“Fine, but you’ll regret it. He’s super cute. So, your loss.” Chelsea changed the subject, then, and Jada was grateful. “You ready for your big meeting today with Mr. Ka?”
“Yeah. I’m all set. Got my briefs ready, and Matheson is, of course, going to be there.”
They both made a face when Jada mentioned her pseudo-boss.
“Ugh, I hate that guy. Did I tell you he hit on me the other day? Like right at work, in front of people.” Chelsea looked genuinely queasy.
“Why don’t you say something to HR?”
“I have. So have some others. They’re not doing anything.”
“That sucks. I’m sorry. Let me see if I can do something. It might be a little while, and it might be nothing, but I’ll try.” Jada forced a smile.
“Thanks, Jada. That means a lot.”
Chelsea scampered off, and Jada concentrated on memorizing the briefs for the big Ka meeting. Sure, they were ready, but Jada was still nervous about presenting to the infamously hard to please client. She didn’t like her job all that much, but she was determined to hold onto it. She had no choice.
Chapter Two
The voice of Jada’s father rang through her head: “You’re a brilliant young woman, honey. The future is going to be so very bright for you.”
She’d been so nervous about the big move, and her dad, her totally amazing dad, had squashed her fears to a pulp. God, she missed his smile. San Francisco was a lousy substitute for her cozy, albeit tiny, home in Arizona. She had felt welcome, useful, and hell, even important there.
“Are you paying attention, Ms. Phillips? Or are we boring you?”
Jada sat up straighter in her chair and nodded empathically toward her boss. Paul Matheson was glaring at her, and, to be honest, he was right: Jada wasn’t listening. Staff meetings were a complete drag, and she was so over working for all these pompous, self-absorbed businessmen.
Her position at JPH Tech was supposed to have been the “opportunity of a lifetime.” What a load. The software company was a money-hungry beast that fed on the souls of those who worked there and did little to compensate them—even though they could have given everyone 200 percent raises and barely scratched the surface of the dough the head honcho had rolling in.
“Now, as you can see, the projections for these clients are less than spectacular. We’ve been working tirelessly to inject life into their marketing campaigns, but it appears that our best work has not been done. Sales are down, and it’s supposed to be our job to ensure an excellent ROI for them. Jada, this is your department. What do you plan to do better?”
Ah, yes, the age-old clusterfuck that was marketing. Sometimes, Jada created a great campaign, led her team to success, and got a nice big “thank you” for her efforts. On the flip side, if client sales went down—even through no fault of her own—the hammer fell on her. She was just a little mouse running on a giant set of wheels, and it was easier for them to yell at the mouse than act responsibly as a company.
It didn’t really matter what she said. She told them the same thing she always did in situations like this, and they responded in kind. “All right. I expect improvement.” Yeah, she knew.
“That concludes this week’s meeting. Marketing, you have a client meeting next, correct?”
Jada cleared her throat. “Yes. A potential add-on. We’re meeting with the president.”
“See that it goes smoothly.”
Jada nodded her head, and with that everyone began to clear out of the conference room. Matheson excused himself to the restroom and would return after his pre-meeting routine: pep talk to the mirror, quick Prozac, and a casual adjustment of his fly. What a douche.
Jada remained in the conference room and set up the presentation on the projector. As she placed the packets her team had painstakingly created at each of the chairs surrounding the table, Matheson sauntered in and took a seat at the rear head of the table. The office assistant brought in pitchers of water and OJ, and Jada took a deep, steadying breath.
Moments later, the client and his team arrived and shuffled into the medium-sized room. They were from a small country in the south of Asia, and Jada greeted them in the customary manner. When she approached the president, she felt a terrible shiver run down her spine. He seemed cold, aggressive, and impatient.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ka. I’m Jada Phillips. We spoke on the phone.”
The president simply nodded and took his seat at the remaining head of the table, leaving his team to arrange themselves around him. Jada knew that not everyone from the company was as stern as its president, but she swallowed nervously all the same.
Attempting to clear her thoughts and move on, Jada continued with the greetings and started the meeting. She knew they wanted to expand their tech development department and use her company’s ability to produce and market for them. She went over the standard pitch of what the company could do, before going into more detail using the first of her slides.
“That’s all well and good, miss, but can you tell me how this tech service is going to make me money?”
Jada tensed at the sound of the president’s voice, but as she started to answer, he cut her off yet again.
“Matheson, we’ve spoken before. Tell me more about this program.”
As her boss began to describe the exact same services and provisions she had been describing, Jada felt her blood steam inside her veins. I literally just said that. What the hell?
“As you can hear, the services I’ve described are in line with what Matheson is describing,” Jada said, trying to press on with her presentation. “I can provide more detail if I can have your attention back on the presentation.”
The president again looked to Matheson.
“Matheson, give me more detail about the executive service plan.”
Her pseudo-boss described the plan but kept it short, leaving Jada an opportunity to continue. She jumped in and flipped to the slide describing the plan’s premier offerings and what made it stand out from the rest. Boredom yet again graced the wrinkled face of the senior client.
“Is there something specific you’re looking for which I can describe?” Jada’s tone was verging on rude.
