Destined for Love

Excerpt From: Destined for Love

Valerie stared at the lay-off notice in her hands. Her jaw hung low and tears swelled in her eyes. Her day had been a complete disaster since she’d left the apartment. A train had delayed her arrival at work because she’d had to wait at a railroad crossing for twenty minutes. A co-worker’s coffee had spilled on her beige slacks. She’d lost her last two dollars to the vending machine gremlin. Lastly, she’d fought computer issues all day long. Not a single good thing had occurred. She’d thought the worst had been over, but apparently not.

"Hey, Val, did you get the incentive…?" Terri’s bright and cheerful expression transformed to a grim one. "What’s wrong?"

Val placed the small pink piece of paper on the desk then slid it towards her. Terri’s eyes widened immediately. She picked it up and held the notice closer.

While Terri read the layoff slip, Val dug her purse from her lower drawer. She removed a round mirror and checked herself. Tears in her blue eyes begged for release. Biting her lip, she strengthened her dam to keep from crying. Besides, she didn’t want her eyeliner to smear, nor did she want to appear weak to her co-workers. Val was strong, independent, always in control, and at the top of her game. She supported others, portrayed what she believed to be a good leader, and consistently gave positive feedback to maintain good morale. Everyone in her department came to her for questions and advice—even employees from other departments sought her assistance. She was the queen of the help desk, and proud to perform her duties. Come hell or high water, she would not let anyone besides Terri see her in despair.

She ran two fingers through her wavy brown hair then tucked the strands behind her ears before snapping the compact together.

"This has to be a mistake." Terri placed the paper on her desk. "We should go see Mr Williams. I just can’t believe this."

Val rose from her chair then placed her hand on her best friend’s shoulder. "The form is complete with all my credentials, including the date I started here. I don’t think it’s a mistake."

She forced a slight smile as she held her emotions in check. Val would miss Terri. They’d started with the company at the same time and had grown close within a few months. They’d soon discovered they enjoyed the same kind of men, movies, music, and munchies. It was as if fate had brought them together, and they were destined to be best friends. They had moved into an apartment together and double-dated several times. That was how Terri had met Sam and Val had met Thomas. Six months ago, Sam had put a ring on Terri’s finger and she’d moved out. Val missed her friend’s company, but they always saw each other at work. Now, Val doubted she would see her friend much. While Terri’s life was travelling up to better opportunities, Val’s seemed to be heading south.

"Someone made an error." Terri grabbed Val’s hand and tugged it. "Come on. We’re putting this to bed right now."

Val grinned as her friend led her down the centre aisle. Their co-workers were chatting on the phones or too busy staring at their computer monitors to notice them holding hands as they passed by. Approaching the director’s office, fear crept into Val’s mind and she considered turning around. What if the layoff notice was valid? Could she handle looking into her boss’s eyes and hearing him tell her she had to get out? He was a reasonable man and had always given her good evaluations. He’d recommended her for promotions plenty of times, or so he had said. So why was she getting the pink slip? Terri had to be right—someone had made a mistake.

"Let me handle this." Val quickened her pace to reach the office before Terri.

"Are you sure?" Terri asked softly.

Lips pressed together, Val nodded over her shoulder. In all honesty, she wasn’t certain about anything anymore. She’d always thought she had her life under control and knew where she was heading. The road of her life was a smooth one without many potholes. But now a crater had destroyed her path, forcing her off course to an unknown territory. She didn’t know what to expect next.

She stopped in her boss’s open doorway. Terri came to a halt beside her. Mr Williams was sat behind his large, cherry-wood desk. He had a neat and casual appearance with trimmed short hair and a blue, striped polo shirt. Bits of grey in his dark hair along with a few wrinkles on his face revealed his middle age. His average build and blue eyes attracted most of the women in the office. While Val thought he was handsome, she had never once considered flirting with him. The ring on his finger was an instant deterrent.

Val knocked lightly on the door. "Excuse me, Mr Williams."

He glanced up from the two computer monitors on the corner of his desk, then back at them. "Valerie, what can I do for you?" Not a hint of a smile reflected on his face.

She hesitantly stepped into his office. The fact that he had spoken in a low and flat tone had given her cause for concern. He’d always been a polite, outgoing, and chipper man.

"Mr Williams, I’m sorry to bother you." She stopped in front of his desk, glanced over her shoulder to find Terri at the door, then shifted her attention to her boss. "I received a pink slip a few minutes ago, and I thought maybe it was a mistake."

He stopped typing and looked up at her. "I wish I could say that it was, but unfortunately…"

Val’s heart sank, yet she held her composure. "But why?"

"Upper management made the decision. I tried to talk them out of it. I told them how valuable you are to the department, but they’d already selected people."

Questions swarmed in her head. Why would upper management want to lay me off? What have I done to deserve the boot? Who else got a notice? In the last four years of her employment, she’d only spoken to the directors briefly. She’d assisted them with questions. As far as she knew, no one had ever complained about her. What logic did they have for getting rid of her?

"I’m sorry, Val. Really, I am."

His blank expression confused her. Had he really spoken for her, or was he making it up? But why would he lie? Her frustration intensified as no one had provided a logical answer yet.