Mesmerized

Leave the punch.”

    “Sofia, I really think you should call this guy,” he said, looking her in the eye. “Please.”

    A sense of uneasiness ran through her at the gravity in his normally light tone.

    “Fine, I will.”

    He flashed a smile and strode from her cube. Sofia looked at the paper again. She retrieved her cell and tucked the paper into her pocket. Snatching her sunglasses, she almost made it to the door before she heard Lacy’s voice.

    “Sofia, can you come see me?”

    She grimaced and turned to see the tall blond striding toward her office. Lacy wore a skirt too short and tight for office wear, but when you’re the boss …

    “I noticed you’ve been taking a lot of sick time lately,” Lacy said as Sofia entered the room.

    “Yeah, I’m having some issues,” Sofia replied.

    “Jake told me. HR passed it to upper management. I need you to bring in some sort of paperwork from your doctor stating what’s wrong.”

    “They don’t know what’s wrong. I can bring you another one of the notes verifying that’s where I am when I’m missing work.”

     “What do you mean? They’re doctors,” Lacy said, looking up from the memo in her hands. “Of course they know what’s wrong. And those notes aren’t good enough.”

    “They really don’t know,” Sofia said again.

    “I can’t make reasonable accommodations for you if I don’t know what’s wrong.”

    “That makes no sense, Lacy. If I have a doctor’s note saying I’m under their care, isn’t that good enough until they figure it out?”

    Lacy arched a delicate eyebrow.

    “No, it’s not,” she snapped. “I need a diagnosis, and I need a treatment plan.”

    “A what?”

    “You deaf now, too?”

    Sofia bit her tongue. She lacked Jake’s golden tongue, and her bluntness had gotten her in trouble more than once. Normally she acquiesced in favor of a paycheck, but Lacy’s demand was bizarre, even by Lacy-standards.

    “Look, Lacy, I’m not trying to be difficult. I’m so frustrated right now. I just came back from a battery of tests that said nothing’s wrong with me.” The moment the words left her mouth, she knew her mistake. Lacy’s eyebrows shot up.

    “What do you mean there’s nothing wrong? Are you making this up?” her boss demanded.

    “No, Lacy, what I meant is that whatever is wrong—”

    “So you’re a basket case. One of those aphrodisiacs or something.”

    “Hypochondriac, not aphro—”

    “I meant, you’re making it up!” Lacy snarled. “Aphro, hypo, who cares. They’re the same thing! You’ve been lying to me!”

    “No, Lacy—”

    “You’ve been lying to Jake, too. He’s been worried sick! Oh my God, what—”

    “Lacy, stop!” Sofia snapped, standing. “I haven’t lied to you. They don’t know what’s wrong, and I’m not making it up!”

    “You’ve always thought yourself soooo much better than the rest of us, and I’m sick of your attitude. Now you’re lying to me about being sick. You know what? Until you can prove you’ve got some damn disease, you’re on leave without pay.”

    Stunned, Sofia stared at her.

    “Lacy, I’m—”

    “Shut up and get out!”

    Surprise, then fury, lit her insides.

    “Fine,” she said, wrenching the office door open. “But Lacy, everyone knows you’re screwing Jake.”

    Lacy’s mouth dropped open. Dimly, Sofia knew she’d never work there again after that low blow. She snatched her bag and hurried home, not reflecting on her behavior until she tossed her coat on the bed.

    “Stupid, stupid, stupid!”

    Her cell rang. She dug it out of her pocket. 

    “Hey, Tanya,” she said, kicking off her shoes. “What’s up?”

    “Hey, hon, Jake told me you quit work?”

    “Jake?” she echoed.

    “He’s still a dick. You’re not seeing him again, are you?”

    “Tanya, I have a headache. I’ll call you later.”

    Sofia hung up, frustrated. She emptied her pockets and tossed her lunch in the fridge. When she retreated to the bathroom, she flipped on the light, cringed, but forced herself to stare at her reflection in the mirror over the sink.

    She was going to die. She just knew it. Whatever her disease, it had eluded the doctors for months. By the time they found out what it was, she’d probably be near dead, like stage four cancer. She stared at her reflection, caught by something else that didn’t seem right. She leaned forward, staring at her irises. Her favorite feature, her eyes, had always