21. Taking Care of Business
Taking Care of Business
C assie sat motionless, her fingers wrapped around the warm coffee cup Alex had just handed her. The door had barely clicked shut behind them, but the conversation lingered, looping through her head.
She hadn’t expected an apology. Not really. And she definitely hadn’t expected Alex to take responsibility for the way they’d been acting. It threw her off balance, just like everything else about this situation.
Alex wasn’t acting like a villain. They weren’t smug, weren’t throwing their weight around as her boss. If anything, they seemed determined to prove they didn’t belong in the position. And that should have made it easier to let go of her anger.
So why couldn’t she ?
Cassie sighed, shaking her head as if it might clear her thoughts. She turned to her computer, opening an email thread she’d been meaning to follow up on. A client had sent over a few questions about their campaign metrics last week, and Cassie had flagged it to tackle first thing Monday afternoon.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.
Instead of typing a response, she found herself thinking about Alex again—about the way they hesitated before knocking on her door, about the way they’d looked almost relieved when she accepted the coffee.
Cassie exhaled sharply and ran a hand through her hair.
She was overthinking.
This wasn’t complicated. She had a job to do, and like it or not, Alex was part of it. She wasn’t about to let her personal feelings get in the way of what was best for the company.
She flexed her fingers once, then set them back on the keyboard.
It was time to get to work.
By Thursday morning, Cassie had mapped out a list of her clients she thought might be willing to transition into the expansion plan. She was as prepared as she could be, but that didn’t stop the tightness in her chest as she walked into the conference room.
Alex was already there, reviewing something on their tablet, a coffee cup beside them. Kellan sat at the far end of the table, drumming their fingers lightly against the surface.
“Morning,” Alex said, voice neutral.
Cassie nodded in return. “Morning.” She pulled out her laptop and opened the file she’d put together, her movements crisp and efficient. No hesitation. No second-guessing.
The first few minutes of the meeting were stiff. Cassie kept her voice professional, explaining her choices and outlining her strategy, but part of her was still braced for Alex to hijack the conversation or find a way to spin her work into their own.
But they didn’t.
Instead, Alex listened, nodding along as she spoke, asking a few clarifying questions but never interrupting. They even scribbled down a note or two.
When Cassie hesitated over one of her suggestions, Alex leaned forward slightly. “That actually makes a lot of sense. If we approach them with that angle, it could be a strong sell.”
Cassie blinked. Not because the response was unexpected, but because she realized she wasn’t immediately dismissing it. Huh . She took a breath and kept going, cautiously testing the waters. As the conversation flowed, she found herself bouncing ideas off Alex… without snapping at them.
Alex, for their part, remained careful not to overstep but made sure to acknowledge Cassie’s insight at every turn.
When Cassie mentioned a potential issue with onboarding a particular client, Alex hummed thoughtfully before responding.
“That’s a fair concern. Maybe if we rework the pitch slightly, we can address it upfront? ”
Cassie considered it, then nodded slowly. “Yeah… yeah, that could work.”
Kellan, who had been watching them both like a tennis match, smirked and leaned back in their chair. “I gotta say, I like this whole cooperative brainstorming thing we’ve got going on.”
Cassie shot them a look, but even she had to admit—the meeting had gone better than she’d expected.
As Kellan packed up their things and headed out, Alex lingered. Cassie was focused on closing her laptop, but she could feel their presence still nearby .
“This is gonna work,” Alex said, voice easy, like they weren’t even thinking about it. “You and I? We make a good team.”
Cassie’s fingers hesitated over her laptop for just a second before she glanced up.
A few weeks ago, she would have scoffed at the idea. Laughed, maybe. But now?
Now, Alex didn’t look smug or self-satisfied. They weren’t trying to push an agenda or play office politics. They just… meant it.
Cassie swallowed, unsure how to respond. The words “do we?” nearly slipped out, but they felt hollow, insincere. Because deep down, she knew the answer.
Instead, she just nodded. “Yeah,” she murmured, more to herself than anything.
Alex gave her a small smile—one that lingered for just a beat before they turned and left the room.
Cassie exhaled, staring at the now-empty doorway.
She wasn’t sure what to make of that.
***
Back at her desk, Cassie eagerly pulled up her old research on their clients.
It had been a while since she’d reviewed it in depth, but she knew it inside and out.
