Chapter 15
CHAPTER 15
S HANNON
“Asshole,” a feminine voice mutters. In my peripheral vision, a flash of blue catches my eye. At the same time, the scraping of chair legs against the floor alerts me that someone is sitting with me.
I glance up from my study materials and raise an eyebrow at the woman. She pops the top off of her travel dish containing a delicious-looking pasta salad. As if she senses me watching her, she lifts her eyes to meet mine.
“What? Do you care if I sit with you or something?” There’s a little sass in her tone.
I shrug. “Normally, I’d say it’s fine, but if it’s me you called an asshole, then it’s probably not a good idea,” I deadpan.
I hold back a grin and maintain eye contact, so I notice immediately when a huge smile breaks out across her face, and a laugh escapes her. “No, not you. But I can’t say the same for your sweat stain of a supervisor.”
She stabs at her pasta salad with more than a little aggression and scoops a bite into her mouth.
“Will?” My surprise is obvious, and she glances over at me and rolls her eyes.
“God, don’t tell me he has you fooled. Yes, Will. I’m Tillie, by the way.” She goes back to eating her lunch, which reminds me I should probably take another few bites of my peanut butter and jelly sandwich since I only have a few more minutes on my break.
“Shannon. Nice to meet you. But you’re the second person in a few weeks to express having an issue with Will. Is there something I should know?”
She sets her fork down and looks at me. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she searches my face. “He’s not been an asshole to you yet? Or at least in front of you?”
I shake my head. “Not so far. He’s been nice. Very friendly.”
She huffs. “Yeah, I bet he’s been friendly. Is he calling you sweetheart yet or telling you to smile more?”
“Ew, no. Nothing like that at all. Are we talking about the same Will?”
“Yes. We’re definitely talking about the same Will.” She pauses and takes a sip of her diet soda. “Listen, I’m not trying to be a bitch, and I’m not usually one to talk badly about someone but be careful. That’s his M.O. He starts out acting like a civilized human being, complimenting your work, and he respects your input in those God-forsaken boring client review meetings we have. Then he starts making subtle moves, and everything changes if you set boundaries with him. Everything.”
My mouth goes dry, hating that this was her experience and hoping Will complimenting my hair this morning wasn’t the start of him going down the same path with me. Seriously, though, I’m probably safe. She’s gorgeous, and I’m... Nope. Stop it. I’m hit with a little pride for catching myself about to indulge in some ‘negative self-talk’ and stopping it. Maybe my therapy is working a little.
“Did... did something happen again today? Since you called him an asshole, I mean.”
She picks at her pasta salad. “Only the same type of stuff that started when I made it clear I wasn’t open to his bullshit. He took one of the accounts I’ve been managing for several years and decided they were too small for us to keep. Said it was interfering with my work for more “lucrative” clients—which is totally not true. My work is top-notch. Anyway, he wants to dump them, and I’ve been fighting him on it. Today, we met with Jeff and presented our sides. Jeff sided with him—because he always does—now I must let the client know we won’t be continuing to work with them after the end of this year.”
I’m speechless. It’s not a side of Will I’ve seen, but I also find it hard to believe Tillie wasn’t handling her work because of the client. I knew who she was before I met her today. Her reputation proceeds her around the firm, and it’s a good one.
“I’m sorry. I don’t even know what to say. I have noticed we only seem to have clients whose businesses are at least moderately large and mostly from the city. No small local businesses. Am I right about that?”
“One hundred percent right. Their business strategy is to target clients who don’t have enough need to keep their own accountants on their payroll but are large enough that the hourly billing structure benefits Stinson the most.”
“So, we don’t take on small clients at all?”
She shakes her head, her lips in a tight line. Then she glances down at my study materials, and her shoulders visibly sag.
“Shit. You’re studying, and I commandeered your space and time. I’m sorry.” She looks a little closer. “CPA test?”
“Yeah. I’m testing in early November. Now, I’m wondering if I should have scheduled it further out. Maybe even into next year. There’s so much.”
“Is it your first time?”
“Yeah. So, any tips are always welcome.” I smile at her and glance up at the clock in the break room. My break is almost up, so I close my notebook.
“Let me think about it. I can pull up the study plan I used and pass it on to you to see if it helps. Plus, I’m a total dork and love taking tests, so if you want to do practice questions, I’m happy to help you do those.”
“Oh my gosh, that would be fabulous. If you’re serious, I’ll take you up on it.”
She claps her hands together, and her eyes light up. “Great, I’ll meet you here tomorrow at eleven-thirty. We’ll use our break time and start hitting the practice exams! You put me in a better mood. Thanks, new friend.” She grins at me, and I smile back.
“Awesome. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I gather my things and head back to my cubicle to finish my day. I sit in my chair, take a deep breath, and that’s when it strikes me. I’m a little bit... excited. Not elated or overjoyed. But it’s there—an inkling of excitement. For the first time in years, I’ve made a new friend.