Free The Hourglass by Megan C. Smith, K. S. Smith

of, I pressed send so that I could go find my missing friend.
    My intercom buzzed. “Ms. Reid, Monica would like to see you immediately regarding the spring layout.” Before I could say I was on my way the assistant had hung up. A shiver ran through my body at the thought of being Monica’s assistant. That job would require steel armor. Grabbing my files for the Spring Issue on the run, I hustled to Monica’s office before I was beheaded.
    My knuckles made contact just barely with her heavy door when I heard her beckon for me. “Brooke – come in. Stop putzing around by the door; I have no time to waste. Have you seen these photos?”
    Nodding, I was a bit confused. Kat had emailed me the shoot from New York, and I thought everything had looked exceptional, but I couldn’t get a reading on Monica’s thoughts. As I opened my mouth to speak, she glared and held a hand up to stop me.
    “These are brilliant; I want this to be the focus. Thank God our Savannah took an impromptu trip to New York and is such a workaholic.” Seeing my confused expression Monica paused and put her hand on her hip, irritation written all over her face.
    “I’m sorry Monica, I’m confused. I was under the impression Kat had called Savannah to come help out.”
    Monica’s lip curled up as she snarled at me. “Heavens no, Savannah went on her own accord. She better not think I’m covering that last minute airfare price!”
    “My mistake, Monica, I probably misread something when I saw that Savannah had helped Kat. I was thinking something like this,” I quickly pulled out some display boards hoping to appease the cross woman standing in front of me.
    “Yes, Yes. Exactly. Make it happen Brooke,” Monica demanded, before dismissing me with a flick of her wrist.
    “That damn woman,” I grumbled stomping to Savannah’s office and seeing the lights off. Spinning around to her assistant I pinned her to her chair with my glare. “Where is she?” I demanded.
    “Umm, Ma’am,” she stammered. “She texted me saying she no longer needed a ride, that she had handled it.”
    I flipped back around and made my way to my office, quickly snatching up my purse and keys. Pulling into Savannah’s lot I just missed a black Range Rover pulling out of the garage. No way! Fuming I bypassed Carl with a halfhearted wave, and stormed the elevator, jamming the button a hundred times for her floor.
    Standing in front of my best friend’s door, I attempted to take a few calming breaths, but they did nothing to quash my anger and paranoia. Forget knocking, I beat on the door with my fist. “Savannah Prescott, open this door immediately!” I yelled though the wood separating us.
    I heard heavy foot falls as she came to the door, and then watched as it opened to a shocked Savannah. Pushing past her, I barreled into the condo and spun around to watch her shut the door behind me. I let my eyes scan her from head to toe, looking for any signs of my best friend. Sadly I saw none, only a guilt ridden face of a person I thought I knew.
    “Would you like to explain the lie about New York? Or maybe why you told your assistant you didn’t need a ride, because you handled it? Or maybe , why I just saw my boyfriend leaving?” I wasn’t positive it was Lucas’s Range Rover, but I was pretty sure when I saw her expression falter as I made the accusation.
    “Brooke,” she pleaded stepping toward me, “let me explain.”
    My jaw dropped, and I saw red. The betrayal of my best friend was making me physically sick. “No!” I said horror struck, taking a few steps back.
    “Brooke, you don’t understand, I like him too. I tried to stay away, but Luke… I mean—” She started scrambling for words as I shook my head forcefully.
    Snarling, I could feel my claws retract. “Spare me the bullshit pouring out of your mouth right now! You like him? Oh Savannah, please! You knew he and I were together, but that just didn’t matter to you because you were missing out