by Raquel Belle
Now she’s a grown woman. She looks confident, radiant. More stylish and professional. Clearly she must be making her mark at P&B; big boss lady Serena was slobbering all over her when she mentioned that VP of Social Media position. As if she already had the job in the bag, even. But that job’s got my name written all over it.
Sarah clearly wasn’t expecting to see me either, if that coffee spill and accompanying curse was any indication. “Shit” was always her favorite swearword, even when we were in college. She hasn’t changed completely.
I wonder how much she has changed? Is she still as driven and competitive as ever? The second Serena ends the meeting, Sarah bolts — and I go after her to find out.
But first I have someone else to deal with, someone I’ve already been warned about: Lydia Bowers. Just as I’m striding across the office in pursuit of Sarah and that random curly-haired girl who seems to be glued to her side, she sidles into my path.
“Hi there, Mr. Baker. I just wanted to take a moment to welcome you personally to the team. I’m Ms. Bowers.” She makes sure to emphasize the name, as if I’m an idiot who doesn’t already know all about her.
Everyone at P&B knows about old Mr. Bowers’ granddaughter, even those of us from the field offices like Chicago. She’s known for being lazy and entitled but landing premium accounts nonetheless — and for being drop-dead gorgeous.
“Hi Ms. Bowers, that is so kind of you. Thank you for the warm welcome.” I’ll clearly have to play along with her little game. I don’t want to offend this one.
“Oh gosh, puh-leese, just call me Lydia.” She gives me a smile that I think is meant to be coquettish but looks clownish thanks to her overdone lip fillers.
“Sure. Then I’m just Jake,” I give her one of my winning smiles, the one I reserve exclusively for extra-hot girls at the bar. I might as well get into her good graces. Who knows what kind of clout she has around here.
“On a first name basis already,” she giggles, then leans forward and whispers: “My grandfather would be furious if he knew you were being so forward.” She gives me a wink and walks away.
Whew. Dangerous girl, that Lydia Bowers. Any girl who is that connected and pretty and knows it is sure to be a minefield. Better watch out. I won’t be getting anywhere near that honeypot. Anyway, there’s only one woman here I’m interested in talking to right now and that’s Sarah.
I continue to the far side of the office; I’m pretty sure that’s where she and that other girl were headed. And then I hear voices. Bingo. I pause in the hallway outside of a kitchenette where Sarah and her pal are talking in hushed tones. And I hear every word:
“That’s… him?” A voice I don’t know — her friend. “The guy who broke your heart after college?”
I broke her heart? A pang of guilt settles in my stomach. I had thought about calling her about a million times since I got back from the army. I had never told her the truth: That Bryce had been killed in combat. And he was gone; just like that. My big brother. That’s why I left so suddenly. I wasn’t even gone that long in the end — less than one year. I was injured and sent back to the U.S. to recover. I wanted to call her then but… How could I expect her to be there for me after I’d left her so unceremoniously, without any explanation, without even telling her about Bryce? She deserved a better ending than what I gave her. She would have probably even waited for me if I had explained everything to her. My brother’s death left me shaken to my core and questioning all of the decisions I’d made in my life. My goals to get a job and make loads of money had seemed trivial and immature in the face of his passing. In any case, my last minute enlistment wasn’t planned in advance — it took everybody, myself included, by surprise. And it clearly hurt Sarah.
I turn back to the moment at hand and draw my attention to the conversation between the two girls. Now they’re talking about that VP of Social Media Position. My future job. My ears perk up as I return to the here and now.
The unknown voice again: “Well hey, if you get this VP position — I mean when you get the VP position — you’ll technically be his boss.”
“Every girl’s dream.” Sarah’s familiar voice.
Her friend: “You’ll have him at your mercy.” Woah, these girls are devious.
They both start laughing but I’m not so sure it’s meant to be a joke.
Okay, time for me to step in and set the record straight; I don’t want to start this new job off on a bad note because of an ex.
