by E. J. Noyes
In the bathroom, I stared at my reflection. Funny how most of the shadows under my eyes seemed to be fading now that she’d returned. A quick lipstick touch-up, a glower at my hair and I was ready.
Though Audrey would be at the meeting as a member of the staff, she was also there as so much more. She was my lover. My partner. My support. My lifeline. We walked through the office, hands brushing and I felt the lightness of knowing that everything would turn out all right as long as I had her by my side.
Audrey gently thumbed the edge of my mouth. “All set?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
She held my shoulders. “You’ve got this, darling. You’re still here, Iz. You’re still standing.”
“Shakily,” I clarified.
“Yes. But standing nonetheless and I’m here with you.” She kissed me quickly as footsteps approached the open door, then she moved to stand just to my right. Staff began to file in, each holding an identical folder. Mark slipped toward the back of the room. I did a quick head count. Showtime.
Everyone fell silent when I shifted my papers. “Thank you all for coming. I’ll try to keep this short, I know you’re all eager to get to dinner and drinks.”
Cautious laughter around the room.
“First of all, I would like to sincerely apologize for the abruptness of the news on Friday, and for any anxiety or uncertainty that may have caused you.” Pushing hair back from my face, I continued, “As you’re aware, as of Friday Mark Hall ceased to be co-owner of Rhodes and Hall.” When I looked directly at Mark, he smiled and winked at me.
A few members of the group nodded, turning to where Mark leaned relaxed against the wall. Others murmured quietly. I glanced down at my dot-point notes. “As I mentioned on Friday, we appreciate everyone’s discretion outside of this office. In the next few weeks, Rhodes and Hall will transition to Isabelle Rhodes and Associates, and a very fine West Coast analyst will be joining us sometime in Q-Two to broaden our reach even further.”
Nat had accepted my job offer and when she and Jill returned from their honeymoon, she’d be starting as an associate. I paused, trying to gauge the feeling of the audience. Everyone was quiet, their eyes on me and an overwhelming sensation of panic bubbled up my throat. Audrey’s steadying hand made its way to my back and when I looked sideways at her, she held eye contact with me, her expression calm as she nodded. Okay, I was doing okay.
She dropped her hand and without thinking, I reached for it and gently twined our fingers together. I was dimly aware of the statement I was making to my staff about our relationship, and rather than concerned, I felt settled. It felt right. “I’ll try to keep any disruption to a minimum, and I would very much appreciate your patience while we settle in the changes. There’s an overview in the handout Clare gave you, which outlines the new structure and other basics. Which leads to my next point. There will be no job loss. Aside from Tamara who will be joining Clare as my adjunct PA, there will be no other restructuring and certainly no redundancies.”
I felt the shift immediately, like the whole room was letting go of anxiety. The tightness in my stomach lessened some as well. “I value all of you very highly, as does Mark. You’re part of the reason this company is so successful.”
I swept my eyes around the room. “If there’s anything you’d like to talk about, please know my door is open.” I gave the assembled group a smile. “In the meantime, please feel free to include me in your gossip.”
A low hum filled the room but quieted the moment I spoke again, “I think that about sums things up for now. I’ll see you all at Ricardo’s. Thank you.”
The group began to stand and I suddenly remembered the last thing I had to say. “Oh! One more very important thing.” Everyone stopped moving. I inhaled deeply. “From now on, no more Ms. Rhodes. Please, call me Isabelle.” Goodbye, kindergarten teacher.
There were soft murmurs and more than a few smiles. Audrey squeezed my hand then released me. I moved through the crowd, exchanging words here, shaking hands there, and even receiving the odd hug before we went for dinner and drinks. A small group had gathered around Mark, speaking quietly with him and exchanging handshakes and laughter. Nobody appeared upset or concerned, and with every passing moment I felt better. Stronger. I could do this.
When the room had emptied of everyone but Mark, Audrey and me, Mark walked over clapping quietly. “Bravo, Ms. Rhodes.” His eyes twinkled.
“Oh, fuck off,” I said good-naturedly.
“Seriously, I’m proud of you, Belle.” Mark hugged me then after a pause, opened his arms to Audrey, who stepped into them immediately. After they’d separated, Mark confirmed, “See you two downstairs?”
“Mhmm.” I watched him leave the room, then turned back to Audrey. Her dark eyes connected with mine, her mouth lifted in the special smile she reserved for me. The smile of promise and love.
“Ready to go?” I asked.
“Sure am. That was great, just what they needed to hear. They all trust you so much, Iz.” We started toward the door.
Trust. Looking into her guileless face, I realized with painful clarity that the thing I’d missed all along was trust. In myself and others. Audrey was the first woman who I’d fully opened up to, who I’d trusted without question. She was also the first woman to place her trust in me, and her trust was worth more than all the money in the world. I was worth it, I was deserving of it.
I cleared the lump from my throat. “I just need to grab my purse.”
“Sure.” We made our way down the hall to my office, and Audrey leaned against my desk while I gathered my things. Her smile was slightly mischievous when she asked, “So, do I get to call you Isabelle at work now too?”
“No.” I stepped around my chair to stand in front of her.
She arched a confused eyebrow. “Well…what do I call you then?”
I turned Grams’ ring on my finger. “I was thinking you could call me Mrs. Isabelle Graham. I mean, eventually that…might be great?”
Her eyes widened. Time lengthened, each second dragging out. “That sounds really good,” she said hoarsely.
I ran my thumb over her left ring finger. “What do you say?” There was no anxiety. No nerves or fear. Just that trust between us.
“Is this a proposal?”
“I think it is.”
The edge of her mouth trembled before a smile lifted the corner of her mouth. Eyes bright, she turned her hand to slip her fingers between mine. “Then I say yes.”
Bella Books, Inc.
Women. Books. Even Better Together.
P.O. Box 10543
Tallahassee, FL 32302
Phone: 800-729-4992
www.bellabooks.com
