by Lynn Stevens
Macie sat straighter as Nancy picked up the phone and ordered someone named Mark to her office. She waited while Nancy talked. Was she just offered a job and missed it? Nancy said ‘your work here’ so that had to mean she was hired. It wasn’t like she asked Macie if she wanted the job, which of course she did. It was a job. In graphic design. No more bartending or waiting tables or working at the gas station. No phone center job. Pride surged through her. She was going to do this and do the best damn job they’d ever seen.
“You’ll start immediately.” Nancy set the phone back in its cradle. “Part-time until you graduate then you’ll go full-time. As a part-timer, you’ll be paid hourly but once you’re full-time, you’ll be salary like everyone else. Do the freelancing on your own time with your own tools. Don’t use the station’s systems for that. Any questions so far?”
Macie shook her head because she couldn’t even open her mouth.
“Good.” Nancy leaned back in her chair and clasped her hands together over her abdomen. “This place is fast-paced and can burn out the strongest person in a matter of months. If you’re committed to the job, you’ll be fine. If you’re not, you’ll be gone before the fall shows start running promos.”
Macie nodded, again no voice to say a simple okay.
“You’ll report to me and me alone until such time I see fit. I’ll assign you tasks. Others will try. Ignore them. Even the talent. Sometimes they can be the worst.” She shot forward in her chair. This time Macie leaned back. “The associate producers like to think they’re me. They’re not. If one of them comes to you, and they will, just refer them to me. If they email you, forward it to me. Same with the on-air personalities. If it’s the sales department, refer them to my assistant. Got it?”
“Yes,” Macie finally muttered.
“And the other designers will try to pawn their work off on you. Just tell them to fuck off.”
This time Macie smiled as wide as she could. “Can I quote you on that?”
“Damn straight.” Nancy stood as the door opened behind Macie. “You and I, we’re going to make this station viable, Macie. As long as you listen to me and do what I tell you, success is within your grasp.” Over Macie’s shoulder, Nancy said, “Mark, get this lady on the payroll. She starts Monday in graphics.”
“Nancy, you know we have to wait until the background checks and drug screens come back before someone starts,” a deep voice said.
“You smoke anything lately?” Nancy asked Macie.
Macie snorted. She wasn’t stupid. The last time she smoked pot was at Christmas with her mom. “No. I’m clean.”
“Arrested lately?”
“Not since my freshman year.” She smiled at Nancy who matched it with one of her own.
“Oh God, what for?” Mark asked.
Macie turned around and almost fell back into her seat. Holy hotness. Mark was at least six-one with lush dark hair and smooth olive skin. He pinched his nose, waiting for an answer.
“I’m kidding,” Macie said. “I’ve always been the one to bail people out.” Mark dropped his hand and Macie got a full look at his gorgeous face. With his sharp cheekbones and wide eyes, Mark could’ve easily been one of the reporters or even an anchor. Macie knew she’d tune in to watch him night after night. “Never even had a speeding ticket.”
“Good.” He smiled. One of his front teeth was crooked, but it was endearing instead of ugly. Damn, he was hot. “Then we won’t have any issues.”
“Take her to your office and get the paperwork done immediately, Mark. I’m not fucking around here. I need her in house on Monday.” Nancy walked around the desk and stood beside Macie. She offered her hand, which Macie took and shook with confidence. “Macie, I look forward to working with you. Email me your class schedule and any days off you need for your friend’s wedding. We’ll work around those dates. But be aware that you’ll be required to work evenings, weekends, and holidays. Make sure you plan for that in advance. Okay?”
“No problem.” Macie smiled as she followed Mark out of the office. She wanted to message Guy and let him know. The thought stopped her short. She had to scurry to catch up with Mark. Her mom should’ve been the first person she wanted to tell, then Lauren. She didn’t even know Guy. Hell, that wasn’t even his real name. And she hadn’t heard from him in a few days. Yeah, there might be a message in her inbox, but she hadn’t checked it since yesterday morning. Once she got the job interview, that had been her sole focus. Did that mean something? Macie really didn’t know. And this wasn’t the time to think about Guy or anything other than getting the job.
