Chapter Two
I was so fucking tired. I sighed heavily, leaning forward until my forehead rested against the steering wheel. Like always, the weekend had vanished too quickly, turning the already dreaded Monday into a new beast of its own.
Twisting the keys, the car’s quiet rumble died, along with the cold air blasting through the vents. The humidity of summer and the tall glass buildings of downtown Charlotte made the city almost unbearable, even at eight in the morning. Within seconds, the air inside quickly warmed under the heat and sun, and goosebumps prickled down my arms at the sudden temperature change. Honestly, it was a good motivator that not-so-gently helped me muster the energy to drag myself out of the car to walk the grueling five minutes to my lovely job at The Metropolitan Times.
Mondays had never bothered me before. They were just another day of the week to me. At least until my company began forcing their employees back into the office five days a week when Covid suddenly became non-existent. Though we increased our client rate by over thirty percent during the last year while doing the work of three people. The CEO decided we weren’t going “above and beyond” and stuffed everyone in an office with very limited space. I still remembered the irritation that burned down my spine when I read his email delivering the “good” news.
So now, every morning I sat here, forcing the heat and humidity to push me out of the car toward a job that celebrated the overworked and underpaid—not that I was bitter or anything.
I leaned back, sweat gathering along my brow. I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply, holding it as I slowly counted to ten. Just as my lungs started to burn, I quickly released my breath, letting the resentment flow out of me. Reaching over, I grabbed my bag from the passenger side seat and stepped out of the car, slamming the door shut with my hip.
Apprehension weighed me down as I leaned against my car, eyeing the empty sidewalk leading to The Metro. Excuses to skip work ran through my mind, though each one sounded worse than the last. I could always go with the tried-and-true head cold, but rescheduling my meetings far outweighed any benefit of calling out, especially with my meeting later today with my boss, Evan.
Today was our weekly check-in. Normally, our meeting was for client updates, but today I was using it to discuss my potential promotion, and I had never been more stressed.
Six months earlier, I started taking on extra work to learn the ropes for the Senior Sales Specialist role. For months, every task I was given had been specifically for the senior role. Tired of being taken advantage of, I’d decided that enough was enough. I spent countless nights practicing my speech with my partner, Liam, to prepare for this meeting. I was ready for this and today would be the day that I finally got promoted. Hopefully. Though, I wasn’t sure what would happen if my plan didn’t work.
Swallowing, I pushed down the doubt that was quickly rising. I couldn’t think about that now.
Pushing off my car, I started down the longest walk of my life. Fumbling with my keys, I locked the car, the sound reminding me of the past weekend. My lips curved into a small smile at the memory of Liam’s silent grumblings after giving me his keys so he could carry a heavy box. I clicked the lock button repeatedly, each beep earning me an icy glare, while I conveniently looked away, unable to hide my growing smile. It thoroughly annoyed him, and to my delight, I decided to make it into a habit. I chuckled as the memory warmed my heart and put my mind at ease. I clicked the button a few more times while I left the parking lot.
Crossing the intersection, I was digging my office badge from my bag when I slammed into what felt like a stone wall. I grunted, my badge dropping to the ground and I looked up, rubbing my nose to see what the hell I bumped into. The crosswalk and streets had been empty seconds ago and no cars were close by, yet standing in front of me was the tallest man I had ever seen. He must have been over six feet.
My eyes widened and I gaped at him. His skin was sun-kissed, and his long, straight silver hair was partly tied up in a braid. Shock colored his eyes, making them so vibrant and full of mystery; one a dark cobalt and the other a deep emerald green. A faded scar just below his right eye ran along his high cheekbone, though it didn’t take away from his attractiveness. If anything, the scar added to it. It was all I could do to push down my desire to reach out and run my finger over it. Shaking my head, my cheeks heated, and I moved to take a step back.
“Shit, I’m so—” I gasped, my words cutting off when he wrapped his arm around my back, pulling me into his chest as a car sped past us. Horn blaring, the driver cursed out the window, yelling for us to move out of the way.
Stunned, I blinked at him while he watched the car continue down the road, his lips dipping into a frown. Keeping his arm tight around me, my hands twitched against the soft fabric of his shirt, and I could feel the hard lines of muscle along his stomach. The heat in my cheeks grew swiftly, moving down my neck. “I’m so sorry,” I breathed, bristling under his hold. “I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going! Are you okay?”
His eyes cut back to me, confusion filling his expression as his gaze ran across my face. His face paled before slipping into a mask of cool indifference. “Yes,” he said softly, meeting my eyes again. He quickly removed his hand and stepped back, putting space between us. He swallowed, the muscle along his jaw feathering when he nodded his goodbye and walked away. Disoriented, I turned, watching him walk along the sidewalk and disappear around a corner.
Another car honked, quickly snapping me back to reality. I silently cursed as a line of vehicles waited for me to move from the middle of the road. Picking up my badge, I jogged to the other side of the street, giving the drivers an apologetic wave. Once I was out of the way, I turned back to take another glance at the empty sidewalk behind me, an unsettling feeling gathering in the pit of my stomach.
My badge still in hand, the rest of my walk remained uneventful as I swiped in to get into the elevator. I scrolled through my phone while waiting to reach the ninth floor, pushing away any thought of the man along with the unnerving feeling that had followed our interaction. Walking to my desk, I greeted my team while unpacking my bags and turned on my computer.
“Did you hear?”
Looking over to my teammate, Jason, I saw his wide brown eyes bright with excitement, his lips curled into a mischievous grin. My heart leapt at the buzz for some office drama and gossip. “No, what happened this time?” I asked hastily, dropping into my seat, rolling closer to him.
