4. Beth
CHAPTER FOUR
BETH
D ear Ms. Carmichael,
I’m the personal assistant to Sheera Green, the CEO of Aura Beauty. As I’m sure you’re aware, Aura Beauty is the UK’s fastest-growing beauty brand. We’re in the process of searching for a new social media management company to help take Aura to the next level, and we’re interviewing several candidates over the next few weeks. Would you be available to meet with Sheera on Friday at 10 a.m. at the Balmoral Hotel? Please reply before the end of day to secure the interview.
Kind regards,
Tellie Sutton
PA to Sheera Green
I looked up from my phone, nervous excitement churning my gut. Sunlight streamed in through my bathroom window, and I squinted against it. The truth was I was so bloody tired, I couldn’t experience this amazing news on any normal level. I was, as always, snowed under with work. There didn’t seem to be enough hours in the day.
That morning I’d woken up to twenty new emails, none spam, and I still hadn’t gotten through the load that were already in my inbox. At the top of the list was this incredible email from Aura Beauty. Of course I knew who they were. I adored their vegan mascara! What an opportunity. I’d have to move things around, but there was no way I wouldn’t make time to meet with Sheera Green. Having Aura Beauty as a client would take me to the next level!
As a social media management company catering to successful small businesses, including a number of authors, we were responsible for creating content, building campaigns, advertising, monitoring key performance indicators, analyzing data, engaging followers, networking, increasing website traffic, and responding to comments and messages.
There were seven of us. I’d hired my two friends from uni, Cara and Michaela, and taken on Janine, Mhairi, Paul, and Mace in the last two years. Cara, Janine, and Mhairi were in charge of content creation, engagement, and networking, so they dealt with graphics, edits, and networking with influencers and the business-specific community. Michaela and Mace were my tech people, so they analyzed data, ran our client social media advertising, worked on websites, created content calendars, and determined target audiences based on the data.
I brought in our clients, worked closely on strategy with them, and delegated our plans to Cara and Michaela. Paul helped me run the business side of things, keeping track of the financials, both ours and our clients’. It was a lot for the seven of us to manage, and I knew at some point I’d have to expand the team. Especially if we landed a client like Aura Beauty.
We’d been in business since leaving uni three years ago. My mum had given us our start by being our first client. I’d been running her social media as a favor since I was a teenager, because she hated everything about it, and it occurred to me while I was earning combined degrees in business and marketing and design and digital media that she should really pay me. Ha!
It surprised even me how quickly her author community approached me. Then other clients outside of publishing reached out. We had clients who ran all kinds of small but lucrative businesses willing to pay nicely for our services. Before I knew it, I had to stop taking on new clients or we wouldn’t be able to handle the workload. As it was, we were seriously stretched with the clients we had now.
But Aura Beauty was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Last year, we’d grossed two million pounds. Since we had low overhead, and my parents’ amazing accountant was now my accountant, the seven of us were all on a nice salary. It was only late July, and we were already on course to gross more than last year. If we took on Aura Beauty, who knew how much that would increase by. If I won them as a client, it would give me a reason to add to our team and maybe lighten my own workload a bit.
My chest felt tight every time I imagined the business falling apart. Lack of sleep didn’t help. Since leaving uni, I’d barely slept. It was like my brain couldn’t shut down. Sometimes it was like a runaway train. I’d start worrying about a specific scenario and then the worry would snowball until, in my head, all my clients were going to drop me, my team were all planning to quit, and I would be left alone, penniless and hated. A complete failure in every sense.
Opening the medicine cabinet above the sink in my bathroom, I took out the prescription bottle no one knew about. Anti-anxiety medication. Prescribed by my GP. I’d been taking it on and off since I was eighteen years old.
Swallowing the small pill, I then cupped water over my face and slapped my cheeks to shock the fatigue away. As I washed and dressed for the day, I responded to texts from Cara, Paul, and Michaela with voice messages because it helped me multitask. Shoving my feet into my shoes, I dictated the replies to the emails piling up in my inbox. I did this mimicking my mum’s American accent because the bloody dictation technology didn’t understand my Scottish one.
The first email I replied to was Tellie Sutton’s, telling her I would of course be delighted to meet Sheera at the Balmoral Hotel on Friday. I worked through the others immediately after.