“Honestly, I’d like to hear more from your superior. While you have piqued my interest, I think the head of the project would be a better choice to detail its implementation.” The president’s eyes never left Matheson.
Jada pressed on, albeit through gritted teeth. “The head of the project is describing it to you. I oversee your company’s business portfolio. Matheson is knowledgeable about the basics, but the package itself was created by me and my team.”
“You put this woman in charge of my account?” Mr. Ka asked, his voice rising.
Jada felt her heart thud, and the inferno which had been growing in her stomach roared into a full-blown explosion. She clenched her fists and swallowed hard.
“Excuse me?”
“This is not how things are done at my company.”
“Well, it’s how things are done here. We don’t relegate women to serving the president and his friends.”
After a long, tense silence, Mr. Ka finally looked Jada in the eyes.
What followed was a string of words in a language she didn’t understand, along with rapid hand gestures that didn’t take much figuring out. In a raised, flaming voice the president argued with Matheson, who did his best to keep up with Mr. Ka. Jada knew she had totally stepped in it, but, honestly, that jerk had trampled on her last nerve. Who did he think he was?
“I assure you, Mr. Ka, that this is highly unusual. Jada will be removed from the project and will express her deepest apology.”
Jada attempted what she thought was a non-committal nod, but apparently it only worked to piss the guy off even more. It might have had something to do with the fact that she wasn’t sorry, like at all. He was a chauvinist pig.
Mr. Ka gathered up his suit jacket, and the team around him picked up their bags
and stood from their chairs. The man was still streaming what were most likely obscenities in his native tongue, and the crowd that had gathered outside the glass wall of the conference room all stood agape. With no lack of dramatic flair, the clients all stormed out of the room, and Jada was left alone in the glass box with Matheson.
He glared at her with enough force to light her on fire. Never one to be pushed around, Jada glared right back.
“Go to your office. I need to speak with Mr. Hays,” he said coolly.
Matheson was taking this all the way to the CEO. Was he serious? It was a single client, who had been more than rude to her in turn, and she’d never had a bad meeting since she’d started working there. Matheson didn’t seem to be budging, though, so Jada stormed off and went to the tiny cube she called her “office.”
Chapter Three
Jada closed the door when she reached her office, sighing wearily. The door didn’t do much to add privacy, as the entire front wall of her office was again made of glass.
“What is it with tech people and glass? Stupid modern design!”
She started pacing back and forth across the floor in front of her desk. She didn’t say anything, but the volume of her thoughts was enough to keep people away from her. Seriously? The CEO?! Is that really necessary?! Ugh! Matheson, what a jerk. He just sat there. He didn’t even say anything about how rude the woman comment was. I had to jump in myself, and we see how well that went! Fuck!
Jada was sweating slightly, and her heart threatened to make a break for it. What had she done? She’d shot her career point-blank in the face—that was what. While a part of her still didn’t regret telling the president off, she was terrified she was going to lose her job. Sure, it made her feel like an insignificant cog in a giant machine, but she needed the money. And not just for herself, either.
Jada’s father was sick, and it was only getting worse. He needed treatment, and it wasn’t cheap. With both her parents retired and never having been particularly well off, Jada’s income was one of the few things standing between her father and death. She’d never forgive herself if anything happened to him because she couldn’t keep her stupid mouth shut.
“Damn it all.”
She finally gave up her pacing and sat at her desk. She had never been one to back down easily or take crap from anyone. Not more than a typical job demanded, anyway. Her parents had made sure that integrity, hard work and honestly had been drilled into her from the beginning, and it had worked. She lived her life by a pretty strict code of ethics, and upholding a sexist’s ego just to land a deal was nowhere on the list of approved activities. She’d just have to make the CEO understand that.
“CEO’s office, now.” Matheson’s head had popped into her room and left just as fast. He didn’t turn to walk toward the elevator but went to his own, much larger, office and sat down behind yet another glass door.
“Guess I’m on my own,” Jada muttered.
With her heels clacking loudly on the floor, Jada walked over to the elevator, pushing the button for the top floor once she got inside. The two minutes that passed were the longest in her life, and she spent the entire time going over fake conversations with the CEO in her head.
In order to see the CEO, who she’d never met, Jada first had to face his assistant, who sat at a gleaming metal desk just outside the elevator. As she approached, she saw that the name plaque on the desk read “Evelyn Perry.”
“Hello, Evelyn, I’m Jada Phillips. I believe Mr. Hays is expecting me.”
The woman made a scrunched-up face, probably trying to hide a smirk, and then casually smiled.
“I’ll let him know you’re here. You can have a seat.”
Jada proceeded to the small seating area and sat down in the chair set off by itself. Evelyn smiled again, but the grin hid a nasty jab at her. Jada threw back her own smile and then looked away, at the expensive, minimal decorations surround her. She hated women like Evelyn, all perfect blond hair and teeth that hid an evil desire to watch everyone around them fail miserably. Bitch.
After a few moments, the speaker on Evelyn’s desk broke the silence, the CEO’s voice booming through the small device.
“Evelyn, schedule a follow-up call with the Qaresman ambassador.”
“No luck, huh?”