Still, she needed to update the info—check for recent changes, reassess which clients had the most growth potential.
If they were going to make this expansion happen, she needed to have all the facts in order before sharing them with Alex and Kellan.
She fell into a rhythm, scanning reports, making notes, already piecing together a strategy. For the first time in a long time, she felt… fo cused. Productive. Like she was moving forward instead of just treading water.
That was until Kellan strolled in and derailed her train of thought.
“You look like you’re thinking too hard,” they observed, leaning against the edge of her desk. “Dangerous habit.”
Cassie exhaled sharply, more of a huff than a laugh. “I hate how much I don’t hate them.”
Kellan blinked. “Come again?”
“I was supposed to stay mad,” Cassie muttered, drumming her fingers against her desk. “Forever, ideally. But now…” She frowned at her screen, though her frustration had nothing to do with work. “It’s complicated.”
Kellan smirked, crossing their arms. “Yeah, emotions are the worst. Good luck with that.”
Cassie shot them a dry look. “Wow, thanks. That was really helpful.”
“Anytime,” Kellan said, grinning. “You know I live to support you.”
Cassie rolled her eyes, but there was no real bite to it.
Kellan glanced at her screen, tilting their head. “You’re already pulling reports?”
“Yeah,” Cassie said, shifting back into work mode. “I figured we’d need a solid plan before we start officially reaching out to clients.”
Kellan nodded approvingly. “I can set up some time for the three of us to go over everything, start strategizing.”
Cassie hesitated for only a second before nodding. “Yeah. That works.”
“Cool,” Kellan said, pushing off her desk. “I’ll send a calendar invite. Try not to overthink yourself into an existential crisis before then. ”
Cassie snorted. “No promises.”
Kellan shot her a wink before sauntering out of the office, leaving Cassie alone with her thoughts—thoughts she was trying really hard to ignore.
***
Cassie sat at the conference table, arms loosely crossed, trying not to look as wary as she felt. Across from her, Alex tapped a pen against their notepad, their expression carefully neutral. But there was a flicker of…something. Nerves? Maybe.
Kellan, as usual, was the most at ease, leaning back in their chair with one ankle resting on the opposite knee, sipping their coffee like they had nowhere better to be.
They raised an eyebrow at the silence stretching between Cassie and Alex before setting their cup down with an exaggerated sigh.
“All right,” they said, setting the cup down with a satisfied sigh. “You guys ready?”
“Yes!” Cassie and Alex answered in unison. Alex’s cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment, Cassie’s nerves finding release in a chuckle.
“Well, aren’t we eager little beavers today,” Kellan quipped, a mischievous glint in their eyes. “It’s so much nicer when Mommy and Daddy don’t fight.”
That earned an exasperated “KELLAN!” And a smack on the arm from Cassie.
Their cheeks flushing more, Alex shook their head. “Oh my God, Kellan.”
Turning to look directly at Cassie, Alex started with an exaggerated, haughty tone. “Ms. Jenkins, would you care to share your findings with us today?”
Cassie exhaled, straightening in her chair, preparing to join in on the ribbing. This was work, but for the first time in weeks, she actually wanted to enjoy it.
“Yes, Mx. Sharpe,” Cassie began, her accent terrible. “I’ve pulled together a list of clients—”
“Hardy-har-har. You two are hilarious.” Kellan grumbled.
“I’m sorry, Mx. Sharpe, did you hear something?” Cassie smiled across the table at Alex.
“Why, Ms. Jenkins, I do declare, I am as perplexed as you—”
Unable to contain themselves any longer, Cassie and Alex burst into laughter. The silliness of the moment proved infectious, with Kellan joining them a moment later. Slowly, the laughter subsided, any lingering tension disappearing as well.
Finally composing themselves, Alex smiled at Cassie with a nod—a silent request for her to continue.
Clearing her throat, Cassie collected herself and began again.
“Okay, like I was saying, I’ve pulled together a list of clients who are in a strong position to expand their contracts.
Some have hinted at wanting to develop interactive experiences, and a few have outright asked about it in the past.” She glanced at Alex before quickly refocusing on her notes.
“I think with the updated numbers and a commitment from upper management, we can lock some of them in pretty quickly.”
Alex nodded, flipping open their notepad. “That makes sense. Do you have a priority order? Which ones are the safest bets?”