by Kate McLay
"I'm not..." Alyssa started, but then changed her tack, "She seems nice."
Martha grinned, her shoulders lowering as she relaxed, "You've never played Settlers of Catan with her." Done rearranging her desk, she sat down and gestured for Alyssa to join her. "So, tell me about Canada."
Alyssa took a seat right across from Martha. Now that was a broad prompt. "Well, it's a country to the north of us. Lots of snow." She set her tablet on the desk, "But that's not what we're talking about, obviously." She pulled up the report she wanted to reference and laid it out before her boss. "We've been focusing on the Ontario market and building out from there, but I think we need to expand into both Quebec and British Columbia. On every article we write about Canada, we're fielding requests to expand our focus. A lot of the complaints allege that we don't think that there's any city in Canada other than Toronto."
Martha nodded, eyes scanning over the document that Alyssa had pulled up. "May I?" she asked, and pulled the tablet towards her.
"Of course." Alyssa sat silently while Martha perused, her face going from contemplative to inquisitive to closed off and circling back around all in the course of two minutes.
"This is a good start. I want you to pull together a team and start building Canadian content." She pushed the tablet back towards Alyssa and smiled, "Try and pull in a Canadian or two, if you can. I think Rachel's from Winsdor and Ian's from Winnipeg. We want to make sure we're not just publishing articles on hockey and maple syrup. Good work on this."
Martha kept talking, but Alyssa was stuck on 'pull together a team.' "Um, I'm flattered, but shouldn't this go to someone who's... more..." she didn't want to say qualified. She didn't want to make it sound like she couldn't do her job.
Martha saved her. "More senior?" Martha leaned in, brown eyes intense and dark. She seemed to grow, taking up more room than she had a moment before. Her shoulders were already broad, but there was a way she was holding herself now that spread out. "Aren't you up to the task?" she challenged and there was something almost familiar about it. Alyssa could have sworn she’d heard it before.
"Do you think I am?" Alyssa didn't know what came over her. It went against all of the advice she'd ever been given about having a career in media. But for some strange, inexplicable reason she felt like she could trust Martha.
Martha nodded, "It's why I hired you."
"Wait. What?" She hadn't met Martha until a few weeks after she started. She'd been hired by the old marketing manager, Melanie Anders.
Martha shrugged, "I may have not interviewed you, but Melanie and I made the hiring decisions together. I thought you had the most potential, I still do. You're my—" she cut herself off abruptly.
"You're what?" Alyssa prompted.
But Martha just shook her head. "Never mind, I think you've got the chops. We don't normally talk about promotions until you've got at least two years here, but Canada is a huge market. If you can manage the engagement, we might be starting that conversation a bit sooner."
Martha let her go after that. Her encouragement threw Alyssa into a flurry of motion. She spent the rest of the week identifying who she wanted to work with and putting together the beginning of an action plan. She had to hit this big, she had to make her mark.
She was going to make Martha proud.
Chapter Eight
"Oh my God, you have got to chill out!" Hannah demanded on Saturday night. They were sitting on the couch watching Netflix in their pajamas. Rather, Hannah was watching Netflix, Alyssa hadn't looked up from her computer in half an hour, her brows drawn together in concentration.
Alyssa finally looked up, eyes strained. She'd absentmindedly stuck a pencil behind her ear and had been playing with her bottom lip with two fingers. It was kind of adorable. "What? Did you say something?" she asked.
"It's Saturday night." Hannah yanked the remote off the table and shut off the TV. "We are young, pretty, and single. I refuse to let our first weekend together pass us by." She swiped a finger against the screen of her phone, revealing the time. "It's not even nine o'clock. You have thirty minutes to get ready, or I'm dragging you out in your PJs. Got it?" She knew that she might have been coming on a little strong, but Hannah didn't just want to exist in the same space as Alyssa. She wanted to be her friend. And she'd learned long ago that one of the best ways to make friends was to force them out of their comfort zones.
