SYNPOSIS:
February 14th is the anniversary of Torrie Patterson’s
engagement, wedding and unofficial divorce. As the date stalks her like Jason
on Friday the 13th, a series of events, unlikely characters and a turn for what
seems like the worst, lead her back to joy.
EXCERPT!
Torrie put her head on her desk and prayed for over forty minutes. Her phone rang and she expected it to be Carmen but it was Mona. All she could do was answer, knowing her fate had been sealed. “Hi, Mona.” Her voice quivered. “My office… now.”
As she walked to Mona’s office, her legs felt like melting licorice. She knocked then walked in. “Mona, I know what you are about to say…I’m about to go clean out my things.”
“Patterson, have a seat.”
Torrie could have sworn she saw steam shooting from Mona’s nostrils as she slowly eased into the chair in front of her desk. Mona leaned back then removed her glasses. She rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I don’t even know where to begin.” She blew a loose brunette hair strand out her face. “First of all you put Carmen in a horrible position, who, by the way, has been carrying you for months. Why, I have no idea, because you have treated her terribly. I don’t know… maybe because she is a PROFESSIONAL? Sometimes this business is a little tough, so I let it pass. We all have to pay our dues. But this? Too far. This is it, Torrie, the final straw. You better pray he does not call off the engagement. That poor guy looked so shaken and confused when he left. What in the world got into you?”
“Mona, I, I don’t know. I was just talking and before I knew it all this stuff started pouring out my mouth. I was out of control.” She slunk back in her chair, “Am I fired?”
“What do you think?” Mona looked directly in Torrie’s eyes. “Darn it, Torrie. This kind of stuff just can’t happen.” She stood up and marched around her desk. She leaned against it and folded her arms. “Christ. I suppose I have to take some responsibility. I knew something wasn’t right, but I just thought you’d pull it together. I should have stepped in sooner.”
Torrie’s heart was heavy. In that moment she realized how bad off she was. “I, I deserve to be fired.”
“Give me a break with the self-pity. I do the firing around here,” Mona said. She walked over and gazed at all the awards adorning her wall. “See all these awards?”
Torrie looked up. “Yeah.”
“They didn’t come cheap. I fought, played the game just so I could clear the way for talented young women like you. And you were so stuck in your own drama you blew it. I didn’t get all this by being stupid. And make no mistake, what you did was really, really stupid.” She rolled her eyes. “Torrie, I believe in you. You got this position because I thought you were smart, talented and sharp. If you haven’t gotten the memo, life is tough, unfair and sometimes you have to eat nails and still get up in the morning and go to work. For Christ’s sake, Torrie, you got divorced; you didn’t die!”
Torrie broke down in tears. “I know, I never thought in a million years I would let this happen. I’m so embarrassed. I allowed my personal life to interfere with my professionalism.”
Mona sat back down. Then placed her hand against her face, “Maybe you need counseling; have you talked to anyone? A divorce, I guess, is like a death of sorts and we all grieve differently. Trust me, I’ve been there. But you have got to figure out how to move on. The Torrie I know is resilient, passionate and a hard worker. I don’t know who this person is.” She waited for Torrie to look up.
“I know. I know.” She wiped her nose with the sleeve of her blouse.
Not tears. I can’t do tears. “Look, Torrie.” She clasped her hands on the desk. “I’m not a marriage counselor, life coach or a prayer partner. But you’ve got one life, honey. The world sells us on this perfect picture of what life and happiness are supposed to deliver. But every now and then life throws a brick at our head when we’re not looking.” She shrugged. “I can’t tell you what the fix is. But the first step is to admit you’re broken.”
Torrie nodded with her head still down.
Mona rolled her eyes then handed her a tissue box.
“I mean, I wanted the whole Ralph Lauren commercial. The Kardashian Christmas card.” She sniffed. “Why? I have no idea. Yeah, they’re dysfunctional, but they make that crap look so good! I wanted the trips to Paris, the house, spa days at the Four Seasons. ALL, I wanted it ALL!” Torrie blew her nose.
Okay, this is where I get off. “Sweetie, time for me to put the boss’s hat on; Torrie, you’re not fired.”
Her head shot up, as her lip quivered. “I’m not?”
“We’ve, well I have invested in you. Simply firing you would be a waste of resources... But I can’t jeopardize the show and the studio’s reputation.” Mona watched as a pink-eyed Torrie stared, awaiting her fate. “Nope, I think a leave of absence is the answer.”
Torrie’s face flushed. “Um, okay. Thank you,” she said, relieved she hadn’t lost her job yet.
Mona pressed the speaker button on her phone and dialed. “Ms. Olivio, can you step in my office?”
Torrie sat quietly. A minute later Carmen knocked then eased in Mona’s office.
“Have a seat. Carmen, I can’t beat around the bush. I’m going to need you to take over Torrie’s position while she’s out. She’s taking a voluntary leave of absence.”
