Chapter 3 Liquid Courage

The office buzzed around me, the hum of keyboards and hushed conversations blending into white noise. I barely registered the sympathetic glances from my coworkers as I made my way to my desk.

My mind was racing, trying to piece together a plan, but all I could think about was how quickly my life had unravelled.

I sat down, staring at the letter in my hands. The words blurred as my vision swam with unshed tears. I couldn't cry here, not in front of everyone. I had to keep it together, at least until I got home.

The rest of the day passed in a haze. I mechanically went through the motions, answering emails and finishing up reports, all while my mind wondered what Tomford would do to me if I said what I saw.

He was getting rid of me; how far was he willing to go? And what the hell was I going to do now?

By the time the clock struck five, I was out the door, the transfer letter tucked safely in my bag.

I needed to talk to Kate. She'd know what to do, or at least she'd help me figure it out.

The ride home felt longer than usual, the weight of the day pressing down on me with every step.

When I finally reached my apartment building, I found Kate waiting for me in the hallway, her arms crossed and a worried expression on her face.

"Well?" she demanded as soon as she saw me. "What happened? You look like you've been through hell." I sighed, unlocking my door and gesturing for her to follow me inside.

"It's worse than I thought," I said, dropping my bag on the couch and pulling out the transfer letter. "Tomford's threatening and transferring me to Southern View. If I don't take it, I'm fired."

Kate's eyes widened as she took the letter from me, scanning it quickly. "Threatening? Southern view? That's in the middle of nowhere! What the heck, Vanessa?"

"I know," I said, sinking onto the couch. "He's trying to get rid of me. I saw something I wasn't supposed to, and now he's covering his tracks, and I might not be safe if I stay here." Kate sat down beside me, her brow furrowed.

"What did you see? You have to tell me, Vanessa. I can't help you if I don't know what's going on." I hesitated, glancing at her. "I can't tell you everything," I said finally. "Not yet. But let's just say it's big. Big enough that Tomford's willing to ship me off to the middle of nowhere to keep me quiet."

Kate frowned, clearly unhappy with my answer, but she didn't push. "Okay," she said slowly. "So what's the plan? Are you going to take the transfer"? I groaned, leaning back against the cushions. "I don't have much of a choice."

If I refuse, I'm out of a job. And with my student loans and rent, I can't afford to be unemployed."

Kate nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Okay, so you take the transfer. It's not the end of the world. The southern view might not be so bad. And who knows? Maybe it'll be a fresh start."

I snorted. "A fresh start in a town where the most exciting thing to do is watch paint dry? Yeah, it sounds thrilling."

Kate grinned, nudging me with her elbow. "Come on, Vanessa. You're always complaining about how boring your life is. Maybe this is exactly what you need."

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help smiling. Leave it to Kate to find the silver lining in this mess. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"And yet, you love me," she said, standing up and pulling me to my feet. "Now, come on. We're going out."

I blink at her. "Out? Kate, I'm not exactly in the mood for a night out considering my present circumstances."

"That's exactly why you need this," she said, grabbing my hand and dragging me toward the door. "You've had a crap day, and you need to blow off some steam. So we're going clubbing. My treat."

I hesitated, but the thought of drowning my sorrows in a few drinks was too tempting to resist. "Fine," I said, grabbing my bag and following her out the door. "But if I end up regretting this tomorrow, I'm blaming you."

Kate grinned, already pulling me toward the kitchen. "Oh, please. You'll thank me later. Now, let's get this party started." She climbed onto the counter, reaching for the top cabinet; apparently, that's where she kept her stash of alcohol. "Ah, here we go," she said, pulling out a bottle of tequila and a half-empty bottle of vodka. "Liquid courage, courtesy of yours truly."

I raised an eyebrow. "You've been holding out on me. Since when do you have top-shelf tequila in my kitchen?"

"Since I decided I deserved it," she said, hopping down and setting the bottles on the counter. "Now, grab some glasses. We're pre-gaming hard tonight."

I laughed, shaking my head as I pulled two shot glasses from the cabinet. "You're a bad influence, you know that?"

"And yet, you love me," she said, pouring us each a shot. She handed me one and raised hers in the air. "To new beginnings-or at least, to forgetting the crap ones."

"Cheers to that," I said, clinking my glass against hers before downing the shot. The tequila burnt its way down my throat, warming me from the inside out. "Okay, that's actually really good."

"Told you," Kate said, already pouring another round. "Now, let's get ready. We're not going out looking like this."

I glanced down at my work clothes-a wrinkled black dress that screamed frustrated office girlie. "Fair point. But what exactly are we going for? Sexy? Classy? Trashy?"

"Yes," Kate said, grinning. "All of the above. Now, come on. I've got the perfect outfits."

We headed to my bedroom, where Kate immediately started raking through my closet. "Oh, this," she said, pulling out a little red dress that hugged every curve. "And this," she added, holding up a red lace number that was barely there.

I raised an eyebrow. "You want me to wear that? I might as well go naked."

"Exactly," Kate said, tossing the red dress at me. "You're single, hot, and pissed off. Own it."

I laughed, shaking my head as I slipped into the dress. It was tighter than I remembered, the fabric clinging to my body like a second skin. "Okay, but if I get arrested for public indecency, you're bailing me out."

"Deal," Kate said, already pulling on a shiny minidress that sparkled under the light. "Now, sit. I'm doing your makeup."

I sat down at the vanity, letting Kate work her magic. She leaned in close, her tongue sticking out in concentration as she applied eyeliner with surgical precision. "So," she said, her voice casual, "remember that guy you dated last year? The one who ghosted you after three dates?"

"Ugh, don't remind me," I said, rolling my eyes. "What about him?"