Chapter 33

Dusty sighed deeply as she sat in her cubicle back at work. Jeff had just informed her via email that he needed to see her in his office for a meeting. Jeff never called Dusty into his office, which could only mean one thing; that he had something bad to tell her. Dusty wasn't sure if she could handle any more bad news.

She'd been back in New York for a week, and as much as she tried to distance herself from thoughts of Valentine, she couldn't stop thinking about her. She hated her for building up her hopes only to dash them with the revelation that her ex-girlfriend was pregnant with their child. But a part of her still loved her too much and couldn't let go, and she resented herself for that. She wished she could just forget about her and move on with her life.

She was in New York City working for a prestigious company, living the life she'd always dreamt about, yet she was still wasting tears on a girl back in her hometown who didn't deserve them. At least she hoped she was still living the dream life in the city. Her stomach knotted as she contemplated what Jeff might want to say to her. Nervously, she got up from her desk, having one quick reassuring glance at the picture of her and Ashley. She missed Ashley terribly.

The surprise news of her engagement to Ricardo had been a wonderful announcement, and Dusty couldn't wait to hear all about it when Ashley came to the city next month. But it wouldn't be the two of them anymore. Sure, it was only Ashley coming to stay, but soon she would be a married woman, busy planning her life with Ricardo, and where did that leave Dusty? Dusty had no one to share her life with in that way. The flame of passion between her and Kyera had dulled, leaving them with only friendship, which confirmed that she still loved Valentine.

She'd gone home, hopeful of rekindling their romance, only to have her hopes dashed at the last moment, when Valentine dropped the bombshell about the baby. For some reason, Dusty had the worst luck with woman. No one ever seemed to work out for her, and she was beginning to grow despondent about it all. Each time she thought of Valentine tears pricked at her eyes, threatening to send her into bouts of despair. She wished she was stronger, that she wasn't hurt by her actions, but she was.

The pain she was feeling only further cemented her realization that she did love her. She loved her, and now she would forever harbor a deep, burning pain because that love could never be. And now her job was in jeopardy. As Dusty approached Jeff's office door, she racked her mind for what she could have done wrong. She thought she'd done her best. She worked overtime whenever she was called upon, finished all her assignments in a timely manner, and rarely made a mistake. Lightly, she lifted her hand and rapped upon the door.

"Come in," Jeff called from within. Taking a deep breath, Dusty entered his office. "Dusty, hey, take a seat." He gestured to the chair opposite his desk. Dusty sat down and glanced out of the windows at the impressive vista he enjoyed from his office. It was a far cry from the densely populated main office, where everyone had their own cubicle. "Did you have a nice Christmas?" he asked her as he began sifting through papers on his desk. Papers which Dusty noticed bore her name.

"Yes, thank you," Dusty answered politely, clasping her hands in her lap to prevent her from fidgeting nervously. "It's always nice to go home for a bit, recharge the batteries." Jeff smiled as he found what he was looking for and scanned through a memo. Dusty didn't like to point out that going home hadn't recharged her batteries. In fact, it had created the opposite effect, and she now felt deflated and devoid of energy. Going home had made her flat and lifeless.

The disappointment over Valentine seeped through her veins like a poison, shrouding her in the darkness of heartbreak. Even the magical lights of the city could not lift her mood. "Anyway, let's get to it, shall we?" Jeff looked directly at Dusty, his voice taking on a more professional tone. Numbly, Dusty nodded in response, too scared to speak. She was terrified that she was about to lose her job, which would mean that unless she immediately found something else, she'd be forced to return to West, to live back in the trailer with her mother and, worse, be near Valentine on a daily basis and watch her and Sophie raise their precious little bundle of joy together.

The thought of seeing Valentine play happy families with that woman was unbearable, and Dusty fought the urge to be sick. "Don't look so worried," Jeff reassured her when he noticed her pale face. "We're just reviewing you now that your probation period has ended."

"Okay." Dusty smiled nervously and nodded. Reviewing didn't sound good. Probation period ending also didn't sound good. Dusty swallowed hard and braced herself for what he had to say.

"So we've assessed your work and how you've been progressing here at Goldstone," Jeff commenced lightly.

"I really like it here," Dusty blurted. "I feel like I've really settled in and gotten to know everyone."

"I agree." Jeff nodded. "You've picked up the more difficult aspects of your role with ease, which has impressed both myself and other members of management, which is why, with immediate effect, we'd like to end your probationary period and welcome you on board as a full-time, permanent employee of Goldstone."

Dusty stared at her boss with unblinking, disbelieving eyes. "You're keeping me?" she asked, her voice small and unsure.

"Dusty, of course we're keeping you." Jeff beamed. "You're a model employee. You're hard working and mathematically gifted; we'd be crazy not to keep you. So obviously, with your now permanent status, you'll receive an increase in salary." He handed Dusty a neatly typed letter, which outlined her increase in wages. She didn't dare look at it yet. She was still in a daze over the news that she was keeping her job.

"Also, all permanent employees were given an end-of-year bonus. After some discussion, we decided that you were more than entitled to a bonus of your own due to all the hard work and many extra hours you've put in these past few months, so this is for you." He handed Dusty a check for fifty thousand dollars.

Fifty. Thousand. Dollars.

She double-counted the zeros several times to be certain. She couldn't believe her eyes. "There's a mistake on the check," she offered the small slip of paper back to Jeff, who smiled to himself at the gesture.

"There's no mistake," he clarified for her.

"But..." Dusty looked down at it again, signed with Jeff's own signature. It was for an obscene amount of money, more money than Dusty knew what to do with. Enough money to buy her old house in West.

"It's for fifty thousand dollars," Jeff stated. "Bonuses are only issued once a year, so you're lucky you qualified this time round. You keep working like you do and next year you could easily expect to see that bonus doubled." Doubled. Dusty couldn't believe her ears. "I know this is a lot to take in," Jeff said sympathetically, leaning forward in his chair, folding his arms across his desk. "You're young, fresh out of college, and we're talking about a lot of money. But you're an asset to this company, Dusty, and we want to show you that. You're highly skilled in a specialized field; you're set to make a lot of money in your career."

Dusty tried not to cry. For so long, money had left a void in her life. Lack of money had lost her her home and, for a time, her identity. Her family had been forced to give up all their worldly treasures, to exist on the poverty line. It had taken nothing short of a miracle to get her to college, and now she was holding a check for fifty thousand dollars. It was as if she was living out a fairy tale version of her own life.

"My mom lives in a trailer," Dusty said, still feeling numb. She wasn't sure why she told Jeff about the trailer, a part of her wanted to explain to him just how much this money meant to her, and the trailer did that. Jeff's eyes widened, and his features softened with understanding. "

You've worked extremely hard to get where you are," he told her gently. "Princeton is no picnic in itself. I should know, I graduated from there a decade or two before you did." Dusty felt her shoulders shake, a precursory warning of the tears that were imminent. "You deserve that money. Take it, look after your family." Nodding, Dusty stood up. She needed to be alone, to absorb all this information, to let the shock of the money settle. "Also, make sure you're sitting down when you read about your salary," Jeff advised kindly. Dusty nodded and left the office. As she was heading through the door, Jeff called after her, "Keep up the good work, Black. Glad to have you on board."