Twenty Evelyn #2
She led me onto the patio with the jacuzzi, where a small table for two was laid out as well, overlooking the city.
The atmosphere was comfortable as we fell into small talk over our thoughts on each of the meetings we attended and whether we generally believed the trip was worthwhile.
"Even if we only make one major connection on this trip—or walk away with a single new opportunity—it'll have been worth it. Vector Line invests so much in marketing that the cost of sending us here is negligible."
"Exactly. And it's worth it for employees too since we get a change of pace. Especially with an extra day to relax, hence my acceptance of the offer."
"Oh? So that's why you accepted." The sarcasm was loud and clear, impossible to miss.
"Yes… Florida is so warm, and the beaches—"
"And when you asked who's coming as your last question before giving me your answer, that related to the temperature and beaches how?" She bit her lip to hold back a grin.
"I just wanted to know if there were a lot of people attending. I'd be more likely to go if there were."
"I'm only one person, though, sweetheart."
"Your point?"
"You came for me, and me alone."
Before I could answer, my phone started ringing.
I glanced down at the screen. Michael. It was nearly ten at night.
Odd. I looked up at Vanessa. She met my eyes and gave a short nod, silently telling me to answer it.
I stepped away and out of earshot, not wanting to bother her, she probably didn't need a reminder of work.
"Michael? What's going on?" We were close, but not on a call-for-no-reason basis.
"I just wanted to check on you, since you're stuck with Ms. Walton for three days. Besides, the department feels way chiller without her unreasonable demands, so I had to rub that in your face."
"Good try, but it's actually been nice being away for a bit. It's a refreshing change."
"We’re talking about being around the same person, right?"
I forced a laugh into the phone, wanting to end the call and get back to Vanessa.
"Seriously, does she have a gun to your head?" he continued.
I wanted to change the topic. I had a feeling nothing good would come of telling Michael anything about how Vanessa actually treats me.
"What could possibly make Vector Line any better than the Florida weather and not having to sit at the same desk all day?"
"Not having to sit with Ms. Walton all day. Plus, Adam’s being a bit easier on me and the others on deadlines without the fear of her wrath."
So this was what Vanessa had been upset over.
Without her there to keep people in line, she now had to micro-manage far more.
Not having as much control for the last few days must have been making her crazy.
No wonder she was so riled up. This explained her behavior during the meeting and her words to me as we entered the last one.
Work seemed like an important outlet for her neuroses. Without it she was becoming desperate to assert control in any way she could.
"I have to go get some stuff done, but don't get behind too much. It'll just create problems later." He didn't seem to take the hint that I was ending the conversation.
"Yeah… apparently Vanessa found out and lost it, threatening and screaming at Adam this morning, so he gave us some whole spiel about tomorrow being back to normal so she doesn't fire him when she gets back.
Adam will be fine, though. This is the first time he's done something like this, and he definitely learned his lesson. "
She didn't yell at Adam. She was quiet so I wouldn't wake up.
I gave a fake laugh again before ending the call. I liked Michael regardless of our different work ethics—he’d welcomed me to the team and helped me make some acquaintances in the office. Yet regardless, the way he spoke of Vanessa left a bitter taste in my mouth.
When I headed back to the table, Vanessa had a knowing but unaffected look across her face.
I was naturally going to give her a brief and filtered version of why he called, so as not to give her the wrong impression of why a coworker was calling me this late, during his personal time.
I opened my mouth to speak after choosing my words carefully, but she held up a hand, stopping me.
"Let me guess—Michael is explaining how much better the office is without me and was checking to make sure I haven't killed you?"
She didn't seem bothered by the situation, more amused, which was good because I couldn't lie to her.
I nodded sheepishly, eyeing my noodles instead. "I'm sorry, it wasn't nice of him."
She let out a small chuckle.
"Evelyn, there's a good reason employees aren't close with their bosses.
