Chapter Nine
Two more agonizing days went by without a word from Cooper. No phone calls, text messages, or—even more frustrating—replies to my email about the evils of BHA. I had figured he would at least have something to say about that. But I guess not. Luckily, it was finally Friday and in less than eight hours I would be free to go out and get a little crazy with my friends. Somewhere out there was a pitcher of beer with my name on it.
I sank into my chair at my desk, hating the way my ass had already left permanent indents in the faux leather fabric. As if I needed one more thing to worry about.
“She’s not really his type.”
The words of the jealous secretary replayed in my head as I looked down at my lap, contemplating the size of each thigh and the width of my hips as I sat in my chair.
I shook the thoughts out of my head—a session of weight obsession was the last thing my Friday needed. All I wanted to do today was bury myself in the training Bryce had given me the other day and focus on getting immersed in my work where I could be safe behind my computer. Numbers, code, and certainty. That’s just what I needed.
“If he doesn’t like me like this, he doesn’t deserve me anyway. Fuck that!”
My declaration came out a little louder than I had intended and sent a couple passersby scurrying away in giggles.
I’d officially been left alone in this cubicle too long.
I lay my head down on my desk, cradled by my forearms. A beep rang from my computer and I think I gave myself whiplash as I flicked up and frantically started clicking away to get into my inbox.
Terror hit me before the hollow disappointment did and I groaned slightly at the message staring back at me.
Rita Blair: Performance Review
Allison,
Please join me in my office at two o’clock. There are some matters I would like to discuss with you in regards to your first performance review.
Rita Blair
“Balls,” I whispered. I glanced around my cubicle, wondering if I should start packing up my belongings now, or wait for the official notice to do that.
I had been working at the agency for less than a month, so the premise that the meeting was an actual performance review was hard to believe. To me, it sounded more like code for getting fired. I mentally started calculating all my bills that would go unpaid, including the stack that was past due already. I felt a rush of tears but held them back and did my best to shove aside the money stress.
At two o’clock I trudged to Rita’s office, mentally preparing my defense, which was hard since I wasn’t certain I knew what she was going to say. All I knew for sure was that it was going to involve Cooper.
I knocked and Rita waved me through the glass door from behind her desk.
“Please sit,” she said, gesturing to the chair across from her.
I obeyed silently, knowing that if I were to start talking too soon it would disintegrate into a ramble and my poor mind hadn’t been able to shut off since being with Cooper and goodness knows I couldn’t afford for all that to come out right now.
Literally.
Rita clasped her hands together on top of the desk in front of her before beginning. “Allison, I know you’re an intelligent girl. It’s one of the main reasons I let Bryce talk me into hiring you in the first place. So, I’m going to cut right to the chase here.”
My nails secretly dug into the corners of the armrests on my chair as I waited for her to pass her sentence.
“There have been several reports of misconduct on your part. Specifically involving our client, Cooper Brighton.”
I opened my mouth to launch into my own defense, but she held up a hand and I instantly shut up.
“I understand that you and Mr. Brighton were working together at his request, on very important company business. And from what I can tell, you did a fine job. He approved the ads and my team is now free to move on to other pressing matters. However, if misconduct was committed, it doesn’t matter how good of a job you did, there will be consequences.”
“I have something I would like you to read,” she continued, passing a page across the table.
I leaned forward and glanced over the paper. It was a thick paragraph of legal mumbo-jumbo. Some of the passages were highlighted in yellow and I read along as fast as I could.
“Our company has a very strict non-fraternization policy. A policy, which you can see, you signed your name to when you were first hired. So, help me understand, where is the confusion? If you had questions about what you were agreeing to, you should have asked before you signed.” With her diatribe completed, she leaned back in her chair and pursed her lips at me, waiting for me to try and wriggle my way out of the corner she just put me in.
My mind reeled for a moment, unsure where to begin, but then it locked into focus and I sat up a little straighter in my chair. “I’m not sure what you heard, or think. I know everyone around here has been gossiping about me and talking behind my back since the moment I got here. This has nothing to do with Mr. Brighton and everything to do with the fact that I don’t fit in here. I’m not from the posh, silver spoon, champagne-brunch crowd like everyone else here. I understand that. I came to do the job I was hired to do and was immediately placed with Mr. Brighton—who was the subject of some pretty juicy water cooler gossip way before I even got here. So it was easy to come up with stuff. They want to talk about me and throw me under the bus. I’m different and they don’t like different.”
I paused to take a breath, adrenaline pulsing through me. I had never talked to anyone else in authority like this before. I had always thought about it, and wanted to, but had never given myself permission to be so bold outside of my own head. It was scary as hell, but I figured it was a last ditch effort. I was most likely fired anyway, so what did I really have to lose?
“The funny thing is that I remember signing my paperwork and I believe there was a whole chapter on celebrating diversity in the workplace and how your firm is equal opportunity, and you value everyone for their individual strengths. I wouldn’t want you to get tangled up in a nasty court battle about discrimination in the workplace.”
Rita’s expression remained frozen except for the tiniest twitch of her eyebrow at my accusation. If she hadn’t had so much Botox pumped into her forehead, it might have been a full on flinch.
I decided it was mission accomplished and relaxed into my chair, smiling my sweetest smile in her direction.
“I’m sorry to hear you feel you have been…discriminated…against during your brief time here. Naturally, we do our best to find a place for everyone and make them feel welcome. However, I feel we are getting away from the real issue at hand, and that is your relationship with Mr. Brighton.”
Shit. That was a short lived victory. I thought for sure I had thrown her off my tracks.
“Let me assure you, there is no relationship with Mr. Brighton. And now that I’m no longer managing his account, I doubt we’ll have any more communication or even see each other.”
The words left my mouth and I felt my heart twist in my chest. I took in a silent, steadying breath and continued, “I apologize if there has been any scandal on my behalf. Trust me that was never my intention. All I want to do is go back to the job I was hired to do and that is working with the tech department. I’ve been reviewing the training materials from Bryce and I know I can do this job. Please, just give me a chance.”
Oh good, the groveling has begun. As much as it pained me to kiss up to Rita, I knew it was necessary. I needed this job and I couldn’t risk it any further by running my mouth. She wasn’t buying it, so it was time to move on to plan B.
Rita considered me for a moment. She looked ready to speak again when her phone beeped, signaling an intercom message. She snatched up the receiver and gave a gruff, “What is it?”
She was silent as she listened, but my stomach dropped when her lips curled into a devilish smile.
“Well, it’s your lucky day, Allison. Your corroborating witness just arrived,” she said, setting the phone back down.
“What, uh, what do you mean?” I stammered.
“Mr. Brighton is here.”