Toni, the receptionist who had given her a quick tour earlier, had shown her the administrative and sales offices, but only from the outside. They hadn’t bothered to go in. Mark opened the door and Macie followed him into a large room with three rows of four cubicles. At the end of the long room were two doors to what she assumed were offices. Each cube was occupied by someone on the phone. Mark lead her into the office on the left and she settled in a hard chair across from his desk. Mark didn’t say anything as he gathered up paperwork. He shoved it toward her.
“Do you have your license and social security card with you?” he asked.
Macie pulled them out of her purse and handed them over. She started filling out the forms. Mark mumbled about tax forms and I-9s on his side of the desk. She wanted to flirt with him, if only for the practice, but it wasn’t a good idea. Not if she was going to work here for more than a week. He was very attractive, but he appeared to have the personality of a grapefruit. Regardless there had to be a policy about dating in the workplace. He took the paperwork and glanced over it.
“Where’s Brickmeyer?” he asked.
“About three hours north of here.” Not many people had heard of her hometown.
“Got family still there?” he asked as he scribbled something on a piece of paper.
“Just my mom. What about you? Did you grow up here?” Macie tapped her fingers on her knee.
Mark nodded. “Yeah, then I went to Tulane for school and came back. Just got my Master’s from Lafayette last year.”
“I’m surprised I never saw you on campus.” Macie grinned and tilted her head. Was he flirting? Nah, he couldn’t be. He was just being polite.
“Big school,” he answered.
Silence filled the small office. So much for tame flirting. Macie glanced around the bland office. There was no personality to it. No photos, no art, not even a plant. Her mind drifted to Guy. Could someone like Mark be the person on the other end of her screen?
“Single or married?” he asked out of nowhere.
“Excuse me?” Macie wasn’t exactly sure if he’d asked her that or if she imagined it. This day had been surreal enough already.
“For your tax forms. Are you single or married?” His gaze met hers and a small smile played at his lips.
“Single.”
He nodded and marked something on the page. “Boyfriend or girlfriend?”
“Neither.” Now he was flirting. Macie leaned forward because she’d played this game before. And there was clearly more to the grapefruit than she originally thought. “But I’m taking applications.”
“And how does one apply?” Mark tapped his pen, keeping a serious expression on his face. Macie could get lost in those deep brown eyes.
“Usually with an exchange of phone numbers. Then a coffee interview. If that goes well, a second dinner interview can be arranged.” Macie reached out and put her hand over his pen, careful not to touch his skin. “Who knows what could happen after that.”
Mark smiled and let his pinky finger touch the side of her hand. “Sounds intriguing.”
“It’s a solid interview process.” Macie pulled her hand away, wishing there’d been a tingle or a rush of anything where he’d touched her. That had been her goal, to get a rush. Chemistry either happened or it didn’t. It was something she thought about a lot when it came to her Guy. And a reason why she’d never attempted to meet him.
If there wasn’t any jolt of heat or electricity, she wasn’t positive she could handle that level of disappointment. Sure, they could stay friends, but that was easier said than done. She shouldn’t meet Guy. Which was why she’d flirted with Mark to begin with.
“Here,” he said, writing his number on the back of the card. He slid it toward her. “Consider this my application.”
Shit. Macie smiled as she hid her real feelings. Maybe she was jumping the gun. Getting involved with a co-worker wasn’t smart. Especially when she hadn’t even started the job yet. She knew better, but she played the game anyway. That normally got her ass in the fire quick. “Accepted. But I’m not going to hold any interviews for a several months. Just so you know.”
“Understood. Some things are worth waiting for.”
Okay, she didn’t feel anything when he touched her, but this man knew how to flirt because that was beyond attractive. But without chemistry, there wasn’t a point. Her mind shot to Guy again. What if they didn’t have chemistry? What if they did? Guilt warmed her gut. It was like she betrayed him even though she didn’t even really know him. Guy could be faking those letters just to meet her and get in her pants. But if that was the case, he would’ve suggested they meet a long time ago.
