off her ex, she offered to help her forget her past and look forward to her future, to which Juliette couldn’t refuse.
She wanted to forget Kallum. She didn’t want to remember what they shared as a torture to her well-being and her heart. If she was going to move on, she had to forget him.
So, she drank until she couldn’t drink anymore. By the time she left the club, Kallum was a distant memory. However, she knew that the next day would bring a serious hangover, and she was thankful that she didn’t have to work.
From that day, they were as thick as thieves. And although Juliette may work harder than any other person she knew, Rebecca knew that at some point, she had to save the young woman from working herself to the bone.
“If I go with you, do you promise to go shopping with me on Saturday, I need to get some new clothes.”
“Are you kidding? Deal!” Rebecca knew what she was getting herself into agreeing to go shopping with Juliette, but if it meant her going to the club with her, she would drive her to the moon if she had asked.
“Okay, and Rebecca?” She called out, taking a seat on a stool at the island.
“I know, I know. Don’t set you up with anyone.” She singsong and Juliette smiled knowingly. She closed her eyes. “Rebecca, please.”
“I said I wouldn’t… right?” She rebutted.
“You better not. Anyway, it’s been a long day and I’m tired. So talk to you tomorrow.”
“Ok babe. Love you.”
Juliette replied with an ‘I love you’ and hung up, picking her bag from the countertop.
By the time she finished taking her shower, she was feeling too tired to fix dinner, instead; she pulled on her pajamas and strolled over to her bed and got in, pulling the covers to her chest.
Sleep took her instantly, and she slumbered through the night.
Morning came, and she woke up to the light of the sun shining through her windows. Too tired from the day before to close the curtains, she awoke with the illuminating light.
She raised her hands above her head and stretched her body, feeling somewhat rejuvenated.
She retrieved her cell from the side table and checked her emails. One unread email was present in her inbox. The name of the sender was the last person she was expecting it to be.
But she couldn’t bring herself to open it. Whatever the email said, she didn’t want to know. It was long overdue and unnecessary.
With her finger hovering over the screen, she pressed and held the email, then clicked on the trash can in the top corner.
She didn’t know why he was contacting her after so long and she didn’t care. Juliette returned the phone to the table and pushed off the comforter and got ready for work. Still the thought of what was the reason for the email bugged her profusely.
- Writer