“Sarah, I’m sorry you’re not happy with the graphics Cara put together. It might be helpful if you send us a couple of quotes from the book that you particularly like with the feel of the kind of content you want to share. We ultimately want you to be happy.” I shoved my gym gear into my backpack. “We can send over new graphics and you can decide. But I do want to reiterate that what Cara sent over is trending massively with suspense fans. Still, if it feels a little too racy for your brand, I totally understand. Let me know. Send me the quotes, and I’ll get Cara right on it. Beth.” I quickly scanned it to make sure the dictation had translated correctly and then hit Send.
I opened the next email as I stepped out of my flat, when I heard the clatter of high heels on the stairwell above.
When Callan Keen first moved into the apartment building, we’d bumped into each other almost every morning. Until suddenly, I didn’t see him at all, which led me to believe he was deliberately avoiding me.
Last week had been a surprise to see him with Georgia. The sight of him with the pretty brunette had caused this weird, horrible pang in my chest I wasn’t going to analyze, but I’d done a good job hiding it. I had to give Callan props for his good taste. Georgia was a sweetheart. We’d met for coffee yesterday, and I’d given her lots of information she’d need for starting her own accountancy business. Even though it was a different sector from mine, she had absolutely no idea where to begin, so I provided all the links to great resources for her start-up. Georgia had also told me Callan was just a one-night thing. “A pity,” she’d said, “because he’s phenomenal in the sack.”
I hadn’t pressed her for more.
I wasn’t interested in his sex life.
Speaking of which … as I locked the door, the man in question appeared, strolling down the stairwell with another girl at his side.
To my relief, there had been no loud parties from above since he’d moved in. I hadn’t even seen Baird or John again, but then I’d been rushed off my feet lately and it was the Scottish football season, so I imagined they were busy too.
And to be fair, Georgia and this woman were the only two I’d seen at Callan’s side. It was enough, however, to remind me of his reputation as a player in more ways than one.
Callan grimaced at the sight of me.
Charming.
“Morning.” I gave the couple a wave and noted the stiletto-heeled pink metallic sandals the blond wore. “Your shoes are awesome.”
She smiled sweetly, and I noted how put together she looked for someone who’d just rolled out of bed. “Thanks. I love Jimmy Choos.”
“Nice.” I eyed the shoes enviously. Maybe Luke was onto something with his designer obsession. “I wish I could wear those, but I’d tower over everyone.” It was true. I’d inherited my dad’s height and was five ten. In six-inch heels, I was easily six four.
“Are you kidding?” The blond fell into step with me as we walked down the stairwell. “I’d kill for your height. You should wear whatever shoes you want. Fuck everyone else.”
Oh, I liked her immediately. “You are absolutely right.” Note to self: Go shoe shopping.
“Jimmy Choos are the comfiest shoes ever. Start there.” She grinned. “I’m Hailey, by the way.”
“Beth. Nice to meet you.”
“For fuck’s sake.” I heard Callan mutter behind us.
Hiding a grin, I decided to torture my neighbor further. “So, are you two dating?” I gestured between them as we reached the ground floor.
Hailey rolled her eyes. “God no.”
I raised my eyebrows, my lips pinching together to fight back a laugh.
Callan frowned, his nose wrinkling adorably. “Not that I disagree, but what does ‘God no’ mean?”
She shrugged. “It was only sex, right?”
“Right …”
“Was he any good?” I asked perversely.
Callan huffed indignantly.
“Meh, he was all right.”
My mouth made an O shape as delight thrummed through me at Callan’s affront.
“Excuse me?”
Hailey shrugged again. “You seemed kind of bored all the way through it.”
“Oh ho ho!” I couldn’t hold back my laughter. I had to stop to let it out, and there were actual tears as I cackled.
“It’s not that funny,” Callan grumbled while Hailey giggled.
Reaching out, I squeezed Hailey’s shoulder before continuing downstairs. “Thank you. Really. Thank you for what you’ve done here today.”
She grinned. “No problem.”
“Do you want a lift home or not?” Callan asked her sullenly as he held open the entrance door.
Aw, see, that made me dislike him a wee bit less. The woman insulted his prowess in the bedroom, and he still was going to drive her home.
“Sure. Bye … Beth, was it?”
“Yup. Bye. Thanks for making my day.”
She laughed and hurried out the entrance doors past Callan. He glowered at me. “For your information, I was knackered last night. We’ve been training hard.”
I desperately tried to keep a straight face. “Of course, Captain. Just tired. Not incompetent in the bedroom. I believe you.”
He opened his mouth to retort, but I asked quickly, “Did she mention the ugly sofa, by any chance?”
He threw me a dark look and marched out, letting it swing shut in my face.
“I’ll take that as a yes!” I shouted through the glass.