“Ladies, that’s a pretty harsh welcome for your new colleague,” I step into the tiny kitchenette and make my presence known. It’s the second time that day I’ve seen my ex-girlfriend’s face crumble into a mixture of shock — followed by annoyance.
“Hi Jake,” her voice is cold and even. She might as well have replaced those two words with an F-U. Yikes.
“Hi Sarah. It’s good to see you — a nice surprise. I didn't expect you’d still be at P&B to be honest.”
“Well, some of us don't go running from our commitments.” Ouch. Getting personal right off the bat. “So yeah,” she goes on, leveling her gaze: “I stuck around.”
“It seems like you’ve been doing well. Serena clearly has you in her sights for the VP of Social Media position”
“Oh she’s been doing more than well!” The curly-haired girl next to her pipes up. “She’s the star of the social media team! She’s the absolute best.”
“I have no doubt.”
“I’m Amanda by the way,” the curly-haired girl sticks out her hand.
“Nice to meet you, Amanda.”
“You too! Will you make it to the after-work drinks today?”
“Uh, I didn’t know there was something going on,” I glance at Sarah. Her ears are turning pink; that used to happen when she was pissed off. Right now she looks ready to punch her friend in the face, to be honest.
Amanda either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care: “OMG, yes! Every Monday. They call it the Monday Motivation Meeting but it’s honestly just an excuse to get wasted on the company dime!”
“Better not say something like that in front of Lydia,” I grin. “She’ll be running to her granddad and telling him all about it.”
Sarah and Amanda practically roll their eyes in unison. I guess they’ve spent a lot of time together over the past years.
“I wouldn’t get too cozy with her,” Sarah says.
“Yeah,” Amanda chirps. “She basically does nothing and takes credit for everyone else’s work. And gets away with it just because of the name. Basically she’s lazy and entitled.”
“Well, I can’t judge her on those points yet but I have to say, she is a head-turner.” I’m lying through my teeth. Of course I already know about Lydia’s reputation. But something about Sarah’s face when she said her name made me want to take that dig. Why? To see if she’d get jealous?
Sarah is so pissed, she can barely get a word out. Amanda comes to her rescue: “Well, leave it to a guy to not even look beyond the packaging.”
“Right,” Sarah comes back to life, spitting fire: “Especially a guy like you.”
“I’ve never been one to focus on the ‘pretty packaging’ as you call it,” I tell Sarah quietly. That was a low blow and she knows it. “I’m more drawn to personality, ambition, and drive. I thought you, of all people, would know that.”
“Who knows what you’re drawn to these days. You’re practically a stranger to me now, Jake. I didn’t even know you were out of the army.”
“It has been seven years,” I tell her. “So maybe we should start fresh — politely. Can we be civil? Instead of you plotting to take that VP of Social Media job just so you can become my boss and make me miserable.”
“That was just a joke,” Amanda interjects hurriedly. She’s probably just covering Sarah’s ass in case she really does try to make my life here a living hell. She seems angry enough; I wouldn’t put it past her.
“Anyway,” I go on casually, “I’m planning to go after that position myself.�
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“WHAT?” Sarah and Amanda blurt this out in unison. These girls seriously have been spending way too much time together. What kind of mind-meld is this?
I smile. “Sure, why not? I have the experience and the knowledge to handle it. And the people management skills, which…” I look at Sarah carefully, “not everyone does.”
“Sarah has excellent people management skills!” Whew, what a loyal friend. It’s kind of adorable. Well, it would be if they weren’t teamed up against me right now.
“Yeah, plus I actually know the people here who I’ll be managing. You’re just a new face.” Sarah takes a step towards me as she’s speaking, pointing at my chest, coming so close that we’re almost touching. “And nobody here has ever heard of you before. So whatever you were doing in the Chicago offices can’t have been that noteworthy.”
I want to spit back insults, tell her that nobody in the Chicago offices has ever heard of her either. But with her this close to me I can catch a whiff of her perfume. A familiar scent… I’m not sure what it is; I can’t remember what she used to wear. But it’s bringing up all kinds of memories.