Torrie didn’t move. She was like a duck chilling on the pond, cool and serene on the outside. But her mind was paddling like crazy underneath. “How’s she going to take over my position? She doesn’t have the experience.”
Carmen looked at Torrie not knowing exactly what to say. “I agree, Mona; I don’t know if, I mean I’m not sure if I can handle it.” She wrung her hands to keep them from shaking.
“Carmen, a little career advice: When someone throws you the microphone, don’t drop it. I’ve watched you for the past year. Trust me, you can handle it.” Mona’s tone was unequivocal.
Suddenly Carmen realized the reason she’d gone through all her drama for the past year. God was preparing her for this moment. She wasn’t quite sure of the timing and manner in which He did it, but she had been ushered to the head table. She no longer questioned it, but decided to act in obedience.
“So Torrie, why don’t you and Carmen go back to your office so you can help her with the transition?” Her eyes moved back and forth between them, waiting for them to move.
Torrie slid out her chair. “Right, I mean… yes, ma’am; I mean, thank you, Mona.”
Torrie looked up. “Yeah.”
“They didn’t come cheap. I fought, played the game just so I could clear the way for talented young women like you. And you were so stuck in your own drama you blew it. I didn’t get all this by being stupid. And make no mistake, what you did was really, really stupid.” She rolled her eyes. “Torrie, I believe in you. You got this position because I thought you were smart, talented and sharp. If you haven’t gotten the memo, life is tough, unfair and sometimes you have to eat nails and still get up in the morning and go to work. For Christ’s sake, Torrie, you got divorced; you didn’t die!”
Torrie broke down in tears. “I know, I never thought in a million years I would let this happen. I’m so embarrassed. I allowed my personal life to interfere with my professionalism.”
Mona sat back down. Then placed her hand against her face, “Maybe you need counseling; have you talked to anyone? A divorce, I guess, is like a death of sorts and we all grieve differently. Trust me, I’ve been there. But you have got to figure out how to move on. The Torrie I know is resilient, passionate and a hard worker. I don’t know who this person is.” She waited for Torrie to look up.
“I know. I know.” She wiped her nose with the sleeve of her blouse.
Not tears. I can’t do tears. “Look, Torrie.” She clasped her hands on the desk. “I’m not a marriage counselor, life coach or a prayer partner. But you’ve got one life, honey. The world sells us on this perfect picture of what life and happiness are supposed to deliver. But every now and then life throws a brick at our head when we’re not looking.” She shrugged. “I can’t tell you what the fix is. But the first step is to admit you’re broken.”
Torrie nodded with her head still down.
Mona rolled her eyes then handed her a tissue box.
“I mean, I wanted the whole Ralph Lauren commercial. The Kardashian Christmas card.” She sniffed. “Why? I have no idea. Yeah, they’re dysfunctional, but they make that crap look so good! I wanted the trips to Paris, the house, spa days at the Four Seasons. ALL, I wanted it ALL!” Torrie blew her nose.
Okay, this is where I get off. “Sweetie, time for me to put the boss’s hat on; Torrie, you’re not fired.”
Her head shot up, as her lip quivered. “I’m not?”
“We’ve, well I have invested in you. Simply firing you would be a waste of resources... But I can’t jeopardize the show and the studio’s reputation.” Mona watched as a pink-eyed Torrie stared, awaiting her fate. “Nope, I think a leave of absence is the answer.”
Torrie’s face flushed. “Um, okay. Thank you,” she said, relieved she hadn’t lost her job yet.
Mona pressed the speaker button on her phone and dialed. “Ms. Olivio, can you step in my office?”
Torrie sat quietly. A minute later Carmen knocked then eased in Mona’s office.
“Have a seat. Carmen, I can’t beat around the bush. I’m going to need you to take over Torrie’s position while she’s out. She’s taking a voluntary leave of absence.”
Torrie didn’t move. She was like a duck chilling on the pond, cool and serene on the outside. But her mind was paddling like crazy underneath. “How’s she going to take over my position? She doesn’t have the experience.”
Carmen looked at Torrie not knowing exactly what to say. “I agree, Mona; I don’t know if, I mean I’m not sure if I can handle it.” She wrung her hands to keep them from shaking.
“Carmen, a little career advice: When someone throws you the microphone, don’t drop it. I’ve watched you for the past year. Trust me, you can handle it.” Mona’s tone was unequivocal.
Suddenly Carmen realized the reason she’d gone through all her drama for the past year. God was preparing her for this moment. She wasn’t quite sure of the timing and manner in which He did it, but she had been ushered to the head table. She no longer questioned it, but decided to act in obedience.
“So Torrie, why don’t you and Carmen go back to your office so you can help her with the transition?” Her eyes moved back and forth between them, waiting for them to move.
Torrie slid out her chair. “Right, I mean… yes, ma’am; I mean, thank you, Mona.”
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