“Just do it.”
“Of course. Also, Ms. Phillips is here.”
“Ah, very well. Send her in.”
The line clicked off, and Jada stood up from the uncomfortable chair. As she approached the desk, Evelyn chimed in.
“Down the hall. It’s the door at the far end.”
“Thank you.”
Jada gave a knock when she reached the first non-glass door she’d seen in the building and waited for a response.
“Come in.”
The man’s voice was equally deep when not distorted by a phone, and it made Jada tense slightly. God, I’m going in here to get fired. Jada’s steps felt heavy, and in her head, she saw herself walking to some imaginary gallows, her father in tow behind her.
Why did she have to say all that? She was such a fool. There were a million other ways she could have shown Mr. Ka that she could do an excellent job for his company, and as she entered the CEO’s office, her eyes on the floor, her brain played every one of them in a horrifying movie of woulda, coulda, shoulda.
To top it all off, Jada’s mind decided to kick up the firing stats. In the last year, seven people had been fired from JPH Tech, and apparently it would have been more if the board hadn’t managed to calm Hays down. Around the office water cooler, Hays had a reputation for being a “fire now, ask questions later” kind of guy.
Now, Jada herself was in the line of fire, and at the worst possible time in her life. God, my poor dad.
“Sit down.”
Jada had yet to really look at the CEO, and she shuffled over to the chair, nausea rising in the back of her throat.
“Thank you for coming.” A standard line. It wasn’t like she’d had a choice.
“Mr. Winters has informed me of the situation, and I have already received a call from Mr. Ka.”
Oh great, she thought as she stared at the head honcho’s hand on his desk. Hays’ voice was so cold, Jada was pretty sure her ears had frostbite. He sounded deceptively calm, an air of nonchalance masking his fury.
“As you’ve probably guessed, he is not happy. He described the meeting in intense detail, along with your conduct—”
“Did he at least admit to what he said?!” Jada’s voice was high pitched and strained as she cut off the CEO, mid-sentence. She was on a roll today.
Jada softened her expression and looked up to apologize. When her gaze reached his face, her vocal cords froze.
In all the passing comments about the ruthless boss on the top floor, no one had ever mentioned just how handsome he was. There she was trying to argue for a job she didn’t even like, and she looked up into the face of a GQ model. This would have been so much easier if he was ugly. And what is he, like, 30?
“What?” Hays’ voice was as level as ever, and it filled Jada with utter terror.
“Just that he said a rather sexist comment during the meeting, and I was really offended. I agree that I could have handled the situation better, I know I could have, but he was so rude to me. And he kept interrupting when I was trying to describe the project. And he was all like ‘that’s not how things are done in my country.’ And—”
Jada was babbling like an idiot. When had she completely lost her ability to speak? This never happened to her. Oh Lord, was she still talking?
“—I can certainly apologize, and I know I’m not on the project anymore, but I really don’t see how this is termination-worthy. I mean, I’ve never had an issue before, and…”
Now her voice was cracking, and water threatened to spill from the corners of her eyes. Her mouth continued moving after she’d told it to stop, her then hands decided to join the party. Jada was waving her arms as she spoke, a habit she had when th
e was excited or upset, and she scooted to the edge of her chair.
“All right, that’s enough. The problem is…” Hays’ words drifted off as he eyed Jada’s arm. “What is that on your wrist?”
“What?” Jada was taken aback by the strange question.
“On your arm there. What is that?” He pointed to her right arm and the elaborate pattern that was stained on her skin.
“Oh, it’s henna. I was at my cousin’s wedding last weekend. It’s a part of the ceremony. It’s never been a problem before.”
“No, no. I’m not mad about that.” Hays went quiet again, and Jada was forced to be alone in her head with her panic.
Time seemed to drag on forever, and Jada couldn’t help but stare expectantly at the CEO. What was he waiting for? He just kept staring at her arm and then her face and then back to her arm again. After a minute or two, he scribbled something down on a piece of paper and then finally looked back up at her face with a curious expression.
“Well, Ms. Phillips, I have heard your explanation of events, and I have spoken with the other people who were there. I will think on the situation and come back to you with a fitting course of disciplinary action. You may go.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. Thank you for coming in.” With that, he turned his attention to the computer, a silent dismissal, and Jada stood up from her chair.
The rest of the day went by in a blur, as Jada did her upmost to avoid seeing Matheson, or any of the coworkers who’d witnessed her meltdown. Hours later, as she drove back to her small apartment, she was still utterly puzzled. Why hadn’t Hays just fired her on the spot? What was he waiting for? And what had so intrigued him about her henna tattoo? Her family’s customs had always been respected at work, but when the CEO had seen the markings, it had been like he’d spotted the newest attraction at a theme park.
Jada pulled into her reserved spot and walked to her building. A couple neighbors said hi in passing, but Jada didn’t hear a word. She was like a zombie, unlocking her front door and slipping inside the dark fortress of her apartment. Everything in her life hung on this single decision. Her career, her future, her father’s health, even her continuing presence as a tenant in this building was on up for grabs. If she imagined the feeling of standing at the edge of a cliff, she was sure this would have been it.
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