The hospital cafeteria was almost deserted this time of the morning, except for a few doctors eating an early breakfast. Meghan gripped the ceramic tea cup in her trembling hands as she stared across the table at her old boss.
"Cynthia, can you tell me why you picked me for the special assignment with the task force? I don't understand why I was the one chosen."
Cynthia looked at Meaghan with a puzzled expression. "En Ahmad specifically requested your transfer to the task force. He wasn't going to take no for an answer. You were qualified, and, after all, he is the owner of the company."
Her smile faded as she looked at Meaghan's expression, and quickly added, "Though I agreed with him that you were the best person for the job."
Meaghan looked down at her white knuckles, and ruthlessly tamped down the hysteria that threatened to bubble up. The image that she had of her…boss? …friend?...lover?...was now tarnished and cracked. All the time she had known him, he had been keeping important secrets from her. Not only that, he had used the fact of his ownership to move her into his office.
Her breath hitched when she remembered their phone conversation…was it only last Wednesday?
And the way he held her hands in his office just two short days before. It was all just a seduction ploy, wasn't it. After all, what did they have in common?
It reminded her of those Korean dramas her neighbor Shel enjoyed: the rich chaebol seducing the honest inexperienced girl.
But interspersed with this was the vision of him laughing with Tina and the other girls at the slumber party, his friendship with the restaurant owner, and his gentleness with her. It all swirled around her head until she thought it would explode. She put the cup down and clamped her hands over her face.
Cynthia walked around the table, sat next to Meaghan, and put her hand across her shoulders.
"Poor thing, you've got to be tired after this entire ruckus tonight. Should I drive you home?"
"No, I'll drive her."
Meaghan dropped her hands and looked up to see Rickie, pale but determined, walked towards her, JoAnne a presence next to him. Meaghan quickly wiped her face with her hands and stood up.
"I'll be okay, I'll just catch a cab. I don't want to be a bother."
"You promised I would drive you home." Rickie stated strongly.
Cynthia also stood up and took a step towards him, but JoAnne shook her head and rolled her eyes.
Cynthia looked over at Meaghan, who was staring at Rickie like she had never seen him before.
"Well, I'll go ahead and drive JoAnne home then. You'll be okay, Meg?" Meaghan nodded and smiled woodenly at the pair, rooted to the spot until they both had walked away, whispering furiously together.
Once they were a distance away, she picked up her things without a word and walked with Rickie to the carpark.