14. Working 9 to 5
K nocking on the door, Alex adjusted the cuffs of their button-down shirt—the only visual hint at their underlying nerves.
The proposal was solid. Smart. But the thought of failing—failing Cassie—weighed heavily on them.
They might not have created this mess, but they sure as hell were going to fix it.
Walking into Leah’s office felt like stepping into another world altogether.
The casual, bright beach vibes were replaced by sleek and modern; gloomy and overly minimalistic.
Leah, a recent transplant from the creative department, stood out.
Her deep blue jeans, though paired with black heels and a matching silky blouse under a similarly colored jacket, were a striking contrast to the darkness of the wood and leather.
Leah sat at a round, glass table in the corner.
With the morning light streaming in from the windows on two sides, it was the only bright spot in the otherwise dreary space.
Looking up from the papers in front of her, Leah smiled and gestured for Alex to take a seat.
“Good morning, Alex. You’ve been here a little over a week now.
How are you settling in?” Leah asked, straightening the pages and resting her hands on top.
“Good morning,” Alex replied, settling into the chair and placing a folder on the table. Their posture a tad too rigid. “I’m…not much for settling.”
Leah arched a brow, her body tensing in parallel. “Um…well, that sounds ominous.”
“Sorry. It wasn’t meant to be.” The apologetic tone conveyed their honesty. Taking in a deep breath, Alex forced their shoulders to relax, dropping their hands in their lap. “I wanted to talk to you about expanding the creative department.”
A momentary flicker of… something, flashed across Leah’s face, though she just as quickly replaced it with something more neutral. “Wow. Only a week in and already you want to talk about expanding?”
Smiling, Alex leaned forward, resting their elbows on the table.
That tiny glimmer—the opening they were looking for.
“In all honesty, I’ve been thinking about it since I accepted the job offer.
The New York office flourished when we expanded our creative department.
We added social media creative and interactive game experiences to our slate, and it brought in more clients…
especially on retainer. I think we could do the same here. Actually, I know we can.”
Leah leaned back, considering, her penetrating gaze aimed directly at Alex. “Those types of additions mean a lot more staff. More responsibility. Plus, there’re plenty of companies that specialize in those services.”
“True,” Alex said confidently, returning her gaze in equal measure.
“But with the services we already provide, we could offer a more immersive branding experience. And a one-stop shop to manage our clients’ campaigns in their entirety.
Social media content creation is in constant demand, and the interactive side would help us stand out from competitors. ”
Leah sighed as she leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms, her eyes losing focus. “You know, this isn’t the first time we’ve tried something like this.”
Alex nodded, waiting.
Looking out the window, Leah continued. An undercurrent of frustration in her voice. “Cassie pushed for it for years. The old boss was… comfortable. Content to keep the status quo.”
“Maybe a little too content?” Alex added, drawing Leah’s attention back to them.
“Maybe… I always suspected corporate was involved too.”
“You mean my dad?” Alex asked, a sense of dread washing over them. The tension in their shoulders immediately ratcheting up.
“Honestly? I don’t know. I know your dad, Frank, and Eddie started the company together after college.
Frank and your dad… seemed close. Maybe even closer than your dad and Eddie—” Leah tapped a manicured nail on the glass, her mind drifting back in time.
Clearing her throat, Leah shook off the fleeting memories.
“Anyway, expanding like this is going to require budget approval from above. In addition to more staff, we’ll need to add offices, update infrastructure.
Do you have a strategy for getting leadership on board? ”
Alex grinned. “Well, I think Cassie had the right strategy. But I have something she didn’t have access to…”
Alex took out the proposal, flipping to the budget page, and slid it in front of Leah.
“Obviously, you can take a look at the entire proposal, but I think you’ll recognize the majority of it,” Alex said, a knowing smirk matching the glint in their eyes.
“Like before, we’ve identified some of our existing clients that have expressed interest in these types of services.
But the estimates you see here are based on real numbers from New York’s latest quarter, adjusted slightly for our California rates.
I’ve refined the additional staff requirements using the East Coast as a guide and I’ve added infrastructure costs as well.
As you can see, if we can land a few and put them on retainer, the expansion could pay for itself within the first year. ”
Leah studied Alex for a moment before nodding. “Alright. You’ve done your homework on the clients and the budget numbers look solid. Do you have a line-item breakdown of the staff and infrastructure budgets?”
With a fleeting tick of nervousness, Alex leaned forward, pointing.
“Last two pages.”Leah’s expression remained neutral as she reviewed the information, but Alex could see the flicker of recognition when her eyes stopped moving about halfway down the page.
Right where the new positions were listed, including a second Senior Creative Director with Cassie’s name already filled in.
Alex met Leah’s gaze without hesitation, a confident strength supporting their voice. “We’ll definitely need another senior lead and she’s earned it.”
Leah leaned back in her chair, her fingers steepled beneath her chin as she regarded Alex with a discerning eye.
Several seconds ticked by. Finally, she exhaled, a soft sound that seemed to carry more weight than her words.
“I don’t disagree,” she said, voice calm.
Resolute. “Cassie’s one of our best and brightest, and I hated not being able to promote her when I moved up.
” She glanced down at the neat stack of materials on her desk before her gaze returned to Alex, clear and assessing.
