by Hazel Keys
Bradley and Ryan both clapped as she finished her presentation.
“This looks great,” Ryan said, congratulating her. “However, the real man you had to please was Bradley. I’m announcing it officially at lunch, that I’ve named him Vice President of the company. He’ll be working directly under me for part of the week and working as your boss for the other.”
The news surprised Rachel, more than she would have liked. She was hoping to go into the department as more of a partner. Ryan congratulated her again and walked out of the boardroom, leaving Bradley and Rachel to talk. They stared at each other awkwardly for a moment before Rachel finally said, “Well, congrats on the promotion. That sounds great for you.”
Bradley laughed awkwardly. Clearly he was just unsure as she was on how to handle the next part of the meeting. “Thanks. It was kind of a surprise to me as well.” He waved a hand towards the chair closest to him. “Why don’t you have a seat? We’ll discuss your presentation.”
Rachel was trembling as she sat down in front of him, but was determined to not show how nervous she was. In her head, she was regretting every single moment she ever yelled at him. She was sure that he was going to walk her right out of the door.
“I found your presentation really good,” he said at last.
Rachel let out a breath, thanked him for the compliment. “Thank you, I wasn’t sure.”
“You should have been,” Bradley told her, opening up the pamphlet he’d given her before she had started the presentation. “I like this idea, it’s like a clickable Ikea catalogue, only better. Instead of giving one sample of a lamp or throw, you give all of them. That’s good. Our customers love choices.”
“Exactly!” Rachel agreed, starting to feel a little more at ease. “On top of that, nothing like this has ever been created before. Everything else is just on list. This would be the first ever digitally interactive catalogue.”
Bradley nodded his head, knowing it to be true. “And you can handle this all by yourself? The drawing, the programming, all of it?”
“For now,” Rachel answered honestly. “If it did well I project that I’d need an assistant or a co-worker in about a year or two. Someone who knows how to program, and I would take over the illustrations.”
Bradley nodded his head again. “How much?”
Rachel deadpanned. “I beg your pardon?”
“How much would your salary be if I brought you on?” He stood up, and walked over to the large panel of windows overlooking a view of the city. “I have a number I’ve been authorized to offer to a new employee if you and I decide we can work together. I just want to know how much you’d want in order to work on this job.”
Rachel wasn’t expecting such a question. “Um, I was hoping that my salary could stay the same.”
“And you’d be okay working underneath me? Even though you don’t like me very much?” The question was direct and to the point, and it made Rachel wince.
“It’s not that I don’t like you,” she said after thinking about her words carefully. “I may disagree with the way you do things, but”-
“No, no,” Brad chuckled, leaning his hip on the conference table. “Don’t lie. You don’t like me.”
“That’s not true!” Rachel shot back, her old temper flaring up. “Okay, it is, but you are so annoying sometimes! You do things that make no sense!”
“To you maybe,” Brad replied. “But then again who got the promotion and who’s begging for a job?”
Rachel’s cheeks flooded with a bright red blush. A string of curses a mile long slammed against the back of her teeth, wanting to be let loose. Who does he think he is anyway, talking to her like that? She…she…she…didn’t have a leg to stand on, she slowly realized. Brad was right. Every time she harped on him about doing things ‘the wrong way’, he usually ended up with the glory of a winning project.
“You’re right,” she said at last, with a sigh.
“I’m sorry, what was that?” Brad asked, putting his hand to his ear and leaning towards her.
She rolled her eyes and adjusted her blazer. “I said you’re right. And I’m sorry. We have a difference of opinion, yes. There’s no getting around that. But you’re absolutely right. By doing things your own way you ended up as VP, and with me doing things my way I, well, ended up in this situation.”
Brad’s snicker slowly slid off of his face. No more games. He looked at her as if he could see her struggle, and Rachel suddenly felt like she needed to fight back tears.
“It was luck,” he said softly. “The company is expanding in some ways and shrinking in others. It doesn’t quite make sense, I know, but that’s what is happening. One of the departments had to go, and yours just happened to be it. I’m sorry.”
Silence stretched around them, and Rachel was sure that that certain ‘sorry’ was telling her to pack her things and go.
“But listen, if you think you can work with me, and I promise to try and work with you, I think that you and I could actually make a pretty good team.”
Rachel couldn’t believe her ears. “Really?”
Brad nodded his head. “I do. But we’re going to be spending a lot more time together and you’re going have to learn to talk a little nicer to me.”
“I will I promise,” Rachel assured him, growing excited. “I’ll take anger management courses if I have to!”
Brad was chuckling again, and she realized that she actually liked his laugh. “I don’t think you’ll have to go that far,” he told her. “But a little more patience will be nice. So, do we have a deal?”
Rachel nodded her head excitedly, pure happiness of still having a job flowing through her. “Yes! Yes we do!”
~
Later that day Mr. Miller came to the sales floor again, this time with a delivery guy to set up the Italian themed lunch that the owner of the company bought. Everyone celebrated happily with Brad for his promotion. To Rachel’s surprise, Bradley picked up his glass of punch again and toasted to Rachel for accepting her new position. Work was postponed for an hour and everyone enjoyed the delicious food and laid back atmosphere.
