16. Dylan
16
DYLAN
“ D ylan, can you come into my office?” I hear Katherine’s voice call from her office, which is tragically closer to my desk than I’d prefer. Ever since the presentation, she’s been surprisingly…nice. Okay, that might be the wrong word for it. But at least she hasn’t been down my throat. It’s almost like she’s starting to realize that I am a perfectly capable human being who isn’t half bad at her job. Almost.
I close my laptop and rise from my desk, throwing Scarlett a pleading look to save me before entering her office.
“Please, take a seat.” She signals to the seat sitting in front of her desk. As much as I hate her, there’s no denying that her office is beautiful.
It’s the definition of feminine. There’s a modern white desk fitted in the center of the room, with two baby pink velvet chairs sitting across from it, finished with white feathered pillows. Instead of floor-to-ceiling windows, there’s a built-in bookshelf behind the desk filled to the brim with brightly colored books, plants, and knick-knacks. It’s far superior to the lackluster cubicles that fill the rest of the office .
Of course, Katherine spent most of the decorating budget on her office. While she works on her throne, the rest of us peasants are typing away in small boxes that, at moments, can feel unfathomably claustrophobic.
I sit down in one of the velvet chairs, the fuzzy pillow tickling me through my black silk blouse. Now that spring has fully arrived, I’m no longer bogged down by layers. I’ve been counting down the days until the beginning of summer when I can freely wear cooler clothes without freezing my butt off.
As much as I love the winter, growing up on the lake in the summer made me a lover of the sunshine. I dream of the days on the boat, catching fireflies in the backyard, and stargazing under the summer stars.
I know that New York is different than Woodland Heights in almost every sense of the word, but I still find myself wishing for the warmer months.
“Yes?” I anxiously smooth down my wide-length trousers, knowing damn well that they’re completely wrinkle-free. I spent twenty minutes ironing them this morning to be sure of it, but there’s something about Katherine’s presence that makes me jittery.
“I got a call from Evelyn this morning,” she starts, and my throat constricts. If she has any issues with me, it could be the end of my career as I know it. “She spoke very highly of you and how you helped manage the photoshoot.”
I gingerly rub the knot in my chest and relax in my seat, my posture becoming lax as I sink into the relief. That is good news, but something tells me there’s more to it.
“I should congratulate you, I suppose. It appears that Ms. Bennett is quite appreciative of the work that you’ve done for her so far.”
I sit in silence, waiting for the moment when Katherine finally praises me for my hard work, but it doesn’t come.
“Because of this, I talked to the PR team who’s been working hard on putting together a short, two-week book tour for Evelyn. I’d like you to join her. It’s primarily the East Coast.”
“Um, thank you,” I reply, unsure how to feel about the opportunity. On one hand, I should feel thankful that she’s giving me yet another chance to prove that I know what I’m doing. On the other hand, she’s sending me away from other clients I could take on if I were still in the city. This feels like a trap.
“Parker will also be joining you to ensure it all goes off without a hitch.”
“Excuse me?” I leap forward to the edge of my seat, positive that I misheard her.
“You’ll be leaving in exactly,” she looks at her computer and then back up to me, “one month to assist Evelyn on her book tour. It’s clear she trusts the two of you, and I’m putting a lot of faith in you. A lot is riding on this release, and if it’s not a best-seller, then we’re all fucked. So, I need you to do everything in your power to make sure this goes well. Blue Bird has invested a lot of money into this tour, and if it’s unsuccessful, it reflects poorly on us.”
“Then why are you asking me to go and not someone like Scarlett?”
“If it were up to me, I would be asking Scarlett. Unfortunately, Evelyn sees this as the best option, and I’m not going to argue with her when she’s one of our biggest clients right now.”
I dig my nails into my palms, trying to bite back the feeling of hurt. I knew that Katherine didn’t think highly of me, but to outright tell me that this isn’t her choice brings a swell of pain that I wasn’t expecting to feel.
“That’s all. You can go now.” Katherine ushers me out with a flick of her hand, closing the window for a retort.
I stand up and rush out of the office, fighting the prickle behind my eyes. My vision blurs, making the short journey back to my desk difficult .
