Chapter 6 #2
Why had she assigned me something directly rather than going through Whitney, who was training me?
Was this a test to see if I was ready to be independent after only four days?
I wasn’t. I barely had the basics down and only knew how to enter an expense because I happened to see Whitney enter one when shadowing her on the first day.
If it wasn’t a test, which I didn’t think it was since no one officially trained me on entering expenses, then she was setting me up for failure. But why? Had I done something to offend her?
I sat at my desk, opened the expenses portal, and started an email. As I keyed in expenses, I referenced the company’s expense policy and noted the problematic expenses in the email. I submitted the expenses and immediately emailed the finance person in charge. Then I sent a separate one to Lianna.
Ms. Stonestock,
I’ve finished submitting the expenses. Finance will likely need more information regarding the Zellon jewelry purchase, though, as it doesn’t fall under any of the allowed company reimbursement categories.
Please let me know if you require anything further from me.
Ms. Elmantas
I smirked at the timestamp on the email—one minute to the hour.
A new email from finance appeared in my inbox, thanking me for my question about categorizing the jewelry purchase and stating that they would follow up with Ms. Stonestock directly.
I didn’t know what Lianna was trying to pull or whether I’d passed or failed, but hopefully bringing the expenses to finance’s attention would clear my name if there was any fallout.
Whitney’s phone rang just before lunch, and I listened to her side of the conversation, which consisted mostly of “yes” and “I understand” responses. When she hung up, she wheeled her chair over to mine.
“One of our reps is across town in a meeting and needs a hi-gloss sample. Reception has the sample. This is the address.” She handed me a slip of paper. “He needs it in the next thirty minutes.”
I looked down at the address, which would take at least forty minutes to reach, then back up at Whitney, who was watching me closely.
“I’ll need his name and number, too, to verify it’s getting to the right person. And is the hi-gloss sample confidential?”
“No, it’s not confidential.” She took back the paper and added the information I requested.
I grabbed my purse and left while sending a quick text. The folder with the sample was waiting for me at the reception desk, and Miranda and her sleek sports car were waiting at the curb.
“Thanks for this,” I said, getting in.
“No problem.” She took off with enough force that my back pressed into the seat.
“You know getting a ticket is going to slow us down, right?”
She grinned. “Did you forget how good my vision is? I’ll spot them before they spot me.”
And she did, braking in just enough time not to be caught or hit pedestrians. By the time we reached the destination, the Steele Corp rep was already waiting outside. He smiled when he saw me.
“You’re the best. Thanks for this,” he said as I handed over the sample.
“You’re welcome.”
He ran inside while I walked back to the car.
“Lunch now?” Miranda asked.
“Only if you drive slowly. My stomach needs time to settle.”
She laughed and drove back to the Steele building, where we ate in the cafe.
When I returned to my desk two hours later, Whitney shot me an annoyed look.
“Where have you been?”
“I took my hour lunch after delivering the document. Why?”
She huffed a little. “Ms. Stonestock needs a summary of the marketing plans for the last three months and their ROI’s for a meeting first thing tomorrow morning. She’s presenting it to the board, so no mistakes.”
“All right,” I said, no longer doubting what Lianna was trying to do. “Where do I find the marketing plans?”
Witney showed me the system they used to track marketing plans, then left me to filter and read through the applicable ones.
Thankfully, I found a way to export what I needed so I didn’t need to key everything in manually.
Still, it took hours to compile everything and start making a presentable report.
Whitney and Shana both shut down and left before I finished.
Alone, I continued working as quickly as possible, watching the minutes slip by. I couldn’t be late for my shift at Lunar Pulse after Uncle Jay advanced me my pay.
Ten minutes passed, and I knew I’d need to skip eating when I ran home to change.
While I had all the data there, it wasn’t pretty. As a marketing report, it couldn't underdeliver on appearance, regardless of the data's accuracy. So I spent a few more precious minutes formatting it.
As I made the report look professional, I wondered why Lianna was assigning me time-constrained tasks.
Obviously, to fire me, but why? Had she found out I had a second job?
I’d read the employee handbook. There wasn’t anything in there about forbidding dual employment.
And my second job didn’t violate the non-compete agreement I’d signed either.
Finally finished, I sent out the completed report, backed up everything, and put the thumb drive in my purse for safekeeping.
Knowing I’d stayed too long to go home first, I headed straight to Lunar Pulse and arrived before my shift started, but only barely.