If they do their job well, they have to put the corporation first. It's the boss's job to keep them in line, constantly supervise them, and take responsibility, so it's only natural most people don't like that—and therefore them. Do you understand?"
Was this the case for us too? Vanessa was the most impressive and dedicated leader I'd ever seen, but I liked her so much. Was this her way of putting distance between us?
"But we get along, don't we?" I asked tentatively, not trying to give away how much I believed there was something deeper between us.
"Most, Evelyn."
"I'm sorry, I don't follow." She seemed to be being intentionally vague, her words full of implications I couldn't quite grasp.
"You don't mind being looked after, complying, or being put in your place… In fact, I think you like it.”
My heart skipped a beat, my skin burning as I processed the entirely accurate statement. Maybe she believed the not-so-subtle tendencies of mine she picked up on were work-related. This had to be about our work dynamic. Did she believe this was interfering with it?
"Maybe. Is it a problem?" I asked softly.
"Honey, now you're just putting words in my mouth."
"You seem to be implying that it's a bad trait for work."
"That is not what I'm implying.” She paused, seeing straight through my innocent act. “And you know that."
I fussed with a strand of my hair, refusing to analyze what was right in front of me, laced into her suggestive words and the way I felt utterly exposed.
But what if I was misinterpreting all of this? What if she was only saying these things because she'd been starved of control for the past few days? This all felt far too good to be true.
"Well then, I guess this makes me a good employee. Aren't you glad you didn't fire me the first day?" I joked, trying to break the sexual tension that was consuming every inch of me whole.
She didn’t correct that this had nothing to do with work. She knew I knew. The reaction her words had elicited from me was confirmation enough.
"I am very glad. Should we toast to you holding your job with some tea?"
I giggled as she got up to boil the water.
Once it cooled down, I finished the mug before Vanessa had even had a few sips of hers.
"Why can't you savor things?" She sighed, pouring me more hot water without me needing to ask.
"It's free to refill the mug with hot water as many times as we want, so there's no need to savor it."
Vanessa shook her head, unable to resist correcting me. "Loose aged leaves lose their nuance after soaking one cup."
I used my small spoon to fish one of the unusually large and vibrant pieces out, examining it with interest.
"I don't care about the nuance. Trust me, it will taste exactly the same to me." I took a convincing sip, giving her a cocky nod of approval.
"There's no need. I have plenty. Just sit pretty for a second and I'll get you more, okay?"
I giggled as she flicked my shoulder on the way inside. I could get used to her telling me to sit pretty.
"Fine, but can we toast this cup to you firing Jane for me instead?" I shouted through the open suite door.
"For you?" she repeated, stepping back outside with a delicate-looking box and a playful smile. "What makes you think I don't just fire anyone who slacks off?" She carefully plucked out a few leaves, dropping them into my cup before sitting back down.
"Hm, you haven't fired Adam yet, have you?"
I meant it as a joke to prove my point, but she tilted her head thoughtfully, contemplating her answer. "No, not yet. I'm giving it more careful consideration. He plays a more influential role in the department dynamics. Therefore, it's not as simple a decision as with Jane."
"You think it would start drama?" I asked, curious for gossip.
She flicked my arm playfully. "Nice try, but it's getting late."
"Aren't you going to give me more details for tomorrow?" I asked, surprised she hadn’t already.
"No. As I said, just bring a bathing suit and be ready at ten. I've arranged for lunch and refreshments to be aboard the boat, so everything for the day has already been taken care of."
I frowned. I wasn't used to this. I was always the planner in my friend group—the one figuring everything out and making sure everyone else had a good time, not the one just along for the ride. She seemed to recognize it wasn’t easy for me to hand over control, as she rested her hand over mine.
"Evelyn, I'm handling everything. You don't need to worry about a thing. Let me take care of this all. Okay, sweetheart?" If planning every detail of tomorrow was what she needed right now, I wanted to let her have it.
A blissful smile tugged at my lips at her words, giving me permission to relax and let her take complete control of tomorrow.