Page 65 of The Illusion
"I mean they’re both completely gone from the system. No record. No backup. Nothing. I've been looking for the last hour and I can't find it anywhere. No trace at all. It’s like the system fucking ate it."
I close my eyes. The Napa order is new and it’s a big one. We need to hit this out of the park. "What about the cloud backup?"
"I checked. It's not there either. I’m supposed to order the supplies today and it should have been easy but everything is gone. I wouldn't bother you but with the supply chain the wayit’s been the last few years and the product containers they approved needing to be imported, I couldn't let it go. We’re in deep shit if this goes sideways. The absolute latest I can order this is Monday and if I don’t figure out if what I’m ordering is right before then. Do you have any record of what was in that order?”
"Yes. There’s a zip drive and a printout from the other day that I wrote all over in my car," I say. "In the trunk."
“I hate to ask. But can you come back and give it to me?”
I look back through the window at Asher. He's staring at his phone, scrolling through something. "Yeah," I say. "I can get it."
"I'm so sorry. I know you're supposed to be away this weekend."
"It's fine. We'll come back." I hang up and go back inside. Asher looks up when I sit down.
"Everything okay?"
"No. We have a problem at the shop. A big order is missing from our system and we can't find the backup. I have a hard copy at home, but I need to get it."
He sets his phone down. "We can leave after breakfast and come back once you give Jamie what you need to.”
I shake my head. “I can’t drop and run. I’m afraid we’re going to have to reschedule this.”
"Oh. Wow. Are you sure?"
“I am. I’m so sorry, Asher.”
I feel terrible. He planned this whole thing and finally took initiative and now it’s gone up in smoke.
"Hey, don’t do that. I get it. Your store is important. Of course we need to reschedule."
Something in his tone strikes me weird. Like he’s lying. I search his face for any sign of disappointment. Any indication that he's upset about cutting the trip short.
But if I had to name the expression that flits across his face, I'd call it relief. And that scares me. We eat quickly. We go back upstairs and pack our bags. The room that felt cozy last night now feels small and suffocating. I fold my clothes and shove them into my suitcase. Asher does the same.
We check out at the front desk. The woman behind the counter asks if we enjoyed our stay. Asher says yes. I don't say anything. The drive home is quiet. Asher turns on the radio. I look out the window and watch the landscape blur past.
When we pull into the driveway, Ryan's car is still there. Devon is sitting on the front porch. She stands up when she sees us. Ryan emerges from the house behind her, leaning against the doorframe.
"You're back early," she says.
When Ryan meets my eyes, I catch something in his expression. But my phone buzzes again—another message from Jamie—and I don't have time to figure out what’s up.
"Work emergency," Asher says.
He gets out of the car and walks over to her. They talk quietly while I grab my bag from the trunk. I don't wait for him. I go inside and head straight to the garage where my car is parked.
I pop the trunk and find the folder with the spa order manifest. I pull it out and text Jamie that I have it and I'm going to come to the store. When I come back inside, Asher is in the kitchen with Devon. She's laughing at something he said. He's smiling.
It’s almost like our weekend going to shit made him happy.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FOUR
JULIE
I feellike I'm living in a sea of false normality. Asher acts like the trip fixed everything. Like we reconnected. Like we're good now. Monday morning, he kisses me goodbye before work. He tells me he loves me. He asks what I'm doing for dinner. When I say I'm not sure, he suggests we cook together.
