Page 6 of Grounded (May Hollow Trilogy #1)

Janice covered Annie’s end of flight wrap up so she could head straight to Stuart’s office. She needed to see him, to hear him admit the truth to her, to explain why he had lied.

“Wait, honey, let me go with you,” Janice had said, sounding like a mother. “You’re too upset.”

“I’m okay. Just cover for me.”

The lights were out. The office was empty. She took a deep breath and let out the last hour of anxiety.

“Annie?”

Annie turned to see a man looking at her over wire-rimmed readers.

“Greg Stein. We met at the Christmas party.” He shook her hand. “Are you looking for Stuart?”

“Yes, I was …” She couldn’t think of what to say next.

Greg shifted his weight. “I think he left for Florida this afternoon. Have you talked to his assistant?”

“No. Is Martha here?”

“Martha left last month. Felicia is the new girl.” Greg pointed to a desk near Stuart’s office in the maze of center cubicles. “Doesn’t look like she’s there either. Wait just a second.”

Greg stepped deeper into the labyrinth. He asked a woman there about Felicia. “Where is she?”

Annie heard the woman say, “Where do you think? With Stuart, drinking daiquiris in Florida.”

Annie’s face grew hot. She quickly turned to look into Stuart’s empty office. On a table next to a copper lamp was a picture of Stuart in a tuxedo and Annie in a gown, dressed for a charity ball. The perfect couple.

Greg cleared his throat. Annie turned to face him, hoping the color had faded from her cheeks.

“She’s not here. Is there anything else I can help you with?” His eyes were kind, and she sensed what he didn’t say had more to do with her pride than any desire to protect Stuart.

“No, thank you.”

Annie could feel him watch her walk away, pulling her bag. She raised her chin and stepped deliberately.

Annie stared out the window of the subway car, seeing nothing.

Instead, she was lost in the memories rewinding in her brain of the day’s events.

First, the lady on the airplane, blubbering out painful truths while they still had hours of an overseas flight to get through.

Annie had done her best, serving lunch and then dinner to the business class customers, getting their extra drinks and hot fudge sundaes while all she wanted to do was lie back in a chair and cover herself with a blanket.

Then the trip downtown and into Stuart’s office building, looking absurd in her navy blue uniform and pulling her black rolling bag, all in the desire to see Stuart face-to-face and hear him confirm or deny for himself the woman’s claims.

Why hadn’t he told her about Martha leaving? And who was this new Felicia, and why was she going to Florida with him? Martha had never traveled with him.

Inside his apartment, Annie found Stuart’s note on the kitchen island: Baby—big invitation from Jack Carney came through at lunch today. Can’t pass it up. Will call you. Love, Stu

Annie dropped on the cold leather couch, letting her rolling bag fall to the floor and her purse with it, its contents scattering when it hit the parquet floor.

The escaping air from the leather couch and crash of her bag falling scared Chester off his perch and a flash of orange dashed across the floor.

Her hand trembled when she picked up her cell phone. It wasn’t even turned on. She had forgotten to do it in her haste to leave the airplane. There were four voice mails .

Annie, I met the plane, and Janice said you were already gone! Get to my office now! Her boss, Bob Vichy, sounded irritated on the first message.

Bob needs to see you, Annie, Janice said. I told him you had a family emergency. Better get back here as soon as possible. Call me after you meet with him.

Annie, where are you? The plane landed an hour ago. I need to see you in my office today. Bob again, this time sounding angry.

The last message was from Stuart. Hey, babe, thought you would be on the ground by now. Jack Carney invited me and some of his friends down to Miami for some golf and poker. We’re at Teterboro loading Jack’s G-5. I’ll be back on Friday. Call me.

She dialed the number, but it went immediately into voice mail. She ended the call and tried Bob Vichy. It also went to voice mail. Bob, it’s Annie. I had my phone off. I’ll be there within the hour.

The apartment felt like a shrinking box, with walls closing in and the ceiling crushing down.

This place she had loved, because it was Stuart’s and she loved him.

Now it felt cold and sinister, as if it held secrets she didn’t want to know.

He had owned it for six years, he once told her.

They must have picked it out together, she thought, looking around the apartment with a new understanding.

Sandy and Stuart together, until it became obvious he wanted nothing more permanent.

