Coming Back Home

Chapter 7

***

Theo had been a nice distraction from my issues at work, but it was unfortunately back to reality for the day.

Thankfully I was greeted by Ella that morning, and I didn't have to deal with Natalie just yet.

"Morning Madison!" She said as she walked into her office next to mine.

"Hey Ella," I responded as I stepped into her doorway, "how's it going?"

"Oh you know, living the dream," she said with a grin.

"Sure, something like that," I said, "hey can I ask you something though?"

"Sure, go for it," she said with a nod.

I stepped further into her office and lowered my voice, "is Natalie usually like this with all of the new hires? Or is it just me she's after?"

Ella leaned against her desk, contemplating whatever she was going to say.

"Between you and me?" She said, giving me a serious look.

I nodded and waited for her to continue.

"She's always a little...difficult, I guess you could say, but I definitely think she's been harder on you," she admitted.

"Yeah I kind of figured that," I said.

"I get the feeling that there's something you're not telling me about you two..." Ella said hesitantly.

I quickly looked down at the floor, not wanting to make eye contact with her. I liked Ella, but I didn't think I was ready to tell her the whole truth just yet.

"Um, yeah there kind of is," I started hesitantly, "but it's uh - it's kind of hard to explain."

Ella raised an eyebrow at me, but she didn't push it, "alright, well you can tell me if you ever want to."

"Thanks," I said quietly.

We both looked up at the sound of footsteps coming towards us. Natalie walked by Ella's office and gave us both a quick glance.

"Morning Natalie," Ella said politely.

"Morning," I followed, maybe I could kill her with kindness. Or something like that.

"Morning ladies," she said in her usual businesslike tone as she walked by.

I stepped out of Ella's office and went to go back to my own, but I stopped for a minute to watch Natalie walk away. I wasn't totally mad about the view.

Nope, can't do that, I thought to myself.

I shook my head slightly and walked to my desk. I knew Natalie would be back by soon to train me on something else today, let's see how awkward she could make it this time.

I got on my computer and checked my email, and sure enough there she was a few minutes later.

"Madison," she said as she stopped in my doorway.

"Yes Natalie?" I said back as I plastered a smile on my face.

"Follow me so I can show you a few more things," she said.

I basically had to jump up from my desk chair to catch her and keep up. She walked down a long hallway, and my stomach began to feel nervous. Not that Natalie was dangerous or anything, but it was still giving me the creeps.

We reached a door that seemed to be the only one in the hallway. It had a keypad above the handle and she quickly punched in the code and it clicked open.

"This is essentially our IT control room," Natalie said as I stepped in behind her and leaned against the door.

"We have an IT department of course, but sometimes it's easier for us to just come in here and troubleshoot ourselves if it's an easy fix," she continued.

I nodded as I stepped away from the door and began to look around the small room.

"Wait don't let that -" Natalie started as she lunged towards the door, but she wasn't fast enough.

"Shit," she said under her breath.

"What?" I asked her.

"That door locks from the inside too, we're stuck."

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