"Pretty? What?" Alyssa gave her a doubting smile and glanced back at her computer. "This is really important. Rain check?"
Hannah laughed, "I'm sure no one has ever told you that you're as cute as a kitten." It just popped out, though she hadn't meant to say it. Alyssa had all the markers of a straight girl on edge. She would be terrified of the experienced queer girl complimenting her.
But she was cute, and Hannah would be damned if she hid herself away because of her new roommate. "And no rain check. You can have all day tomorrow to finish whatever you're doing. I'm absolutely positive that they're not paying you enough for you to give up your entire weekend." If they had been, Alyssa wouldn't have needed a roommate.
Alyssa looked back and forth between Hannah and her computer. With a heavy sigh, she placed her hand on the edge of the screen and pulled it shut. "Okay, but we can't stay out too late, I've got church in the morning."
Hannah didn't laugh this time, but it was a close thing. As she'd thought before, Alyssa was adorable. "Sure, we'll come back when you say we come back."
They split up to get ready. Hannah went for a simple pair of jeans and a midriff baring t-shirt. She'd bought it at a concert for one of her favorite bands a few years before.
She was waiting on the couch for several minutes before Alyssa made her way out of her room. She wore an oversized light blue blouse tucked into a tight black skirt. It might have been work attire, but she'd somehow made it sexy.
Damn, Hannah hadn't known that the girl had it in her.
"I've only got twenty bucks," Alyssa warned. "So it might be a short night."
"Not when it's two-dollar shots and six-dollar taps at Parker's." Hannah waggled her eyebrows, grinning.
"How packed will it be?" Alyssa asked with worry.
But she didn't need to fear. By the time they got there, the place was busy, but hardly a crush. Parker's was cheap, but it wasn't trendy. It was on a less busy street and a few blocks away from all of the entertainment of their neighborhood. They had exactly two things going for them: cheap alcohol and music that didn't suck.
Hannah sort of expected that Alyssa would grab one beer and want to talk in a corner for the whole night. She couldn't have been more wrong.
Her new roommate marched directly to the bar the second they stepped over the threshold, carefully dodging the dancing patrons who stood in her way. Even Hannah had trouble getting across the room, and she crossed crowded rooms like this for a living.
An entire minute later, she finally made it to the bar, just in time to watch Alyssa slam back a shot of vodka. The redhead winced at the harsh liquor. It was cheap, not good. But Alyssa was still fresh out of college and hadn't had time to gain an appreciation for nicer drinks.
She motioned for another and smiled when Hannah slid in next to her. "You want?" she asked.
"I'll take a beer," Hannah replied, half to Alyssa, half to the bartender. She had a sinking feeling that one of them would need to be sober enough to handle the walk home, and that person was going to have to be her.
Alyssa drank her second shot in a gulp before ordering a beer. Both she and Hannah took their drinks and sidled away from the bar to make room for other patrons to be served.
They had to stand close to hear each other over the sound of the thumping music. Hannah's hand could easily brush against the curve of Alyssa's hip. In this crowd, it could be an accident.
Oh, Lord, she wanted to do it. But that was all kinds of wrong and all kinds of stupid.
This was a rebound, pure and simple. Hannah was heartbroken and angry. She wanted to get back at Morgan and p
rove to herself that she was lovable. See? She told herself. That Psych 101 class wasn't a waste after all.
She'd known from the first that Alyssa was cute, but she hadn't realized how much of a problem it would be that Alyssa was nice. She even cooked! From the moment they'd moved in together, Alyssa had treated Hannah more like a friend than a random stranger, and it was all Hannah could do not to read into it.
"So what brought you to Chicago?" Hannah asked, trying to keep her lecherous thoughts at bay.
Alyssa waved a hand around, "You know, work and stuff." She wasn't slurring. She'd only had two shots, but she was grinning and swaying to the music. The alcohol was taking effect. "Come on, I want to dance." She left Hannah, sure that she'd follow.
Hannah didn't really have a choice. Who knew what trouble Alyssa could get into? She clearly had hidden depths.
