Page 71 of Wide-Eyed
I deflated like a balloon animal.
With a smug expression, Julian studied me through the screen. “Paul’s old school, like me. We have high standards, and we only work with the best of the best. New grads these days don’t have the same work ethic. You like shortcuts.”
Lauren’s expression was sympathetic but distant as I stuttered something about learning from my past experiences and becoming a model of professionalism. But it no longer mattered what I said. All three of us knew I wasn’t getting the job.
After the call, I let the tears break free, cuddling my pillow and wishing it was Root Beer. I also wished I could pour my heart out to a certain mustachioed man and have his rumbly, deep voice soothe me.
Mostly, I wished I’d never been so naive as to fall for a vengeful snake like Paul Barker.
He’d ruined whole chapters of my life, and all I wanted now was to close them. Instead of taking his boot off my neck and walking away with his victory, which he could and should have, Paul was still interfering in my career. He wanted me to stay down and suffer.
I was beyond feeling guilty about how I had reacted in his office that day. Caroline was right—the only reason people thought I was wrong was because I was yelling when I said it. And strangers on the internet would look for any reason to blame a woman for a situation. My yelling wasn’t the problem: it was just a convenient excuse not to hold a man accountable.
Being right sucked though.
And it didn’t improve my situation.
After I cried myself out, I made a cup of tea with the hotel supplies. Then I felt a bit better.
I told myself that it was actually good that Paul was still interfering in my career. It meant he still thought I was a threat.
That knowledge galvanized me, made me determined not to give up. If he’d tried just a little less to ruin my life, he would have been successful—because even if he hadn’t called his fashion friends and blacklisted me, I wouldn’t have gotten this job anyway. I wasn’t the right fit—both Lauren and I knew that within five minutes. But now I was determined that Paul wouldn’t best me. I would pick myself up. I would succeed. I would be happy and satisfied and loved and sexy and confident.
And Paul could fucking watch.
CHAPTER 19
MIKE
I stayed busy. It was the best tactic.
Also, the only one available to me.
The weekend ahead was looking hectic. On Friday I had a kids’ party, on Saturday morning I had to get Caroline and Chase from the airport, and in the afternoon me and Mini M had a spot at the Danestown Fair. Then Sunday was the big day—the day of my presentation.
There was no time for anything else, certainly not for missing anyone.
(And if Friday started with another shower wank using products that didn’t belong to me, that was not to be admitted.)
The drive to the airport was breezy. It was a sunny day, and Caroline had the first flight in, so there was barely any traffic. Palmy airport was the most chill airport in the world. There wasn’t any security or customs, because you had to land in one of the bigger cities first if you were coming from overseas, so why double dip it?
Caroline walked off the plane and straight into my bear hug.
I spun her round and round until both of us were dizzy.
My sister looked good. Happy. She’d lost the pinch of stress between her eyebrows that had dogged her last time she was home. Her pink hair bounced as she laughed and chatted. People in the airport craned their necks to admire her. My sister drew attention like other people drew breath. She always had, even when we were little. Dad said she took after Mum.
Chase and I shook hands. We weren’t at a hugging level yet. In general, I was a hugger, but hugs had to be earned. I didn’t hug Chase on his first trip here. I might give him a farewell hug this time though, if he was a good boy and didn’t do any annoying rich-person things while he was here.
“How’s it going, Spoons?”
Get it? Like silver?
Caroline’s blond nerd blinked behind his glasses. I realized Lyssa was right, and Kiwis were all mumblers. But the context was right in front of Chase’s face, and he was able to work it out quickly.
“I’m well, thanks, Mike. It’s nice to see you. Thanks for collecting us from the airport.”
I just grunted in reply, because where the fuck else would I be when my only sister had flown home?
