Chapter Twenty-Four
Tessa spent the next two days improving and polishing her résumé, then sending it out to any job posting that remotely matched her interests.
Trying to squeeze all of her experience onto one page fully reinforced how much she’d learned and accomplished while working at Hello, Marketing.
Surely, she’d hear from the companies soon.
She’d sent a number of texts to Hallie since they’d parted ways on the bridge.
Hallie consistently responded with short generic messages, and once she’d included a hastily taken headshot with the words proof of life and a bat emoji.
Kate confirmed a similar experience, and the two hoped Hallie’s temporary absence meant she was finally working through her premarital concerns with Bryce.
Tessa sent text messages to clients whose numbers she’d saved in her phone.
She’d even made a trip downtown to see as many of the shop owners in person as possible.
Telling them she couldn’t work with them any longer proved far more emotional than expected, but everyone she spoke to accepted her vague explanation of needing time away from the workforce to realign her professional goals.
She was certain they recognized her blatantly canned speech when they heard it.
Still, they’d all wished her the best. Many even offered to write a referral letter if she needed one.
Unfortunately, the only advertising companies currently hiring were a long commute from Harbor Heights. And she didn’t want to move.
What else could she do when every bit of her education and experience was in marketing?
Maybe a better question was, What else would she want to do?
It’d been years since she last asked herself anything of the sort, and the vast possibilities scared her. Was this how Hallie felt? And what was she up to? Why had she disappeared?
Frustrated, Tessa made a light lunch at noon and called her brother.
“Hey, what’s up?” he asked, answering on the first ring.
“I’m checking in,” she said. “I didn’t hear from you. How did the interviews go?”
“Fine, I guess. I didn’t call because I haven’t heard anything. I love you, but I’m not twelve years old anymore. Stop hovering,” he said.
Tessa bit her tongue against the urge to tell him she’d trusted the twelve-year-old version of him. It was the last sixteen or so years that he’d repeatedly worried her and broken their dad’s heart.
She could hear Dad’s voice, muffled in the background.
“What’s he doing home?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” Devin said. “Heartburn or something. We had burgers again last night.”
Tessa’s internal alarm system began to buzz.
“You can’t just eat take-out food five days a week,” she said.
“It’s horrible for both of you. Why aren’t you cooking?
It’s healthier and cheaper too.” She’d worried about her dad not eating enough before her brother’s return.
Now she had to worry about him eating a constant flow of trash.
“He told me he’d been having heartburn a few weeks ago. It shouldn’t still be happening.”
Devin was silent for a long moment. “It’s just some burgers and a little indigestion. Why are you freaking out? It’s hard to cook for two. There’s a ton of leftovers that just get thrown away. Plus, we don’t want to cook and clean up every night.” He huffed. “Why are you like this?”
“Someone has to be the responsible one,” she snapped. “Did he tell you he had a doctor’s appointment right before you came home? Did he tell him about the heartburn?”
“Nope. He didn’t tell me about the appointment or his heartburn,” Devin said. “He’s a grown man. He doesn’t need a nursemaid, Tessa. Jeez. Try to relax for like sixty seconds, could you?”
She took several slow breaths, willing herself not to get more upset than she already was. Why couldn’t he answer basic questions about their dad’s health when he was living there and seeing him every day? She wanted to hang up on Devin and scream until her throat was raw.
“Let me know when you hear back about the interviews,” she said. “I’m going to call Dad. I didn’t realize he wasn’t at work.”
“Yeah, all right,” Devin said. “But seriously, Tessa. Take a deep breath once in a while.”
She disconnected and counted to fifty before dialing her dad. Were all little brothers complete know-it-alls? Even in their thirties?
Her dad answered on the third ring. “Hiya, sweetie. Have I thanked you for all the help you’ve given Devin? He talks about it all the time. Warms my heart to see my kiddos enjoying one another’s friendship like you do.”
“Thanks,” she said. “I’m always happy when you’re happy. Devin said you’re home from work with heartburn. Are you okay?”
He chuckled nervously. “Sure. It’s just heartburn.”