They finished up the paperwork with minimal flirting and with Macie off to take a drug screen at the clinic down the street from the station. Mark handed her a water bottle from a mini-fridge behind his desk. “To speed up the process,” he said. He walked her to the door leading back to reception. “It’s been a pleasure, Ms. Regan,” he said, bowing gallantly.
“Likewise Mr. ...I don’t even know your last name.” She almost laughed. In all the flirting, they’d never actually introduced themselves properly. He’d gotten her name off her application.
“Sawyer.” His grin widened. “I guess this has been a little...unconventional.”
“A little.” Macie waved her fingers and walked out the door. She’d text him tomorrow to thank him for helping her process, but that would be it. School had to come first. And she had to figure out where she stood with Guy before she considered dating someone else. Not that she was dating Guy. Or meeting him any time soon. Okay, or maybe never. She screamed internally. It was too complicated for no damn reason other than she hadn’t stuck herself out there to meet him live and in person. She had to get him out of her head. Throwing herself into a new job would help. Planning to meet him would help more.
The clinic wasn’t too crowded when she got there, but they still made her wait ten minutes. She opened her tablet and hacked into their Wi-Fi. It wasn’t as easy as it was at most places, but it still wasn’t secure enough. At least they added a number to their password: health1. She found the backdoor and looped herself in. Then she opened Blind Friends and smiled at the red one over her inbox.
We’ve been polite again lately, haven’t we? Guy’s message began. Every time one of us opens up, the other pulls back. I have a theory behind that. We’re both afraid of this. I feel like I know you better than I’ve known anyone. But I still don’t know who you are. That scares me. It terrifies me, really. I’m man enough to admit it. We obviously get along well, but is that because we aren’t nearly as guarded being anonymous? Is it because I can freely say things to you that I can’t say in person to others? Is it because I feel like there’s nothing to hide from? I don’t know. I wish I did.
I love talking to you. It’s nice to be uninhibited and open. When I’m with my friends, I feel like I’m playing a part instead of being me. Certain things are expected and I fall into those categories easier than if I’d let myself be real. I don’t know if that makes any sense to you or not. I’m rambling now.
So I’ll tell you a story instead. My mother died when I was seven. She was the love of my father’s life. The one. He’s remarried since and I have two stepsisters, but he’s still in love with Mom. Tonight we talked about her. It’s not something we do often. My stepmother doesn’t like the reminder that she’s not first in my father’s heart. Don’t get me wrong, he loves her, too, but I know it hurts her.
Anyway, Dad shared something new with me about their relationship. My mother rejected him before she finally caved. He had asked her out and she said no. Then something happened over winter break to change her mind. He never found out what that was and he’ll never know. It was love at first sight for him. The reason he shared this with me was simple. He never gave up. It’s been my father’s motto since I can remember. If he wants something, he never gives up.
It’s something I should follow more.
There’s a reason I bring it up. I think we should meet. I know this is finals time and we may have to wait until after graduation, but I’d like to meet you. I’d like to get to know you in person. If you tell me no, then I’ll respect that decision.
But please say yes.
Macie’s eyes watered. Meet? He wanted to meet? She didn’t know how to respond and sitting inside a clinic wasn’t the place to do it. Her instincts said hell yes. Her brain warned her to be cautious. As the battle played out in her head, the nurse called her name. She needed a clearer mind to think it over. Peeing in a cup wasn’t giving her a clearer mind. She hurried through the test, grateful to Mark for the water.
When she got home, she read through the message again. There were so many changes in her life at the moment. She wasn’t sure if she could handle another one. At least not yet. After graduation, maybe. She didn’t want to put him off. But she didn’t want to rush into it, either. She wanted to meet him, and she didn’t. The last thing she needed was this emotional seesaw. Instead, she decided to do what she had done with Guy all along.
She was honest.
