While Christopher and Yvonne were performing medical miracles, Debbie was getting acclimated to her new job of doing nothing.
She doodled inside an empty notepad, drawing stars and hearts to pass the time. When she thought she heard footsteps outside her door, she dropped her pen and sat up straight. Finally! She thought. Someone's here to give me work!
The sound of footsteps faded into the distance, along with Debbie's hope of receiving a task to do.
Her first few days in the office involved sitting at her desk, taking coffee breaks, and scrolling social media in order to look busy. Lincoln wouldn't give her any work to do. He just told her to relax and get used to the company before she started any actual business.
She explored every inch of her office, becoming intimately familiar with her mahogany desk and the hardwood floors. She stared out at the view for hours. She could practically draw a map of Baltimore from memory.
In other words, she was bored out of her mind.
It was infuriating. She was like a baby bird, ready to fly on her own, but Lincoln was holding her in the nest.
She rested her face in her hands. This is ridiculous, she thought. At least when I managed Alex's finances I was actually working.
Doubt crept into her mind. She raised her eyebrows. What if everyone thinks I just got the last job because I was Alex's girlfriend? What if they think I'm horrible?
She stood up from her desk. Well, I guess I just have to prove myself. I'll put my nose to the grindstone, but not literally. I don't want dirt to clog my very tiny pores.
As Debbie was about to take matters into her own hands, there was a knock at the door.
Her pulse quickened as she heard the sound. Is this really happening? She thought. Is someone actually here to see me? This could finally be my moment to shine.
She smoothed out her hair and plopped down on her chair.
After she sat back down, she cleared her throat. "Come in, please."
A short, skinny man peaked his head into her office. He was smartly dressed, but he looked nervous. His eyes were wiry, and the bags underneath his eyes were clearly visible. "Hi, sorry to bother you. I'm Mark. I'm looking for Ms. Clifton."
Debbie motioned for the man to come in. She almost pitied him. He looked like a mess. "Don't worry, Mark. Please, call me Debbie."
Mark sat in the small chair in front of Debbie's desk. He was holding a binder full of papers.
He nervously clutched the binder to his chest as he looked at Debbie, barely blinking the entire time.
The gracious, modelesque woman felt office as she watched Mark struggle. He looks like a wreck, but he has no reason to be nervous, she thought. I should start the conversation. Hopefully, that will put him at ease.
Debbie looked at him with her signature kind eyes. "To what do I owe this please, Mark?"
The young man adjusted the collar of his shirt. "Well, uh, Debbie, I'm your new assistant."
Confused, Debbie tilted her head to the side. "Assistant? Are you sure?"
It didn't make any sense. Why do I need an assistant? I have nothing to do, she thought.
He nodded and handed her his brand-new business card. It said his name, and underneath it read "Assistant to Debbie Clifton, Chief Financial Advisor."
Squinting, Debbie brought the card closer to her face. "Huh, strange. I haven't even printed business cards yet. Good for you, Mark."
Debbie pursed her lips. Well, hopefully, he's not expecting an intense, corporate-world job. He'll be disappointed when he learns that all we do is sit around all day.
The woman stared closer at the card. It looked freshly printed, as if he had picked it up on the way there.
Just in case, he snatched the card away from her. "Yeah, well, I'm on top of things."
Debbie leaned back in her chair. "Well, unfortunately, I'm afraid you don't have much to be on top of. I just started here, and the workload is so light, it's actually nonexistent."
Mark flashed Debbie an awkward smile. "You don't say."
Annoyed at the situation, Debbie crossed her arms. "I do. I was just about to go ask some people what the previous financial advisor did. I figured that way I may be able to get some good information."
Promptly, Mark reached out across the desk. "No! Don't!" He noticed Debbie pull back, confused. He toned it down a little bit. "I mean, why go looking for trouble, you know? Might as well get paid to do nothing. That's everyone's dream. Right?"
The overly eager assistant made Debbie feel uncomfortable. She couldn't put her finger on what, but there was something off about him.
As Mark tapped his fingers on the desk, he attempted to keep the conversation going. "So, you worked with Alex Ambrose?"
Debbie felt oddly exposed. She didn't like her new assistant asking her about her past. "Uh, yeah. I dated him too."
Riddled with anxiety, Mark chuckled. "Oh, yeah! Deblex, right? I know all about Deblex. I bet you know a lot about him. Like all of his deepest darkest secrets."
Mark knew he was losing his touch. He was practically giving himself away.
Debbie swallowed hard. "Yup, I know all of his secrets, alright."
Mark leaned forward. "Maybe, now that you're broken up, you should spill them all."
