Once Upon Another Time Read Online Free PDF Page A

whatsoever that my client was involved in any malicious behavior.” 
    Laura made an
indistinct coughing sound.  Her eyes widened to show emerald colored irises
framed by long black lashes.  I looked at her perfectly manicured nails that
always wore colors with fun names like Don’t Socra-Tease Me, Aphrodite’s Pink
Nightie, and Fiji Weegee Fawn.  I glanced at my natural, unpainted nails and
couldn’t remember the last time I’d thought of myself as fun and frivolous.
    “Ms. Rossi,” I
replied, when a strange buzz clouded my head.  Pausing, I reached for my glass
of water and took a sip.  “I’m sorry, as I was saying.  We believe our
complaint for our client, Mr. Levy, set out solid and substantial claims for
reputational injury caused by your client’s malicious and irresponsible
conduct.  And we obviously have proof of that with two signed depositions and
our witness, Mr. Peach.”
    As the last word
left my lips, the buzz in my head turned into a drone of voices.  The thoughts
of all eight people in the room talking in my head at once sounded like
a televised GOP brawl on C-SPAN.
    The air in my
lungs felt thin, while tiny stars shimmered on the walls and wind chimes tinkled
like raindrops all around me.  I knew I was in trouble, but I had no idea to
what extent, and then I turned toward Cohen.  As my breath hitched in my throat,
everything went silent, as if I had submerged underwater.  The boardroom took
on a soft, hazy glow, while Greenburg’s flailing arms looked like slow moving
blades on a fan, barely cutting through the air.  Cohen’s head shook from
side-to-side in slow motion, his words sounding like loud noises from a stifled
trombone, while I focused on the wall behind him.
    The library of
legal reference books housed on one full wall of cabinets behind glass doors,
showed though the transparent image of a man’s body.  Attributes quickly came
into view--a warm smile and expressive eyes the color of amber jewels backlit
by the sun, broad shoulders, the sleeves on his sky blue shirt rolled up over
his forearms.  His hands shoved into the pant pockets of his light khakis. 
Minus a set of splayed wings shooting out from behind him, Matt looked like an
angel all glowing and bright. 
    At home, I could
handle the situation, but how in the hell was I supposed to handle this
at the office?  As I gripped my chest with both hands I thought about Fred
Sanford crying out, “I’m coming Elizabeth, it’s the big one!” 
    And then I glanced
at the people seated at the conference table and everything changed.  The faces
staring back at me looked as if they were straight out of “Deliverance.”  The
people were scary, the room was scary, the lights, the pointy pens, the double
closed doors, everything!  All while Matt glowed like a glorious day of
brilliant sunshine.  The kind of day that fools you into thinking your life is
perfect. 
    I squeezed my eyes
shut, and when I opened them, I was no longer in the boardroom.  A bright light
whitewashed my surroundings, making me squint and wonder whether I was still in
Providence or perhaps had slipped through some whirlwind portal into Nebraska. 
I was all alone in a state of confusion, but didn’t know where I was or how I
had gotten there.  All I knew was that a total nervous breakdown is when your
brain is too tired and decides to take the next jet out to Hawaii to sit
poolside and sip piña coladas. 

Three
     
    “Oh, crap!”  My
voice cracked, as I shouted a knee-jerk reaction after my sight came back into
focus.  Battleship gray institutional looking walls surrounded me.  Had the
white jackets locked me up?
    I felt a sudden
poke to my back, causing me to flinch and slam my shin against something hard. 
I looked down to see a toilet.  Behind me was a metal door with a coat hook. 
Oddly enough, I held my cell phone and tiny battery operated fan in one hand
and a lit cigarette in the other.  How I ended up in a bathroom stall