Chapter 26
Riley
“Idon’t know how you do it,” Amber says as I thoughtfully pick the perfect number of flowers from baskets at my go to flower shop.
I am arranging bouquets for women’s health and wellness brunch and while the shop offers many pre-made bouquets, none of them gave me the right vibe so I’m making my own.
“It’s like you have this vision and can see every detail of it without second guessing yourself at all. ”
“It’s kind of a curse,” I tell her as I put back some of the baby’s breath and replace it with eucalyptus branches.
“A lucky curse,” she mumbles. “I can’t even decorate my guest bathroom without going on Pinterest for two hours.”
I giggle at that. This kind of stuff has always come easy to me though.
One of my teachers in high school told me that I was an artist, though not in the paint and canvas sort of way.
She said– and I quote because it’s the kind of thing that sticks with you– that I am a visionary of greenspace, a designer of the world around us.
Obviously that’s the kind of thing you tuck in your back pocket for life, using it as your mantra forever.
Unfortunately, Katherine has never seen me that way.
“What’s your boss got crammed up her butt anyways?” Amber asks as I count out the last of the flowers.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“She’s just so angry all the time. She treats you like shit, and that’s if she even notices you at all.”
I shrug indifferently though I’d be lying if I said I don’t ask myself the question on a regular basis. “It’s just Katherine. She’s…Katherine.”
“Yeah but I feel like she’s extra Katherine with you. It feels biased, you know?”
I do know. God, do I know. She’s always treated me as though she hired me because she had no other options.
Like I was a last resort, which is ridiculous because my resume was spotless.
While other people were lucky to get gigs decorating for office parties, I had already done a wedding that was mentioned on HG TV, leading me to believe her bias was rooted elsewhere.
“It doesn’t matter,” I lie as I make my way to the counter to pay. I pull the company card out of my wallet, a shiny gold and black little piece of plastic that makes me feel powerful from time to time, or at the very least important.
The woman behind the counter rings everything up just by glancing at my baskets. “That will be $276.89 with the discount,” she smiles.
Amber lets out a low whistle but I am actually a little confused by the cost.
“Discount?” I ask.
“Frequent shopper,” she whispers. “A new perk for my most favored customers.”
“Well, that’s a lovely surprise,” I say as I tap the card.
But her smile drops a little when she looks at the screen again. “Try it one more time, darling. It didn’t go through.”
“That’s odd,” I say, trying once more but she shakes her head.
“It says declined.”
I tap it again. Then I insert it. Then swipe. Then look up at her.
“Declined,” she says.
“Are you sure that’s the right card?” Amber asks.
“Of course it is,” I mutter with a smile as a line forms behind us. “I don’t have any other credit cards.”
I try one last time and then bite my lips. “Can I have you set this aside while I call my boss?” I ask.
She nods empathetically and moves onto the next customer in line. Amber and I both step outside as I call the office. Andie, Katherine’s assistant, answers for her.
“Hey. I’m at the flowershop getting the arrangements for the brunch and my company card was declined,” I say.
“That…would be because that event has been reassigned,” Andie says flatly.
“Reassigned?” I echo and Amber looks at me before mouthing the words what the fuck?
“Yeah. I guess Katherine thought about it and decided Chloe would be a better fit.”
“A better fit…”
“Aesthetically,” she says.
“A better fit aesthetically…” I say.
“Is there any echo in here?” she asks with irritation in her voice. “Look, Riley, I’m sorry if it’s inconvenient but you know how Katherine likes things.”
“Oh no, no inconvenience at all. I only planned half the brunch already and was just about to buy the table arrangements which I handpicked based on the themes of the party.”
“Yeah I think Chloe ordered some flowers online,”
I suck my teeth. “Of course she did.”
With that I hang up. I hate to kill the messenger but honestly, more often than not, Katherine’s messenger is kind of a bitch.
“What was that all about?” Amber asks as I begin stalking back to my car.
“That was Chloe letting me know that my card was shut off because Katherine decided to give my job to Chloe.”
“Can she do that?” Amber asks, getting in my car with me.
“She’s Katherine,” I say, gripping the steering wheel in my hands. “She can do anything she wants. You want to get a drink? I need a drink.”
“You do realized how fucked this is,” she says.
“Oh, I know. But I can’t do anything about it.”
“You can quit,” she says and I laugh.
“Now you sound like Cameron. And Brianna.”
And everyone else…
“Why can’t you?” Amber asks. “Think about it. You don’t need her.
You know you don’t. And now that you are marrying Doctor Do Good, you don’t need the benefits either.
Plus, Noah’s Pay It Forward has already raised enough money to pay the majority of your home expenses for a year.
Shit, I think it’s the perfect time to call it quits. ”
“It’s prime season,” I tell her. “Other than wedding season, the holidays are when I get all my best jobs.”
“Yeah. And then the Evil Queen yanks them out of your hands and gives them to the popular girl in school. At least if you were running your own business, all the jobs go to you and no one else. Plus, you wouldn’t be handing over a chunk of every paycheck to your greedy boss.
You would be the greedy boss and you can keep it all. ”
I know what she’s saying. I also am not a knee jerk decision maker. And it’s only been a few weeks since all this charity money and trust money stuff has developed.
