Letters From The Ledge by Lynda Meyers Page B

had been buried in the computerized records of Evans and Associates all afternoon when the distinctive hip-hop backbeat pulled her out of the haze of numbers. She wiped a hand over her face and noticed the sun setting in the distance. Startled, she grabbed the phone out of her purse and caught Nate’s text message before hitting the speed dial.
    He picked up on the first ring. "Where are you? Are you ok?"
    "I am so sorry! I’ve been buried in this mess all afternoon. I’ll tell you all about it later. I promise I’m leaving right now. Forgive me?" She picked up her purse and briefcase, shutting the computer down as she spoke.
    "Of course I forgive you. I just miss you is all."
    She imagined the way his face looked as he was talking and her heart melted some of the hard shell she’d had in place to survive Frank’s office all day. She smiled into the phone. "Are you still at the restaurant?"
    "Yeah, but we might want to skip dinner. I’m pretty full on breadsticks and water already."
    "Haha. I’m on my way."
    His laughter was contagious. "Take your time. I’m not going anywhere."
    "K. See you soon."
    The secretary Frank had assigned to her sat at a desk nearby. She looked capable but completely bored. She hadn’t given the poor girl one thing to do all afternoon. "Do I need to lock this or just shut the door?"
    The perky brunette snapped into action. "Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it."
    "Thanks."
    "See you on Monday, Ms. Hadley."
    "We’ll see about that.” The elevator doors closed on her words and she immediately dialed Kevin’s cell. "What the hell have you done to me?"
    "Paige?"
    "Yes Kevin, it’s me. Tell me, why do I suddenly feel like I’ve been traded to the Yankees?"
    "Calm down Paige." Kevin’s tone was condescending and much too ‘older brother’ for her liking.
    "No, you calm down!" She hushed her voice as the doors opened at the next floor and several people got on. "Apparently they’re expecting me to be here everyday from now on. I have my own office, did you know that? I have my own computer. I have my own secretary , for God’s sake and I-am-on-their-payroll!” She had trouble keeping her voice down and people were starting to look at her as if she’d lost it. They weren’t far from the mark. She tried to hush her voice slightly but the edge wouldn’t leave. “Hell, Kevin they treat me better than you do. Are you trying to get rid of me?"
    "What are you talking about?"
    "And here I thought we were just going to save Private Ryan and get the heck out of dodge. Now I’m stuck behind enemy lines, taking fire, and I find out you’re the one who ordered the ambush!" She was approaching hysterical, but she didn’t really care.
    "Ambush? Come on now, you're overreacting."
    "Am I?"
    "Yes, you are." Kevin used his deliberately calm, soothing voice, which made her even more angry.
    "Don’t you patronize me!” She spoke through closed teeth. “If I wanted to work in a cushy little corner office in Trump Plaza for mister barracuda over here I’d have sent him my resume. I can’t believe you let him blindside me like that! I thought we were friends."
    "Wait–did you say you were on his payroll?"
    "You should have seen how smug he was this morning, like he’d bought me and I was his to play with. He said the two of you had it all worked out!"
    Kevin’s side of the phone was silent.
    "Are you still there?"
    "Are you finished Paige?"
    All the venom she’d been saving up had been released and the relief was almost immediate. She blinked twice and was suddenly much calmer. "Yes. I think so."
    "Good, because I need to tell you what happened on my end."
    "Ok." Paige hailed a cab and gave the driver the address of the restaurant. It wasn’t far but she didn’t feel like running and Nate was already waiting.
    "Frank called me up and offered to let you work over there in an office that was already set up with a computer and the accounting software they’ve been using. Since we’d