Chapter 22
Riley
T his douchebag is going to be the death of me. He won’t murder me. I’ll climb to the top of this building and jump while flipping him the bird. I’m being melodramatic, of course, but Mr. Brady is the bane of my existence. However, this time, I can’t really be upset with anyone but myself. I’m the one who messed up this time. Self-fulfilling prophecy, I suppose. He’s always saying everything is my fault, and this time, it really is.
He put in an order with me last week. I must have taken the order down on paper in my office and forgotten to move it into my system. Now he’s here, staring at me with that vein in his forehead sticking out and his right eye twitching. With as much as I can’t stand this guy, I have to own up to my mistake and apologize profusely, which does not do wonders for my ego.
“Miss Fields, I specifically told you that I would be needing to pick up that order today, so would you like to tell me why I drove all the way here and it’s not ready?”
The dude lives like a block away, which is beside the point, but in my own mind, I get to be petty.
“I am so incredibly sorry, Mr. Brady. I dropped the ball and I take full responsibility for it.”
“I knew it would become a problem someday, trusting you with my business.”
“I’m very sorry you feel that way, Mr. Brady. I pride myself in my work, but everyone makes mistakes.”
He sneers at me and replies, “Not a mistake like this. This is completely unacceptable.”
“Yes, I agree with you. Like I said, I’m very sorry and I would like to make it right. Would you like me to send the order through right now, and we will, of course, pay to have it expedited and give you a ten percent discount?”
He rolls his eyes, “Pffft, ten percent? Is that what my time and business is worth to you?”
I’m trying my best to rein it in, but what does this guy want? My first-born child? I let out a sigh of relief when I see Craig coming over with a stormy look in his eyes. He likes Mr. Brady just as much as I do, but you would never know it by the way he acts. Mr. Brady certainly seems to think they’re pals. Craig holds out his hand to shake Mr. Brady’s, and Mr. Brady reciprocates.
“Mr. Brady, I’m so glad you’re here, although I meant to call you before you drove all the way down here,” Craig says exaggeratedly, but Mr. Brady has no clue that is his intention. “I need to apologize to you because I forgot to put in your order, and it’s not ready today.” Craig fake winces like he is waiting for a blow he knows won’t come.
“I thought Riley forgot to put the order in? Which, you know, really isn’t surprising, because I knew it was only going to be a matter of time before she screwed something up.”
“Oh, no, you see, it’s all my fault. Riley here gave me the write up for your order and I signed off on it, but I must have forgotten to press send on the computer. So, when she checked the records, it appeared to be all squared away, but it wasn’t, as you can see.”
“Hmm,” he replies, looking back and forth between the two of us.
“Yes, I am so very sorry, and I understand if you don’t want to do business with us anymore, but I would like to offer to expedite your order, at our expense, of course, and also offer you ten percent off your order as well.”
He stares at Craig for a moment, considering. “I suppose that would be alright, Craig. Thank you for owning up to your mistake like a man,” he says, glaring at me. Oh my gosh, I said the exact same thing, you jerk!
“Of course. Thank you for being so gracious about all of this. I really am so embarrassed.”
“Oh, Craig, don’t you worry. We all make mistakes. So, when will the order be here?”
“I will personally guarantee that it will be here in two days, and I’ll give you a call when it arrives.”
“Thank you, Craig,” he says while shooting me a withering glare.
“Of course. See you in two days, Mr. Brady.”
He gives us a tight smile and heads for the door, and I let out the breath I didn’t realize I had been holding for the past minute. What in the actual heck just happened? I whip around and ask Craig just that.
“What in the actual heck just happened?”
Craig gives my arm a squeeze and me a sympathetic look. “Riles, it’s okay. You were drowning with him, and we both know he wouldn’t have let it go until he tore you down limb from limb and then some.”
“I know, but none of that was true. Usually, he is a pain in the butt for no reason, but this time, I really screwed up pretty badly. I’ve never forgotten to put in an entire order before.”
“I know, but you’ve also never worked essentially two full time jobs either.”
My cheeks flush, and I’m embarrassed, thinking that he is judging me for not being able to handle it, but then he continues. “No, I’m not insinuating you can’t do it. I’m suggesting that no one, not even you, can sustain this long term. Isn’t designing going well? I know Mason has been very happy with your work.”
“Yeah, it’s been going really well, but this is the first real project I’ve ever worked on and I can’t guarantee that I’ll make a career out of this. I’m making a great salary with the project, but what am I going to do when it’s done?”
He gives me a knowing look. “A great salary means he’s paying you more for this project than you make in a year here.”
I look down and answer, “Yeah, but still.”
He gives my arm another light squeeze. “Riley, honey, when are you going to realize that you can do this? You’re an amazing designer with a brain for business. You could set up your own company tomorrow and have inquiries, but you’re scared, and I can’t quite figure out what you’re scared of.”
I think about it for a moment, becoming misty eyed because it’s something my mother would have asked me if she were here, and it’s something my dad would’ve never cared about in a million years. Whether he knows it or not, Craig is someone I value in every way. He’s stepped into the father role that I have been missing my whole life, and I will never stop being grateful for that. I let out a deep sigh and answer the question the best I can.
“If I don’t try, I can’t fail,” I whisper.
“Oh, honey,” he says and wraps me in a big bear hug. “I actually think it’s quite the opposite.” I look at him in confusion before he continues, “If you don’t try, you’ve already failed. You’ve failed yourself. No one is going to do it for you. You can stay stagnant here, which is not a bad gig. You’re great at what you do here, but we both know it’s not your passion. What are we without our passions in life? You can choose the safe route, like most people, or you can take that leap of faith and believe in yourself. Because you’ve got a lot of people who believe in you, and we are just waiting for you to see it.”
Now I have tears streaming down my face, because I know he’s right, and I can’t believe he cares enough to tell me this. That he cares about me. I’m just his co-worker, but I know that’s not true. He has treated me as more than that since the beginning. He’s taken me under his wing and always supported me, just like Chloe has, and now Finn. He’s right; I do have a lot of people in my corner and all these people believe I can do this. They can’t all be wrong.
Craig wipes the tears from my face with his shirtsleeve. “Oh, kiddo, don’t cry. I wasn’t trying to upset you. I just want you to see your worth and see that you have a lot of people in your corner.”
I sniffle. “I know, and that’s why I’m crying. Thank you, Craig. I’ve never told you how much you mean to me, but you mean so much. You know my mom died, but I don’t think I ever told you that I never had a father at all. He was a horrible person, and I’m so thankful I have you to look up to now. Sometimes I forget I have all these amazing people in my life, and it’s on me. It has nothing to do with you not being there, it has to do with me not opening up and accepting it. So, thank you.”
“Now you’re gonna make me cry, kid. Think about what I said. You don’t have to quit completely. Heck, I will miss the hell outta you if you leave. But I think it’s time to take the leap and ask them to hire someone part time and let you design out of the store. They would be crazy to say no. It’ll only bring them more business, and it’ll give you more time to do what you love without running yourself into the ground. You’re an amazing woman, Riley, but no one is truly Superwoman.”
“I will. Thank you, for everything.”
“Anytime, kiddo. That’s what I’m here for.”
I give Craig a quick kiss on the cheek, and he goes back to what he was doing in the back. My head is spinning. I feel a deep sadness that my parents are gone, but joy at the fact that I’m building my own version of a family. It might be unconventional, but blood doesn’t make a family. Love does. I’m finally opening my heart to the idea of letting other people in. I’m just still a bit terrified of getting hurt, but I guess that’s why they say one step at a time.