Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26

MARLOW

S pencer didn't show up for work, which had me concerned. It felt off and I couldn't shake the gnawing worry in my gut. I couldn't explain it, but something told me he didn't have a cold or something. Word around the office was that he never took time off, which was why visiting my brother had been kind of a big deal.

Kyla knocked on my door before walking in. "What?" I asked recognizing the look on her face. "What happened now?"

"Nothing."

"Kyla," I warned.

"Did you hear Spencer quit?"

My eyes widened. "No. Why? Who said that?"

"It's just one of the many rumors," she said.

"He can't really quit," I reminded her. "He owns the company. At least partly owns. What else are they saying?"

"Some are saying he's super hungover after a wild night at the strip club. Others say he ran away with the sales manager from the third floor. The guy in the copy room suggested he was abducted by aliens." She grinned, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "That's my favorite."

"Aliens?" I snorted in disbelief. "That's some creative thinking right there. Maybe we should bring that guy onto the team."

"That's not all," Kyla continued, seeming to relish in the drama of it all. "There are whispers that he discovered some sort of corporate espionage and has gone into hiding. Well, that's the rumor I've been trying to start. It hasn't really caught on yet."

I found myself rubbing my temples unconsciously, trying to make sense of the chaos that was Spencer's unexplained absence. "None of those scenarios sound much like Spencer."

"Well yeah." She laughed. "But it's fun listening to the gossip."

"Have you heard anything worthwhile?" I asked. "Something that might actually ring a little true?"

She smiled softly. "I just assume he ate some bad sushi. Did you call him?"

I shook my head. "No, I didn't think I should."

"Why not?" She shrugged. "You're friends."

"You know why," I muttered. "That would be too weird. We're supposed to be professional. I can't call and ask him what's wrong. I don't want to cross that line."

"Marlow, come on," she urged. "This is me you're talking to. You have every right to talk to him. You are friends. You've known him most of your life. It's perfectly reasonable for you to call and check in on him."

"I'll text him," I said. "I don't want to impose."

"I doubt he'll feel like you're imposing." She smiled.

"I'm worrying about nothing," I said. "Ignore me. What do you have for me?"

"Well, I was forwarded a call from a client. I guess it's a maybe-client. He knows Joshua and wants to talk to you about some headphones or something he wants to sell. His exact words were ‘the cool chick that told Joshua to suck it' and ‘not the stuffy old dicks.'"

I burst into laughter. "Aww, that's almost sweet. Although I'm not sure I want the cool chick reputation. I want to be taken seriously."

"By cool , I think they just mean good at your job," Kyla replied. "It's better than being one of the ‘stuffy old dicks.'"

"Yeah, suppose you're right." I chuckled. Grinning, I sat up straight and prepared to work. "Transfer the call."

"Got it, boss." She grinned.

A moment later, the phone rang. I answered it to hear loud music in the background. I rolled my eyes and prepared myself to handle a young entrepreneur who most likely had more money than manners. Gritting my teeth, I forced a pleasantness into my voice that I didn't quite feel.

"Good afternoon, this is Marlow speaking," I said with a smile I hoped would carry through the phone. "How may I assist you?"

The music abruptly quieted, and an audacious confidence laced the next words that came through the phone. "Ah, yes! Cool chick. Pleasure to meet you over the phone, Marlow. Name's Mason."

"Mason what?" I probed, trying to mask my irritation at being addressed so unprofessionally. These young influencers could be a little rough around the edges but I didn't need to take it personally.

"Just Mason." There was a pause, followed by a chuckle. "I guess you've never checked out my channel."

"I'm pretty busy, so no, I don't get a chance to watch a lot of videos." I gritted my teeth and rolled my eyes. Money was money. And if he was anything like Joshua, then this could turn into a lucrative account. Besides, it was kind of fun to flex my creative chops in new areas.

"Lame," he said.

"Alright, Mason. What can I do for you?" I asked, pen in hand in case he actually said something worth writing down.

"Okay, so about these headphones."

I made a mental note to talk to Joshua later about any more phone referrals.

As the day rolled on, the mystery of Spencer's whereabouts continued to eat at me like a slow-burning flame. It felt odd without his presence. Kyla poked her head into my office occasionally, updating me on the latest theories circulating the office water cooler, but they were all nonsense.

I was suffering the afternoon crash. I needed caffeine. Sugar. The many treats in the break room were calling my name. On my way there, I happened to walk by the conference room and spotted all the guys huddled together with frowns on their faces. Something was clearly happening, and I wanted to know. Maybe it wasn't any of my business, but that didn't stop me from walking in and staring at them until they noticed me.

I could see the concern etched on everyone's faces, especially Graham's.

"Guys, what is going on?" I asked. "Please don't say nothing because I think I know Spencer as well as you guys. And I doubt he was abducted by aliens."

They all looked at each other before they finally turned back to me.

Jax shook his head. "I heard he's in hiding."

I would have to tell Kyla her rumor had gotten some traction. She would be thrilled. Then I remembered this was serious.

"Something is wrong," Graham said, his voice low. "Spencer called and asked me to cover for him at a meeting. But he wouldn't say where he was going. But it was off. Derrick has tried calling him, but there's no answer. It's not like him. Even at his grumpiest, he kept in touch."