CHAPTER SEVEN
He’d hoped to hear from her rather quickly. Stupid hope. Zac regretted it the minute he hit the tiny paper airplane that sent the message. Too bad there wasn’t an unsend button, because he really wanted to take it back. It had been almost twenty-four hours since he’d sent the message, and nothing. He’d scared her off. It was useless and stupid to torture himself like this, but he refreshed the app for the fourth time in ten minutes anyway.
Fortunately, his phone rang. He smiled at the name on the screen ‘Good Catholic Boy’, which was Ford. Zac had changed it when Ford accepted a job teaching music and counseling at an all-boys school. ‘Not My Drug Dealer’ wasn’t nearly as funny anymore. Not that Ford ever thought it was, but it made Zac chuckle.
“What’s up, Ford?” Zac answered. He leaned back on his couch and threw his arm behind his head.
“Macie, that’s what’s up.”
Zac sat forward, dropping his feet off the coffee table. He’d moved into the one-bedroom apartment at the beginning of the month. It wasn’t anything to write home about. The complex was full of the same shot-gun style apartments; a living room on one side, dining room opposite, a galley kitchen with a counter opened to the short hallway leading to a closet, a full bath, and a bedroom with a walk-in closet. It was similar to Lauren and Ford’s place. The living room had a wood fireplace and sliding glass doors leading to a small balcony, which he didn’t bother to use. His father decided it was time for Zac to be on his own, even though Dad was paying the rent until Zac could start at Sparks Investments. “What’d she do this time?”
Ford launched into a rapid-fire tirade. “I asked her to change the bridal shower invitations to wedding shower, and she got irritated and angry with me when I didn’t see what she saw in her head on the graphic she changed, and she was clearly pissed that I even stuck my nose into it.”
Zac kept his laughter in check as his friend caught his breath. Both Lauren and Ford were being ridiculous about the entire thing, but he wasn’t going to tell them that. Just like he suspected Macie wasn’t. She’d do anything for Lauren. “You want me to intervene, don’t you? Tell her they’re not neutral enough?”
“Please. Lauren loved them, but I don’t want the guys to not show because they think it’s not for them. Does that make sense?”
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br /> “Sure,” Zac answered. He wanted to tell Ford to deal with it or to just let Lauren have her girly shower. “I’ll talk to her. Okay?”
“Thanks, buddy. I’ll check with you later to see how it went.” Ford ended the call without saying goodbye, a sure sign he was stressing out.
The last thing Zac wanted to do was deal with Macie. He refreshed the app again just to check. This time he had a message.
His finger hovered over the screen. What if she said no? He couldn’t think that way. He pressed the icon and the message opened.
You know what I call you? Guy. Because I don’t know your real name so I just made one up. I check my app constantly wondering if you’ve responded or sent me a new message. And I yell at myself for being so impatient. You have other things going on in your life. I’m sure you’re not refreshing your app every two minutes to see if I’ve gotten back to you.
I’m sorry about your mother. It’s not what you want to hear, but it’s mandatory that I say it. That’s what people do when they learn of a death. We apologize even if that’s not appropriate because we have to say something and that’s the only thing we can think of to say. I don’t know what I’d do without my mom. She’s my rock. She’s my inspiration. She’s my best friend. Losing her would destroy me.
Sometimes when I write to you, it’s just a string of thoughts in my head, and I’m afraid that it might scare you off. But you’re right, we can be unbridled through messages. We can say what we think without worrying about how the words make the other person feel because we can’t see each other’s reactions. And we can think about how we’re going to respond before we do. We can be open, and honest, and wild, and passionate, and free. Would I be like that with you in person? I don’t know. Do I want to find out?
Maybe.
Yes.
Definitely yes.
But (isn’t there always a but in life?) can we wait a bit?
With finals, finding a place to live, and starting a new job, I’m overwhelmed and terrified. I was afraid I’d have to move home until yesterday. I finally got an offer. It’s not what I was looking for, but it’s still in my field. Now I need to put the deposit on the apartment and move in. I’m just happy that I can get this place. It’s not close to the dream job, but it’s still close to the real job. And I want to live close so I can sleep in. LOL. Sorry, I like sleep and I’m not ashamed to admit it.