Uncle Jay did a double-take when I walked in wearing a nice blouse, black dress pants, heels, and the serving apron wrapped around my waist.
“This place is classy, but not that classy,” he said.
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t get me started. Today was the kind of day that makes me think I screwed with someone’s karma in a past life.”
He chuckled. “You probably did. There’s a group coming in at eight. Can you get the private room set up?”
I nodded and left him behind the bar to check the private room.
Uncle Jay kept it clean and ready for rental, but it rarely got used.
Most people just stuck to the main club.
The thick leather doors parted with ease, and I turned down the AC to get the air moving.
Then I plugged in the whiskey-and-leather diffuser.
Taking the setup as an opportunity to snap some marketing pictures, I put extra effort into artfully arranging glasses and decanters on the low, under-lit tables. Instead of house-seasoned pretzels, the private room got a charcuterie board with imported cheeses and crackers.
I finished posting the pictures and went out to help behind the bar.
When the large group dressed in business suits entered thirty minutes later, Uncle Jay welcomed them and led them back to the room while I manned the bar solo.
It was busy for a Monday night, and my heels were starting to kill my feet as I hustled. I didn’t hate it, though. People were grateful for the drinks and for the effort I put into them, unlike stupid Steele Corp.
Don’t think about it, Soph. You’re only in your second week. It’s a great place to work, and not everything worth doing is easy. Pull up your big girl panties. You did a great job on that report, and your co-workers will see it tomorrow. Respect is earned.
I scanned the people at the bar, checking whether anyone needed anything while shifting my weight to my left foot. The heel on my right was biting into the back painfully, and I needed a little break.
Near the end of the bar, Konni caught my eye. He was looking at my feet. I snapped my fingers at my waist, drawing his attention, and pointed to my eyes.
His sudden grin was so devastating that I forgot to mouth, “eyes up here” like I’d intended. Instead, I just stared and maybe drooled a little.
His grin started to fade, snapping me back to reality, and I crossed the space.
“What can I get you?”
“Whatever you’re willing to give me.”
I started mixing a mint julep for him as Uncle Jay returned to the bar.
“A-plus setup, Sophie-girl,” he said as he passed by me.
I smiled my thanks as I finished mixing the drink and handed it over to Konni.
Konni waited for Uncle Jay to move away before he asked, “Did you come straight from the office today?”
“Yep.”
“Why?”
“My boss was a meanie and made me actually work today.” Although I said it playfully, Konni’s expression said he didn’t buy it.
“I think my boss doesn’t like me, but I’m not sure why,” I admitted.
“She wasn’t happy the second I got there, which was early, by the way.
She assigned me a task I’d never done before, which honestly didn’t bother me.
I like a challenge. It was her attitude when she gave it, like she was mad.
Then she sent me to deliver something across the city during lunch.
Again, nothing crazy, it just felt like… ”
“Like what?”
“Like she was testing me. Why assign a new hire a task they haven’t been trained on yet? Or tell them to get across town in thirty minutes when the trip usually takes forty during the lunch rush?
“But I don’t think it was a test to see if I’d excel. It felt more like attempts to get me to fail.
“I’ve heard a lot of stuff about the people who held my current position before me—how they were only there to hook up with the big boss.
I think it made the work environment a little hostile.
None of my coworkers believe I’m there to actually work.
Joke’s on them, though. I’m not just there to work but to kick ass while doing it, which is probably why they finally dumped a bunch of work on me that forced me to stay late to get it done. ”
“What kind of work?”
“Reporting past marketing efforts.”
“Doesn’t sound like something that would warrant overtime. Why didn't you tell her to stuff it?”
“Probably the same reason you wouldn’t tell your boss that.
I need the job. Or, more accurately, I need the money.
There isn’t a person alive who doesn't have expenses of some kind. And, honestly, the work was actually interesting. Much less mind-numbing than hours of taking notes while watching someone else work.”
His lips tilted at the corners.
“You do seem like the kind of person who likes to keep busy.”
“Oh, I am. Sitting still doesn’t suit me.”
“How late are you working here tonight?”
“Are you asking so you can wait for me in the parking lot to kidnap me? Because I have to warn you, Uncle Jay is no lightweight, and he walks me to my car.”
“I’m asking because I need to run an errand, and if you’re still here when I get done, I’d come back for another drink.”
“If you want that drink served by me, you have until eleven.”