26. Brooke
Brooke
After our lazy day yesterday, Dustin drove me to O'Hare and dropped me off at Arrivals. The traffic controllers looked at us funny, but they had bigger issues to deal with. Like, apparently, a driver who put their hazards on and then exited their vehicle to pick someone up from inside. I kissed Dustin with fervor before he pointed to the time and encouraged me to go look like I just flew from New York to Chicago.
"I love you, Brooke. You can do this."
"I love you, too. Thank you for everything, babe."
I shook my hair out as he pulled away from the curb, trying to look travel-frazzled. Checking my phone, the flight just touched down, so the car picking me up should be here relatively soon. Pulling up the email, I re-read the information for the zillionth time. A black sedan will pick me up outside of the Gate B arrivals.
After waiting what I assume is an appropriate amount of time, I respond to the email notifying them of my arrival. Moments later, they confirm that a black Toyota Corolla will be here momentarily. I swivel my head around, trying to pick out what the hell a Toyota Corolla is. After another five minutes, my phone rings with a Chicago number.
"Hello?" I answer.
"Hi there, this is Leah. I'm picking you up—just about to your gate, I believe. Are you in a long tan coat?"
I look down. "Yes, that's me."
"Great!" Click .
A black sedan honks in front of me, and I jump. That's my ride, I guess. This whole charade makes me feel slightly icky, but I'm not about to feel bad for a gigantic corporation blowing a few hundred dollars on airfare. This is nothing but a drop in the ocean for them.
Leah isn't one for talking, which suits me just fine. She's a very competent driver, though. She weaves through traffic in record time and drops me off at the front entrance of the massive Atmosphere building in the Loop. I hold back a snicker as I realize how close this is to Dustin's condo. I could have walked here, if not for the silly airport charade.
"Thanks, Leah."
"No problem. I'll be here after your meeting to take you to your hotel. Have a good one," she rattles off before driving away.
I'm here. The silliness of the airport runaround whooshes out of my body with my sigh. I have no idea what I'm about to walk into. My heart beats in my throat, and my hands shake as I pull the gigantic glass doors open.
A tall blonde woman and an even taller dark-haired man are waiting for me. Kelsey and Peter Navarro, I assume.
"Welcome to Atmosphere, Miss Dunne!" Kelsey chirps.
"It's Moore. But uh, thanks."
"Oh? I must have outdated records. My apologies—we'll get that fixed. If you'll just follow us, we are so eager to discuss your role with us—coffee? Water?" She beams at me with the customer service smile that most corporate people have perfected.
"Uh, no thank you."
The elevator ride is shorter than expected after she presses the button for the fiftieth floor. My ears pop on the way up, and I try to yawn surreptitiously.
"Tired from the flight?" Peter asks with a smile.
"Huh? No—well, maybe." I try to laugh off my almost-flub. "It's been a minute since I've been on a plane."
"Happens to the best of us." The elevator doors open, and he ushers me through.
Kelsey leads the little group down to a conference room that looks shockingly like the ones DropTop has. A postmodern table with paperwork and refreshments is surrounded by executive desk chairs. Does every company use the same furniture supplier ?
"Please, sit here." Kelsey points to a chair behind a neat stack of paperwork. I comply because what else am I going to do?
"So, first of all, thanks for meeting us." Peter spreads his hands in a welcoming gesture. "I understand the situation might be a little delicate. I apologize for any emotional distress."
"Uh, thanks, Peter." I force a tight smile.
"Please, it's Pete. I'll get straight to the point. Dustin's notes on DropTop were immaculate—as they always are—and he spoke particularly highly of you, your team, and your organizational skills. I recognize that statement may be a little fraught, considering… well, considering what happened. However, here at Atmosphere, we trust yet verify. And his account has been verified. Frankly speaking, how interested would you be in training for Onboarding Director?"
What . My mouth flops open, and I make a gurgling noise. Kelsey's smile turns a little concerned—oddly similar to Kelly's "fix your face" smile—and she scoots the pitcher of water and an empty cup toward me. Grateful for the momentary distraction, I pour myself a glass and chug it down. And another. And another. Exhaling heavily, I carefully dab the corners of my mouth with the provided napkin.
"I'm sorry, I'm confused. I'm an engineering manager. I don't quite understand," I manage to stutter out .
"Well, the way I see it, you were particularly helpful in creating an action plan for the integration of DropTop's tech stack into the Atmosphere ecosystem. Per Dustin's notes, you were integral to the process." Pete raises his eyebrows.
"I suppose that's true."
"To be clear, we would not be throwing you to the wolves. We would expect you to train both in-office and in the field with Pete for a ninety-day orientation period. It would come with a generous signing bonus, as well as a relocation fund," Kelsey chimes in.
"Relocation fund?"
"Yes, this position is based in Chicago." Kelsey gives me a knowing smile. "Would that be… of interest to you?"
Holy shit . I mean, yeah, yeah, it would. The opportunity to not only keep my job but move up the corporate ladder and move to Chicago on Atmosphere's dime? I suck in a breath as my mind races. This opportunity means that I'd never have to see Calvin again. I'd never run into him or his new baby mama. And the signing bonus? I could pay off my divorce lawyer without blinking. Of course, I would be sad to leave Janine and my team… and honestly, the city. I've lived in New York (or the New York metro area) for my entire adult life.
Still, the concept of starting fresh in a new city, a new role, with Dustin ?
"I'm in." I slap the table. "What happens to my team, though?"
