Page 10 of Cabin Fever Baby
“I miss you too.” I glanced at Ginny, who was tapping her slim gold watch. “I’ll try.”
“Try hard, sweetheart.”
“I will.”
“Love you.”
“Love you too.” I tapped my earbud to hang up and stood. “Sorry. I forgot.”
“I know you did. Even though I reminded you last night and this morning,” Ginny said primly.
“I have a million things to do. I’ll just skip it.”
“You don’t have a million things to do. The Kelly account was closed up last night and you have already done all the pre-work on the Jerome brief. Go and get out of this office. Have a plate of lasagna.”
“Lasagna?” I asked with interest.
“Yes. We have an Italian spread for the party. I highly advise tasting the antipasto if there is any left. The party started an hour ago.”
And my co-workers were vultures.
“Which I’m going back to. Go into your bathroom and spiff up. Don’t make me come back up here to find you again.”
“Yes, Ginny.” I reached into my drawer for a slim box. “Merry Christmas,” I said as I handed it to her.
Her brown eyes widened. “Mr. MacGregor…”
“It’s just a little something. I noticed you keep taking on and off your watch.”
She glanced at the scratched face. “I’ve sent it out to be fixed three times.”
“Time for an upgrade.”
She flicked open the box and her fingers went to her necklace, then she lifted her head to meet my gaze. “It’s lovely.” She closed it and gave me a sweet smile. “I appreciate it.”
“Good. I’m glad.”
“Don’t think this will get you out of the party.”
I laughed. “I’ll be right after you.” I picked up my tie off the corner of my desk.
“Good.” After she left as quietly as she’d arrived, I headed for the small bathroom I shared with my neighbor, Paul. The hall was crazy quiet.
The Eden ad agency was a busy one. Thirty-four floors of executives, designers, and paper pushers. They did take care of us at the holidays. I had a tidy bonus check in my bank account from the eleven projects I’d worked on this year.
Eleven projects that had left me with not a single date, or even time for a drink with a woman all year.
I slipped into the bathroom and winced at my tired eyes staring back at me in the stark overhead light.
I took care of business, washed my hands, and took a minute to find my dopp kit in the cabinet for my contact solution. I honestly couldn’t remember how many days I’d worn these single day wear lenses.
I popped out my lenses and put in a new pair, my eyes practically sighing in relief. I added drops to help me look like I hadn’t been on a three-day bender. December had been a long haul and there had been many a morning where I found myself shaving after an all-nighter in the office.
I wish I could say I played as hard as I worked, but I didn’t have the headspace for it.
I’d had a brief fling with another executive over the spring. To be honest, it hadn’t been exciting enough for either of us to chase after the other. Casey Alexander had been fun, but she had her eyes on the big offices on the thirty-third level.
I was a lowly twentieth-floor graphic designer and good for a bounce or two, but not much else in her eyes.