59

59
The bus lurched forward and Rachel clutched the metal pole for balance. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to calm her nerves. This was her first day back at work after a long absence, and she was anxious about what the day would bring.
As she scanned the crowded bus, she noticed two familiar figures -the bald guy with a cobra tattoo and the brown, model-like giant. Leo’s bodyguards, she thought, her heart racing.
She quickly looked away and tried to focus on her breathing, but her mind was racing. Why were Leo’s bodyguards on the same bus as her? Was she in danger? Had they been sent to abduct her or something of that sort? She fumbled for her phone and checked for any messages or missed calls. Nothing. She was about to send a text to Leo when she heard a voice beside her.
“Hey, Rachel!” A familiar voice sounded behind her, snapping her out of her reverie.
It was her teenage photographer friend, Taylor. They had met a few months ago when he had taken a picture of Rachel, and they had stayed in touch ever since. Rachel was grateful for the distraction and smiled as she turned to Taylor.
“Hi, Taylor! How have you been?”
“Good! Just trying to keep up with all the gigs I have lined up. What about you? What brings you back to work? Havent seen you in a while, thought you was gone for good.”
Rachel sighed. “It’s a long story. But I’m ready to get back to work, to be honest. It’s been too long.
The bus pulled to a stop and Taylor looked up. “Oh, this is my stop. Take care, Rachel! See you around.”
She took her time, glancing back at intervals to see the watching her from the corner of their eyes to see if she had made a move towards her.
Rachel watched as Taylor stepped off the bus and disappeared into the crowd. She felt a pang of regret. She turned her attention back to Leo’s bodyguards and noticed that they were getting off the bus as well. They appeared to be trying to be discreet, but Rachel was not fooled. She flipped them off before making her way to the exit.
She stepped off the bus and took a deep breath, looking up at the towering skyscrapers of the city. It was a beautiful day, with a clear blue sky and a warm sun. She took a moment to soak it in before making her way to the office. She was determined to make the most of her first day back at work, despite the distractions.
Before she made her way toward the towering Dante Company building, she scurried into the cappuccino store behind the sprawling edifice to grab something with which she could pass the moment. She wondered how knew everything would feel and if her co-workers had missed her at all.
She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. As soon as she stepped inside, all eyes were on her.
The hum of conversation died down and everyone in the lobby turned to look at her. Rachel felt a flutter of nerves in her stomach as some of the staff openly sneered and whispered behind their hands.
She squared her shoulders and tried to look confident as she approached the front desk. The receptionist, a middle-aged woman with a stern expression, looked up as Rachel approached.
“Good morning,” Rachel said, trying to sound cheerful even though she felt like a tempest within.
The receptionist simply raised an eyebrow and handed her a visitor’s pass. “You’ll need to sign in,” she said in a clipped tone.
Rachel signed her name and made her way towards the elevators, feeling the weight of dozens of eyes on her back. She could hear hushed whispers and snickers as she passed by.
As she rode the elevator to her floor, Rachel thought back to her last days at the Company before she went on leave.
When the elevator doors opened, Rachel stepped out and made her way down the hallway. She tried to ignore the stares and whispers, focusing instead on her surroundings. The walls were painted a sterile white, the carpet was a bland beige, and the overhead lighting was harsh and unflattering.
Rachel turned towards the way that led to her office and was greeted by Rita, a new employee who had probably gotten used to the ritual. She smiled warmly but didn’t stop to say a ‘hi’. Rachel was forced to stop for a moment and wonder what was going on.
“Good morning, Rachel,” another said. “Welcome back.”
Rachel smiled, grateful for his friendly demeanor.
Rachel continued to trudge on into a scene of hushed whispers and sidelong glances. She had expected this, of course. It was her first day back at work after a long and tumultuous absence, and everyone at Dante Company was curious about her return.
She scanned the faces of her colleagues, seeing expressions ranging from hostility to faux sympathy. Some of them openly sneered at her as she walked by, their whispers audible enough for her to catch snippets of their conversation. “Did you hear what she did?” “Can you believe she’s back?” “I wouldn’t want to be in her shoes.”
Rachel tried to ignore them, keeping her head held high as she made her way down the corridor. But it was hard not to feel nervous and a little bit angry. Most of them greeted her as Mrs. or Ma’am, their tone overly polite and pretentious. It grated her nerves and made her feel like an outsider in her own workplace.
She pushed open the door to her office and stepped inside, closing it firmly behind her. Her face scrunched up at the disorder. It was exactly the same way she had left it months ago.
She didn’t need a soothsayer to let her know that she was in for a may-hair day. Everything seemed to be already bound to make her day a miserable one and she couldn’t put away the leery and jealous looks that were directed at her.