Page 26 of I Hope This Finds You Well

Caitlin:Yes, I can see that, but be careful. She’s obviously up to something.

Armin:Right. Okay, thanks for the warning, detective.

It’s like walking into a room and worrying everyone was just talking about you; the real power is knowing that they were.

They can’t bully me when I have the power this time. After everything they’ve put me through, I deserve this promotion. I deserve to move on. I, at least, deserve to be here.

I open the maroon folder and flip over the org chart to the blank side.

My plan crystalizes and I write it all out, like goals for this quarter:

—Do everything better and faster than Caitlin

—Win over Gregory via his tolerable proxy, Rhonda

—Convince Armin I’m normal/give him no reason to talk to HR about me

The list stares back at me, simple and tidy. This is doable. I could actually do this.

I glance at Caitlin, who is blotting her maroon lipstick with a tissue, one eye on me. When she notices me looking back, her lips curl around the paper into a sneer.

And then I almost smile at her, because I realize there is one more piece on the chessboard I can take control of, and she dropped the idea right into my lap.

I open a new email.

Hey Cliff,

If you were serious about carpooling, I’d actually love to take you up on that. Although I would want to pitch in on gas.

Thank you,

Jolene

I hit send,the tips of my fingers crackling with anxious energy. His response comes too fast.

Of course! I can’t tonight, but how about you meet me after work tomorrow and we’ll go from there? P.S. nonsense with your gas money—I’ll be driving anyway and you’re helping me into the carpool lane, which is more than money can buy lol.

See you later for meeting.

Caitlin accused me of using my extra time with Cliff to get ahead, so it might as well be true.

I pick up my pen again and add one more item to my list:

—Get Cliff to like me

It’s weird, this power I’ve tapped into—what nobody counted on, what even I didn’t expect. I’m willing to fight to keep my job, and they don’t realize how much. I’ve eaten enough poison that it can’t kill me anymore, and now I’m here to win.

This might even be fun.

But Who Will Watch Me Watch the Movie?

As I make my way down the lone and darker corridor that leads to Cliff’s office, my mind races. I have a bit of heavy lifting to do today, since my first few impressions weren’t great.

Entering Cliff’s office is like emerging from a cave. The blinds are pulled back to let in the sun, which twinkles against all his plastic action figures. Something in my peripheral vision catches me: a cardboard cutout of Bob fromBob’s Burgersis leaning against the back wall. It wasn’t here when I came to talk about my email problem yesterday, which means, between then and now, he put it in his car, walked it through the parkade and up the elevator, unfolded it, and set it up.

What is wrong with this man?

I find the maniac in question leaned over his desk, scribbling on a notepad. His gaze pulls up as I cross the threshold. “Hey, it’s my carpool buddy.” He follows my gaze toward the new decoration. “I see you’re interested in Bob?” He grins, and I notice that the shades of brown in his eyes catch in the light like a kaleidoscope.