The Ultimate Betrayal by Annette Mori

kid playing a grown up game.
    “Sophia. What brings you to my neck of the woods?” Francine said.
    “Hey, boss. I have a huge favor to ask and I know it will put you in a bind, but I really need this,” Sophia blurted out.
    “Sit, sit,” Francine directed.
    Sophia looked around at the stacks of books and papers on every chair in the office. She picked up a pile of books on the chair with the least amount of debris and sat down. “You know, Francine, one of these days, someone is going to report you to the reality show, Hoarders . I’ll bet one of those industrious students learning about Toyota Lean would just love to come in here and Five S your office.”
    “Five S?” Francine lifted her eyebrow.
    “Yeah, one of the lean tools. Sort, set in order, shine, standardize, and sustain. Basically it’s a fancy way of saying you need to clean and organize your space,” Sophia explained.
    Francine waved her hand in the air. “I know exactly where every single piece of paper is in my office. They better not touch a single one or I won’t know where to find anything. You’ve heard the expression, if a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, than what is an empty desk the sign of?” Francine laughed at her own joke. “Forget the clean freaks, now tell me what this ginormous favor is.”
    “I need to take off at least a couple of weeks, maybe three if I can get it, to spend time with my wife in Seattle and help her celebrate her fortieth birthday,” Sophia pronounced.  
    Francine leaned back in her chair and narrowed her gaze at Sophia. “Okay, but what else is going on in that pretty head of yours?”
    A single tear trickled down Sophia’s cheek. “You’re far too observant for your own good, Francine. I think my marriage is in trouble and I’m at a loss as to what I can do. I need to go to Seattle and see what the big draw is for her. She’s starting to spend more time in Seattle than in New York and that worries me. I’d move in a heartbeat if I thought that would fix the problem. Don’t get me wrong, I love teaching at CUNY, but I love my wife more and if I had to make the sacrifice, I would.”
    “Don’t worry, Sophia, I’ll get one of the adjuncts to cover for you. Look, I don’t want to lose you, but I’ll support you, no matter what. We’re not just colleagues, Sophia. I’d like to think we’re friends and your happiness is important to me. You go take that three weeks and fix things with your wife.” Francine lifted her small body up and walked around the desk. Sophia easily accepted the hug from her boss and friend.
    “Thanks, Francine. I don’t know what I did right in this life, but I have the best boss in the world.”
    “Go on, start making those plans. That is if you can find a way out of my cluttered office,” Francine teased.
    “I promise to play interference whenever one of your do-gooder students starts talking about helping you organize your office.”
    “Have a safe trip and we’ll talk when you return. Bring me a bottle of wine back. I hear Washington State has some very fine wines,” Francine requested.
    “You got it. Thanks again, Francine.”
    Sophia walked to the door and smiled. Everything was going to be just fine. Once she got to Seattle and was able to spend time with her wife, she knew they would work everything out and fix the chasm that had suddenly appeared in their relationship. She whistled to herself, feeling hopeful about the future.

     
    †
     

     
    When Sophia returned to her penthouse condominium, she launched into efficiency mode to pack quickly and catch the next possible flight out to Seattle. Of course, she would call her best friend, Joy, to make sure the arrangements worked into her schedule as well.
    Fawn rubbed his fat body against her legs and let her know it was petting time. “Meow.”
    “Oh damn, I almost forgot about you, Fawn. We’ll have to call Aunty Grace to come over and kitty sit. You love Aunty Grace. She’s the