Part 11: Package, Meeting, Problem

                                    

                                          
Evan left my office, and I sat there in shock. Evan and I had been on and off for the last two years, but he had never ended it. I always had. I didn't know how I was supposed to feel at that exact moment. 
My desk phone rang with an inner office extension, and I picked it up, tears forming in my eyes. "Isabella Davis," I answered. 
"Hey, Izzie. It's Delilah. Can you come up to the front desk, please? There's a delivery man here, and he says that only the recipient can sign for the package," she said.
"Yeah. I'll be right there," I replied, taking a deep breath to calm myself. 
                          
I walked down the hallway to the front desk, and I was shocked at the floral arrangement that the worker was holding. "Jeez. Are you sure that those are for me?" I asked, taking the clipboard that he was holding out to me.
"Are you Isabella Davis?" he asked. I nodded, and he spoke again. "Then, I am positive that these are for you."
I signed the paperwork, handing it back to him. "Well, in that case, thank you very much. Have a great day." I took the arrangement from him, and he left the office. 
"Who are they from?" Delilah asked. 
"I don't know," I answered, looking for a card. "Ooh, found it!" I exclaimed, pulling it out and setting the arrangement down on Delilah's desk. 
"Who are they from?" she repeated. 
I read the note quickly before I looked up at her. "I, uh, um, they're from Quinton."
"Quinton? I thought that you said that nothing ended up happening with that," Delilah noted, looking at me with a confused expression on her face. 
"Um, it didn't. I, uh, I'm gonna take these to my office," I mumbled. 
                          
I walked past Evan on the way to my office, and I could see the hurt on his face. I didn't have time to address it as I spotted Emma in my office. "Hey," I greeted her, setting the flowers down on the windowsill. 
"Evan brought you flowers?" she asked with a look of disgust on her face. 
I shook my head. "No."
"Who then?" she asked. Her look of disgust changed to one of confusion. 
"Quinton."
"How does Evan feel about that?"
"I don't know, and I don't care. He broke up with me less than twenty minutes ago," I explained, avoiding eye contact. 
"Not to be that bitch, but thank God. I'm so glad that you're done with him," she replied, letting out a sigh of relief. 
I chuckled wryly. "No, don't hold back on my account."
"Sorry, I should have been supportive first. Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm fine. I should probably call Jaden and cancel the dinner that I just agreed to." Emma nodded, standing up to leave. "Oh, wait! Before you go, what did you come in here for in the first place?"
"To see how lunch went with Evan. I got my answer. I'll see you later if I get a second."
                          
I dialed Jaden's number as she closed the door behind her. "Hey, Izzie," he answered. 
"Hey, Jaden. I need a raincheck for dinner next week."
"Oh, that's too bad. Can I ask why?"
"Well," I began, sighing, "Evan just broke up with me, and a flower arrangement from Quinton. Plus, I don't really want to third wheel you and Mads," I explained. 
"Oh, don't worry about that. There are like nine Sway boys. I'll invite one of them," Jaden suggested, trying to convince me. 
"I know what you're doing, Jaden."
Jaden feigned innocence. "I don't have any idea what you're talking about."
"Whatever, Jaden. I guess I'll just have to be fine with it," I sighed. 
"Oh, thank God. My ship is sailing," Jaden teased. 
"Oh, stop it. I've got to get back to work. I'll talk to you a little bit later."
"Yes, ma'am. Bye, Izzie," he laughed, hanging up. 
                          
I finished up my reports for August, and I checked my email quickly. The first email in my inbox detailed a staff meeting at two o'clock. I looked at my watch. One fifty-five. Shit.
I rushed to the conference room, and almost everyone was already there. I made eye contact with Evan, and he looked away quickly as I took a seat next to Emma. 
"You okay?" she whispered. 
I shrugged. "I guess. I don't know. After everything that we've been through, the last thing that I should be is upset. We all know that this is likely for the best."
                          
Emma rubbed my shoulder in support as Amanda started the meeting. "Good afternoon, folks. I know that you guys are really, really busy, but I feel like this meeting is important." She paused, looking around the room, and I tried to avoid eye contact. "I've received a couple of year-end reports already, and if I'm being honest, they're kind of a mess."
A girl from a few offices down the hall from my own yelled out in protest. "I know you aren't talking about mine, Amanda!"
"Yes, Denise. I'm talking about yours," Amanda replied, chuckling. "Just get your reports fixed, okay, guys? If you think that there might be something wrong with yours, chances are that there is. Does anyone have anything that they would like to say before this meeting is over?"
                          
I leaned over to Emma, whispering. "Yet another meeting that easily could have been an email."
Emma nudged me to bring my attention to my office neighbor, Tom. "Maybe this isn't that big of a deal," he was saying, "but I recognize that everyone in this company has their own personal lives. I know I would personally be really appreciative if we could leave those at home. I personally had to end a meeting with a client early because there was a rather loud argument going on."
I felt Emma's eyes on me, and Amanda turned to glance at me before she spoke. "I think that's a fair thing to ask. If it's pertinent that you deal with personal issues here in the office, you need to be considerate of others. Thank you all."
                          
She dismissed the meeting, looking at me pointedly as the room cleared out. "Evan, Amanda, can you stay behind, please?"
Evan and I stood together awkwardly in front of Amanda. "What's up, Amanda?" I asked, breaking the silence. 
"If the two of you working together is going to become a problem, we may have to consider some placement changes."