Still, no matter how cute Alyssa was, Hannah had her limits. "I'm not really a dancer." If this had been a date - and it wasn't, for obvious reasons - she might have indulged her. But Hannah needed to keep her hands to herself. A dance could be disastrous.
But Alyssa had no sympathy for Hannah's inner turmoil. She finished off her beer in three big gulps and set the empty bottle down on a little table pushed up against the wall. Then she was off, weaving through the bar patrons to get closer to one of the speakers.
Hannah knew she should just let her go. If Alyssa's drinking was any indication, she'd been to plenty of bars. She wouldn't get into any trouble. But Hannah hadn't just brought Alyssa here to get her drunk. She'd brought her so that they could both have a good time and maybe become just a little closer.
As friends, of course.
So Hannah made quick work of her beer and followed Alyssa. She could fake dancing. A little swaying back and forth and she'd be all set. Alyssa would be having too much fun to call her out.
By the time Hannah made it to her, Alyssa had her hands swinging over her head and hips swaying as she danced like a drunken sorority girl. She was laughing and swinging her arms about, not caring who saw her.
Hannah would have never expected this. Normally Alyssa gave off the completely pent-up vibe. Now here she was, shaking her money-maker for the world to see. And while Hannah could enjoy the view, she wasn't going to do more than sway.
At least that was what she thought.
Alyssa was not satisfied to let Hannah fake it. She twirled around, somehow closing the little bit of distance between them and grabbed Hannah's hands, lacing her fingers with Hannah's.
"Come on! Dance." Alyssa commanded with a giggle.
Hannah should have been able to say no. But she found herself actually moving, turning around with Alyssa and spinning. It didn't stop when the song changed.
This dancing was different than the kind that Hannah had done with past girlfriends. There was no expectation to it, no undercurrent of desire. Not from Alyssa. Of course, every time Hannah brushed up close to Alyssa, she felt that desire in her heart reaching out.
And every single time she squelched it. This wasn't the place, and it would never be the time.
They danced for a long while, so long that Hannah lost track of time, though several songs had played. And with each song, Hannah danced a little more. Until finally, Alyssa spun a little too exuberantly and lost control, stumbling into the back of a man.
He turned around, scowling, a few drops of beer splattered on his face. "Hey! Watch it."
Alyssa raised her hand up to her face and sucked in a breath in an almost comically dramatic gasp, "Sorry!"
But that wasn't enough for the giant blond man, "You made me spill my drink. What the hell?"
He was loud and tall and even from five feet away Hannah could smell the alcohol on his breath. She tried to pull Alyssa away, saying, "We're sorry, it was an accident." Alyssa didn't want to move with her.
The man took a step toward them, and kept addressing Alyssa. "You're ugly-ass girlfriend isn't going to save you."
Just great, now Alyssa was going to get offended at the gay accusation. If she and Hannah escaped this bar without being thrown out, it would be a miracle.
But Alyssa didn't take the bait. "Like I need her to save me, you di—d—mean guy. Ugh. And she's not ugly! Now get out of my way."
Hannah was strangely touched, not that she needed Alyssa to defend her looks. But this had already gone on long enough. The blond looked ready to start throwing punches, and Alyssa was clearly a dancer, not a fighter.
Hannah slung her arm over Alyssa's shoulder and moved quickly, spinning her away from the drunk guy and back a few steps. Alyssa wasn't drunk enough to get disoriented, thank God, and she didn't do anything horrible like vomit on Hannah's boots. Another plus.
But it was enough for the night. It was getting late, and the blond guy had soured the fun.
"I could take him," Alyssa was mumbling as they marched down the street to their apartment.
Hannah just kept reassuring her, “Of course you could.” There was no use arguing with drunk girls.
She got them both inside and locked up, leaving Alyssa to take care of herself. But before Alyssa closed the door to her room, she said, "Hey, Hannah?"
"Yeah?"
Alyssa was solemn. "That guy was wrong. You're not ugly. You're totally cute." She closed the door behind her, not waiting to see the effects of the bomb that she'd just dropped.