Devin’s voice boomed in the background. “That’s what I told her!”
“It seems odd to me, though,” she said. “In the past you’ve gone to work with broken fingers, a fever, and pneumonia.”
“That was because we needed the money. Now I don’t need the money so much, and your brother’s here. I want to spend time with him.”
“Isn’t he living there?” she asked, unsatisfied with her dad’s answers. Something wasn’t right. She just wasn’t sure what that was. Or, she thought wryly, maybe she was looking for a problem in someone else’s life so she could avoid the issues in hers.
“Tell Tessa we’re going out for burgers,” Devin said in the background. “You can call her back.”
“I heard,” she said. “Do me a favor and order a salad this time. All the red meat might be upsetting your stomach.”
“Sounds good,” he said. “Hey, whatever happened to the guy you mentioned at dinner?” he asked, catching Tessa off guard. “It’s none of my business, but I realized I didn’t ask much about him when you were here for dinner.”
Tessa smiled, thinking of her growing friendship with Grant. “He’s nice,” she said.
“He’s not your client anymore.”
“He is not,” she agreed. But he only seemed interested in her as a friendly work associate. And maybe that was for the best.
“Do the two of you keep in touch?” her dad asked.
“Yes.” She looked forward to every one of his texts. Some were marketing related, but many were pictures or things he heard or thought of that she’d enjoy. Town trivia. Images from downtown. The more they interacted, the more she realized she liked him as a human. A really hot, smart, kind human.
“Dad!” Devin called. “I’m starving, and that’s a cell phone. Just bring it with you.”
Tessa laughed. “You’d better get going.”
“All right,” her dad said. She was sure she could hear the smile in his voice. “Take care of yourself, cupcake. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Tessa disconnected and stared at her patio through the glass sliding doors. After working eighty hours a week for years, forty-hour weeks had felt like a vacation. Working zero hours a week, however, made her restless. Thankfully, book club was tonight.
She sent a message to the group chat to confirm.
Kate had been nearly as unresponsive as Hallie the last few days, busy dealing with the Barenaked Katie incident, no doubt.
Based on Kate’s complete social media overhaul, she’d decided she had nothing left to lose and took the leap to focus on her softer bookish side.
Unfortunately, her follower count had dwindled to half of what it had been when they’d decided to become their lives’ heroines.
Tessa: Book Club tonight?
Kate responded immediately.
Kate: Thank heavens—Yes
Kate: Location suggestions Hallie?
Tessa smiled. Luring Hallie into the conversation by asking for food recs was brilliant.
When Hallie didn’t make a suggestion, Tessa did.
Tessa: How about the new steak house on Sycamore?
Hallie had mentioned the place twice during the summer, but each time they’d wound up at the food trucks.
Kate: Perfect!
Hallie: Meet you there at 7
Tessa set her phone aside, pleased at the results.
The trio needed time to talk, and Tessa owed them both an apology.
She’d begged them to join her on her quest to become a heroine, but doing so had derailed their lives.
In fact, despite what felt like a colossal amount of effort on her part, Tessa’s life felt exactly as it had the day she decided to change—minus an income, an outlet for her passion, and general purpose.
She’d sent her résumé to at least a dozen job openings last night, but no one had responded. Not even the temp agency looking for degree-holding individuals for general office work. Surely, she qualified for that.
The phone rang, and Tessa raised it once more, shocked to see the Hello, Marketing number on her screen. Think about your regrets, and they shall appear?
Did Xavier somehow gain access to her thoughts now too?
“Hello?”
“Tessa? This is Jenny.”
It took a moment for Tessa to pull the intern’s face into mind. “Hi, Jenny. What’s up?”
“I feel weird for calling,” Jenny said, “but I found this number on some of your business cards in the trash. I hope it’s okay.”
Tessa narrowed her eyes at the image of her things tossed out like garbage. “Of course. Everything okay?”
“No.” Jenny sighed, and the sound of exasperation echoed in the speaker. “I don’t even know if this matters, but it just feels so—wrong. You know?”