"Ah! Excellent question. Kelly has been enjoying line management more than she thought she would. And your team is doing very well—of course, they miss you, as they repeatedly mentioned during the investigation interviews. But with you moving up, there's room for a new manager. And backfill, of course. I believe Kelly mentioned Felicity?" Kelsey smiles warmly. She really does quite a lot of smiling.
"Felicity would be perfect." I nod.
This is happening. This is all really happening.
Leah drops me off at the hotel after a full day of meetings, signing paperwork, and video calls with the team. I almost cried when I saw their concerned faces. They've all been so worried—it's so sweet. They're an incredible team, and I am so fortunate to have been able to work with them.
As soon as I get settled in my hotel room, I call Dustin.
"Hey!" I can practically hear the smile in his voice. "How'd it go?"
"They… promoted me?"
Silence .
"Hello?" I check to see if the call dropped, but it's still going.
"My god, Brooke—that's amazing? How did that happen? Wait, no, I want to hear about it in person. Do you want to come back over here? Should I pick you up? Do you want me to come to the hotel? Actually—how is the hotel? Is it nice? They're a multi-billion dollar corporation—if it's not nice, you should kick up a fit. They can swing it." Dustin yaps at a hundred miles a minute, and I can't help the smile spread across my face.
That's so him . He's happy for me. I'm sad for him, obviously, and he doesn't know I got his job—not yet. I'll tell him when I see him. I have a feeling it'll be overshadowed by the other news I haven't told him….
"Don't worry! It's super swanky—the St. Regis? I honestly feel a little out of place at this ritzy-ass hotel. I looked it up, and they run for like… a grand a night. Insane." I pull back the curtain and gaze out the window towards Lake Michigan. I can just barely see the Chicago River to the north. Even though it's frigidly cold outside, the frosty riverside parks look beautiful. "You should come over. I'll let you in."
"I'll be there in twenty. Brooke?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm so proud of you." His earnest warmth illuminates me from the inside.
"Thank you, babe. I'm proud of me, too. "
One good thing about our airport charade this morning is that I have all of my luggage. I didn't think they'd buy it if I showed up empty-handed. So I pop into the ritziest shower I've ever seen in my life—seriously, there's like four showerheads—to rinse off from the day. Maybe it's a rich-people thing, but the little hotel soaps suds up better than anything I've ever bought in my life. It's luxuriously silky and smells just… clean. It's a subtle scent, and I can't place it, but it just makes me feel clean.
Even with the hefty raise I'm getting, there's no way I'll be able to afford a place like this very often. I'm going to make it count while it's on Atmosphere's dime.
Feeling fresh as a daisy, I wrap the hotel-branded robe around myself and check the time. Dustin should be here soon. I saunter over to the phone and dial 0 for the front desk.
"Yes, madam?" Wow, I didn't even hear it ring.
"Hi—hello, this is Brooke. I'm expecting a guest shortly. His name is Dustin Sanders. Would you mind sending him up when he arrives?"
"Certainly, madam. May we assist with anything else?"
"No, thank you."
Click . Yeah, this is rich-people shit. I like it. The front desk receptionist had a vaguely British accent and everything.
Not five minutes later, Dustin gently knocked on my door with a backpack and a brown paper shopping bag. His eyes widen as he peers behind me at the gigantic suite. "Wow."
"Wow is right," I laugh and beckon him inside. "There's, like, two rooms. The bedroom is separate?"
"Atmosphere must really like you," he jokes. "They never put me up in a place like this."
"Really? Guess I better not get used to it, then." I take a deep breath to calm my nerves. "So… they offered me the Onboarding Director role."
He freezes. Based on his rapid blinking, I can practically hear the gears turning in his head as he processes the bomb I just dropped on him. After what feels like an exceedingly long silence, he exhales. "Wow. I should have brought nicer wine."
"That's it?" I squeak. "You're not mad?"
"No, baby. I'm a little surprised but at the same time? Not really. You're incredible, you know your shit, and you work amazingly well with people. It makes a lot of sense. You're going to do amazing—and if there's any way I can help you get a leg up, any kind of competitive edge, or tips? Anything? Tell me, baby. I know you're going to thrive." He drops his bags to the floor and rushes me, enveloping me in his arms.
While I was a little nervous about dropping the news, I'm not shocked he's being so supportive. This is Dustin. This is how he's always been. I'm going to make him— and myself—so proud. I snuggle into his embrace and let out a tiny giggle.
"Would now be a good time to tell you the rest of the news?"
He stiffens. "There's more?"
"Yeah, babe. There's more." I step back and look him in the eye. "This position is Chicago-based. So… were you still serious about me moving in?"
Dustin's jaw drops, and his soulful eyes search mine. "You're not kidding? This is happening? Oh, my god, yes. Yes. Yes. When? How soon?"
"In the next month—I'll have to go back to New York and wrap things up there, but I officially start my training on April 7th. Isn't that insane?" My voice ratchets up a few octaves with my squeal.
"Holy shit—oh my god, Brooke, you've made me the happiest man on the planet. Yes, holy shit, yes. Yes, times a thousand. How do we move Huey here? Can you take cats on airplanes?" He squeezes my shoulders and flashes me the most dazzling smile in the world. My knees go a little weak.
"We'll figure it out, won't we?"
"Yeah, baby. Yeah, we will. Seriously, Brooke. I'm so fucking proud of you. I love you."
"I love you, too."