Joy (32 page)
She smiled. “The first chance we get.”
He kissed her, then they held hands as they walked down the stairs.
“Braxton, I wouldn't have made it through this without you,” Anya said, rubbing her lips against his.
“I will always take care of you.”
“Promise?”
He nodded and kissed the top of her head. “I wouldn't live my life without you.”
Anya let him tarry for a few minutes more, before she playfully shoved him through the door. She watched as he laggardly made his way to the car, then drove away.
She turned off the lights, then ran up the stairs, resisting the urge to knock on Sasha's door. It was time for her to face the night. As she lay on her bed, she held her hand in front of her, staring at the ring. And she knew then that her life was going to be fine.
She reached for her Bible, but exhaustion hung heavy over her. Instead she rolled from the bed, and fell to her knees.
“Father, all I can say is thank you. I thank you, for how far you've brought me and for how you're going to take me all the way through. I thank you for blinding the negative images from my mind so that now, I can barely remember. I thank you for being Jehovah-Shalom, my peace.” She lingered in the silence for a few moments, feeling the calming presence of the Lord surround her. “And tonight, Lord, for the first time I am alone physically, but you are here. I know there is nothing for me to fear, because you said you are always with me.
Even when she climbed into the bed and pulled the covers over her, she continued to meditate on the Lord. At first, she left the lights on but after only a few minutes, she turned them off. She lay back in the darkness and closed her eyes, knowing that God would answer her prayers. Just like He already had.
T
he BMW's engine trembled as it sat idling, and finally Anya turned off the windshield wipers. A surprise storm had sneaked into the city in the middle of the night and continued, leaving the L.A. streets filled with chaos. Anya had crawled up LaBrea behind slow-moving cars and arrived at her office thirty minutes later than she planned.
Her hands shook when she turned off the ignition. She closed her eyes and whispered, “Lord, fill me with your strength.”
Her heels on the concrete mixed with the rain that pelted against the building. When the elevator doors opened and she stepped inside, she let her eyes focus on the red numbers overhead as she rose alone to the seventeenth floor. I need your strength, she said silently.
She was still calling on God when the elevator doors opened. She soaked in the familiarity of the burgundy carpet and wood paneling. It seemed like a lifetime had passed since she walked down this hall. The corridor stretched long in front of her, and she moved like a robot until she stood in front of the doors of her business. This was a part of her life that she had been proud of. But she wasn't sure how she would feel once she was on the other side.
With a deep breath, she opened the door and stepped into the reception area. She heard only the soft sound of a computer printer's purr. Anya took slow steps, finally entering the main part of the office.
“Anya!” Dianna jumped from her desk “We didn't know you were coming back today! I wanted to call you so many times, but David said you were resting, and I'm so sorry about what happened. I just couldn't believe it—”
In that moment, Anya felt normal. She held up her hand and laughed. “Di-an-na!”
Dianna stopped and smiled. “Sorry.”
“Thanks for making me feel like nothing's changed.” Anya hugged her, and then with a more confident step headed to her office. The door was slightly ajar, and for a moment, she stood at the edge of the entryway. Her eyes darted from one corner of the room to the next.
“Who did this?” she said without turning around.
“The maintenance people, but it was Braxton's idea. He had us do it just a few days after …”
The furniture had been completely turned around; the desk now faced the window and the bookcases had been moved to the opposite walls. Even her pictures and diplomas and awards hung on a different wall. And the office had been painted—a faint lavender.
She moved hesitantly; her eyes scanned the furniture and carpet for telltale signs, but there were none. All evidence had been erased—as if what happened, never happened.
She moved from her desk to the window and looked down the seventeen floors to Wilshire Boulevard, where cars as small as toys crept through the rain. The ghosts that she feared were not here. She exhaled the deep breath that she didn't even realize she'd been holding inside.
“Welcome back.”
