Chapter Twenty Two
MEREDITH
The next day, I knew something was weird at the office as soon as I got in. My coworkers were in a frenzy.
What's going on? I headed straight to Sonya’s office.
"Hey, Sonya, our meeting starts in ten minutes."
"Yes, it does."
"Do I need my laptop to take notes?"
"Oh no, you don't. It's going to be short."
I decided to ask her point-blank, since her answers were curt. "Is everything okay? The whole team seems in an uproar."
"I'm guessing you didn't check on the contest?"
My stomach bottomed out. Cade hadn’t mentioned anything either, though he probably hadn’t looked at the updates—and I actually forgot to. We’d been together the whole weekend, and he’d been the only thing on my mind.
"No, I didn't. Is there news?"
"Yes. We didn't make it to the next round."
I felt as if someone had pulled a rug out from under me and I'd fallen nose first against her desk.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I really thought we were going to make it into the finals. We had a very good product. What was the grade?” I was truly stunned. I hadn't expected this. “Oh, now I want to rush back to my computer to look at it.”
"We didn't get the feedback yet. Our score was high, but I assume the others got an even better grade. I’m disappointed, of course, but as you know, I had a purpose when I entered the competition, and I'm close to finalizing it," she continued.
"Okay. So are you moving forward with Cade?"
"No, I honestly didn't like Mr. Whitley's attitude. I would've thought he'd be more open to us, given your relationship with him."
I pressed my lips together to stop from making a sassy remark. That was unfair of Sonya. One thing had nothing to do with the other.
"In the meantime, I’ve been in talks with the Bean Masters."
"Really? They're interested in buying?"
"Yes. I've spoken with the CEO at length."
"As long as you're happy with the person who takes over your company, that's all that matters."
Sonya cleared her throat. “Alfred Danvers wants me to go to his office with a presentation. I'll think about whether or not I should include you on the team."
I blinked. That was like a slap in the face. I was her VP of marketing. That was my job. "Why shouldn't I be included? I prepped everything with Arthur for Cade."
"The reason I'm not sure you should be on the team is that I made a mistake of telling Alfred about you and Cade. Your relationship."
What. The. Hell? How in God’s name would that have come up in a conversation? A business one at that?
"And?"
"Apparently, he's not a fan of Cade, so he didn't take it well that someone from my team was… well, he put it as ‘fraternizing with the rival.’"
I stared at her. "What are you not telling me, Sonya?"
"Look, nothing is set in stone yet, obviously. All I'm asking is for you to be polite when you eventually meet him."
"I'm always polite." Sonya’s passive-aggressive way of handling our conversation was starting to piss me off. There was obviously more to it, and apparently she didn’t think I needed to know.
"He doesn't have spectacular manners, if I'm honest. He likes to push people's buttons. So, if and when you two meet, and he remarks on something you're not okay with, just let it go."
It was on the tip of my tongue to ask, "Or what?"
Is it just me, or is Sonya acting extremely belligerent today?
"Let me ask you something else, Sonya. What do you think will happen to me if you end up selling to him?" Though from what she'd already said, I knew my answer.
Sonya pursed her lips together. “I think that depends on how you're going to get on with him.” She didn't meet my eyes as she said it.
"I appreciate the heads-up," I said. If she ended up selling to him, I would be in need of a job. I’d assumed that would be the case from the get-go but had held on to the hope that I’d fit into a new team.
What a clusterfuck. I couldn't believe it. I was being punished because I was in a relationship with Cade when it all seemed to be quite different a few weeks ago.
"Do you want me to put together the marketing part of the presentation, even if I'm not allowed to actually present it?" I asked.
"Yes, please. You can use a lot of the stuff you prepped for Cade Whitley. It was a very good presentation."
"Thank you." At least she acknowledged my work.
I was fuming when I returned to my desk. I couldn't believe things had turned around so fast.
I was starting to get a headache. I tapped the screen of my phone to see if I had any missed calls in my absence. I didn't, but I had two messages from Cade.
Cade: Good morning, beautiful. How did your week start?
Cade: I know Mondays are usually shit. If that's the case, tell me and I'll send reinforcements.