Debbie tapped her fingers on her desk. "I don't know. I'm not a cruel person. Spreading gossip isn't something that I aspire to do. I will share one little secret.
Mark's eyes went wide with shock. "Yes?"
A playful smirk pulled at Debbie's lips. "He's terrified of spiders."
Mark cocked a curious eyebrow. Alex seemed so fearless, who knew that he would be arachnophobic, of all things?
"Seriously?" Mark asked with a chuckle.
Debbie nodded. "Oh, totally. I killed every spider I've ever encountered. He screams like a little girl when he sees them."
Mark nervously bit his lip. "So, you killed spiders. Did Alex ever kill a man?"
Immediately, he knew he went too far. He hung his head in shame, ready for Debbie to read him the riot act.
Luckily, Debbie didn't call him out. Instead, she forced a smile, then slowly stood up. "Anyway, I'm going to go use the bathroom."
Mark mirrored her movements. "Okay, I'll come with you."
Debbie's eyebrows squished together. "Do you have to go?"
With a smile on his face, Mark shook his head. "Not really."
Debbie poked her tongue into her cheek. She never had anyone follow her into the bathroom before. "Uh, alright."
As she walked down the hall, Mark followed her every step.
When they reached the bathroom door, Mark stood directly at Debbie's back, barely giving her any room to breathe.
She looked over her shoulder. "Okay, Mark. I'm going to go in. This is the women's room."
Mark flattened his lips. "Enrichment doesn't have gender neutral bathrooms? I thought they were a progressive company."
Debbie shrugged her shoulders. "I guess not. Now, if you'll excuse me. I really have to go."
Mark took a small step back. "Don't worry, Debbie. I'll wait right here, so don't think of sneaking away.
Debbie forced her lips to form a smile. Then, she quickly entered the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.
She took a deep breath as she ran her hands through her hair. "What's going on? Is there something wrong with this guy?"
Debbie heard a light tapping on the door. It can't be, she thought.
She cleared her throat. "Mark, is that you?"
Mark's voice emanated from the other side of the door. "Is everything okay? I thought I heard you talking."
Debbie's eyes went wide with fear. "Everything's great, Mark. You don't have to listen to me go to the bathroom."
After a moment of silence, Mark responded. "Okay."
Debbie rushed into a bathroom stall and locked the door. "This is going to be a long day."
At least dealing with Mark gave her something to do.
For the rest of the day, Debbie's assistant followed her around like a puppy. However, every time she tried to do something or talk to someone, Mark got right in her way. He wouldn't leave her alone.
When she went to the break room, he followed. Debbie grabbed a cup of coffee, and attempted to speak to one of the coworkers sitting at the small table.
She poured a bit of coffee into a small, paper cup. "How's your day been?"
The coworker looked up at Debbie and smiled kindly. "Oh, it's been good." He extended his hand. "I'm Jeff."
Before she could finish her sentence, Mark smacked her hand away and jumped in front of her. "I'm Mark. This is my boss. We need to go."
Then, he pushed Debbie back into her office.
When she signed into her computer, he stood right over her shoulder.
Debbie glanced up at him. "Can I help you, Mark?"
Mark shrugged. "I just want to see how you type on the computer."
Debbie tried to suppress a groan that bubbled in her throat. "I type just like everyone else. With two hands."
Mark nodded and scribbled something down in a notebook, and as he did, he whispered to himself. "Types with two hands."
It was then that she realized a terrifying fact. If he could have crawled into the bathroom stall with Debbie, he would have.
By the end of the day, Debbie was drained. She hated her new job… and her new assistant. She wasn't the type of person who could just sit down and do nothing. She wanted to help. She wanted to work.
She also wasn't the type of person who wanted to be watched at all hours of the day. With Mark thrown into the mix, this job was looking like a recipe for disaster.
For the first time, she regretted leaving her old position. I miss Louis and Christopher. Hell, I even miss Yvonne, she thought. And, I hate to admit it, but I miss Alex.
***
Back at Alex's house, things were much calmer. Alex and Louis sat alone, waiting to hear from Yvonne and Christopher.
They mainly sat in silence, but every so often, Louis would try to strike up a conversation. "So, uh, did you know Ken Stokes can play the mandolin?"
Taken aback by this question that seemingly came out of nowhere, Alex blinked a few times. "How do you know that?"
Louis leaned back and put his hands behind his head. "He told me on the best day of my life, when we renovated this house."
Before Alex could say another word, the doorbell rang. "SCOT, who's at the door?"
SCOT responded immediately. "Flora and Gideon Ambrose, sir."
"What?" Alex asked, shocked.
He sprinted to answer the door.