In the corner of the room, the peace lily wilted, once again lacking water.

The sight of it caused her eyes to well with tears.

Annie shuddered, feeling as if the temperature in the room had dropped several degrees.

She had to get out, but before she did, Annie took off the diamond earrings and placed them on Stuart’s nightstand.

They looked so pretty, glistening against the shiny black lacquer.

At the door, Annie took a last look around while Chester’s green eyes bored into her.

The sight of him reminded her to add food and water to the feeders.

It wasn’t his fault, after all. “There, enough for you until your owner gets back.” She bent down and scratched Chester behind the ear. “Go play with the toilet paper.”

In one last defiant gesture, Annie swept the sagging peace lily onto her hip like a toddler before grabbing the rolling bag with her free hand. I’ll come back for the rest of my things later.

“Another flight today, Miss Taylor? They’re working you awful hard,” Howard the doorman said as he held open the door and smiled, his eyes on the wilted plant.

Even Howard would have known about Sandy.

Annie hailed a cab for the trip back to the airport and her supervisor’s office.

After swiping her access card, she was admitted into a buzzing hive of activity inside the TransAir offices.

Solemn-faced executives moved from offices to cubicles, giving and taking instructions, checking computers, talking on phones and huddling for subdued conversations in the hallways.

Annie heard Bob before she saw him. Dropping the handle of her luggage at the door, Annie shifted the peace lily onto her other hip and waited at the threshold. Bob waved wildly with one hand while he yelled into the phone.

“It’s out of my control! There’s nothing I can do!

” He saw Annie and motioned for her to come in.

“Hey, we’ll talk about this later. I gotta go.

” He slammed down the phone and turned to Annie.

“It’s about time you got here. Where were you?

I met the plane and you were already gone.

And what is that?” He pointed to the plant as if it were a criminal.

“It’s from here. Long story. What’s wrong?”

“It’s done. Patriot bought us out. Effective immediately.

They already worked everything out so when they told the employees, it would be a neat, clean cut.

It happened yesterday. My other flight attendants have been told, but I had several planes in the air.

When I got to your gate, you were gone. What’s that all about, anyway?

They’re about to go public with the news and I’m in hot water if I can’t tell all my people first.”

“It was an emergency. I’m sorry. So what are you saying, Bob?”

“I’m saying you don’t have a job … right now, anyway. I barely have a job.”

Annie felt her legs give way. She sat hard in the chair.

Bob sighed and walked around to the front of his desk.

“Look, there’s a chance we can hire you back in a few months after all this settles down.

I met with my new boss this morning. Patriot plans to hire back the best down the road, after they combine routes and figure out what they need and what they don’t. You are at the top of my list.”

“How long?” she asked.

“Three months, six months tops.”

Annie felt lightheaded, as if she might pass out. “What about Janice?”

“We managed to save her and a few others who speak two languages.” Bob poured a cup of coffee from a dirty Mr. Coffee carafe and handed it to her.

“I’m sorry, Annie. I hate doing this. As far as work ethic, you’re at the top, but between seniority stuff and Patriot wanting dual language speakers, I could only keep a small percentage.

Take time off to enjoy life for a few months.

I’ll call as soon as I can get you back. ”

When Annie called Janice after leaving Bob’s office, her friend insisted on her coming to stay with her in Brooklyn for a few days.

“Janice, you don’t have to do this. I can stay at the apartment with the girls. Prema said there’s an empty bed until the weekend.”

“Mama DeVechio doesn’t arrive until Sunday. I have an empty room until then,” Janice said. “Please come.”

Janice met her at the door and took the peace lily from her without asking questions. Her brown eyes were full of sympathy as she set the plant down in a corner of her dining room and then went to get water for it.

“What happened to Prema and your other roommates?” Janice asked.

“She’s still on. Like you, the second language helped her. Kate and Evie don’t work for TransAir, so they’re not affected.”

“That’s good. Do you want something to eat?”

“No, not now.”

“The kids have strict instructions not to bother you. If you need anything, let me know.”

In the spare room of Janice’s house, Annie waited for Stuart’s return call, trying to calm herself in the storm of emotions that raged from anger to grief to disbelief. Her phone rang a little after eight.

“Hey, you’re back!” His words were slightly slurred.

“Yeah, where are you?”