Memories of Sarah, seven-plus years ago: her head nestled on my shoulder; her arms around me in big bear hugs; her lips whispering kind — not insulting, like now — words into my ear, telling me she loved me; her body pressed against me, soft and supple and sweet.
The recollection nearly knocks the wind out of me. These were the thoughts I would replay in my mind over and over again after we parted ways — all throughout my army training and throughout the tough days of combat that left me mentally and physically exhausted. And finally, those memories gave me some comfort during my recovery. After an IED messed up my leg, almost blowing it to bits, I was honorably discharged from the army. I had served barely a year. I felt like I could have done so much more — but they wouldn’t take me back with my leg in the state it was in. My one comfort was that I had saved two lives that day, the day I got injured; two men would return home to their families because of my actions. The medals I got for the risk I took, a Medal of Honor and a Purple Heart, are a testament to that fact. They are a constant reminder that something good came out of my time in the army.
Keep your cool, Jake. I shake myself out of the confusing mass of memories and face her head on: “Well, Sarah, maybe you didn’t hear about my accomplishments in the Chicago offices until now. But I guarantee you, you’re about to hear the name ‘Jake Baker’ a whole lot more around here.”
She snorts. “Great. A name I never wanted to hear again.”
“Get used to it,” I tell her. “And get ready to put up a fight for that VP of Social Media position.”
“That position was made for Sarah.” Amanda seems to be Sarah’s personal cheerleader. Or bodyguard. She’s now literally stepped forward and positioned herself between Sarah and me. Talk about overreacting.
“The position wasn’t ‘made’ for anyone. That's why they have an open application process. One that I plan to take part in.”
“Fine,” Sarah shrugs. “Try your best. It’s a waste of time on your part.”
“Yeah,” Amanda pipes up again. “You’ve been warned!” What kind of girly mafia do these two think they are? I have to suppress a smile. It’s sort of sweet. Amanda would probably even help her bury my body if it came to that.
“Okay then, ladies. Thanks for the warning,” I let one of my best grins loose on them. I know the easiest way to ruffle Sarah’s feathers is to just keep my cool. “May the best man win.”
Sarah’s ears turn an even more vibrant shade of pink. I’m really getting to her. “You mean the best woman,” she responds icily. She sticks out her hand. “Welcome to P&B Jake.” The words are welcoming but the tone is basically telling me to go fuck myself.
“Thanks.” I shake her hand firmly, realizing for a split second that it’s the first time I’ve touched her in seven years. But I can’t dwell on that now. “Have a good day,” I nod to her and Amanda, turn on my heel, and stroll out of the kitchenette.
I can feel Sarah’s stare boring into my back like a dagger as I go. I think of her deep blue eyes meeting mine just now, a fresh fire in them I’ve never witnessed before making them more beautiful than ever. My ex. My gorgeous ex. Was this the worst possible first day of work ever or the best? I’m not sure.
Chapter 3
Sarah
After Jake had the balls to bust in on my private conversation with Amanda after the Monday meeting, I spent the rest of the week ignoring him. Or trying to.
It seemed like he was lurking around every corner I turned, often with Lydia Bowers by his side, smiling into his face. She’s so transparent. It’s obvious she’s after him. Usually I’m not all “TGIF” when Friday arrives but by the end of the last week, I was grateful for the weekend: Two whole days without Jake somewhere in my line of sight. Two days without a reminder of the biggest heartbreak of my life staring me in the face.
The only thing getting me through it all is the thought of the VP of Social Media position. It’s my prize for the taking. I just have to make the right moves to win it. And I’m not going to let some guy from my past get in the way.
Amanda has been awesome, too, of course. It’s good to have a work bestie who always has your back, no matter what. I’m reminded of this when I walk into work the next Monday — late.
I’ve been dreading yet another meeting where Jake will inevitably be sitting at the same table as me and I’ve been dragging my feet as a result. For once, Amanda beats me to Monday’s all-hands meeting.
