by Hazel Keys
“Is it?” Bradley asked, leading Tristan to his office. “I mean, unless I’m missing something here, this means that Rachel lost her manager seat, and I’m basically her boss now. We butt heads bad enough as is, and now we’re going to work closely every day together?” He shook his head and poured himself a cup of his coffee. “I don’t know how that’s going to work man.”
Tristan nodded his head in understanding. “Yeah. I could see how that would be difficult.” Then his face lit up. “But hey! It looked like you two were getting along really well last night. Maybe things could change?”
“Sure,” Bradley agreed, nodding his head. “If I got her wasted at work everyday then things could be great.”
Tristan rolled his eyes and got up out of his seat. “No need to be a smart ass. I was just trying to think positive, just like you should be doing.” He turned to head out the door, but paused as he reached the threshold. “On a more serious note though, let me know how your meeting goes. As the Social Media manager, I want to be there to provide anything you might need.”
Brad nodded his head, thankful that he had such a good coworker and friend. “Thanks man. I’ll email you some suggestions right now. Get your team to make a few mock ups and maybe we can get something out by lunch.”
Tristan disappeared from his office, and Bradley found himself stretching in his seat to peer into the break room. He was looking for Rachel. He was actually surprised that she hadn’t confronted him already. Then again, maybe she didn’t know about her demotion, and that she was about to be his assistant manager. From where he was sitting he could just make out her long curls that draped down her back. She was talking to someone, rather boisterously; it appeared, because her curls were bouncing around her derriere as if she were bobbing her head.
A half smile slid across his face as his eyes moved lower, to her backside. She had a small, toned butt that went along with the rest of her slim, athletic build. As he stared, he found himself thinking back to the night before again, and how fun she had been. They had been yelling, yes, but yelling at each other was what they did best. He was so busy thinking about the night before, that he completely forgot about what he was staring at. That was, until Rachel took a step back and made eye contact with him.
Startled, he quickly looked away and poured all of his attention into his computer. He knew he’d have to talk to her soon, but he wanted to be better prepared for it. Thankfully, she didn’t pop up into his office after she caught him staring, and by the time his meeting with Ryan rolled around he had his own coffee pot picked and printed for Marcy to order for him.
Chapter 6
Rachel
“Was he looking at my ass?” Rachel asked Bella. Bella looked up from her yogurt and peered out the break room doorway towards Brad’s office. She caught a glimpse of him looking completely submerged in his computer screen and shook her head no.
“No, I don’t think so,” she replied, spooning another spoonful of granola and yogurt into her mouth. “Have you talked to him yet?”
“About him saving my ass even though all we do is argue and fight with one another? No. I haven’t gotten around to it yet.”
Bella ignored her friend’s sarcasm and took another bite of her breakfast. Sometimes Rachel was chilly, yes, but only when she was nervous. At home, she was a completely different person. She was relaxed, laid back, and actually a really good cook. The three of them had set up a cooking schedule, with all of them cooking twice a week and then on Fridays they usually all ordered take out. Most times she made traditional Jewish dishes, like keugel and matzo ball soup.
Why she was so different at the office, Bella wasn’t quite sure. She had a hunch though, and it involved Bradley. In the two years that the Bella’s and Rachel had been living together, Rachel had never brought a guy home, not even just for fun. It was, in Bella’s opinion, that Rachel liked Brad just as much as she ‘disliked’ him.
“Ugh, is he not going to bring the coffee in today?” Rachel asked impatiently. She waited around for a few more minutes then slammed her empty cup onto the counter. How was she supposed to sneak a cup of his coffee if he was going to start keeping it in his office?
Frustrated, she decided to walk back to her office and pour herself into work. She still had an open project to finish and tons of research to do. If it was going to be her last one, she decided, then it was going to be the best one she ever had.
Hours passed by as Rachel configured her designs into her computer. On one screen, she drew out the design of a cute young couple, sitting on their couch together with a RushIt box sitting across their laps. In their hands they were holding new couch pillows and a new throw for the couch they were sitting on, and they looked absolutely happy. On her other screen, she researched what throws and pillows they had available for purchase, and added the links of the possible purchases to clickable spots on the drawing.
When that was done, she began to expand further into the little details. She drew the lamp, a tall, slim modern one that sat behind the couch and illuminated the couple. She added the links to the lamps that their company offered in the style, just like she did with the throw. Then she worked on the side tables, the coffee table, even down to the little coffee cups and centerpiece bowl on the coffee table until everything in her drawing was both clickable and available for purchase.
The idea was something new that she was working on. In fact, she had hoped that it would have been what had saved her department, but she had been too late. At the end of the week, she was going to present it to both Ryan and Brad, hoping that the work would save her from being unemployed.
By the time she was finished with the coffee cups, she realized that she needed one of her own, whether it was filled with Brad’s special coffee or not. Rolling back from her computer, she stretched in her chair and looked up at the clock.
“Jeez, one o’ clock already?” She asked.