Looking around us, Jason leaned closer to me, his smile growing wider. “Shawn is putting in his two weeks’ notice today,” he whispered, amusement coloring his voice.
“You’re joking!” I gasped. “Last I heard, he was only looking?” Popping my head up, I looked over to Jason’s computer, disappointed to find it empty.
“He got the call last night.” Jason glanced at Evan's office, making sure the door was closed. Leaning even closer, he whispered, “Apparently a competitor got in contact with him a few days ago offering him a lot more money and a senior level position. He accepted it immediately.”
Excitement bubbled in my chest. Shawn had been stuck in a similar situation to mine, getting senior level assignments with the promise of promotion for months, but this could help my case when I talked to Evan later today. Shawn’s leaving would create a giant hole in our group.
“Good, he deserves it!” Honestly, all of us did. “Wow, I can’t wait to hear about Evan’s reaction! He is going to flip.” This would be the third person who had given their notice just that month. The other teams were also going through something similar and the petty part of me was living for it.
“Oh, Evan is going to lose his shit, I’m sure,” Jason said, chuckling while turning back to his computer. “I really can’t wait for my turn. I should hear back in the next couple of weeks.” Jason sighed heavily. I could hear the weariness in his voice. We had all been working hard, but Jason worked the hardest out of our entire team, spending hours of overtime just to finish his assignments on time while checking over the group’s work, making sure they were done properly. “Have you started looking yet?”
His question pulled me out of my thoughts. I told the team months ago that I was looking for another job, but finding the strength to even start had been difficult lately with all my energy being spent on my latest projects. “I’ve been looking, but I haven’t applied anywhere yet,” I said, leaning back in my chair and facing my computer. “I updated my resume last week, but I don’t know if I want to be in sales anymore. It’s too demanding and I just don’t have the patience for it now.” I paused, nervous about what Jason would say to my next words. “I’m still considering a few options, but I’m talking to Evan today about being promoted to the Senior role,” I muttered, hesitating on the last few words.
Even though I had been set on asking Evan for the promotion, I couldn’t picture myself working in that position long-term. However, figuring out what type of job I wanted to do instead of sales had been difficult. I did know what I wanted the job to include: financial security, freedom to set my own work schedule, and not feeling so stressed that I felt like a chicken running around without a head while the world caved in around me at every moment of the day. I wanted a job where I wouldn’t feel so exhausted by the end of the week that I couldn’t do anything except sleep the weekend away just to have enough energy to wake up and do it all over again. But what job listing had that in its description? It also didn’t answer what type of job I wanted.
Turning back around, Jason nodded, giving me a thoughtful look. “You’ll find what you’re searching for. I think the most important thing is to just find a way out. The senior role may look good on paper, but they will take everything you can give and will still ask for more. Once you’re out though, you’ll be able to think more clearly and find what makes you happy.”
Nodding, I considered his words, not knowing what else to say. I’d been so frustrated with myself lately. Finding a job that I’m interested in had been rough, and the thought of going through another interview process made me want to lie down and never get back up again. Who in their right mind would want to start a months-long process over again?
My phone started to vibrate, and the sound interrupting my thoughts. Looking down, I blinked at my brother’s name lighting up across my screen, my face pinching with apprehension. My brother Caleb and I were not close. Being eighteen years older than me, he had already left the house when I was born. He loved telling me how much of a surprise I was and how much stress I had caused the family. He would stop himself from going into too much detail, but I knew the words he wanted to say. I knew how much he blamed me for our father disappearing on us when I was younger, his eyes glowing with animosity each time we spoke, especially during our mother’s funeral. Stopping myself from drowning in that thought, I tapped the screen, sending Caleb to voicemail. Whatever he had to say, he could say it there.
Looking back to my computer, I waited for it to load. Guilt coiled around me and I wondered if I acted too hastily by sending Caleb to voicemail. The last time we had a civil conversation was at our mother’s house during the holidays the year before she died. He had spent the entire time telling me stories about his son getting his first girlfriend, his latest trip, and his two promotions within the last year alone. Then he waited, eager for me to fill him in on all the gritty details of my life. Just the memory of it made me grimace.
It was easier, and better, that we didn’t talk. Not that there hadn’t been any progress in my life. It had just been slow. Liam and I had been together for ten years and I had just managed to convince him that we should be engaged a year ago. Liam was kind, and considerate too, but he didn’t like change, which was fine. Marriage had gotten too expensive anyway.
* * *
Sighing, I kept my eyes on the clock, watching the time slowly pass by. I spent the entire day feeling agitated and restless, especially after Caleb continued to call throughout the morning. Unable to focus on my work, my mind wandered to the man I ran into on the street. I thought of the way he studied my face, paling before quickly leaving. He didn’t say much, but I had the sinking feeling that he knew me, though from where, I wasn’t sure.
After Shawn put in his notice, the whole team quietly celebrated his new job, but apprehension began to gnaw its way through me as my meeting with Evan loomed closer. My body felt jittery with nervous anticipation and my mind kept reeling on all the possible outcomes. I spent days convincing myself that the best outcome would be to get the promotion and a nice pay bump. The worst would just be Evan saying no, unless he fired me, but I doubt that would happen with everyone leaving.
Steeling myself, I straightened in my chair. I’m wasn’t going to allow him to say no. I had made my case thousands of times in my head, each time sounding better than the last. I went over my argument with Liam every day last week, just to make sure I didn’t miss anything. I was ready for this meeting.
