City of Sin - Chapter 64
Bee
My phone started buzzing. I yawned and swiped my finger across the screen. "Hello?"
"So now you're answering phone calls?" Marie's voice cut through the line like a knife.
"Hello to you, too, Marie." I had been screening all my calls for the past week. Just because I knew what I wanted didn't mean I had enough confidence to go get it.
"Do you have any idea how worried we've all been?"
"My mom told me you called the house a few days ago and talked to her. You knew where I was."
"Yeah, no thanks to you. Kendra and I have been taking turns calling you a million times a day."
"I've missed you guys too."
Marie laughed. "Does that mean you're coming back?" The edge in her voice was gone. She sounded like her normal, sweet self again.
"Of course I'm coming back."
"Good. You should probably make that this morning. You have an interview at 2 o'clock."
"Wait, what?"
"Kendra said someone called with an ad job opening. You weren't there so she pretended to be you. Your interview is today."
"Really? What agency?"
"I forget the name. Stop moping around and get your butt back to the city, Bee."
I laughed. "I'm on my way."
***
Mason had called a few times the first two days I had skipped town.
He never left a message and then his calls had stopped.
Normally that would have deterred me. But I wanted to think with my heart for a change.
And my heart said that if he really was done with me, he wouldn't have called at all.
He had called because he cared too. It didn't matter that his calls had stopped.
He probably wanted me to reach out to him.
To let him know that I wanted him too. But I couldn't talk to him over the phone.
It needed to be face to face. I'd do it tonight.
I was determined to win him back. Right after I aced this interview.
I slid my key into the lock and opened up the door. Kendra was sitting on the couch in pajamas. A bowl of popcorn was on her lap and she was watching some daytime soap opera.
"Kendra?"
She jumped, sending a few popcorn kernels onto the floor. "Oh my god, you're back!" She put the bowl down, ran over, and gave me a big hug. "Marie said she talked to you. I don't know why, I just didn't think you'd come back. I mean, I hoped you would. I was worried you wouldn't."
"You know that dumb boys can't scare me away from this city."
She laughed and released me from her hug. "Well I definitely didn't think you'd choose to come back on Valentine's Day of all days."
"Oh." I hadn't even been paying attention to the days. Was it really Valentine's Day? My heart sunk a little. Mason hadn't called me in several days. What if he was spending Valentine's Day with someone else? "Happy Valentine's Day, Kendra," I said as cheerily as possible.
"Well, that didn't sound sincere at all. He comes by every night after work, you know." She pointed over to several vases of flowers sitting on the counter.
He does still care. "What does he say?"
"You need to talk to him for yourself. I'm not getting in the middle of it. He's starting to wear me down though. I like having flowers all over the apartment." She laughed and sat back down, pulling the bowl of popcorn back onto her lap.
"Wait, what are you doing home? It's the middle of the day."
"You didn't hear?"
"Hear what?"
"Kruger went bankrupt. I'm out of a job."
"Wait, what? Kendra, I'm so sorry."
Kendra laughed. "Well, yes and no. Kruger did go bankrupt.
They sold their company to some other agency, though.
Which wasn't for much since all of Kruger's clients bailed.
But whoever bought it gets to keep all of Kruger's employees if they want.
So I'm not actually out of a job I hope.
But they're redoing the office or something and conducting interviews for all the current employees. My interview isn't until tomorrow."
"So you think you'll be okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Without Jenkins, I'm one of the top performers. Hell, I'll probably get a raise. And I don't mind having the rest of the week off. This is awesome."
"What about Mr. Ellington?"
"Oh, he got fired. The new guy came in and basically threw him out of the office. And there's going to be a lawsuit about sexual harassment too. That asshole had it coming. The whole thing was so much more entertaining than Layla Torrez getting naked on live T.V."
I laughed. "So you've met the new boss? Do you like him? Hopefully he's better than Mr. Ellington."
"Personally, I think he's okay. Some people like him more than others. I'm getting used to him. Actually, I'm excited to see what you think."
"Me?"
"Yeah. That's where you're interviewing."
"At the old office? What's the name of the agency that took it over?"
"I don't think it has a name yet. Maybe there will be a meeting and we'll get to vote or something. Wouldn't that be cool? You should get ready though, you don't want to be late. I don't want to have to work there without you."
"But I don't have any experience. I'll probably just land another job as a secretary."
"Maybe he'll actually appreciate your ideas. He doesn't think of you as a secretary yet, so don't let him. Show him you have what it takes."
I nodded my head. "So this company just called and asked for me to come in for an interview?"
"Yeah, I think they're trying to find fresh talent. They're probably calling people all over the city."
My stomach churned. "Way to boost my confidence."
"But you have experience with the rest of the Kruger employees. You're a shoo-in."
"Okay." I took a deep breath. "I'm going to go change."
"Yeah, get out of here, you're interrupting my show."
"Who's the cat lady now?" I said and lifted off the lid of one of the boxes I had left in the middle of Kendra's living room.
Kendra never did anything she didn't want to.
Which apparently included leaving boxes in the middle of her living room all week.
I grabbed a nice blouse and a skirt and walked behind her couch to change.
I'd move the boxes into the spare bedroom tonight.
"Maybe you had it right all along. Comfy pants and a good show? This could be a fun Friday night. I totally see it now."
"Yeah. I guess." But that wasn't what I wanted anymore. Unless I was doing it with Mason.
Kendra turned around. "Geez, Bee, you need to cheer up before your interview. I can literally hear the depression in your voice." She stared at me for a second. "Are you going to hear him out? I don't think he's going to stop trying to talk to you any time soon."
"My plan is to go over to his place tonight and talk to him. I have a lot to say too."
"He's already heard an earful from me. Unbutton the top button of your blouse, Bee."
"What? No." I put my hand in front of my throat.
"Trust me. Everyone uses their assets to land a good position. All the other hires are probably unbuttoning the top two buttons. The new boss is young. Make him drool. Then maybe we can be cubicle buddies."
I laughed. "You don't think I can land the job with my ideas?"
"I didn't say that. Suit yourself." She turned back to the T.V.
I sighed and unbuttoned the top button of my blouse.
It couldn't hurt. As long as I made it clear that I was never going to give him sexual favors.
I was not going to have another Mr. Ellington situation on my hands.
I still couldn't believe someone was suing him.
I should probably find out more about it so I could give my statement too. I quickly pulled on a pair of heels.
"How do I look?" I asked and walked in front of the couch.
"Hirable. Oh!" Kendra stood up and ran into her bathroom. She ran back out and tossed me a tube of lipstick. "Do the whole red lip classic thing. Guys dig that too."
"Is this how you landed your first advertising job?" I untwisted the lipstick from the tube and applied it.
"A girl never kisses and tells. Just kidding. Maybe. It's Valentine's Day, though. It wouldn't hurt to be a little flirtatious. Guys get sentimental about this holiday too, you know. He'll probably hire you just for batting your pretty eyelashes at him."
I smacked my lips together. "I'm not doing that. How do I look now?"
"Perfect. Drool worthy. I can't wait to hear how it goes."
"I think I'm going to get it." I made sure my notebook was in my purse before heading to the door. "Wish me luck!"
"You're not going to need luck." She winked at me.
I'm glad she was so confident in me, because I was getting nervous.