CHAPTER SIX
Tara
“So, basically, it’s a shit show right now,” I said with a roll of my eyes. “I’m just hoping Ray can convince Sean to work with us. Otherwise, I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
“Are the numbers really that bad?” Niki asked. She looked at me sympathetically and took a sip of her iced tea.
“Worse,” I nodded. “I had no idea until Ray showed us the numbers at that meeting.”
“Why didn’t he tell you sooner?” Niki asked.
“He didn’t want to worry anyone until the time came,” I said. “Just saying it makes it all seem so ridiculous, but I respect Ray, you know? I understand his thought process. Even if I don’t agree with it.”
“I don’t know how you could agree with it,” Niki said. She shook her head and sat back in her chair. It had been almost a month since Niki and I were able to meet up for lunch. I’d missed her so much, but now that we were together, all I could think about was getting back to work.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“The longer you work for that company, the less I understand it,” Niki explained. “Working for a corporation like that? Being the right hand to Ray Yates himself? It’s not you, Tara.”
“It’s not?” I asked with a laugh. “So, what? Was I just supposed to let my business degree go to waste?”
“Of course not,” Niki said. “But we spent our entire childhood complaining about businesses like that, remember?”
“We aren’t kids anymore,” I told her. “I had to grow up eventually.”
“We all do,” Niki agreed. “But we don’t have to sell out in the process.”
“I’m not selling out,” I argued. The great thing about my friendship with Niki was that we could tell each other anything. No matter how much we disagreed or how quickly we pissed each other off, we always kept talking. When you know someone your entire life, you stay bonded forever. Through anything.
As I nibbled at my food, I tried to focus on lunch, but my mind kept drifting back to work. I wondered how Ray’s conversation with Sean went. I hoped Ray convinced Sean, and I secretly wished that Sean would be the breaking point for Zach. Nothing would make work better quite like getting rid of Zach for good.
“What are you thinking about over there?” Niki asked, pulling me back to reality. “Still work?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I’m sorry, Nik. I can’t help it.”
“I know you can’t,” she sighed. “I don’t blame you for it. I just wish you would lighten up sometimes.”
“Me? Lighten up?” I scoffed. “Keep dreaming.”
“I’m serious, Tara,” she said. “When was the last time you had any real fun?”
“I have fun,” I argued.
“Oh?” Niki challenged. “Tell me, then. When?”
I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Slowly, my lips pressed together, and I shook my head in embarrassment. Niki was right. I knew she was, but I didn’t want to admit it.
“Exactly,” Niki said.
“It’s not that simple,” I said quickly. “I’m really busy.”
“I know you are,” Niki nodded. “And it’s great. Really, it is. Despite my hatred for corporate America, I do admire your work ethic. Your drive is what makes you so wonderful. I just worry that you’ll disappear into your job for too long and by the time you reemerge…”
“What?” I pressed.
“You won’t be you anymore,” she finished. Her eyes were focused on mine with an intensity I knew all too well.
“You know, this was supposed to be a relaxing lunch,” I reminded her. “Why are you being so serious? We haven’t seen each other in ages.”
“Which is precisely why I need to be this serious,” Niki explained. “If I don’t kick your ass from time to time, you’ll totally fall apart.”
“I highly doubt that.” I rolled my eyes playfully at her. “You worry too much.”
“I do,” she admitted. “But that doesn’t mean it isn’t warranted.”
“Fair enough,” I said. “Now, enough about me. Tell me about your new guy.”
“What guy?” she asked with a frown.
“The one you told me about,” I said. “The musician or magician or something.”
“Oh,” Niki laughed. “Him. Yeah, he is no longer.”
“Already?” I asked.
“Already.” She nodded and took a bite of her chicken. “Not for me.”
“Why? What happened?”
“The same stuff.” Niki shrugged. “We went out a few times. Slept together. He revealed himself to be a toad. You know how it goes.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t,” I reminded her.
“No dates?” she asked. She already knew the answer, but it was nice of her to pretend otherwise.
“Like I have the time for that,” I said, trying to keep my tone casual. The truth was, it bothered me more than I let on. As much as I loved my job, my personal life was suffering too much. I hadn’t been on a date in months. Niki was right. If I wasn’t careful, my job would soon overshadow every aspect of my life.
“What about Ray’s son?” Niki asked suddenly, her eyes alive with excitement.
“Zach?” I asked with a shudder.
“No, not him,” Niki said. She leaned forward in her chair. I could feel the energy pouring off her. “The other one. The one in the picture.”
“Sean?” I asked. “What about him?”
“Well, if he’s as attractive as you said…”
“I didn’t say he was attractive,” I interjected. “I just said he fit the brand we’re trying to create.”
“I’m not the board,” Niki said. “You don’t have to whip out the party line for me. You can just say he’s hot.”
“He’s not.”
“I don’t believe you,” Niki laughed. “I can see it in your eyes.”
“I haven’t even met him,” I reminded her.