“Nope,” Tessa said, hating the panic rising in her chest. “I’m going to need more information.”
It doesn’t matter what happens at Hello, Marketing, she reminded herself. She didn’t work there anymore. Nothing that went on at that office could harm or impact her in any way ever again. That was the best and the worst of it.
“Your clients are calling here to complain,” Jenny said. “They’re mad, and they want you back. It’s frustrating Xavier, so he’s sending them all to Peyton to smooth things over. He instructed all of us in the morning meeting to do the same.”
Tessa ground her teeth. “That’s unfortunate,” she said. “But they need help, and I’m not there anymore, so I suppose sending them to the VP of accounts makes sense.” What didn’t make sense was why an intern dug her number out of the trash to tattle.
“It might make sense,” Jenny said. “But it isn’t right.”
Tessa shrugged, though Jenny couldn’t see her. “There isn’t really anything more I can do.”
“What if I tell them to contact you directly?”
Tessa considered her words and her quiet, slightly scandalous tone. “I’ve called everyone in my contacts list and let them know about my situation. They know I’m no longer with Hello, Marketing.”
“Yeah,” Jenny said. “That’s why they’re calling. They’re pissed.”
Tessa stilled. “What?”
“Millie says you never signed a noncompete agreement, and Cindy in human resources says there’s nothing legally stopping you from working with those accounts.”
Tessa’s heart rate increased, and her breaths grew short and shallow. “But—”
“It’s none of my business,” Jenny said. “I know, and like I said, I wasn’t sure if I should call or not, but it just makes me so mad.
And I’m not the only one. I’m just the only one willing to call you about it.
I’m graduating in the spring and going home to Minnesota, so getting fired won’t end my career. Assuming I get caught,” she added.
“You’re leaving after graduation?”
“A lot of us interns are,” Jenny said. “I don’t know what’s going on around here, but things have changed since we started, and not for the better. Personally, I blame Tim in IT for filtering the applications.”
Tessa kicked back on her couch, interest piqued. “IT filters the applications?”
“How else do you think we ended up with an intern staff that’s either drop-dead gorgeous or a friend of Peyton’s? Hell, how do you think Peyton got the job?”
“How did Peyton get the job?” Tessa asked.
“He was Tim’s roommate in college.”
“Tim from IT,” Tessa said.
Jenny’s responding silence suggested Tessa needed to keep up.
She mulled the information, noting briefly that Jenny considered herself drop-dead gorgeous, and nodding props for the young woman’s confidence. “Jenny?” Tessa asked, fresh questions forming in her mind. “Tim helped Peyton, his former roommate, get the job?”
“Yep.”
“By filtering the applications that came in?”
“Uh-huh.”
Tessa shook her head. Slimy. Absolutely awful. She knew he wasn’t qualified for his job. Which brought another question to mind. “Do you know what Peyton majored in?”
“Yeah, cybersecurity.”
Tessa’s mouth formed a small O. Tim in IT had gotten Peyton hired by filtering applications.
She wasn’t sure about the details, but she remembered a time the agency was growing and they weren’t getting many applicants.
Clearly the IT guy had a hand in that. Peyton was hired, and they continued to filter applications to hire people they wanted to hang out with all day every day.
Peyton wasn’t even a marketing person. He was a cybersecurity guy.
That thought gave her further pause. If he’d pulled strings to get the people he wanted hired, himself included, what else might he have manipulated to get his way?
And how easy would it be for someone with some tech knowledge to access her ideas file when it was on the network.
“Oh my God,” Tessa said, another realization hitting her hard.
She’d kept the Lilacs and Lace file on her laptop, but Nina used the company network like everyone else.
Peyton saw her working with Nina in the small conference room.
He didn’t need Tessa’s file. He had Nina’s.
And he’d presented their work, just as Tessa said he had, during the meeting when she’d made the accusation. “That little snake.”
“Listen, I have to go,” Jenny said. “I can send over a list of everyone calling here to complain, if you want. I just thought you should know what’s happening. They want you back.”
Tessa sat taller. “I’d like that list, Jenny. Thank you.”