Chapter 24 Maia
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
MAIA
For the umpteenth time that morning, I found my mind drifting to Baird, the dress in my hands blurring before me.
I missed him.
He was doing as promised and hadn’t been in touch all week. We had a promo shoot tomorrow, so I knew it would be better if we had a chance to talk before then.
However, now my heart was causing my brain to do emotional, mental gymnastics.
Like … was the reason Baird hadn’t texted because he’d decided with some space that he didn’t want to be with me for real after all?
Rationally, I knew I was most likely wrong since he’d explicitly said we wouldn’t talk again until I was ready to talk about us.
But I wasn’t feeling very rational about Baird, which also scared me.
I was spiraling. See me spin in descent.
“Maia. Maia?”
I blinked rapidly, the vivid, color-blocked, calf-length tea dress coming back into focus. Looking up, I found Eli peering at me.
“Are you all right?” they asked, waving a long-nailed hand at me. “You completely spaced out there.”
“Sorry.” I winced. I needed to focus on my job. We were supposed to be curating a special summer collection for next year’s Ascot to be sold in our London stores. Lifting the dress, I grimaced. “I think it’s all wrong. Nay for me.”
“Agreed.” Eli pursed their lips. “It’s giving me Lady Gaga rather than Lady FitzRoy.”
Nodding, I placed the dress on the rack for the products we had discounted.
Designers sent us samples from their upcoming collections, and we decided what we wanted to sell in store.
However, we were pulling the Ascot feature together from clothing we’d already decided to sell in store next summer, which meant going through the entire wardrobe of samples we’d collated for the next year.
“Knock, knock.”
I tensed at the sound of Becky’s voice but turned to watch her walk into the room. She beamed at Eli, gesturing to their platform mules. “You bitch. You beat me to the Gucci!”
Eli grinned smugly. “I told you I would, Becks. Don’t they look fabulous?” They twisted their ankle so “Becks” could get a better look.
“So fabulous. You wear them better than I ever could,” she said with apparent genuineness.
It wasn’t a shocking interaction. Becky was always friendly to Eli and Liza. As she focused on me, there was a barely perceptible chilly transformation.
“Sorry to disturb you, but Hilary has asked to see you. It’s urgent.”
Eli made an O shape with their lips.
A sense of dread took over as I instantly began to worry if Becky had done something else to fuck me over. “Is anything the matter?”
She gave me a shrug, but I didn’t like the spiteful gleam in her eyes. “She needs to talk in five.” She threw Eli another smile. “Drinks. The Dome. Seven o’clock. Liza too.”
“We’ll be there, darling, Gucci and all.”
“Not even a hint?” I asked Becky’s back.
She glanced over her shoulder. “You’ll see,” she replied in a singsong voice before strutting off.
And I knew.
She was up to something.
Eli’s brow furrowed. “What is that about?”
It shouldn’t bother me that Becky was so friendly with my members of staff or that they couldn’t see the passive-aggressive nastiness and fake sweetness she treated me to. But it was irritating and made me feel paranoid and isolated.
Yet, after my chat with Grace, I was beginning to wonder if that wasn’t exactly what she intended. Maybe I hadn’t done anything to upset Becky, and maybe it was time to stop questioning and start sticking up for myself.
I wasn’t being paranoid.
“Did … I don’t suppose Becky said something to Liza about me?”
Eli pursed their lips and turned to snatch up a tailored pencil dress. “This is more Ascot, no?”
My pulse rushed in my ears. “Eli? Please, if you know something …”
They rolled their eyes with a sigh and put the dress back on the rack. “Okay, but Becks and I are friends, so I’d feel like I was talking out of school if I were to tell you.”
“Eli?”
“Ugh, I’m only telling you this because I’d quite like to know your reasons myself.
Becks let it slip to Liza that you were the reason Liza and I didn’t get a Christmas bonus last year.
She said you told management we hadn’t done anything to deserve it and that assistants and assistant buyers shouldn’t be considered for bonuses. ”
My heart pounded harder. “What?”