“Sarah! Get over here,” she waves me over urgently.
“Thanks for saving me a seat.” I slide into the chair next to her and take a moment to survey the room. Serena hasn’t arrived yet but Jake is here — sitting next to Lydia. They’re deep in discussion and he doesn’t even look up when I arrive.
“How was your weekend? Are you ready for the Gillette pitch?” Amanda gives me a pointed look — she knows I’ve been working hard to stay focused and not let Jake’s presence distract me.
“Yes,” I smile at her gratefully. “No worries. I spent all weekend preparing. Totally ready for Wednesday’s meeting and definitely going to crush it.”
“Great,” she grins. “Then you won’t have any issues joining me for the weekly after-work drinks today. Especially after you skipped out on last week’s!”
“Well, after you told Jake about them, what did you expect?” I hiss at her.
“I know,” she puts her face in her hands in embarrassment. “That was a dopey move. I didn’t realize how much animosity there was between the two of you. Forgive me and come today?”
“Fine but I’m capping it at two drinks.”
“Sure, sure. You have a two drink maximum; I have a two drink minimum.”
We start giggling but quickly quiet down when Serena comes storming into the room. She’s clearly in a rush — and in a lethal mood.
From the corner of my eye, I see Jake finally pause his conversation with Lydia and turn his attention to the front of the room. He doesn’t look at me even once.
“Okay then,” Serena gets right to it: “I have a day full of meetings ahead so I’d like to keep this one short. Any updates?”
Nobody raises a hand. Not even Amanda dares to make a joke or nudge me under the table. Not when Serena is in a mood like this. The last time we saw her in such a state, someone got fired.
“Great,” Serena plasters on a tight smile, clearly pleased that nobody is going to waste her time with needless news. “Then the only other point to cover is the VP of Social Media position. I’ve received two applications so far.”
She pauses and looks directly at me — and then at Jake, who is grinning like an idiot. “The deadline for applications is today, close of business. So if anyone else is planning to apply, get to it.”
The room remains silent. Then Jake raises his hand. Now, Amanda dares to nudge me under the table. Serena is not going to like this.
&nbs
p; “Yes, Mr. Baker?” She looks at him impatiently.
“Yes, thanks. Regarding the VP position, I was wondering what the selection process is going to be like? Like what’s the criteria that’s being considered?”
Serena takes a deep breath, clearly annoyed by this delay. “Well, of course we will be looking at each candidate’s portfolio of work both at P&B and beyond, as well as how much time they have spent with P&B and their record here to date.”
“Right, see, that’s what I’m concerned about.” Jake has some balls talking to Serena like this, I’ll give him that.
He goes on: “It seems to me that it would actually be detrimental to favor people with longer experience at P&B. A senior position like this requires a visionary approach. People who have been at P&B too long may be stuck in a rut.”
Shit! What is he trying to say? That I don’t deserve it because I’ve been here for “too long”? Before I can stop myself, my hand shoots up.
Serena looks at me with surprise. “Yes, Sarah? Do you have something to add to that?”
“Well, it seems to me that it makes way more sense to have someone who has been here for a few years in the role. Someone who knows the ins and outs of how the organization works, knows the people here, and has been nurturing relationships with clients — ”
“Clients are often interested in new blood and fresh ideas. They want more creativity.” Jake blatantly interrupts me. You have got to be kidding me.
“Excuse me, I was not done talking.” I shoot back at him. “As I was saying, it’s important this role goes to someone trustworthy. Reliable. Committed.”
“All the commitment in the world is useless if you can’t deliver great ideas.”
“Great ideas are useless if you can’t see them through.”
I’m steaming mad. I know I should shut up — Amanda has gone from nudging me with her knee under the table to straight up kicking me in the ankle — but I can’t seem to stop. Why does he have to be such a jerk? I open my mouth to say more to Jake but before I can get out a word, Serena steps in:
