The Chemistry of Love(10)

I nodded, still not trusting myself to speak yet. When he went back into the lobby, I unlocked my car and put the box into the passenger seat. I headed over to my side and climbed in, locking the door behind me.

What did I just do? What did I do?

This was so unlike me. I was not impulsive! I had never quit a job before. Granted, this was the only real job I’d ever had, but until today, I hadn’t ever quit it!

As the adrenaline and shock started to wear off, I leaned my forehead against the steering wheel. My hands were still trembling as I wondered whether I’d made a huge mistake. I seriously considered running back inside and telling Jerry I didn’t mean it. That I had overreacted and would do anything to get my job back. Even take a pay cut if I had to. Although I didn’t know how they could pay me any less—I was pretty sure I made the least out of all the other chemists, including the recent hires. I’d never even had a raise in the whole time I’d been there.

And I hadn’t been brave enough to speak up, to advocate for myself. Look where that had gotten me.

No, I was right to quit. I had to go home and figure out my next steps. I started the car and put it into gear, backing slowly out of my spot. I had a quick revenge fantasy of reversing my car into Jerry’s BMW, but I refrained.

I was almost out of the parking lot when I slammed my brakes so hard, I was surprised I didn’t make the car flip completely over.

In all of this, I’d forgotten one very important thing.

What was my grandmother going to say?



I spent several hours running errands to distract myself, going to lunch and trying to time my return home when I knew my grandparents would be gone. In the afternoon, my grandma had office hours at her university, and my grandpa was out with his bird watchers’ club. His menagerie of rescue birds greeted me when I arrived home. Feather Locklear informed me for the millionth time that the “Yankees suck!” but offered no commentary on me being home early. None of the birds would care whether or not I was employed, so long as they were kept flush with birdseed.

My grandma, on the other hand? I was not looking forward to telling her.

I went into my room and was so frustrated and annoyed by everything that had happened that morning that I seriously considered cleaning it. But things had never been quite so bad that I’d felt motivated to pick up my clothes off the floor.

I threw the box with my personal effects onto the floor, and then I collapsed backward onto my bed, my arms akimbo like I was going to make a snow angel. Exhaustion seeped into my brain, crowding out my other thoughts. I figured it was all the out-of-control emotions I’d been experiencing, along with staying up so late last night to read. I’d had some very low lows today, but maybe tonight would turn out differently. The highest of highs. Craig and I dancing at the company party, in front of everyone. I closed my eyes for a second to imagine his arms around me and next thing I knew, it was dark outside.

Groggily, I turned to look at my alarm clock. The party was starting in half an hour. I was going to be late.

Again. For the second time today.

I ran over to my closet to go through my clothes. I remembered that it was a cocktail party. I didn’t know what that entailed but figured it probably meant a dress.

I didn’t own a dress. Literally, not a single one. I’d never had an occasion to wear one. My grandma had a personal vendetta against the fashion industry, dresses in particular, and I’d always preferred pants anyway. They had pockets.

There was no time to go buy a dress, not to mention that the last time I checked my bank account balance, I had three dollars and twenty-seven cents. I flipped through my clothes, as if pushing each hanger aside would suddenly reveal a dress I’d forgotten buying.

I got all the way to the far end when I did find a dress.

A dress I’d bought to cosplay as Arwen, the half-elven character from Lord of the Rings.

I couldn’t. Could I?

Grabbing my phone, I called Catalina. She answered without saying hello. “I was waiting for you to call me. How are you? Are you doing okay? Did you get online at all today to look for a new job? Because I found a couple that I think would—”

“I need your help,” I said. “The party’s starting and I have nothing to wear and I’m pretty sure there’s not going to be an old magical lady showing up with a pumpkin carriage and some talking mice to help make me a dress.”

“The party?” she echoed my words. “You’re still going to the company party? Even though you quit?”

“Yes.” I said it in a tone that hopefully would shut down this line of questioning. Technically, I no longer worked at Minx, but I had to find Craig and tell him about my feelings. I would have much easier access to him at a hotel than I would in the office. The office where I no longer had a way to get in the building.

Plus, like I’d already told her, he’d basically asked me to go with him and I wasn’t going to miss out on that opportunity.

She took the hint and shifted back to the reason I’d called. “Not a single dress? A prom dress? Something you wore to graduation?”

“No proms, and I wore jeans to both my graduations.”

“You’ll have to go buy something,” she said.

“My bank account has an echo,” I told her, holding the outfit up against me as I looked in the mirror. “The only thing I have is that cosplay dress.”