She smiled before she turned around. David was standing in the doorway, leaning against the post, with his arms folded as if he had been watching her for a while. He moved toward her, and kissed her on the cheek. Anya closed her eyes and inhaled his scent. It felt good to be back.
“I'm glad to see you. How're you?” he asked softly.
“I'm fine.” Without thinking, she brought her hand to her face and felt the gentle bump of the fading line.
His hand followed hers and rested gently on her cheek. “You look great.”
Her face warmed at his words. She looked at him, as his hand remained on her face, and it was only when Dianna coughed that they remembered they were not alone. He dropped his hand.
“Do you like your office, Anya?” Dianna asked.
Anya stepped back, putting space between her and David. Her eyes roamed the room again. “It's great. Thank you for taking care of this for me.”
Dianna grinned. “I'm going back to my desk. But let me know when you have a few moments. I have a ton of things to go over with you.” Dianna paused. “It's so good to have you back” she gushed.
Anya smiled, and nodded. She and David were silent until Dianna closed the door.
“There was no one in this office more concerned about you than Dianna,” David said. “Except for me.”
The way his dark eyes bored into hers made her look away from his gaze.
“I really wanted to come by and see you,” David continued as Anya settled into one of the chairs in front of her desk.
“I know, but it was better this way.” She crossed her legs and looked around the office. “It is good to be back, though.”
When David sat in the chair opposite her, he took her hand. “So you're doing all right?”
Anya shifted in her seat, but did not pull away. “I'm doing fine. David, I want to thank you. If you hadn't found me—”
He shook his head. “You've already thanked me and I told you I did nothing.”
“You saved my life and I am so grateful.”
He dropped his eyes, as he pulled away from her. “No, I didn't. If it wasn't me, someone else would have found you.” He raised his eyes. “I'm glad I was there.”
Anya tried to find a comfortable spot in her chair. “I'm anxious to get back to work But are you sure you want me back?” Anya tried to make her voice sound light. “You've been in charge for so long, I might just get in the way.”
David smiled. “You may be back, but nothing's going to change. I can handle things. So you can relax.”
A few weeks ago his assured tone would have sounded patronizing. But she knew him better now.
She sorted through the messages Dianna had neatly lined on her desk. “It looks like I'll have little time to relax. There are a million messages from Mr. Greene.”
David sighed. “He's been calling nonstop, insisting on speaking to you. He even tried to browbeat Dianna into giving up your home number.”
“I'll give him a call later this morning.”
“Maybe
I
should call him back. I really don't like the way he … badgers you.”
“He's harmless. I'll call him.”
David rested his hand on her arm. “I'm here for anything you need. I really don't want you to rush back.”
His words were the same as Braxton's and Madear's, yet they were different.
“Work is the best thing for me.” A door slammed and Anya flinched.
“Sounds like the troops are arriving,” he said, ignoring her nervousness. “Everyone's going to want to come in and say hello.”
Anya stood and walked to the window. The chill that was outside seemed to have made its way into her office.
“I could call a staff meeting,” David said, following her. “That way, you can talk to everyone at once.”
His voice made her feel safe. “Maybe we can do that later this morning. I need to spend some time with Dianna.”
When she turned to face him, they were so close she could almost feel the movement of his chest. She shook her head and turned away.
He stepped back. “I'll be in my office.” He coughed.
She took his hand, stopping him. “Thank you … for everything.”
He looked down at their entwined hands, then raised his eyes to hers. “I would do anything for you, Anya.” A long moment passed before he pulled away and left his words dangling in the charged air.
She stared at the door that he closed behind him, then shook her head. It had to be her imagination—the tension between them. He was just trying to be a friend.
Slowly she walked to her desk and let her eyes move again through the room, soaking up every corner, angle, and crevice. Alone, she waited for the terror but felt only the comfort of silence. A smile came to her face. God always answered prayers.
She buzzed her intercom. “Dianna, give me five minutes, then come in. I need you to catch me up on everything.”