Eli raised an eyebrow. “You look genuinely shocked by that.”
“That’s because it’s a lie!” I shook my head, lowering my voice. “Eli, why would you believe that? Does that seem like the kind of boss I am? Plus, Becky has no insider knowledge on those things. She works in marketing, not payroll.”
“She said Hilary told her.”
“I’ve worked for this company for almost a decade, and I can tell you right now that Hilary Erstwhile does not talk out of school.
Becky lied. And just so we’re clear, I will be speaking to Liza about this as your boss,” I reminded them gently.
“I will always be honest. You did not get a Christmas bonus last year because it wasn’t in the budget.
I didn’t get a Christmas bonus, and Christina refused the one she was offered in solidarity.
So, I hope you both feel really silly for believing that nonsense. ”
“It was a lie?”
My head whipped around to find Liza standing in the doorway, gaping at me.
It was then I realized I hadn’t just let Becky walk all over me; I’d let my so-called subordinates. “Yes, it was a lie.”
Liza stepped into the room, cheeks flushed red. “Why would Becky lie?”
“I can’t answer that. What I can tell you from now on is that I won’t be treated with disrespect in my own department.
For too long I’ve allowed your bad attitude to continue, wondering what I’d done to upset you.
It turns out, nothing.” I glanced angrily between my two employees.
“Liza, I expect you to treat me better from now on, or I will find another assistant buyer. I’m done being walked over by you and by Becky.
Are we clear?” My hands were shaking so hard, I clenched them into fists at my sides.
Liza nodded, wide-eyed. “Of course. I’m sorry.”
I looked at Eli.
They grinned. “Brava, boss. That was a long time coming and I’m very proud of you.”
“Well, thank you. I think I’ll go be sick now.”
They chuckled as Liza stared at me in confusion and embarrassment.
“Not before you see Hilary.”
“Oh hell.” I almost forgot about that. “Keep working. Liza, help Eli. Hopefully, I won’t be too long.”
My legs were still trembling as I made my way to Hilary’s office, but I didn’t have a pit of dread in my stomach.
In fact, Eli’s response had bolstered me.
I decided that if Liza was willing to believe Becky’s nonsense, then I didn’t really care about what she thought of me.
As long as she started treating me with respect, then that’s all that mattered.
Knocking on Hilary’s door, I wondered if I should have insisted on Christina being here for whatever this was.
Becky opened it, gesturing for me to come in. I concealed my need to glare at the snake as I strode inside. What other wee lies had she been whispering into the ears of my colleagues?
My boss’s boss abruptly ended the call she was on and stood, gesturing for me to take the seat across from her desk. Her countenance gave nothing away as to the reason she’d called me in here.
Becky, to my everlasting irritation, remained in the office, standing by the door.
As soon as I took a seat, Hilary rounded the desk to sit on its edge. “It’s been brought to my attention that there is trouble in paradise.”
My chin jerked in surprise. Not what I’d been expecting. “Excuse me?”
“Apparently, you and the groom-to-be aren’t on speaking terms.”
What the … I looked at Becky … and there! She let that malicious smile shine. Hilary cut her a look and Becky wiped her expression clean. Like a naughty schoolgirl hiding her evil intentions from the teacher.
Anger threatened to boil over, but I wouldn’t give Becky the satisfaction. I held Hilary’s questioning gaze instead. “I don’t know what you’ve heard, but you’ve been misinformed. It seems there’s a lot of that going around.”
“Whatever do you mean?”
I didn’t want to play into Becky’s games by informing Hilary her marketing manager was a conniving cow. “Just that you’ve been misinformed.”
“Really? Because Becky overheard an argument between you and Baird, and apparently, you haven’t been seen together all week. You could see how this might negatively impact our campaign.”
Stay calm. Stay calm.
I didn’t know what Becky’s intentions were with this new manipulation. Moreover, I didn’t know how far she would take whatever this bullshit vendetta was against me, but was it possible she was following me?
