Page 154 of Lovestruck at Sundown
He’d stood me up so many timesin the past that I had stopped asking him to join me. But I wanted nothing more than to share this special day with him. With someone who knew and loved my mom and felt the weight of her absence.
Baby steps, I told myself. And without sounding too enthusiastic or apathetic, I said, “Let’s go,” and offered him a genuine smile.
I texted Aaron to let him know I was ready to leave as we took the elevator to the lobby. Big Mike stood outside by the car, and my dad instructed him to meet us at St. Patrick’s while Aaron followed us on foot.
On our way there, we talked about my job, about how much I liked it, and about how great it felt to earn my own money. He offered to reinstate my credit cards, but I kindly refused, explaining how I’d been learning to administer myself without failing to credit William’s generosity in covering many expenses when I fell short. Including my last semester at Parsons and the credits I earned during the summer, emphasizing my eagerness to pay him back someday.
When I told him I was paying rent on the apartment, his baffled reaction made me laugh for the first time since he had arrived at my apartment.
I had to explain how I had coerced William to accept my money after a few rounds of aggressive negotiation.
“That’s my girl,” he said, pressing a kiss to my temple as we stopped at a pedestrian crossing. He didn’t appreciate my decision to spend money on rent, yet he understood why I chose to do things my way. He even confessed to secretly admiring William’s move to buy the apartment without his knowledge. It had infuriated him and made him look like a fool, but he gave him credit for the business acumen, nonetheless.
Teasingly, I pressed my hand on my dad’s forehead, and he laughed a heartwarming and open laugh that made my cheekshurt from smiling so hard. It was as if aliens had abducted him and rewired his brain before sending him back to Earth.
We arrived at St. Patrick’s Cathedral with a few minutes to spare, and before we took the stairs to the main entrance, I stopped and grabbed his arm. “Promise me one thing,” I said.
“Anything, kiddo.”
“No more secrets?”
He pressed his lips together and shook his head with steadfast determination. “No more secrets.”
July 21, 2012
Becca:Can I see you in conference room 3 in 10 minutes?
Me:Of course. I’m finishing up at the studio with Lucas.
I’ll meet you up there in 10.
Lucas Lehmann was one of Haute Magazine’s in-house photographers. He had just wrapped up a jewelry and accessories photo shoot for our next issue, and I was his assistant for the shoot. We were almost done putting all the equipment away so I would be on time for the impromptu meeting Becca had summoned me for.
“Thank you, Billie,” Lucas said with his thick German accent. “See you next Thursday.”
“Of course,” I replied, heading toward the studio’s exit. I had three minutes before I had to be in the conference room, so I picked up my pace.
When I approached the glass panels, I spotted Becca and two men in suits who looked important, and my stomach tightened with nerves. Who were these men, and why did they want to talk tome? Was I getting fired? I quickly reviewed the last few days at the office inside my head as I gently knocked onthe door before walking in.
“Hi, Billie,” Becca said in a businesslike tone, one she never used when addressing me. “This is Maxwell Chambers, Chief People Officer at Vellichor Media Group, and his assistant, Zach Cruz.”
HR on steroids.
Vellichor Media Group, or VMG, was the mass media company that owned Haute Magazine, among many other print, video and film, digital, and audio brands.
“Nice to meet you, Billie,” Maxwell said, and Zach followed.
“Nice to meet you two … too.” I mentally slapped myself. I’d been here for three seconds and had already managed to look like a fool. I smiled, hoping they wouldn’t detect the slight tremble in the handshake.
Zach chuckled.
“Billie, please take a seat.” Becca waved at the empty chair beside her.
I did as I was told and tried not to look alarmed. I loved my job, and the thought of possibly losing it was nerve-racking and anxiety-inducing. At least I had taken extra time this morning to blow dry my hair and choose a nicer-than-usual outfit since William and I were meeting my dad for dinner to celebrate his birthday.
If asked to empty my desk, I’d do so with dignity.
“Maxwell and Zach are interested in filling a position for VMG’s newest endeavor, Empire Magazine,” Becca explained. “It’ll feature cover stories on noteworthy individuals, events, and trends. And it will cover a wide range of topics, including politics, world affairs, health, tech, entertainment, culture, etcetera, etcetera.”