The moment she released the buzzer, her phone rang. When Dianna buzzed and said it was Braxton, she immediately picked up the phone.
“Hey, honey.” She spoke blithely, knowing that he would be listening to every nuance in her voice. She was surprised that it had taken him so long to call.
“I bet you think I'm checking on you.”
They laughed together.
“I was reading my Bible and ran across something that I want to read to you.”
Smiling, Anya reached for the Bible on the corner of her desk. She still suspected his motives, but she loved his methods.
He began reading the scripture. “
Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
Sweetheart, I've read this scripture a million times, but this morning, it was like God shined His light in my face. We can't be surprised at … what happened to you. We just have to know that there was a reason behind all of this.”
She felt a heat in her eyes, like tears were going to come and she didn't know why. All she knew was that in the middle of that moment, she was filled with a fullness of joy that warmed even the soles of her feet. She was blessed with a man who knew God. A man who could pray for her and stand with her. A man that God could use to deliver His messages.
They chatted for a few minutes before Anya coaxed Braxton into hanging up. But not before reassuring him again that she was well.
Anya closed the Bible and smiled, knowing that something good was going to come of all of this. That's how God always worked—changing bad into good.
She buzzed Dianna again. “Di, if you're ready, I'm ready now, too.”
“Oh, my gosh!” Dianna exclaimed. “It's lunchtime.”
Dianna began gathering the papers from her side of the desk. “Do you think you'll need anything else?”
Anya didn't even look up from the files stacked in front of her. “No, just let me go through all of this. Could you order in something for me?” Anya asked. “I want to work through lunch.”
“Do you need me to stay?”
Anya kept her eyes down, and shook her head. A moment after Dianna left the office, there was a knock on her door.
“Come on in, Dianna.”
“Uh, Anya. I'm sorry to bother you.”
She looked up; Alaister was standing in her doorway. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his navy suit. She smiled. “Come in.”
He closed the door. “David told us you were back. Actually, I saw your car in the garage. I've looked for it every day.” He dropped his eyes. “I'm glad you're back.” His voice was so low, Anya had to lean forward to hear him.
“Thank you, Alaister, it's good to be back.” She paused, wondering if he had anything else to say. But he just stood stoically and stared at her. “Can I help you with something else?” she asked.
He exhaled. “I'm sorry,” Alaister said, shaking his head as if he were in a trance. “David said we're having a staff meeting, but I wanted to speak to you personally because I know we've had some problems recently…”
She waved her hand in the air and smiled. “I wouldn't have it any other way. You're an asset because you're such a leader. Sometimes, leaders bump heads.”
For the first time since he'd come into the office he smiled, and stuffed his hands back into his pockets.
There was a quick knock on the door.
“Here are our sandwiches. I'm staying in, just in case you need me.” Dianna eyed Alaister.
“That's all I wanted, Anya,” Alaister said, turned quickly and left.
“Was he complaining again?” Dianna sounded agitated.
“Oh, no.” Anya shook her head. “He said he was glad I was back.”
“Really?” Dianna said doubtfully.
Anya shook her head, then looked at the pile on her desk “Well, let me get back to this.” Anya's head was buried in her work before Dianna got back to her desk
At five o'clock, Anya began collecting the folders she was going to take home. She was looking at the stack of messages growing on her desk, when David stepped into her office.
“Hey,” he said, eyeing her briefcase.
“I know it's early, but I'm a little tired.”
He held up his hands. “You don't have to explain.” He screwed his face. “But there is one thing. Jon Greene is here.”
Anya plopped down into her seat. “He just showed up?”
David nodded. “Said he was getting worried and he's threatening to pull his business unless he knows that you're here and still running things.”
Anya blew a stream of air through her mouth.
“Are you up to it?” he asked.
She nodded.
When they entered the conference room, Anya's smile wasn't as warm as she wanted it to be. “Mr. Greene, how are you?”