Page 85 of I Hope This Finds You Well
Mom and the lady both jump and scream all sorts of standard Farsi greetings that, if translated directly, might sound intense. They aren’t saying hello; they’re literally offering to sacrifice themselves for each other. The shopkeeper takes off into the store, and Mom directs her attention back to me. “Jolene, come. Dorsa found the perfect dress for me.”
This Dorsa returns holding out a puce nightmare of sparkles, and both ladies’ faces shine just as bright. “I think this is respectful, yet still nice,” Mom says.
I nod, a creeping sickness pulling through me. “But what is it for?”
Dorsa grins widely beside me. “Congratulations on wedding, Jolene joon! I’m excited to be there!”
My insides tumble as Mom nudges Dorsa and, from the side of herlips, says, “We will have her hair and makeup done professionally for the wedding, so don’t think she looks like this.”
Dorsa nods and gestures behind me. “Jolene, go to the back and pick yourself the young people trendy clothes.” She winks. “For the bride, it’s discount.”
Dorsa goes back behind the till, and Mom pulls me by the biceps toward the back. I immediately haul free. “Mom, how many people have you told about this?”
Mom doesn’t look up as she flips through a rack. “Eh, nobody. Just some that would be too happy to keep it secret from.” Then she twists a brow up. “We had to make up for you keeping Armin hidden from me, your own mommy.”
Shit. This is already a toothpaste-out-of-tube situation. “Like I said, Armin and I want to keep thissmall.”
“Yes, it will be! Whatever you want, baby. But we need to have fun too.” She pulls a blouse from the rack. “Here, put this on, is good for work.”
I snatch the blouse from her harder than necessary and stick it right back on the rack. “Mom, I’m serious. Armin needs to keep it quiet; his mom isn’t well, and the excitement might be bad for her.”
She picks up the shirt again and shoves it back into my arms. “Yes, okay. No more wedding talk. Now put this on.”
I dutifully take the top into the curtained changing room. As I’m buttoning up the blouse, my phone buzzes. I grab it from my pocket and see it’s a text from Cliff.
Have a good night, Jolene.
My heart tumbles. What a terrible message to leave someone. Who does he think he even is?
Alarming Answers
Cliff’s all business, his grin stiff as I enter his office. The sun shines across his trinkets, rendering the whole situation somehow even more vivid.
“How are you doing today, Jolene?” He faces the stack of paperwork on his desk as he says this, his voice ten miles away. He nods toward the donut box. “They had a Persian donut today—pistachio rosewater. Of course I had to get it for you.”
My heart breaks as I take it. It’s the nicest thing in the world.
I smile and hold my voice as steady as possible. “Nice.”
Cliff nods his head but doesn’t look up. He hasn’t looked at me once.
“Cliff, last night with my mom, that’s a whole mess that I can explain. I’m not actually into Arm—”
“Don’t worry about that.” His gaze finally pulls up to mine, but it’s indecipherable. “It’s none of my business.” He grins, though it’s not as wide as usual. It’s like a part of his smile is gone.
“But I want to. Armin’s like—we’re not into each other at all. Our families are just...” I rack my brain for a way to explain this that won’t come down to me being a liar. “It’s just complicated.”
Cliff’s blink is measured. “Sounds like it. But honestly, Jolene, I don’t need to know more, as your HR.”
I nod as my heart turns hard as a scone from Artistic Coffee. Our friendship could never work.
He’s HR. Just HR.
His email to Sanjay this morning scrolls through my mind like a ticker tape.Thanks again for speaking with me. I’d be excited to do something meaningful again. This place got to me worse than the others.
Cliff slides one of the packets on his desk toward me without looking up. “We’re getting close to wrapping up our training. Any specific questions or concerns?”
Yes:After all this, if I save my job and everything, do I just go back to my life here? The one without you in it?
