Chapter Twenty-Seven
Compared to Hawai‘i, New York in January should have felt soul-crushingly bleak. Icy wind rattled the bare tree branches. Crusty salt covered the frozen sidewalk. But Mei floated through her chilly hometown, warmed from the inside.
Alexandre. As Mei rode the subway and braved the frigid streets, her mind flashed back to the night they’d spent together: The care in Alexandre’s eyes when he looked at her. The feel of his steady, assured hands. The unbelievable bliss of falling asleep in his arms.
In her daydreamy state, Mei refilled her coffee mug in Livin’s kitchen. Her phone buzzed with a text. Alexandre had sent her a photo of wintry mountains near campus.
Not Hawai‘i, but not so bad. Hope you’re having a good first day back. No staying late tonight!
Now, as she worked from a communal table, her phone dinged again, this time with a selfie of Alexandre bundled up in winter gear by a gray university building.
The New Paltz biology department and some dork who teaches there.
Mei’s heart swelled at the sight of Alexandre’s handsome face, his nose red from the cold. Her joy evaporated as she scanned her own surroundings: her yellow “Livin It Up” coffee mug, a massive neon sign that screamed, “If you ain’t here, you ain’t LIVIN!”
She snapped a photo of the sign and sent it to Alexandre.
So done being brainwashed by this place. And no, definitely not staying late tonight!
· · ·
On Friday morning, the monthly rankings hit Mei’s inbox. I don’t care about this, she repeated to herself as she clicked the link to the leaderboard. Still, she held her breath as the page loaded.
Third.
Yes! Mei did a happy dance in her seat. All those hours working at the beginning of the trip let her hit her December numbers and then some. That fiery rush roared through her veins. I’m back, baby!
Then she remembered: She still had her pact with Alexandre. Your workload is still ridiculous. Livin is still a treadmill to death.
And you have a new boss.
Whom she was meeting in a half hour.
· · ·
Erika had scheduled their first one-on-one in the Paris conference room. Mei took a seat at the woven bistro table and studied the photo wallpaper depicting a bustling streetscape with shoppers and cafés. She had never been to France. Maybe Alexandre and I will go one day.
The door opened, snapping Mei out of her reverie.
“Hi, are you Mei? I’m Erika.”
“Yes, so nice to meet you!” As they shook hands, Mei noted her new boss’s shiny blowout, silky blouse, and stylish trousers. She certainly looks like a VP of marketing. Mei tugged self-consciously at the J.Crew blazer she wore over a black T-shirt.
“I’d love to hear what you’re working on.” Erika smiled at her from across the table. “I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about you.”
“Oh, ah, thanks.” When was the last time anyone complimented her work? Mei sat up straighter. “I run our global brand campaigns, which includes developing the strategy and messaging, overseeing all content and creative, managing media buys, and partnering on events and experiential activations.”
“Wow, you’ve got quite a job! The latest campaign looks great—Livin Your Dream? My husband and I stopped by the holiday pop-up in London. The place was packed.”
“We’re only going bigger. In February, we’ll be projecting branded hype videos, designed by famous artists, onto landmarks like the Empire State Building and the Sydney Opera House. We’ll also be launching drone art in ten cities.”
“Get out! Mei, you are a wonder.”
“Thanks. For the last six months, I’ve also been working on a major refresh to update our brand and develop inclusive marketing standards for every country. That way, people from all different backgrounds, all around the world, will know they belong at Livin.”
“That sounds very worthy. I can see how you’re well positioned for such a task.”
Because I’m Asian or because I’ve been running brand marketing? Mei took a breath and continued. “I’m rolling out everything to the global marketing org at the end of the month, but we developed the current campaign according to them.”
“Wonderful. Is there anything else we need to touch upon?”
“Yes. Last year, James changed my team’s goals.
Before, we focused on performance metrics, like how many people clicked on an ad and filled out a form.
Since October, our goals have been based on quantity, like how many videos we launch.
As marketers, we know that performance is more important. So I’m hoping we can revise our goals.”
Erika pursed her lips. “I think it’s too soon.”
“I have data. We’re not seeing any positive results in proportion to quantity.”
“I’m sorry. Let’s wait until we have six months of metrics.” Erika repositioned her laptop. She seemed to be debating whether to say something. “You’re a rock star, Mei. It’s obvious. But James told me you’ve been checked out and underperforming. Why would he say that?”
Tears burned Mei’s eyes, surprising her. She blinked hard to maintain her composure. “In October, I broke up with my fiancé right before our wedding, paid off the whole thing by myself, and then moved apartments. I may have been a little distracted.”
“I’m so sorry. I get why work wasn’t your main focus. You were going through a major crisis.” Erika clucked sympathetically. “Well, now I’ve got your back. If you ever need support, personal days, anything, just tell me. I’m here to help.”
“I appreciate that.”
“Also—” Erika’s eyes darted to the door.
“I want you to know that throughout my career, I’ve been a vocal advocate for women in the workplace.
Smart, talented women, like you.” She leveled her gaze at Mei.
“We both know that a lot of men get to the top riding on the accomplishments of women like us. I’ve worked with James before, and I know how to handle him.
If you keep crushing it and stick with me, I’ll make sure you get the credit and visibility you deserve, and that you’re very well compensated. We women need to lift each other up.”
After Erika left the room, Mei sank back in her chair. Was her new boss as bad as she’d feared? Or could Erika actually help her career?
Mei’s phone buzzed. Alexandre’s name appeared on the text notification. Good thing they had their pact. In Hawai‘i, she was adamant about quitting. Now that familiar, fiery energy coursed steadily through her veins.