Finding Jaime Read Free Page B

I feel the heat of her palms through my thin yellow tee. But then just as I think she’s going to hug me back, she pushes me away.
    “I have to get back to work.”  
    Her face is flushed, and I drop my head back and sigh. I overstepped, again, and now she’s uncomfortable with me like before.

    After a shitty night’s sleep, the brain splitting headache I have is the only thing I can concentrate on right now. I look at the computer screen in front of me, but nothing is staying still on the monitor.
    “Hey, Jai, do you have those reports from last Tuesday?” Sam, my boss, asks.  
    I reach into my drawer and pull out the file that took me four long days to complete—a task that should’ve taken four hours. “Here you go, Sam,” I say while rubbing my temple with my other hand.
    “Headache?”
    I open my eyes and stare at him.  
    No, I just like looking like I’m sucking on a lemon while being fucked in the ass for the fun of it!   I bite my tongue so I don’t say that out loud. Not that I would let anybody in my back door again—gross—trying it once was enough. It hurt like a bitch and did nothing for me in the slightest.
    “Yeah, it’s fucking agony,” I reply and open my drawer for the painkillers I keep there. I swallow two and take a sip of my bottled water. “Woke up like this.”
    “Actually, you don’t look too good today, and you usually look so fine…”
    “Say what?” I glare at him, and he has the audacity to backtrack as though I didn’t just hear him say something that could have him up for sexual harassment.
    “I mean, you always look so professional,” he says, and his face reddens. “I didn’t mean to say that—you understand? I’m not in the habit of saying things like that—”
    “Sam, just stop. It’s fine, okay? But, could you just leave me to suffer on my own? I’m busy having a pity party, and you’re not invited.”
    He has the balls to laugh at me but then gets it that I’m not kidding, and I want him to fuck off. “Okay, see you then.”
    He closes the door behind him, and I rest my aching forehead on the cold wooden surface and groan. “Please kill me now.” I glare at my desk phone when the sound of the ringtone assaults my delicate ears. “Yes?” I hiss into the receiver and continue to rub my temple.
    “Hi, Jai!” Sadie says so cheerfully I’m tempted to shoot her the finger. “Mom and Dad say hi. Oh, and they’ve asked me to stay over another night, so I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon. Aunt Carol is coming over, and I haven’t seen her in almost ten years.”
    “That’s nice,” I mumble. “Have fun.”
    “What’s wrong?” I hear the concern in her tone. Sadie should’ve been a nurse, or at the very least she needs to pop out some kids in a few years to fuss over.
    “I have a fucking migraine,” I moan. “My head is being torn open from the inside and painkillers aren’t working.”
    “It could be left over from the other night,” she suggests, and I can hear the stupid grin in her voice.  
    “No. I felt okay last night. I didn’t sleep all that great.”
    “Are you stressed? How’s work? Is Sam giving you too much to do?”
    “Whoa slow down, Lester Brown,” I reply. “I’ll be okay, Sade. I’ll finish up here and go home. I might have an early night tonight.”
    “Alone?”
    “Yes, Sadie,” I spit. “I’m not in the mood to hook up.”  
    “Well, okay then, sweetie. Get some rest and I’ll see you tomorrow before I have to work the night shift at the hotel.”
    I end the call to my second mom and return my aching head to the desk. I sit up with a start and realize that I’d fallen asleep.
    “Shit, I need to get this done,” I say out loud and attempt to get back to work.
    I look through the figures on my screen and find they’re a lot clearer than before. I work quickly through the numbers, knowing I don’t need to have it completed for another two days at least. I lift my head to the knock on my door, and