The Bella’s were already standing up, fiddling with their purses and their jackets. “Yeah, we’ve been trying to ask you to come to lunch with us but you were really zoned in on your work,” Isabella said. “So, you want to go? We were just going to hit up the little French bakery down the street for some croissants and coffee.”
“Absolutely,” Rachel replied, elated. “I’d love an espresso. She grabbed her jacket and wallet and followed the girls to the elevator.
“When did it start raining?” She asked as they stepped outside.
Bella raised her eyebrow in surprise. “Are you serious? It started like as soon as you sat down to work. Didn’t you hear all of the thunder?”
Rachel pulled her hood over her hair and shook her head. “Must have been really into work,” she pondered.
The bakery was less than a three-minute walk away, and to their delight it was warm, dry, and smelled of fresh baked bread and coffee beans whenever they stepped inside. Rachel bought herself caramel latte with two shots of espresso and a warmed chocolate filled croissant. The coffee perked her up immediately, and she and the Bella’s fell into an easy and light hearted conversation about everything and nothing.
As Rachel laughed with her friends, she suddenly felt very grateful for having them. They were doing their best to make her demotion easier on her, and she couldn’t have made it through last night without them. After they’d all gotten home, they had changed into their pajamas, heated up some leftover cinnamon rice pudding, and listened to her complain and cry over the loss of her job title. Not once did they tell her to calm down or tell her it wasn’t a big deal. They had been there for her all the way, and she was so thankful for that.
“You guys are awesome,” she said suddenly. The Bella’s looked up at her in confusion, each with their mouth’s full. “I mean. I know I haven’t been easy to deal with lately. But you stuck by me. I really appreciate that.”
Isabella swallowed her last bite of chocolate croissant and smiled at Rachel, taking her hand. “Of course,” she replied. “You’d do the same for us.”
Chapter 7
Bradley
The clock on the wall read two-fifteen. What had started as a twenty- minute rundown of his new promotion had turned in a four conversation about work, life, and the fickleness of women. Bradley had been right, about Ryan not having anyone to talk to. Surely he had friends, but obviously none that he found trustworthy enough to let into struggles.
Through their conversation, Bradley had found out that around the time his daughter, Stella, was two, Ryan’s wife Kelli started acting strange. She’d take off for what she called ‘business trips’ and wouldn’t be heard from for up to a month at a time. Then when she did come home she would immerse herself in Stella’s life so that Ryan wouldn’t have any chance to ask her where she was or what she was doing. Last year he had decided to ask her for a divorce, but she took off again, this time with no promise of coming back. The papers were still unsigned, and Stella was starting to forget that she actually had a mother. It was a whole new life Ryan had to learn how to live and Bradley wasn’t sure at all how he was handling it so well.
“So you see, that’s why I need you to step up your game, Bradley. Cards on the table, I need your help. You’ll get a pay raise, of course, nearly double what you’re making now. But you’ll have more responsibility too. I’ll need you downstairs managing the office half the week and up here with me for the other half.”
It was a lot of work, but he was up for the challenge. He’d need help, and he asked Ryan what he could do to get it.
“Completely up to you,” Ryan replied. “Rachel is going to be swallowed by your department, leaving her open. You can make her an assistant manager if you want to. Or let her go and hire someone else. She seems a little mouthy to me, I’m not sure how well she’d take directions from you.”
“She’s not so bad,” Bradley replied. “Sure, she gets a little riled up every now and then, but she does great work.”
Ryan grunted, but didn’t quite agree. “So, do we have a deal? Shall I have Marcy draw up the paperwork?”
Bradley smiled and nodded his head. “Absolutely. Thank you so much for this opportunity, Sir. I promise I won’t let you down.”
“No you won’t,” Ryan replied, getting up to shake Bradley’s hand.
Bradley left Ryan’s office feeling so much lighter. After such a horrible day yesterday, this was not at all what he had expected out of his meeting with the owner. As he was instructed, he went out to Marcy’s desk and told her that he had accepted the position.
“Congratulations!” She said, smiling at Bradley and giving him a high five. She was a nice looking woman. Older, and in her early forties. Her creamy complexion still looked relatively fresh and wrinkle free, with the only sign of aging appearing in the silver streaks that decorated her otherwise chestnut hair. While Bradley waited, she pulled out the paperwork that Bradley needed to sign to accept his new position, chatting idly about Mr. Miller.
“He is such a nice man,” she gushed, getting the paperwork printed off. “He has had his eye on you for a while now.”
“He has?” Bradley asked, surprised.
“Oh yes. I’m the only other person up on this floor you see. He talks to me often about his ideas. He has a lot of faith in you, young man.” She put the contract in front of him in a neat pile. “Here. Take this down to your office and give it a good lookover, all right? When you’re ready to sign it bring it back up here and do so in front of me. I’ll notarize it and then presto! You’re the new Vice President ofRushIt!”