No. She was a catty colleague. She wasn’t unstable.
Right?
“I think Becky must have misheard something because I know she wouldn’t intentionally misinform you,” I replied with a polite tone that deserved an award for its ambivalence.
“Baird and I are still together, still in love, and still very much dedicated to the campaign. It’s been a busy week for him with his other business and his summer training, so we haven’t been socializing in public.
That doesn’t mean we’re not with each other at home.
” Becky couldn’t prove it otherwise, unless she was willing to admit to some creepy stalking.
Hilary nodded and stood. “Good. That’s great to hear. I’m sorry for interrupting your workday, but you understand we have a lot invested in this and I had to ask.” She cut Becky an annoyed glower and gestured for her to move away from the door. “Let Maia return to work and you should too.”
The door to Hilary’s office had barely closed behind us when Becky stepped into my path, cutting off my escape.
“I know you’re lying. I’m just politely warning you now that I will be the first person to come after you if you put this company’s reputation in jeopardy.”
I’d had enough.
I was sick of her treating me like crap and doing it under the guise of the company’s welfare.
“Accusing a colleague of lying is a serious accusation, Becky, and one I don’t take lightly.
For instance, I would never accuse you of telling Eli and Liza that I’m the reason they didn’t get a Christmas bonus last year. ”
Her cheeks flushed red, giving her away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Feeling brave from having stood my ground with Liza and Eli, I continued.
“I don’t know what your problem with me is.
But if I find out you’re peddling lies, I will be forced to act because I do take slander seriously.
If you accuse me of lying again or interfere with my career by, say, putting me forward for a campaign I didn’t give you permission to include me in, I am no longer willing to sit back and do nothing.
One more misstep and I’ll report you to HR. ” I moved to walk around her.
She grabbed my arm, shocking the heck out of me.
“Release me, or you accosting me right now will be the first complaint I make.”
Becky dropped my arm, cheeks beet red, eyes flashing with hatred. “Do it, and I’ll tell Hilary you and Baird are faking this.”
I tried not to flinch. “Excuse me?”
“That you’re a known liar. I know you lied about Will for a month. You didn’t split up with Will because of Baird. You split up with Will because he left you for my friend Birgitta. I even know the day he left you. It was the day I told you about the campaign.”
Shock and understanding dawned. Was this why she hated me? Because she was poisoned against me by Birgitta?
Wait.
Did she just inadvertently admit she knew we were broken up when she put me forward for the campaign?
“If you knew the day I left Will, then you put me forward for this social media campaign knowing Will and I had broken up, and it would put me in a really difficult position with Pennington’s if they chose us.”
Her expression slammed closed as she took a step back.
“You did this deliberately. To damage my reputation here.”
No answer. Just that stony glare.
“Why?” I wanted to know for sure. “What have I ever done to you, Becky? Please tell me. Is it because you’re friends with Birgitta?”
She sniffed haughtily. “I don’t have a problem with you, Maia. You should really talk to a professional about your paranoia.” She smiled that saccharine fake smile and strutted past me.
Angry, frustrated tears threatened. I didn’t have an answer for Becky’s behavior, but I knew with certainty that this wasn’t over. She was determined to make things so hard for me here … to make me leave? To get me fired? And she was doing it in a way that made it hard to prove.
In that moment, there was only one person I wanted to see.
The person who did believe me.
As if Baird heard my thoughts, he texted me during my lunch break.
We should talk b4 the venue promo shoot 2mrrow.
I started to spiral again, wondering if that meant he’d changed his mind. Had I left it too long to respond to his declaration?
My fingers trembled as I replied.
Why don’t we meet for a swim tomorrow before the shoot?
His response was instantaneous.
Usual time. C U there.
No flirting. No banter. Straight to the point.
Oh goodness. My stomach flipped unpleasantly. What if he’d changed his mind?
Panic suffused me at the very thought.
Just like that, with such inconvenient timing, I knew exactly what I wanted to happen between us.
I had to hope I wasn’t too late.