CHAPTER NINETEEN
“Lila! In here, please.”
Lila wheeled her chair back from her desk and strolled over to Allison’s office. “You bellowed?”
Allison was leaning back, her hands clasped behind her head, contemplating the ceiling. “Close the door.” She waited for Lila to comply. “Now sit.”
Lila perched on the edge of the chair on the other side of Allison’s desk. Holding her boss’s gaze, she leaned to the side and pumped the lever to raise the seat until they were equal.
Allison’s eyes crinkled at the corners, then she realized what she was doing and tutted at herself, patting at the tiny wrinkles with her fingertips. “It’s been three weeks since your interview with Stephanie.”
“That it has,” Lila confirmed when Allison seemed to be waiting for a response.
“How long were you going to wait before you told me?”
Lila opened her eyes innocently wide. “Told you what?”
“Told me you declined the job.”
“Ah.”
Allison thumped a fist on the desktop and pointed at Lila on the rebound. “Lila. It was a great job. And a great package, I made sure of it. What were you thinking?”
Lila shifted uncomfortably.
Allison plowed on, “Best I can figure it, you’re deliberately trying to piss me off, and embarrass me in front of my friends.” She hissed the last word.
“Stephanie is a friend?”
“Frenemy. Whatever. I don’t enjoy being embarrassed, Lila, and embarrassment is what happens when I call someone up to give them a delicate shove into doing what I want and, guess what? They inform me that they called not forty-eight hours after the interview, and you turned them down! A heads-up would have been nice.”
“Sorry. Have you been fretting about this?”
“Yes! Every day for three weeks I have been quivering with joyous anticipation, expecting you to knock on my door at any moment and tell me to suck it, you’re outta here. And yet, no. Here you remain. Because you turned down the offer of a lifetime.”
“I should have told you.”
“Indeed you should. Although, in retrospect, I can’t blame you for saying no. Unlike me, Stephanie is a demanding bitch. You would have had no life outside of work. I don’t think that’s what you’re after. Is it?”
“No. I would like a life.” It was the whole point. Options, opportunities, choices.
“Stephanie was the wrong direction. I overshot for you. Not to worry.” Allison dragged her keyboard toward her and started typing. She clicked the mouse and sat back with a satisfied smile.
“What are you doing?” Lila asked with suspicion.
“You’re gonna like this one.”
“What is it? A cat video?”
“No. I went ahead and prepared a special something in advance.”
“Prepared what?”
Allison held up a finger, and Lila heard the dialing beeps of Skype.
“What are you doing?” Lila jumped to her feet.
“Getting rid of you once and for all,” Allison said to her with an evil grin. “Also, payback. Susan! Hello.”
“Hi, Allison. Listen, is she there? I’ve got another call booked in twenty, so—”
“Yeah, yeah. She’s here. One second…”
Allison got to her feet, stepped out of camera range, and gestured Lila around the desk.
“This better not be what I think it is,” Lila gritted out in a whisper as she stalked to Allison’s side.
“Save the drama for after the interview,” Allison muttered.
“I hate you.” Interview. Right now. Lila’s stomach plunged. Goddammit. “How’s my hair?”
Allison reached out and smoothed the top down with a critical hand. “Shiny. Wait. Lipstick check.”
Lila bared her teeth.
“You’re good. Go get ‘em.”
Lila waved Allison out of the office, took a deep breath, and sat in Allison’s chair, facing the computer screen. “Hello,” she said.
* * * *
Ten minutes later, Lila slammed Allison’s office door open and stood in the doorway, fuming.
“How’d it go?” Allison reclined on the couch, sipping her coffee, eyes on Lila.
“My god, you suck,” Lila told her. “And it went great.” She threw herself down beside her boss. “Don’t ever do that to me again.”
“Did she make an offer?”
“Yes.”
“Why do you sound surprised?”
“Because it was a ten-minute Skype interview. And she did most of the talking.”
“She knows quality when she sees it.” Allison poked Lila in the arm. “That would be you.”
Lila rubbed her arm absently.
Allison tossed back the rest of her coffee and got to her feet. “Susan needs a good agent. Your resume is top-notch, as is your sales history. Match made in heaven.”
“It’s a very nice offer.”
“Did you say yes?” Allison loomed over Lila.
“Not yet.”
“Why? Lila, I’m starting to think you don’t want this. Screw it. I’m going to send her Beatrice. You stay here with me.”
“Um,” Beatrice said.
Allison and Lila swiveled to face her.
Beatrice gazed back at them wide-eyed. “Um, I don’t want to move to Seattle?” she said. “I’m sort of settled here? With my boyfriend?”
“Take the job,” Allison said to Lila.
“Do I get to at least look over the contract first?”
Allison thought about it. “You may.”
“Great. She’s sending it over later today.”
“All right, then.”
Lila smiled up at Allison. “Thanks, boss.”
Allison grimaced. “Stop fawning over me and get to work. Time is running out. I want Beatrice molded into a perfect Lila clone before you leave.” She stomped off to her office.
“Um,” Beatrice said when Lila had settled at her desk. “No offense, but I don’t want to be a Lila clone?”
“You be you, Beatrice. You’ll do great.”
“But I would like it if you stopped hiding from me, and took me with you on all of your appointments. Including the ones with Mr. Burke? I’m supposed to be learning.”
“This is awkward. I didn’t think you’d noticed.”
“Yeah, you’re not that subtle about it.”
“Fair enough. My bad. I’m used to doing my own thing. From now on, stick as close as you like.”
Beatrice nodded with enthusiasm. “So, you missed a call when you were interviewing. It was Monique Martinez.”
Lila took in Beatrice’s expression. “Ugh. She didn’t.”
“Yep.”
“The sale fell through?”
“It did.”
Lila folded at the waist and banged her head lightly on her desk. Burke and David were no longer her record-breaking impossible-to-please clients. Monique Martinez had retaken the lead. Wait. She rolled her head and looked at the giggling Beatrice through her hair.
“What?” Beatrice said.
Lila blew a lock of hair out of her face. “This is fabulous,” she said.
“It is?”
“Watch and learn, kid.” She straightened, snatching up her phone. “I’m going to turn this one around.”
“You have somewhere else she’ll like?”
“Who, Monique?” Lila snorted. “I’ll deal with that tomorrow. No, I have another buyer for the house. I’m feeling good about this, Beatrice. By the end of the day, I will have an offer.”
“Another one.”
“Huh?”
“A job offer and a house sale, all in one day. I do want to be a Lila clone. You are crushing it.”
“I suppose I am.”
The phone rang twice at the other end, and a gruff voice answered. “Lila.”
“Hey, Burke. I’ve found it! Are you free today?”
“Kinda busy.”
“One hour. I need one hour of your time, that’s all. I have the perfect house for you.”
“I didn’t think there was anything available left in Emerson. It’s not the murder house, is it? That was a hard no.”
“It’s not the murder house, you’ll love it, David will love it. I love it. Not that that matters.” She angled her chair away from the watching Beatrice and cleared her throat. “So, yes? This afternoon?”
“I’ll check with Derek, see if he can spare me. Call you back?”
“Okay. See you later.”