Page 91 of Chasing After You
I respond quickly, purchasing the audiobook as I pull one of my earbuds from my bag and cue it up.
Elias is the first one in the office, and if he’s surprised to see me already here, he doesn’t let it show. I’m usually one of the first people in this department here, but I’m often on the move, working from my laptop throughout the day as I shadow Henry. He tilts his head in acknowledgment, grabbing the coffee marked with an E. I’ve gathered he’s not much of a morning person, but he sure knows how to plaster on a convincing smile when Stacey walks in.
Ginger walks in a few minutes later, smiling with relief at the coffee. “I think I love you,” she says, and I smile back at her. I like Ginger the most out of my coworkers, and I think we’d actually have a shot at being friends if it weren’t for Miley.
I’m convinced Miley might be Regina George resurrected.
Anytime Ginger is nice to me, Miley stares at her with this look that makes Ginger shrink, and I hate it. But I also know that if I fight Ginger’s battles for her, Miley is never going to respect her. Elias has just decided it’s easier to be on Miley’s good side than to try to be my friend, which is fine by me.
My point is proven exactly right when Miley walks in, her smile more of a sneer as she bares her teeth at me and snags her coffee.
You can only control how you act, not how others react.
Yesterday was rough, and by the look on her face, today will be too.
Sometimes being the bigger person sucks, but giving her a reaction is letting Miley win. I ignore her and sip my coffee, trying to focus on the audiobook as a new email loads that Stacey cc’d me on with the details for the Panthers’ upcoming charity gala next month. There’s a separate email addressed only to me, explaining I’ll be attending as a guest—and as Henry’s date—along with a request to monitor any interviews given at the event since I’ll be with him all night. I’m honestly a little surprised that she’s asking instead of telling, but if I’m being entirely honest, Stacey is growing on me a lot and vice versa.
She’s a little prickly at first, and I wasn’t sure what to expect from having her as a mentor, but she’s incredible at what she does if her effort to bump Henry’s popularity is any indication. His jersey sales are growing in popularity, but my dad’s is still our leading product.
I send off the analysis of Henry’s social media engagement I put together last night when a forwarded email chain rolls in from Stacey, containing correspondence between her and Henry’s agent with a list of companies that have reached out, wanting to partner with Henry.
Please look through these to see which ones would align best with our organization, and the image we are trying to create for Henry.
We’ll speak later.
My eyes widen in surprise as I bump my knee against the bottom of my desk. “Shit,” I mutter under my breath, rubbing it as if it will make the ache go away faster. My fingers dance over the small, indented scar on my knee that’s identical to Henry’s.
“Are you okay?” Ginger asks, peering up at me over her computer, and I pause the audiobook so I don’t miss anything.
“I’m good, just clumsy,” I say.
Miley looks at me, and it is so tempting to stick my tongue out at her, but it’s not worth it. “What does Stacey have you doing?” she asks and I shrug. This feels like something that is way above my title as an intern, and if Stacey wanted everyone to know, she would have included them in her email.
“Work,” I answer vaguely, unpausing the book, only to pause it again as she opens her mouth once more.
“What kind of work?” Miley continues, and Elias turns to look at her in annoyance.
“I’m trying to get my work done, and maybe you should do the same.”
“I will after Mirabelle answers the question,” Miley says, and Elias gives me a look.
Be the bigger person, Mirabelle.“An email,” I say, plastering on a smile that I hope matches the same one Miley gave me earlier.
“Oh, perfect. Then when you’re done with that very important email, maybe you can go pick up Stacey’s dry cleaning.” Is she serious? I’m not doing Miley’s job for her.
“Miley, come on,” Ginger says.
She’s being rude, and I’m over it. My patience is already pretty damn thin after all of Miley’s comments yesterday, and this is a moment when I hate that I inherited my parents’ tempers. “No.”
“No, what?” Miley tilts her head to the side, and I mimic the movement.
“No is a complete sentence. I’m sorry you don’t get your work done within the time Stacey allots us, but that’s not my problem. Stacey gave me things to get done before she gets back, and I agree with Elias. I’m trying to get my work done, and it sounds like you should stop worrying about what I’m doing so you can focus on yourself,” I snap, honestly missing the days when all they asked about was my gold medal.
“You’re able to get your work done because the three of us are busy running errands normal interns have to do, but I guess you’re not normal, right?”
“Cry me a river, Miley.”Oh shit, I probably shouldn’t have said that, but there’s nothing I can do about it now. It’s not like I hit her.
Ginger laughs, slapping her hand over her mouth to smother the sound as Miley fixes her stare on her, before glaring at me again. “You’re Sebastian Walker’s daughter, and the head coach is your uncle. They were never going to make you do the grunt work. We’re here while you get to go play with puppies and do interviews with your boyfriend.”