~
As requested, Bradley took the contract back down to his office and looked over it. It was pretty straightforward, leaving no room for questions. His salary would be raised from fifty-four thousand a year to one hundred and twelve thousand a year. He would be allotted a company phone, keys to the company’s retreat house in the Hamptons, a travel stipend for company purposes, full medical coverage, and two free meals from the cafeteria downstairs a day. It was a pretty sweet deal, but the list of new responsibilities was as long as his arm. Towards the end of the day he took the contract back up to Marcy, signed it, and shook her hand. She told him that the office would have a celebration on Friday at noon, and Mr. Miller would be buying lunch for everyone.
By the time he got back downstairs he found that nearly everyone had left for the day and all the lights had been turned off. Except for one little desk lamp that was glowing from Rachel’s office. Curious, he walked into the office, and peered over her shoulder.
“Can I help you with something?” She asked, not turning around.
Brad smiled at her awareness. “I thought I was the only one left,” he replied. “What’s this you’re working on? It looks interesting.”
Rachel hit the save button and minimized the pages quickly. “It’s not ready yet,” she told him, turning around in her chair to face him. “It’s something I wanted to present to you on Friday.”
Brad pulled up one of the empty rolling chairs and took a seat beside her. “Did you draw that all yourself?” He asked.
A blush rose in Rachel’s cheeks and he found it adorable.
“It’s not finished,” she defended. “There’s a lot more work I have to put into it, and it’s not fair that you just thought you could walk into my office and”-
“Calm down,” Brad said gently, reaching out to put his hand gently on her arm. “It looked good. I was impressed.”
Rachel’s eyebrows went up in surprise. “Oh,” was all she could say.
Brad, getting the hint, nodded his head and stood up. “I’m assuming you were made aware of the changes of your department then, judging by how protective you are of this project?”
Rachel opened her mouth for what he was sure to be a sarcastic comment, but she shut it instead, and nodded her head. Brad was thankful. He didn’t want to argue right now, especially over something that looked to be very promising.
“I’m excited for our meeting on Friday,” he said at last. He wanted to say more, to assure that he wasn’t going to fire her. But the words wouldn’t come out. Instead, he told her goodnight, and left. In his office he picked up his carafe and found that it was once again nearly empty. Odd, since he’d only been able to drink through one cup that day. Yep, he was certain that someone was stealing his coffee.
Chapter 8
Rachel
The next few days Rachel poured herself into her work. She barely talked to anyone in the office, except for the Bella’s, and focused all of her energy into making her project the very best it could be. By the time Friday had finally come around, she felt very good about it, and came in that morning all smiles. She had woken up extra early to pick out her outfit, a fitted navy blue pantsuit with a black button up and a long silver thick chained necklace to make it pop. She kept telling herself that it was because she wanted to look good for the owner, Mr. Miller, but in the back of her mind she kept thinking about Bradley, and she had caught him staring at her backside on Tuesday.
It should have angered her because, well, everything about him angered her. But lately she was feeling something new, different. It wasn’t quite like her. No, it was more of a curiosity about him. After all he was the only one in the office that she hadn’t tried to get to know. In her defense, it was because she and him had gotten into an argument in their very first meeting, and she had said to hell with him and who he was as a person. The Bella’s liked him though, and so did everyone else in the office. Perhaps, she thought, it was time to give him a second chance.
“Wow! You look awesome!” Bella said when Rachel came out of her room. Bella was still in her pajamas and bunny slippers, with her shoulder length bob pulled up in an array of messy clips. A
t the stove she was cooking eggs with a wok and a pair of chopsticks, something Rachel couldn’t quite master.
“Thank you,” she smiled, taking a seat at the kitchen table. “Would you mind making me one of those?” She wasn’t sure if it was the method or the spices, but Bella’s fried eggs always turned out so much better than her own. They were buttery soft, creamy, and just salty enough.
Bella smiled and nodded, turning over the current egg with her chopsticks. “You’re going to nail your presentation today,” she said positively. “Bradley won’t know what hit him.”
Isabella came out a couple minutes later, and the girls ate breakfast and talked about the upcoming weekend. They had planned on going to Central Park, but the forecast was calling for rain all weekend. To make up for the cancelled plans, they were trying to find something else to do.
“Movies?” Bella suggested.
“What about a pottery painting class?” Isabella followed up with.
Rachel wrinkled her nose, and shook her head no to both. The pottery classes were too juvenile in her opinion, and every movie nowadays seemed to have the exact same plot. By the end of breakfast they were still undecided, and Rachel returned her focus back to her presentation. While she waited for the girls to finish getting ready, she pulled her presentation up on her iPad and practiced her speech and her timing of the slides. This was going to make or break her employment at RushIt, and she didn’t want to mess it up.
At the office, she went straight to the conference room to set up her computer and ready the room for her presentation. By the time Bradley and Ryan walked into the room, everything was set up and ready to go.
“Good morning gentlemen,” she said jovially. “Please, grab a refreshment and take a seat won’t you? When you’re ready I’ll get started.”
To her surprise, Bradley gave her wink as he picked up a donut. It reassured her somehow, and she took in a long, settling breath. She went through her presentation smoothly, highlighting everything in her advertisement that she had practiced, and to her happiness, there were no glitches to apologize for. Everything glided into another perfectly, and by her last slide, she was genuinely smiling.
