10 - Consequences

I made a mistake. A horrible, foolish mistake...

It's all my fault...

After her heated venture to Black Gold, Audrey was back at work, and for the very first time in all her life, she dreaded it.

And it was an awful feeling. Work had always been a place where she felt she thrived, and now all she felt was shame.

She stood outside of Carol's closed office door, going over and over in her head what she could say to her boss, again and again and again.

But what could she say? Oh, what was there to say?

Oh, God...

"Oh, you know that business partnership Max Lord established with the museum? Well we've been flirting it up thanks to that and now, the night of the gala, we both got a bit tipsy and snogged in my office and he used it as an opportunity to steal the stone..."

Yeah... Yeah, that... Well, it was the truth, she just didn't want to admit it.

Oh, God was right.

She was screwed. So totally screwed.

The choice was made for her as the door suddenly popped open, startling both her and Carol on both sides of it as it opened.

"Oh! Audrey, how can I help you?"

This news was going to crush her. Audrey took a deep breath and plunged onward - she knew it would only be worse if she hid her mistake, as embarrassing as it was. "Carol, can I talk to you for a moment? I've made a mistake..."

"Oh, sure Audrey. Here, come in and have a seat." Carol went back into her office, Audrey following, taking a seat before her boss's desk when Carol gestured to the chair.

The next few minutes were a whirlwind of words as she explained what had happened with the stone. "I'm so sorry, this is completely my fault, and I completely understand that you're upset." So upset, even, that you want to fire me...

"Well, not so upset, just confused..." Audrey didn't allow herself to feel any relief at Carol's words, not just yet. "I wish he hadn't hidden it from you, but maybe it was all just a big understanding. And if this friend of his in Roman Antiquities can help us, that would be great."

It sure would.

Carol was taking this rather well... "It sounds like you got a little carried away, which isn't like you-"

"I know..." It wasn't like her at all. Sure, she could get carried away while working, immersing herself in her work so deeply, but never like this. This time, it was something completely different. "I promise I'll sort this out," she assured Carol. "And once we get the stone back I won't let it out of my sight again."

Carol thanked her for explaining the situation before sending her on her way. Well, that hadn't gone so badly, certainly not as terribly as she had been imagining it would. In fact, it had gone quite well.

From inside her office, she heard Diana's voice out in the hall. "Barbara is Audrey in her office?"

"Uh, I think so-" Footsteps, then a few seconds later a tap at the door and, "Audrey?"

"Hi Barbara."

"Hi, Diana's looking for you."

"Oh, okay." Diana entered the room, Barbara passing her on the way out. An unfamiliar man was with her.

"Hi Diana."

"Audrey this is my friend Steve."

"Hi, how's it going?" The man waved.

"Hi there."

"So I just wanted to speak to you about the stone, the citrine one, the one giving us all sorts of trouble figuring out what it is," Diana said.

"Oh, yeah, that stone..." She definitely knew which stone... The stone... That stone... "Uh, uh, um..."

"Do you have it? You were the last one who had it, right?"

"Um, yeah - long story, actually, about that... Max and I met up during the gala and-"

"Max who?"

"Max Lord. So that happened and I kind of let him borrow it..."

"What? Why?"

"Well, he did give us a lot of money and it's not like he's a stranger or anything..." Certainly not anymore... In fact, we snogged right here... Was she really making excuses for this now? Yes, yes she was. "Apparently he has a friend who's an expert-"

"What do you mean?" Diana cut in. "How could you loan it? It's not even ours to loan! How could you be so careless?!"

Okay, that stung. But it was true, she had been careless. Not careful enough. Though she wasn't sure where Diana's sudden intense interest in the stone had come from.

"Whoa, whoa, what are you getting on her case for?" Barbara stepped in, and Audrey was thankful. "I've got fifteen things in my office more valuable than that stone. And if Mr. Lord's friend can help us-"

"Do you know where he took it?" Diana interrupted.

"No, I have no idea," Audrey admitted.

The brunette heaved a sigh. "Then I'll tell you when we find out. Let's go." Steve followed her as she basically stormed out of the office.

Getting yelled at by her colleague was really not what she wanted or needed at the moment, but it was what she deserved. Well, her boss might not be so mad with her, but her colleague sure was.

"Wow, that was intense," Barbara remarked. "You okay?"

"No, not really." This truth was no easier to admit.

The biggest bouquet of flowers she had ever seen greeted her the next morning, sitting upon her desk, taking up the whole surface of it.

After the initial shock wore off, she inspected and grand bouquet and found a note attached.

To Audrey,

The passionate doctor who I think very highly of.

~Max

She shook her head and tossed the note aside. "Prick."

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed as always! :)