And Hannah, fool that she was, just grinned.
Chapter Nine
Alyssa hadn't drank enough last night to get a hangover. But she had drank enough to have fun, and she was glad that she let Hannah talk her into going out. A look at her alarm clock told her that it was already past 10 AM and she had missed her normal Mass. She could almost hear her mother chiding her in the back of her mind.
"You're an adult, Alyssa. I know you have to make your own choices. But God has given you a great life and amazing opportunities. Our family has been blessed. So if you don’t want to go to church, I can't make you. But we all must live with the consequences of our choices." Catholic guilt; with seven children her mother had it down to a science.
With a groan Alyssa threw off the comforter and got out of bed. Only then did she realize that she was still wearing her clothes from the night before, and her makeup was still caked on her face. The next Mass was at 11AM and if she hurried she could make it, but she didn't have enough time to shower. Oh well, she didn't think that Jesus would hold it against her.
After missing a train and being forced to stop at every red light for the six block walk, Alyssa slid into the pew five minutes late. The service was crowded and no one noticed.
Church in Chicago was different than it was back home. There she knew everyone, had grown up with everyone. The priest, Father Danvers, had baptized her along with most of her other siblings, and her parents have been married in that church. And after Mass was over each Sunday, her family would stick around for at least another half hour just talking to their friends and acquaintances. Her brother Ian had practically launched his campaign for the state Senate from that church. And her father and another brother, Daniel, found half of the clients for their law practice among the parishioners.
In Chicago, Alyssa didn't know anyone. Not well, anyway. She had exchanged a few words with some nice looking ladies, and sort of flirted with a cute boy who came to the same Mass as her. But she knew nothing of their lives and they knew nothing of hers. She'd only chosen this church on her family's recommendation. A few people from their home in town had spoken well of it, though none of them currently attended services.
So when the final benediction had been spoken and the priest released them, she did not stick around and speak to anyone. Instead, she walked the six blocks back to the train and rode home, glad she had gone to church, but feeling homesick.
By the time she got back, Hannah was nowhere to be found and Alyssa had the apartment to herself. Her computer was still sitting on the table by the couch and she knew that she could use this time to get caught up. Well, not
caught up, but ahead of what she would need to do next week.
That thought didn't excite her. Hannah had a point. If she spent all of her life working she was going to waste her youth. Who wanted to do that?
So where did that leave her?
Her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. It was her mother. Heck, she could probably feel the lapse in Alyssa's work ethic from two hundred miles away. Alyssa sank down into the couch and answered the phone, "Hey, Mom, what's up?"
"Are you coming home for Easter? I'm sending the invitations this week. It is your nephew's, Jimmy, baptism. I hope you won't miss it." Jimmy wasn't even supposed to be born for another month. Alyssa didn't point this out, there was no point. “And the week before Easter I’m supposed to visit a friend in town. How about I come there and we have a nice dinner?”
"Sure, I don't see why not. Unless things get crazy at work." If this Canada deal panned out, Alyssa knew her workload would skyrocket. She wanted Martha to know that she could be depended on.
But that did not satisfy Mrs. Barnes. "You don't see why not? He's your nephew. And this is your church. You should be with your family at the holidays. Unless city life is so much more alluring. Did you go to church today?"
She didn't say it like an accusation, but she didn't have to. Alyssa gritted her teeth. "I just got back from Mass. And my work is important, Mom. I thought you knew that."
"I understand. Of course, businesses need assistants. Though, I'm concerned. I've been reading up on your company..."
Alyssa tipped back her head and closed her eyes, suppressing her groan. She didn't want to hear this.
That didn't stop Mrs. Barnes. "I saw an article where they were named the most gay friendly startup in Illinois. Now, I know I may be old-fashioned, and I pray for everyone, but I don't want you to get any strange ideas. You're a good girl, Alyssa. Couldn't you find a better place to work? One more in line with our values? You've got the chops to make it anywhere."
