The Cost Of Love And Sanity by Jaye Cheríc

“Good. I look forward to that. Well, that’s all I had. Let me know if you need anything.”
    â€œSure.”
    Alex stood up and walked out the door. She couldn’t get back to her own office fast enough. She walked with her head down deep in thought about Mr. Sims’ little “pep talk.” Alex didn’t expect to feel this type of pressure. He was obviously sending her a warning that she’d better heed. Alex had to make this job fair work and she would start with this proposal. It would be done before she left the building. No exceptions. I will make this the best event this company has ever had.

CHAPTER 9
    A t seven on the dot Friday night, Alex stood in front of her mirror half-dressed. It took some time to decide what to wear. The cleaners still had her preferred outfit, which meant she had to find something else quickly. She thumbed through the clothes in her closet. She pulled out a pink and black dress she’d worn about five months ago but it looked too summery to her. Her eyes rested on a long skirt with two five-inch slits up each side. She frowned. The matching shoes were unsuitable for winter weather. Alex chose a long sleeve, beige sweater dress and matching boots. After she laid it out on her bed, she returned to her mirror to figure out what to do with her hair.
    As she pulled her hair backward and turned it sideways to view it from different angles, her nerves set in. She’d managed to avoid them all day but, in her quiet moment of getting ready, they were threatening to overtake her. She had so many thoughts and feelings that were unresolved. She wanted to ask Nathan many questions. Like did he ever love her? Did he regret cheating on her? Had he changed? Yet, she didn’t know how to ask these questions casually. Alex plugged her flat iron into the wall and slid into her sweater dress.
    After parting her hair a few times and smoothing out the rough edges, Alex unplugged her iron and brushed her hair over her shoulders. She gave herself a nod of approval in the mirror and walked downstairs. She passed the clock on her stove. It read sevenforty-eight. Alex sighed. I wonder where he is. With no call, text or email, she didn’t know what to think of his tardiness but decided not to draw a conclusion about it yet. She paced the floor a few times. Alex finally picked up her phone, walked over to her living room and flipped on the TV. She placed the phone on the coffee table and switched the channels. She landed on Lifetime. She didn’t usually watch that movie channel but she figured she’d watch the current movie while she waited.
    Three commercial breaks passed. Alex picked up the remote and hit Select. The clock read eight thirty-five. She stared at it hoping it would magically subtract an hour and five minutes. It didn’t work. She didn’t have an explanation for Nathan’s absence but one thing she did know for sure; her anger felt like lava heat ready to ooze out of her and melt everything within her reach. She let the screen return to the movie and crossed her arms. Her cell phone rang.
    She picked it up off the coffee table.
    â€œHello?”
    â€œHey, Alex,” Nathan said, as his voice came through the line. “I’m so sorry. My friend’s car broke down. He called me to help him at four and I thought sure I had enough time to get to you but…” His voice trailed off. “I just got home and I’m covered in grease.”
    Alex closed her eyes and sighed.
    â€œI’m sorry. We can reschedule this for another time. How about tomorrow?”
    Alex’s chest felt heavy, almost too heavy to suck in enough air to speak. How could he do this? Does he expect me to be available at his whim? What kind of game is he playing? This must have been a mistake. She didn’t even know why she gave him her number. “I have a lot to do tomorrow,” she uttered.
    â€œOh. Well, what about next Wednesday or