Page 68 of Perfect Scandal
Taking me on? Like I’m a problem child that none of the teachers at school want to deal with?
“No, I think I’ll pass. I’ve decided that my time here at BoCo has run its course.”
“Tessa, we are happy to accommodate—”
“Don’t worry—I’m not going to sue you. I just need to put this part of my life behind me. Consider this my two-week notice. I’ll send a formal resignation letter by the end of the day.”
Not surprisingly, she doesn’t try to stop me as I leave her office and return to my floor, already feeling a million times lighter despite my looming unemployment.
“How’d it go?” Bella whispers from her cubicle. “One of the maintenance guys was just here cleaning out Spencer’s stuff. I’m expecting a text from T.J. any second now.”
“Spencer’s gone, but Jeff is still here.”
She grimaces. “Crap, I’m sorry.”
“Me, too. So I gave my notice.”
“What?” She tosses her headphones onto her desks and wheels herself over to me. “What are you going to do?”
I shrug. “Not sure yet.” But I have enough money saved to cover bills for a few months, and Dean’s assured me that he’ll be okay for a while, too. “For now, I need to get through the next couple of weeks and hope Jeff avoids me as effectively as I’ll be avoiding him.”
“I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do? Any campaigns you need help wrapping up?”
I shake my head. “No, I don’t think so. I’m meeting with Cali Nolan later today for a quick change she wants to make to the Aspen campaign, but she assured me it’s minor. I should be able to make the update and finalize everything before I go. If not, I’ll make sure she knows to request your help in my absence.”
Bella makes a pouty face. “I’m going to miss you.”
“It’s not like we only hang out at work.” I laugh lightly, then frown. “I can’t hang out with Spencer around. At least not anytime soon.” And preferably not without Dean, which I am fully aware is contradictory to myno man speaks for mebelief. In this case, I’ll make an exception because he’s already proved himself better at standing up to Spencer than I am.
“T.J. is really upset with him, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he stops coming around. Or if T.J. flat-out stops inviting him to things.”
I hope he does. For Bella’s sake and T.J.’s reputation, too.
I’ve already talked to Holly and profusely apologized for not telling her about my issues with Spencer sooner. I put her in harm’s way by trying to protect myself. But she assured me that he’s never been inappropriate with her, and now that the truth has come out, she’ll never give him an opportunity to be either.
“Anyway, I better get to work. Lots of loose ends to tie up.”
Bella gives me a quick side-squeeze. “I’m proud of you.”
I give a confident nod. “Me, too.”
* * *
“I can have that change made by tomorrow morning, and all the files updated by noon at the latest.”
Cali throws her hands in the air and lets out a whoop. “I am so happy to hear that. I was worried you’d be upset that I changed my mind.”
“We’re tweaking a color, not starting from scratch.” I chuckle softly, enter a few notes into the iPad, and then level her with a frown. “But I do have some bad news.”
“Wait.” She holds up a hand and pinches her eyes shut. “I have something else I want to run by you, and I’ve always been a good news before bad news type of person.”
“Okay…” I press my lips into a grin and wait.
“I’m really impressed with how easily you grasp my harebrained ideas. It’s like you can see inside my head. But less creepy.” She flashes an overdramatic smile. “Anyway, my PR team can’t stop raving about how awesome this campaign is going to be, and I got to thinking…”
She’s going to ask me to do another project. And I’m going to have to say no. Ugh.
“What would it take to secure your creative expertise on a full-time basis? Like, forget your other clients; you’d be all Cali, all the time.”