Despite everything, I chuckled. It was as if we had an unspoken connection.
I replied to him as I clicked around on my computer to check if any other unforeseen meetings had popped on my calendar—yeah, I was good at multitasking.
Meredith: Send all the reinforcements you can. The week started off weird.
Cade: I just heard from Sonya. She told me she no longer wants to continue negotiations with me and that she's been talking to the Bean Masters.
Meredith: Exactly.
There was no point telling him that Danvers didn’t plan to keep me around. It was my shit to deal with.
I'd barely put my phone down when it vibrated again.
Cade: I don’t like Alfred Danvers. We don't see eye to eye on many things.
No shit.
Meredith: Did you make it to the next round?
Cade: Yes.
Meredith: CONGRATS. We need to celebrate.
Cade: We have time for that. But let’s focus on you. How can I make your day better?
Oh, I had so many ideas. He could whisk me away and do all sorts of delicious stuff to me.
Get it together, Meredith. This is Monday. You still have five days to slog through before you can feast on Cade for forty-eight hours straight.
Meredith: I don't think you can. I just have to suck it up.
He called me the next second. "Meredith." His voice was almost a groan.
"Yeah?"
"I know just what you need," he said.
"Oh, I doubt that." But despite the fact that the morning had such a spectacularly shitty start, I was already feeling better. I twirled around in my chair, looking out the window. I loved the view. How much longer would I have it?
"No, I can't blast right through your door, throw you over my shoulder, and take you away, but I can do the next best thing."
"And what's that?"
"I can whisk you away this evening."
In a fraction of an instant, my budding headache completely vanished, just like that. Cade was magic, I swear to God.
"Really? Where are we going?"
"I don't know yet. I'll figure something out this evening to make sure you forget all about this craptastic day."
"Oh, that's a very good word to describe it." It's only nine thirty in the morning, but this day is already better. “But wait. Natalie and I are going out with Jeannie after work.”
“We’ll figure something out.”
"Okay. Damn, I have to go. Our mutual friend Arthur, our CFO, is calling me.”
“Talk to you later.”
“Bye.”
I spoke with Arthur on the phone for a couple minutes. I wondered what he thought about the new development, but it wasn't my place to ask. I wasn't nosy. This was Sonya's business, not mine. I simply had to follow the instructions and do my best for the company.
After I hung up, I did something I usually didn't do during my work time.
I opened my private folder where I had my personal financial spreadsheets.
Even if I was unemployed for a couple months, I still had enough savings to be able to continue helping out my parents with their rent. That should be enough, right?
Stop this, Meredith. It's not like you to procrastinate. You have a job right now. Make the best of it.
At around eleven o'clock, there was a knock at my door, and Diana, one of our assistants, stepped inside. "Meredith, I have something for you. A delivery boy just brought it. I think it's some samples."
"Thanks." I took the box. It had no sender or a recipient. As carefully as possible, I put it on the desk and opened it up.
Oh my goodness. There were three pastéis de nata inside, and there could only be one person who sent them. I snapped a picture and sent it to Cade.
Meredith: Is this your doing?
He replied a few seconds later.
Cade: Obviously. Who else knows what your favorite treat is? Wait, don't answer that. I don't want to know.
I chuckled, typing back.
Meredith: My sister and parents know, and that's about it. Why did you pass it off as a sample?
Cade: I didn't want to make a fuss about this being from me.
He was charming and thoughtful and whip smart. All that made him insanely attractive to me.
Meredith: Thanks. I feel better just looking at them.
I immediately shoved one in my mouth, humming.
Cade: Good. That was my goal. I can't wait to see you tonight.
I grinned from ear to ear as I typed back.
Meredith: I can't wait to see you either.
I put the phone down, sighing. I'd never experienced anything like this before.
Usually the only person I shared my bad days with was my sister. Once, with an ex, I'd made the mistake of telling him when I came home from work one evening that it had been a difficult day, and he said he didn't want me to bring down his mood with any of that. Since then, I'd never bothered.
But Cade didn’t hesitate to ask me how my morning was, and now he was going out of his way to make sure the day wasn't complete crap. I was going to spoil him rotten this evening and show my appreciation in every way possible.