“Does she know that you’re pursuing this? ”
Alex shifted slightly in their seat, the polished confidence they’d worn into the room faltering just a fraction. Their throat tightened, and they cleared it before answering, a flicker of vulnerability clouding their otherwise steady gaze. “Not yet. ”
Leah arched an eyebrow, but didn’t look surprised. “You’ll need to get her on board,” she said, pointedly.
“That’s the plan.” Alex sat up straighter, drawing a breath that seemed to reset them. The spark of determination in their eyes returned, sharper now, steadier. “I know it won’t be easy, but I’m not backing down.”
A ghost of a smile pulled at the corner of Leah’s mouth. “You really don’t waste time, do you?”
“I try not to,” Alex admitted, a touch of humor softening their features as a sliver of pride settled in. “Especially when something, or someone, is worth fighting for.”
Leah didn’t comment, but something in her expression shifted… less guarded now, a faint glimmer of approval breaking through. She gathered the materials on her desk, methodically aligning them before standing. With practiced ease, she tucked the stack under her arm and moved around the table.
“Can you send me just the number breakdown?” she asked, pausing as she met Alex’s gaze again. “While I appreciate the creativity in your presentation, I only need the numbers for Eddie.”
Alex rose with her, grabbing their now empty folder. “I’ll email it to you as soon as I get back downstairs.”
“Perfect.” Leah was already halfway back to her desk. “I have some time scheduled with Eddie this afternoon.”
Alex gave a nod and turned toward the door, heart thudding with something between relief and cautious optimism. The meeting had gone well. Firm but fair, just as Kellan had stated. Their hand reached for the doorknob when Leah’s voice stopped them.
“And Alex…” she said, her tone softer this time, but commanding enough that Alex instinctively turned. Leah met their gaze with a rare wa rmth. “I apologize for not saying this earlier, but welcome to the team.”
For a beat, Alex couldn’t quite find the words. Then they smiled, full and genuine. “Thank you,” they said quietly. And then they stepped out, closing the door behind them.
***
Alex had barely settled into their chair when the office door burst open, then clicked shut in quick succession. The sound was so swift, so deliberate, it startled them.
Kellan stood against the door, one hand still gripping the handle, as if they’d sprinted down the hall.
Their eyes were wide, practically glowing with anticipation, and their arms crossed over their chest like they were bracing for impact.
“Well?” Kellan asked, voice pitched low but urgent. “How did it go?”
They didn’t bother with a greeting. The question had clearly been sitting on the tip of their tongue since Alex left for the meeting. Alex exhaled slowly, dragging a hand down their face before leaning back in their chair with the kind of weariness that only came after a high-stakes conversation.
“Better than I expected,” they said finally, voice even but carrying a thread of disbelief.
“Leah’s on board… cautiously. She likes the plan, sees the potential.
But she also reminded me, the last time they tried something like this, that it probably wasn’t just the fact that Frank wasn’t keen on the idea. ”
Kellan’s expression twisted into a grimace, their fingers tapping on the door behind them. “Yeah, I figured as much. Cassie went to battle over this for years. The old boss was useless, but she always thought someone higher up was blocking it. She just never had proof.”
Alex nodded slowly, the weight of that reality settling on their shoulders. “And Leah definitely believes that to be the case as well.”
A silence settled between them for a brief moment, thick with unspoken frustration, vindication, and the gravity of how long Cassie had been fighting alone.
“So,” Kellan said, stepping off the door and moving closer. “What’s the next move? How do we make it happen this time?”
Alex straightened in their seat, leaning forward until their elbows rested on the edge of the desk.
The tiredness faded, replaced by something sharper.
Focused. “We start locking in client commitments. Leah liked that I brought a realistic timeline and budget estimates, but now she wants to see actual numbers. Proof of concept.”
A grin pulled at the corners of Kellan’s mouth. “Good thing we already have a list of interested clients, huh?”
Alex’s answering smirk was quick and confident. “Exactly.”
But the moment of shared momentum softened as Kellan hesitated, dropping their voice just above a whisper. “And… did you get a chance to say anything about Cassie?”
Alex’s expression shifted. Something more tender slipping in.
The kind of softness they rarely let show.
“Yeah,” they said quietly. “I told her Cassie deserves a promotion. I told her if this expansion moves forward, there’s no question we will need another Senior Director.
Leah didn’t push back. She knows how much Cassie deserves it. ”
For a second, Kellan didn’t respond. Just stared, a slow smile spreading across their face as the weight of those words sank in. “Holy shit, Alex,” they breathed. “That’s huge.”
Alex nodded, the magnitude of it not lost on them either. There was still a long road ahead, but this… this was the opening they’d ne eded. “Yeah,” they said again, a little steadier this time. “Now we just have to make it happen.”
Kellan clapped their hands once and rubbed them together like a villain about to hatch a scheme. “Alright then. Let’s get to work.”
Alex chuckled, the sound lighter now, buoyed by hope and a speck of triumph. “Okay. I just have to send an email first.”
Kellan threw them a knowing look as they turned to leave. “Better make it a good one.”
Alex smiled to themselves as the door swung shut again, already turning back to their laptop. There was work to do.