“We told you, you were going to nail it!” Bella said, nudging Rachel with her elbow. You’re too good to be let go.”
“Thanks ladies,” Rachel replied with a smile. Her eyes looked from her plate up to Bradley for hundredth time that day, and her smile grew wider.
“What was that?” Isabella asked, catching Rachel’s grin.
“What was what?” Rachel asked, immediately picking up her fork and scooping a bite of eggplant parm into her mouth. “Mmm, this is really good. You two should try some.”
Isabella narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “I know what you were doing,” she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. “You were checking out Brad!”
Bella gasped, huddling in for a dose of gossip. “Really? He does look extra cute today, doesn’t he?”
“No. I mean yes. I mean,” Rachel sighed, not quite sure what to say. He was definitely looking handsome. The new promotion looked good on him, and the kindness he had shown her earlier that day was making him even more appealing.
“So what’s going to happen with you two?” Bella asked.
“Hmm? What do you mean? Like going out? I don’t think he’-
Bella laughed quietly and shook her head no. “Not what I meant, but now I know where your head is! I was talking about what are you going to do work wise? Are you still going to bunk with us in our office.”
Rachel let out a nervous laugh, suddenly wishing that her fruit punch was wine instead. “Oh, that. I’m going to have to move into the smaller conjoining office that’s attached to Bradley’s.”
“You think you can handle that now?” Isabella asked. “Remember what happened last time.”
“I know, I know,” Rachel replied, shrugging her shoulders. “But I’ve decided something, and I think it’s going to make a world of a difference.”
“Oh?” Bella asked, intrigued. “And what would tha
t be?”
“I’m going to work on having a better temper.”
The Bella’s laughed and soon walked away to talk to other members of the office. They had every right to laugh, Rachel decided. She knew her temper and she also knew that it wasn’t always held in the highest regards. Which is exactly why she wanted to work on it. After she found out that she wasn’t going to lose her job after all, she went to her computer and found a yoga studio that was only a block away from work. She signed up to take a half hour class before work and an hour class after work every night. It was a lot of dedication, but she knew she needed it.
After the party was over everyone slowly made their way back to their desks to get back to work. With her tasks done for the day, Rachel set about moving the contents of her workspace into her new office. It was a much smaller office than the one she shared with the Bella’s, and it didn’t have any windows. But, there was a door for privacy if Brad got on her nerves too much, and it did have a nice little cubby feeling to it. Towards the end of the day, Brad came to knock on her door.
“How’s it going in here?” He asked, leaning in the doorway.
Rachel finished adjusting her overhead lamp and smiled up at him. “So far so good,” she replied. “Oh, um, I wanted to ask you. What did you want to do with that?” She asked, pointing towards a stand. There, sitting atop it, was the new coffee machine that Mr. Miller had gifted to him for his promotion. It was a black and stainless steel contraption, set up with a nice stainless steel tray with a bowl of sugar cubes and four matte black coffee mugs.
“I can move it into my office if it bothers you,” Brad offered.
Rachel shook her head no. “Not at all. And now I don’t have to steal it anymore.” Oops. The words slipped out of Rachel’s mouth before she even realized she was thinking them. A pink blush climbed up her cheeks as Bradley gawked at her.
“You?” He asked, sounding shocked. “You’re the one that’s been stealing my coffee? But you said you hated it!”
“I didn’t lie!” Rachel defended herself. “I did hate it. At first. And then I got used to the taste, and I was too bull headed to admit that I was wrong. So, whenever you weren’t looking, I would sneak into the break room and take some. At first it was only a cup a day, but then the more I was stressing out about work, the more I needed.” She put her hands behind her back and gave him a sheepish grin. “Sorry.”
Brad looked at her for a moment, as if he had no idea what to do with her. His brilliant blue eyes roamed all over her body.
“You know,” he said at last. “You are a very peculiar woman.”
Chapter 9
Bradley
“Yeah. No. No you’re totally right, mom. I should have asked for money.” Brad rolled his eyes as he listened to his mother go on and on about how he should have renegotiated the contract that was already too late to be negotiated.
“All I’m saying is that you could have gotten more,” She pushed. “You undersold yourself!” Margaret Rivhorn was a wife, mother of two, and the COO of Inteltech, a fortune five hundred company that she had helped to build almost thirty years from the ground up right after she finished her Master’s degree. To say she was a hard working woman was a huge understatement. One that she just loved pointing out to her male peers.
While they focused on their careers, she had focused on her own, her husband’s, and the lives of her two children, Bradley and Valarie. She had brought them both up to be smart, hardworking, and also kind. Bradley knew he couldn’t have asked for a better mother, and he was thankful for her every day. However, when she talked to him like this, he always had the urge to hurry off the phone.
“You’re right mom,” he repeated, zipping up his charcoal gray hoodie. “Listen, it was great to talk with you but I have to go, I’m on my way to yoga.”
“All right then,” Margaret sighed, not missing her son’s slightly agitated tone. “Go on.” Then, in a much softer voice she added. “Congratulations, darling. Your father would have been proud. See you for dinner next Sunday?”