I tried to keep my face neutral, but inside, I was worried. What could be so important that he'd disappear like this? "Do you think it could be related to family?" I asked, hoping for some plausible explanation. "Maybe his mom or dad got sick or something."

Graham, Jax, Max, and Sebastian all exchanged a look before shaking their heads in unison.

"Spencer's family only sends him the occasional Christmas card," Max said, his tone bitter. "They only pick up the phone if they've burned through the money he sent them. It's a touchy subject. He definitely didn't go running off to see them."

I frowned, remembering the bits and pieces Spencer had shared with me about his family. "You don't think it's possible they needed something? More money?" I was thinking out loud. Trying to rationalize his absence.

Jax shook his head. "If it was his folks, he would have told us. And he sends them money through electronic transfers. He doesn't need to head down to Florida."

I found it weird that he kept sending money if they were so blatantly taking advantage of him. "But why does he keep doing it then?"

"Spencer might be a bit of an ass," Sebastian said, his tone softening.

"And yeah, he can be grumpy and temperamental," Graham added. "But he'd never leave his folks out to dry. He gave them a taste of the rich life, and once they saw how good it could be, they never looked back. He's their meal ticket. That's all. But he's still their son and he still wants them to be okay. They did have a decent relationship before Spencer really started making money. Before they saw him as a cash cow to milk."

I hated this for Spencer. He deserved so much better. My mind drifted back to the times he'd spent the night at my family's house when we were kids. Starting around ten and going all the way up to seventeen, Spencer had been almost like another brother to Rhett and me.

One night, I'd overheard my parents talking in the kitchen while Spencer and Rhett played video games in the living room. My mother had said it was a shame Spencer's parents couldn't see how good of a kid they had on their hands. I hadn't put much thought into it then, but looking back, I saw how fractured his family had been for a long time.

He was really good at faking things.

Maybe that explained some of his grumpy tendencies and his ruthless approach to getting what he wanted. He'd always had to fight for it, always had to earn it entirely on his own, and he'd done it without the support of parents who always had his back. I was grateful to my parents for their unconditional love and for making me believe I could do anything or be anyone. I wouldn't be here without them.

I pulled out my phone and sent him a text. "I hope you're okay. Let me know if you need anything."

"You okay, Marlow?" Graham asked.

"Yeah," I said, trying to sound convincing. "Just worried about him."

"We all are," Graham replied. "But Spencer's tough. He'll be alright."

"He probably needed to blow off a little steam," Sebastian said.

"That's exactly what he needs to do," Max agreed. "He's been wound pretty tight."

I nodded, hoping he was right. "Did he say he was going to be here tomorrow?" I asked hopefully.

"He said he would." Graham shrugged. "I guess we'll see."

"Why do you guys look worried?" I asked. "And don't tell me no reason. Is this normal? Does he call in sick?"

"Never," Sebastian answered.

That didn't make me feel any better.

The day dragged on, each hour feeling like an eternity. I buried myself in work, trying to keep my mind off the worst-case scenarios running through my head. I was halfway through drafting a proposal for our next campaign when my phone buzzed. I snatched it up, hoping it was Spencer, but it was just a reminder for a meeting later in the afternoon. I sighed, rubbing my temples.

Jax came over and sat on the edge of my desk. "Want to grab some coffee? Get out of here for a bit?"

I shook my head. "Thanks, Jax, but I need to stay here. Just in case."

He nodded understandingly. "I get it. But you're not exactly leaving the building. I was thinking we could go out to reception or head downstairs. A little change of scenery."

I smiled. He was reaching out. After that meeting on my first day, they had all loosened up around me, but they hadn't really made any efforts to get to know me. I didn't want to reject the offer of friendship.

"Sure," I said, smiling. "You're right. I need to get my creative juices flowing."

As we walked through the office toward the elevator, I became more and more aware of how tense the atmosphere was. Everyone was either whispering in corners or hunched over their desks, lost in their work. The usual buzz of conversation and laughter was noticeably absent. Spencer's mysterious absence had cast a shadow over us all.

Which was weird. Really weird.

The last couple of weeks Spencer had been a bear. People tiptoed around him. I understood why. He was an integral part of this place. Everyone sensed when something was off. It was like when the parents argued. There was a balance to the business. I understood that was why me coming on had thrown such a wrench into things. I upset the apple cart. Things had settled, but now there was a situation with Spencer.

Jax seemed to sense the same thing. "It's like a graveyard in here," he said under his breath as we waited for the elevator. "I don't think I've ever seen it this quiet."

"Yeah," I said, leaning against the wall. "I didn't realize how much energy Spencer brought into this place, good or bad."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah, that's one way to put it. Spencer is complicated."

The elevator dinged open, and we stepped in. As we descended, the silence hung heavily in the air. It felt like we were both lost in our thoughts about Spencer. Finally, as the doors opened to the lobby, Jax broke the silence.

"You know, a part of me envies him," he confessed. "Spencer's got this impenetrable shell around him. Nothing gets to him, or at least, that's what he wants everyone to believe."

"It's always been that way," I said.

"How long have you known him?" he asked.

"Since I was a little girl." I smiled. "But I can't say I really know him. We didn't see each other for a good fifteen years. A person changes a lot in that time."

"True." He nodded. "Listen, I'm sure he'll be fine."

"I know," I agreed, but I wasn't sure I really believed it