The Night Operator

Maggie

The past two weeks had been a whirlwind.

Night after night, she’d been on the receiving end of disgruntled customers who seemed to have an endless supply of complaints. The one silver lining was that the persistent caller hadn’t made an appearance. Maybe he’d finally given up. The thought left her with an odd sense of disappointment, which she quickly dismissed as irrational.

You only spoke to him twice, she reminded herself.

Today, she was off work. In fact, she had four consecutive days off, and she couldn’t be more grateful. It wasn’t that she had any grand plans, but the thought of not having to deal with work, especially with the impending changes, was a relief.

The news had come from Brad, the office gossip. He had a knack for knowing every juicy detail about everyone in the building. Despite his love for drama, Brad was a good guy. He had a way of lightening the mood with his jovial nature, often bringing drinks or cupcakes to their floor.

Last night was no different. He’d stopped by around midnight with a batch of his infamous cupcakes.

“So,” he’d started, a smirk playing on his lips. “Have you heard about our new boss?”

“Spill it, you little cockroach,” Celia had demanded.

“Now, now, darling, you might want to be a bit more polite if you want the inside scoop,” Brad had replied, flashing a charming smile.

“You’re going to tell us anyway, gossip girl! Why make it difficult?”

“It would be nice to hear you beg for once instead of relying on my generous nature.” He’d pouted, not fooling anyone.

“Brad,” Maggie had interjected, “you know you want to share. So, spill before the barbarians descend upon us.”

Brad had sighed. “Just for you, my little sugarplum.” He’d caved. “Noah is leaving to take over the Europe unit. They’re facing some crisis and need a CEO to whip them into shape.”

Both he and Maggie had rolled their eyes at that.

“And who’s taking over here?” Celia had asked, looking a bit worried.

“Asher Ryder. He’s the youngest son. They started him off at a smaller branch, but he’s being transferred here in two weeks, maybe less. There’s going to be a formal gathering where Noah will officially name him as the CEO of the US enterprises.”

“Do you know him?” Maggie had asked.

“No, not really, but he can’t be worse than Noah.” Brad had shrugged.

“Careful,” Celia had hissed.

Maggie had turned to see Ethan standing close by. It was common knowledge he was Noah’s spy.

Maggie sighed, recalling the events of the previous night. She wasn’t a fan of change. She didn’t particularly like Noah, but his brother could be worse. Or better. There was no way to know. The only certainty was that a new boss meant new rules, and that was frustrating.

The sound of her doorbell pulled her from her thoughts.

Violetta Kim walked in without waiting for an invitation. That was how it had always been.

Violetta and Andy Kim were the first people who had made her feel welcome in this town. They were an odd couple. He was Korean, and she was from Chile. He was calm and collected; she was outgoing and chatty. They’d met here years ago and had been good friends before they became a couple.

They were both in their early forties, but they could easily pass for much younger thanks to their cheerful dispositions and good genes. They didn’t have any children, but they seemed content with each other. Plus, as they often said, they had Maggie to care for, and she was more than enough.

“You’re coming to have a picnic with us,” Violetta announced as soon as she walked in. “Go get dressed.”

“Well, good afternoon to you too,” Maggie replied, smiling.

“Yes, yes, good afternoon, chica. Go change—we’re getting late.”

“Just so you know, picnics are usually organized a little before noon.”

“Just so you know, picnics are organized whenever people want to have them.” Violetta mimicked her tone. “And you wake up in the afternoon, so we had to make do. Now, stop the smart talk and go put on a bikini and a dress. We’re having a picnic on the beach.”

Maggie shook her head, smiling, and went to do as she was told. She hadn’t been to the beach in months, and the weather was perfect.

Andy was waiting for them in the car. After a proper greeting, they were on their way.

The ride to the beach was fun, and their time there was even better. She hadn’t laughed so much in years. Even Violetta’s attempts to find her a boyfriend were amusing, though futile.

When they returned, she invited them over for a movie. They happily obliged and stayed for a couple of hours.

After they left, she made herself a mug of mint tea and settled on the couch with a book. It was past midnight, but she wasn’t sleepy. Working the night shift had messed with her sleep schedule, and she knew she’d be up until at least three in the morning.

When Celia texted her, inviting her for coffee the next afternoon, she was still wide awake and replied immediately.

Just before she finally drifted off to sleep, she smiled to herself. Tomorrow was going to be a good day. Every day away from work was a good day.