“But when you do…” she let her sentence trail off into nothingness. With a sly grin, she took another sip of her tea and allowed me to change the subject, but my mind stayed focused on Sean for the rest of my lunch break.
***
When I made it back to the office, I decided to stop in and talk to Ray. I couldn’t wait any longer to find out how things went with Sean. Niki’s words echoed in my ears, but I forced them away. I told myself I was only interested in Sean for the sake of the business. He was just Ray’s son and, hopefully, the new face of Ray Yates’ Motorcycles.
“Hey, Ray,” I said. “Got a minute?”
“Come in,” he said, waving me inside. I walked over to the chair in front of his desk and sat down. He already knew why I was there. “I talked to him.”
“You did?” I asked, sitting up a little straighter. “And? How did it go?”
“Not well,” Ray admitted. “It was a disaster.”
My heart sank, but I nodded. I didn’t want to let my disappointment show.
“That’s okay,” I said. “Maybe it wasn’t as bad as you think.”
“It was worse,” he said with an unamused laughed. “It was a good idea, Tara, but I think it’s time to move on. We should start looking elsewhere.”
“Sure,” I said. “I can handle that.”
“Thank you.” He smiled gratefully. I could tell he was worried I wouldn’t drop the issue. “Jennifer has some headshots for you to look at.”
“I’ll grab them from her,” I told him. I stood up and walked over to the door. Before I stepped into the hallway, I turned around and added, “Ray, for what it’s worth… I’m really sorry things didn’t go well with Sean. And not just for the company’s sake.”
“Me too,” Ray said sadly.
I left the office and hurried down the hall toward Jennifer’s desk. She already had the headshots ready for me. She was on the phone with a customer, but she handed me the folder over her shoulder and smiled. I mouthed a quick “thank you” and took the folder back to my office.
The second I opened it, I knew we were screwed. Every model was picturesque and gorgeous. They all had blue eyes and black hair. Just like Sean’s. But none of them shared the same gruff, manly quality that Sean’s picture seemed to embody. A few of them went so far as to pose on a motorcycle, but every single one of them looked uncomfortable. Their faces were contorted awkwardly as they tried to smolder at the camera. Some of them were so bad, I couldn’t help but laugh.
I threw the last one down on my desk and sighed deeply. I wasn’t sure what Ray expected me to do. None of these models fit the bill. Sure, they might work if we had no other choice, but I wasn’t sure they would have the desired effect. Having grown up around bikes and men that loved them, I knew exactly what our customers would think of these men. They would take one look and dismiss them as fake. We would lose their respect even more than we already had.
After a few minutes of wallowing, I dove back in. I was determined to find one model, just one, who could be made to look halfway decent. Flipping through the folder, I pulled out each photo and stared at it for a long time. My eyes scanned the men’s faces and their hair. I looked over their bodies and their physique. I squinted and turned the pictures sideways, then upside down. I searched desperately for a glimpse of the potential I’d seen in Sean’s photograph. There was nothing. Not a single one.
Just as I was about to give up for good, my phone rang. The ring cut through the endless silence and made me jump. I’d almost forgotten where I was.
“Tara Isaac here,” I said as I put the phone to my ear.
“Tara,” a familiar voice said. “It’s Sean Yates.”
“Sean!” My voice went up an octave involuntarily. I shook myself and took a breath. “Hello. What can I do for you?”
“I’ll do it,” he said quickly.
“I’m sorry?”
“The job,” he said. “I’ll do it. You can tell my dad I’m in. I’ll be there Monday.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but the line had already gone dead. I blinked and pulled the phone away from my ear. Staring at it, I tried to process what just happened. I set the phone down and exhaled slowly. My first instinct was to be angry that he hung up on me again. This guy, who I’d never met in person, was already treating me like nothing more than a nuisance, but my anger quickly faded.
A smile began to form on my face as I walked down the hall toward Ray’s office. Sean’s words sank in more and more the faster I moved.
“It worked,” I said as I barged into Ray’s office. I didn’t realize I was breathing heavy until I was standing in front of Ray. My heart was racing and my face felt flushed with excitement.
“What worked?” he asked. “Did you find a model?”
“No,” I shook my head. “Better. Sean called.”
“Sean called?” Ray repeated. He stared at me like I was speaking a foreign language. “What do you mean he called? When? Now? What did he say?”
“He just called my office,” I explained. “And whatever you did, Ray, whatever you said to him… it worked. He agreed. He said he’ll do it.”
“He will?” Ray asked. He jumped to his feet and walked around his desk so we stood face to face.
“Yes,” I said. My voice was getting louder, but I didn’t care. I was too excited about what this could mean for the company. “He was an ass. Again. He hung up on me after about two seconds, but he said he’d do it!”
“What else did he say?” Ray asked.
“Just that he’d be here Monday,” I said.
“Monday.” Ray repeated with a nod. He seemed dazed. Like he was in a fog. “Well, we have work to do.”