Hold The Door, Please | ONC 2022

1. Floor: P2

Haylie

"What? You're head of human resources, you can't get sick! You're supposed to be the one handling everyone else's sick day requests."

I hold my phone a couple of centimetres further away from my ear – a headache from Randall's jarring voice is definitely not how I'd like to start my day. "That's not how getting sick works," I groan, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Yeah, but I need you here! I'm firing someone today and I don't wanna do it," he whines. "I'm the good cop, you're the bad cop, remember?"

I don't recall ever making that agreement. "No," I say dryly.

Idiotic asshole.

If anything, I was the idiot for not realizing sooner that his startup would never get off the ground. Who would've thought that no one would want to buy an overpriced GPS app full of novelty features. 

To use on their smartphones.

You know, the things that already have GPS built into them.

Everyone insisted I had to support Randall because we were dating, but look where that got me. Now a single, twenty five year old being compensated with stocks in this mess he calls a company. Turns out, you can't buy food or pay for rent with stocks. I'm barely scraping by with the little money he actually pays me.

He's managed to stay afloat for so long by hiring naïve kids fresh out of university and having them sign terrible contracts without realizing it. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather receive dental and vision benefits than have a foosball table and popcorn machine in the breakroom. 

"Can't you just come in for a couple of hours? C'mon Haylie, please?" he whines again, dragging out his voice this time.

"I already said no." I switch to speaker mode and place my phone onto the table. He mutters something unintelligible under his breath, though I'm sure I hear some curses here and there. Turning back to my reflection in my vanity mirror, I finish up my makeup and give my long hair a final brush. "I'll see you tonight," I say, tossing in a couple of fake coughs for good measure.

"Tonight?"

"To pick up Lola...?"

There's a long pause before his hesitant voice peeps up again. "Oh... yeah, I forgot it was my weekend with her," he mumbles. "I already made plans with my friends tonight."

Before I begin berating him, I manage to remember I'm supposed to be sick and muffle my exasperated sigh into my fist. I force myself to take a deep, calm breath before speaking as steadily as I can possibly manage. "You forgot about your only child?"

I love my daughter to bits, but it'd be great if she didn't come as a package deal with Randall. A drunken night full of mistakes nearly two years after we had broken up and we suddenly became trapped together for the rest of our lives. As far as I'm concerned, she's the only good thing that's ever come from him. 

"She's one, it's not like she'll remember," he groans. "But fine, don't worry, I'll get Allie to pick her up."

I scour my mind, but the name doesn't ring a bell. "Who's Allie?"

"My new girlfriend."

That's what, his fourth girlfriend this month? I can't help but scoff. "Yeah, no. I'm dropping her off at her cousin's for a sleepover later, you can pick her up from my sister's place tomorrow."

I get up and walk over to my mirror to reexamine my outfit. I stressfully went through several iterations last night and eventually settled on a black pencil skirt and a light peach blouse. I pause and study my reflection – I don't even recognize myself for a moment. Casual and comfortable has always been my go-to look.