Don’t cry. It’s not worth it, I lecture myself. I tumble into my chair, hands covering my face.
“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” Scarlett’s voice, although soft, startles me.
I bite the inside of my cheek, willing the tears threatening to overflow to stay put, and pull my hands away from my face to look up at her. She bends down closer to my level once she notices my mental state.
“After working my ass off, Katherine still doesn’t think I’m good enough for this job.”
“I’m sure that’s not true.” She tries to comfort me by placing her hands on my shoulders, but I’m numb to the consolation.
“She actually just told me. Straight to my face.” I throw my hands toward Katherine’s door, unwilling to look in that direction, knowing that if I do, the tears will finally fall. Until I moved to New York, it took a lot to ruffle my feathers. These days it feels like I spend more time crying than I do enjoying myself.
I refuse to run away from the city just because I loathe my boss and I’m forced to see Parker 24/7, but I’ve never been more excited for a project to end. Maintaining a low profile has proven to be impossible.
Scarlett’s eyes blaze with anger as her soothing hold becomes a tight grip on my shoulder. “Do you need me to go in there and kick her ass?”
I let out a halfhearted, watery laugh. “No. Just because she hates me doesn’t mean you need to lose your job.”
“I’ve been going to Jiu-Jitsu classes on the weekends. It’d be nice to have some real-life experience,” she responds nonchalantly.
“I know you’re just saying that to make me feel better.”
“No, I’m not. It’s been a great stress reliever.” She shrugs, and my eyes widen. Scarlett is one of the most unpredictable people I’ve ever met, and the idea of her taking down Katherine– although I’d never condone violence–sends me into a fit of giggles. I don’t stop until there’s a stitch in my side, and I’m gasping for air. As I wipe away tears of laughter, I look up at her to see a giant grin on her face.
“Feel better?” She reaches down and squeezes my hand.
“Yes, thank you. But please, don’t beat anyone up. The last thing we need in the mix of this shit show is a lawsuit.”
She throws her hands up. “You just say the word, and I’ll be there. I think I speak for the entirety of the office when I say that Katherine needs to be put in her place.”
“I love you.”
“I know,” Scarlett sneers.
I lean back in my chair and take a sip of the watered-down latte I got first thing this morning, wrinkling my nose at the bland flavor. The clock on my desk reads 4:50 p.m.–thank god the day is almost over. I grab my closed laptop and put it into my bag, gearing up to leave for the night.
“I have to go on the book tour with Parker,” I confess.
“Excuse me? Why didn’t you lead with that?” Her head whips back with surprise, and she plants herself on the floor of my cubicle. It looks like, despite the workday being done in ten minutes, she’s making herself comfortable. I sigh and plop my bag back on my desk.
“Oh, I don’t know. I thought Katherine telling me I suck at my job was a little more important at the moment,” I huff.
Scarlett shakes her head disapprovingly and tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ears, scooting closer to me in the process. “Well, you and I both know that’s just not true. She sees your potential and isn’t willing to admit that because she has an ego the size of Texas and a heavy dose of control problems. But I am sorry that she made you feel that way. You don’t deserve that.”
“Deep down, I know you’re right. It’s just hard not to take it personally sometimes. ”
“Trust me, I understand. That’s why I’ll be here every step of the way to tell you to ignore it. If you keep up the work you’ve been doing, you’ll be coming for my job sooner rather than later.”
“I love you, but I think I need to hold your hand when I tell you that you’re delusional.”
“Not delusional. Just someone who sees that you’re great at your job. You being one of my best friends is just an added benefit for me.” She winks. Hearing Scarlett unexpectedly refer to me as one of her best friends brings a bubble of joy to my heart. “Now, why don’t you tell me about this book tour over a martini? There’s a new spot right around the corner with a killer happy hour that I’ve been dying to try.”
I leap out of my chair at the mention of leaving and grabbing a drink. If I’m going to survive this next month, I’m going to need a hell of a lot of girl time and a martini or two.
“You’re speaking my language.” I grab my oversized bag that, quite frankly, weighs too much for everyday use, extend a hand to Scarlett, pull her off the ground, and link arms with her as we head out of the office.