But right now…I’m mad. I’m sick of being taken advantage of. I’m sick of being screwed over and overlooked. And to be quite honest…I am done.
“You’re right,” I say. “All of you are right.”
“Damn straight,” Amber says, getting pumped.
“In fact,” I pull out my phone again and go straight to my emails, clicking on Katherine’s name.
“What are you doing?” Amber asks excitedly.
“I…am writing a letter,” I say as I type.
“What kind of letter?” she asks.
“A two weeks notice letter…”
“Yeah you are!” she claps.
I type out the email. One short, blunt paragraph that is in no way, shape or form the way I would normally speak to Katherine or any boss of mine for that matter. I give it a once over, only to check for typos and then, before I can change my mind, I hit send.
“Holy shit,” I say, leaning back in my seat and tossing my phone on the dash.
“Holy shit,” she repeats. Then we look at each other, both of us grinning nervously like middle school girls.
“Holy shit!” we say in unison.
“I can’t believe I did that,” I say, pressing my palms to my cheeks. “Oh my god. Amber. I’m unemployed…”
“No,” she corrects me sternly. “You’re not unemployed. You’re self-employed. Big difference.”
“That’s terrifying,” I say.
“Again, you’re using the wrong adjective. It’s not terrifying. It’s exciting. Exhilarating. Empowering even.”
Empowering. Yes.
“A new chapter,” I say.
“Yes! A new book!”
“Yes…”
“One that only you can write.”
I nod. “You’re right. And I’m going to start by telling the brunch girls that I will do this event better than Katherine and Chloe…and for a fraction of the cost.”
“Yes!”
“But first…drinks.”
“Abso-fucking-lutely,” Amber laughs and I smile.
This feels good. And…terrifying.
We go to a cocktail bar because I wasn’t kidding that I needed a drink. I’m both stressed and excited, a feeling that can easily be tamed by alcohol. Something with an umbrella specifically. After we are sitting at a high top table, drinks in hand, Amber clinks her glass to mine.
“Cheers girl! I am so proud of you!”
“Thanks,” I say, taking a much needed sip and letting the fruity, strong fizz coat my nerves. “I feel weird.”
“It’s because you are unshackled for the first time. Free to do as you want.”
“I am…” I trail off and my smile fades a little with my words.
“No,” she waves her finger in my face and sets her drink down. “Do not over think it.”
“Well, it’s hard not to considering that this is the first time I will have a career change since Noah was born. Before, even! God. Tell me I didn’t make a mistake, Amber. Tell me I didn’t just make the biggest mistake of my life.”
“You did not make a mistake, biggest of your life or otherwise. You made a necessary change to take charge of your life. Now drink and celebrate.”
I nod, still struggling with not completely losing my mind.
But after two fizzy, fruit, umbrella clad drinks, I’m not really concerned about anything.
In fact, I feel pretty damn good. We leave, arms linked, laughing about everything and nothing as we make our way outside. Her phone buzzes and she stops.
“Well, hello sir…”
“What is that? Or…should I say, who?”
“His name is Bash. I met him last week at a hockey game.”
“You don’t like hockey,” I laugh, tugging on her phone to get a look at the guy.
“No. But I do like guys who like hockey,” she says, smirking as she messages him back.
“What kind of name is Bash anyways?”
“It’s short for Sebastian,” she says.
“La-di-da. And what does Sebastian want?”
“He wants to buy me dinner. Which means this is where we part.”
“You’re leaving me for a man?” I joke.
“You’ll be fine. Go home and drink more celebratory wine.”
I give her a salute then laugh. We hug and she heads down the street and I make my way in the opposite direction to my car. I still feel a little crazy. But I also feel liberated. I turn the corner to where my car is parked. But then, I stop.
Across the street, in front of an ice cream shop is Cameron. But he’s not alone.
He’s with a woman with dark hair who looks older than me but younger than him. She’s beautiful, smiling and strong and vibrant though not overdone in any way. They are laughing and hugging and teasing each other. Not only that, but there is a little boy with them.
His ex?
Was he…lying? About being able to have kids? Surely not.
But as I continue to watch them together, the way he smiles and laughs so freely at what the woman is saying, the way he scoops the boy up and hugs him tightly before planting a kiss on his cheek, I feel like it has to be.
And the way they’re acting now leaves me wondering if he can have kids.
If that is his kid. And if they’re getting back together.
A hot, blinding feeling rages through my body. A feeling I don’t feel often, especially not at this level.
Jealousy.
Before I can overthink it, I march in their direction, coming to an abrupt halt right in front of them.
“Hello,” the woman says.
“Riley,” Cameron smiles but it fades when he sees my own expression, which if I had to guess is raging RBF.
“I thought you said you can’t have children,” I say flatly.
“I…what’s going on?” he asks. Both him and the woman look confused. The only one still smiling is the oblivious child who looks a lot like him now that I am standing this close.
“You lied to me,” I tell him. “Clearly.”
“Riley, what are you talking about?” he asks, handing the child off to his mother.
I look him in the eyes, eyes I thought I knew. Eyes I had started to trust. “Noah is your son.”