Brad’s heart constricted as he thanked his mother and promised her that yes; he would indeed be at dinner. He hung up the phone, slid it into his gym bag, and went on his way. In the car he thought fondly of the memory of his father, and concluded that yes, he would have been proud of him for his promotion.
At the yoga studio he greeted June as usual, signed in, and headed towards studio C. He was a little early, but then again he always was. He liked to pick his spot out in the empty room, lay out his mat, and do his stretches before the rest of class, mostly women, all filtered in.
“Hey there Brad!”
Brad looked up from his stretching to see Summer. A pretty, mid thirties woman with long, straight, straw blonde and a tiny waist.
“Hi Summer, how did your week go?”
The stay at home mom filled him on her week with the four kids and the everlasting tale of a husband that was a traveling salesman. By the time she was finished, the majority of the class had filed in and had taken their places.
“He’s in China?” Brad asked, surprised.
Summer shrugged, a hint of sadness in her eyes. “Yeah. Well, what do you do, right?” She paused, her lower lip disappearing between her teeth in a nervous action as her blue eyes looked imploringly up at him. “Listen, um, I was wondering if maybe after class you’d”-
A loud crash cut Summer off and the entire class looked up to see a cute brunette sprawled on the floor with the shelf of yoga blocks scattered all around her. Brad recognized her immediately and, completely forgetting the conversation he was having with Summer, went over to help her up.
“Rachel? What are you doing here?”
Rachel scrambled up to her feet, her long brown curls falling loose from her half thrown up ponytail, and she looked at Brad wide-eyed. That adorable blush filled her cheeks again, and he had to bite back a smile.
“Brad! Hey. I um, this is yoga, right?” She stammered, trying to right the heavy shelf.
A chuckle slipped from Brad’s lips as he nodded his head and helped her right the stand and put the blocks back on it. “Yes. Yes it is. Since when did you start doing yoga here?”
Rachel put the last block back down on the shelf and let Brad lead her to an open spot near his mat. She looked good in yoga pants, he decided, catching a few peeks. Unlike the rest of the women wearing tight exercise shirts or just sports bras, she was wearing an oversized black t-shirt with a rip down the front that stopped just above her breasts. Her pants, however, were hugging the curves of her legs and backside scrumptiously.
“Today, actually,” she answered, rolling out her mat. She looked nervous as she stepped onto the studio- supplied mat, and lowered her voice. “If I’m being totally honest, this is my first day ever doing yoga.” She was looking around, and when Brad followed her line of sight he saw that there were several women, including Summer, that had no intention of hiding their snickers.
Without thinking about it, Brad reached out and put his hand on her shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. Even through the t-shirt he could feel her trembling with nerves. “Hey, that’s okay,” he assured with a smile. “Yoga is all about relaxation. We all have to start somewhere right? Plus you came on a good day. This is a basic to medium level class. Nothing too fancy.”
The instructor shouted welcome and the class began. Brad gave Rachel one more assuring smile and returned to his own mat. He had been practicing for years, but still liked to visit a beginner’s class once a month or so to make sure he was doing the basics properly. As his arms reached up high in sun salutation, he was glad that he had decided go to one that day.
~
“How do you feel?” Brad asked, rolling up his mat. The class, as always, had gone by quickly. Every now and then he’d take a quick look over to Rachel to see how she was doing and just as he had predicted, she was learning quite well.
“Great actually!” Rachel replied enthusiastically. “Do you feel this way after every cl
ass?”
Brad chuckled, and picked up her mat to roll it for her. “Most days.” They started walking together out the door when Summer approached him, putting her body directly between his and Rachel’s.
“Hey you! You walked away before I could finish talking to you!” She said, almost too sweetly.
“Sorry Summer,” he apologized. “What were saying earlier?”
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and batted her eyelashes. “I was wondering if you’d want to go get a smoothie with me?” Her eyes shot over towards Rachel, then right back to his. “Like, right now maybe?”
“Tempting,” he said, stepping around her. “But no thanks. I need some coffee.” He stepped up to Rachel, smiling. “What do you say? Could you go for a cup? You won’t even have to steal this one.”
Chapter 10
Rachel
So many things, Rachel thought, as she waited for Brad to bring their coffee to the table. There were so many things that were bizarre about the morning so far. First, she’d woken up late, almost not making it in time for class. Then of course the whole horrible incident of her knocking everything over. And then there was Brad in her class, of all places, looking hot as hell. Ready for yoga, he had been wearing a pair of black knee length fitted shorts and a black ribbed shirt. In so little clothes, it was easy to see that he was a very fit man, with small but well shaped muscles that were sure to make any woman swoon. Especially the blonde haired lady who had given her the death stare.
What was worse…or was it better? Was that not only did Brad turn her down, but then asked her to go get coffee with him right in front of the scorned woman. It was as they were walking away from the huffing blonde that Rachel had realized that it hadn’t even dawned on Brad that it was a pickup gone wrong. Now she was with him, in a cute little coffee shop filled with books and antique coffee machines. They’d picked the table by the window, which was actually more like a reading nook with all kinds of large, fluffy pillows scattered around, and the rain had commenced once again.
