Eva's Deadline

“Looks like you’re all ready to go to work.”

“That’s what I’m here for,” she said with the same forced cheerfulness she’d used on April. She had the feeling she’d be calling on that voice a lot in the coming days.

“Right. First, though, we have a little surprise for you.”

Eva narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t look so worried,” he said with an easy grin. “It’s a nice surprise. In the staff room. You’ll see.” He glanced over his shoulder at April. “C’mon, April. You, too.”

April frowned. “I need to be here to answer the phone.”

“Did you forget about the extension in the staff room?”

“Oh, all right.”

April stalked around her desk, arms hugging her slender waist, lower lip thrust out, and fell into step behind Eva as Mark led the way. Her flip-flops slapped on the tiles as she shuffled along.

Mark took them down the hallway, past the staff’s cubicles—all empty, Eva noticed—to the employees’ lounge. A yellow banner stretched across the ceiling. Welcome, Eva! proclaimed the bold red letters.

Eva stared. She hadn’t expected anything like this on her first day. Unexpectedly, she choked up. Were they really welcoming her? Did they really want her to be here?

Several tables had been pushed together to make a large square. In the center sat a tray of doughnuts and a stack of red paper plates and yellow napkins. The scent of fresh-brewed coffee filled the air.

“I think you know everyone.” Mark gestured to the three people standing near the tables.

“I do. You’re Cody.” She nodded at the tall twentysomething man wearing a T-shirt bearing the Herald’s logo and then turned to a stocky dark-haired man. “Bernie, in Advertising, right?” Bernie nodded. “And of course I know you, Dora Winters. You’ve been Dad’s circulation manager forever.”

She focused on the gray-haired woman, who barely came up to Bernie’s shoulder. The yellow tote she clutched had knitting needles sticking out the top. “Still knitting, I see. How many scarves have you done?”

Dora smiled. “Too many to count. Good to see you again, Eva.”

“Have a seat and dig into the doughnuts.” Mark strode to the table and pulled out a chair, motioning to Eva. “Bon Ton Bakery’s best. April picked them out. She’s our official doughnut buyer. Aren’t you, April?”

April scowled. “If you say so.”

Ignoring the ill-humored response, Mark pointed to the chair. “Come on, Eva. Sit and enjoy.”

Eva had no desire to add any food to her already queasy stomach, but she dutifully sat. Mark picked up the plate of doughnuts and held it out. She selected one with white icing and sprinkles. He crossed the room to the coffeemaker and picked up a mug. “You take anything in your coffee?” he asked over his shoulder.

“Black is fine.”

At home, she’d have stopped on her way to work to buy her favorite hazelnut latte. But she wasn’t at home. She was in Willow Beach having coffee and doughnuts with her new staff. With the possible exception of Dora Winters, a staff that obviously wasn’t any happier about her being here than she was.

Dora sat across from Eva and began adding stitches to her scarf. Bernie grabbed a mug that said World’s Greatest Husband and stood behind Mark at the coffee urn. Cody pulled out his phone and studied the screen. April heaved a sigh and rolled her eyes.

Mark brought Eva’s coffee and one for himself. Bernie joined them, then Cody and finally April, who sat as far away from Eva as she could.

Eva had to give Mark credit for trying to build a conversation, but each attempt drifted off into uncomfortable silence. She nibbled her doughnut and sipped her coffee.

Finally Cody looked at his wristwatch, and his eyes widened. “Hey, I’ve got a shoot scheduled. I need to get going.” He grabbed his camera, jumped up and, with long-legged strides, headed for the door.

Chair legs scraped the tile floor as the others mumbled their excuses and fell in behind Cody. They disappeared out the door and down the hallway.

Eva glanced up at the banner. So much for a welcome. “Well, you tried,” she said to Mark, forgetting to use her cheerful voice and resorting to sarcasm.

Mark rubbed the back of his neck. “They’ll loosen up when they get to know you.” He drained his coffee cup. “We’d better get you set up with an office.”

“Right.” Eva stood and carried her cup to the sink. This was going to be a long day.

CHAPTER FOUR

“THIS IS WHERE I hang out.” Mark pointed to the open doorway of a small office near the back of the building. He nodded at an adjacent closed door. “You can have this office.” He stepped forward and put a hand on the knob.

“Wait,” Eva said. “Isn’t that my father’s?”

“Yeah, it is...was.”

Eva raised both hands. “No. No way am I going to use his office. Why don’t you take his and I’ll take yours?”

Mark frowned. “Why should I move, when you could just as well use his?”

Eva shook her head. “You’re not hearing me. I said no.”

They glared at each other.

Eva’s heart thudded, but she wasn’t going to back down. She didn’t belong in that office. She would never belong there. A lump rose in her throat.

She swallowed and tried again. “Why don’t you want to take my father’s office now? You’ll eventually be there anyway. Once I’m gone, you’ll be on your own here.”

“We don’t know that for sure,” Mark said.

“That still doesn’t explain why you don’t want to move into his office now.”

“You haven’t given me a reason why you won’t take it,” Mark pointed out.

No, and she wouldn’t, either. Eva expelled an exasperated breath. “We’re going around in circles.”

“It’s his or a corner of mine.”

“What about the broom closet?”

“We don’t have one.”

“We do, too. I remember one down that way.” She pointed to where the hallway angled off to the right.

Mark jutted out his chin. “Don’t be ridiculous. The paper’s editor working out of the broom closet?”

“Works for me.”