Hatefully Yours

by Callahan, Kelli

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Brooke

  Trent managed to calm me down. All of the chaos melted away when I was with him. I spent all night stressing over it, and one kiss pulled me back from the turmoil that was spinning around in my stomach. Maybe I should have spent the night in his arms—maybe it would have been better than tossing and turning alone. I just needed to get through the presentation, lay out all of my ideas like I had done so many times when I was in the conference room with Trent, and then it would all be over. That was bittersweet in a way. I was going to miss working with him every day, but I didn’t want our entire relationship to be a giant secret we couldn’t talk about. It was sure to be exposed eventually if we kept tempting fate.

  It’s better this way, even if my nerves will be frayed by the time the meeting is over.

  “Ready?” Trent walked up to my desk with everything that he needed for the meeting tucked under his left arm.

  “As ready as I can be.” I nodded and picked up all of my things.

  “By the way, you look really hot today.” He looked over at me and smiled as we walked towards the elevators. “You should wear that skirt more often—or maybe not, I might struggle to concentrate on my work.”

  “I normally save it for interviews.” I looked down and felt myself blush. “Today seemed like a good time to give it one more trip out of my apartment.”

  “It’ll look great on the floor later.” He gave me a nudge and chuckled once we were out of everyone’s view.

  “You’re crazy.” I shook my head. “If this comes off, it’s going on a damn hanger.”

  “We’ll see if you’re thinking about hangers tonight.” He hit the button for the elevator.

  I’m sure I won’t be, no matter how much I spent on this outfit.

  I felt a lot more relaxed once I got on the elevator—almost like I had just come to terms with every direction fate could take me once we made it to the top floor. Trent’s fingers moved against my hand once the elevator doors were closed. I would have loved another hug—or another kiss—but I had to settle for a gentle caress. It was still enough to make me smile. That smile disappeared from my face immediately when the doors opened, and I saw Fulton standing in the hallway ahead of us.

  “Don’t worry about him,” Trent muttered so that only I could hear him. “Stay focused on what you have to do today.”

  “Good luck!” Fulton waved to us, and I really couldn’t tell if he was trying to be sarcastic or not.

  “Thanks.” Trent’s response definitely was.

  Trent led me down one of the hallways to the conference room where we were going to be doing the presentation. The people from Xavier Wholesale were already seated and talking with Mr. Remington, despite the fact that we were almost fifteen minutes early. I peeked through the door and saw who I assumed was the CEO of their company—an older man with a neatly trimmed white beard. He didn’t look intimidating or scary, but that was probably because he was laughing at something Mr. Remington had said. I scanned the rest of the room to see who else I would be presenting to—and then my heart sank into my stomach. I recognized the man at the end of the table. Seeing his face caused me to take a step back and almost drop everything that I was carrying.

  “What’s wrong?” Trent tilted his head. “You’re ready for this.”

  “No.” I shook my head as rapidly as I could. “Oh my god, Trent. I can’t do this!”

  “I don’t understand.” He glanced over his shoulder.

  “That guy—at the end of the table. Do you know him?” I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes.

  “Uh…” He shrugged. “No, I don’t think so. I assume he’s one of the executives for Xavier Wholesale. Why—do you know him?”

  “Yeah!” I came close to hyperventilating. “I threw a martini in his face at a bar—after he called me a prostitute!”

  Ben… I didn’t get his last name, but that’s definitely him.

  “Oh shit.” Trent’s expression went blank—then he seemed to fully process what I said. “He called you what? Fuck him; I’ll punch him in his damn face.”

  “No!” I grabbed Trent’s arm before he could spin towards the door. “You just need to do the presentation. Please!”

  “Brooke, there’s no way.” Trent took my hand and squeezed it. “Mr. Remington has probably already told them that you’re going to do it—they’ll think something is wrong if I take over now.”

  “Oh god…” I grimaced and felt my arms tremble.

  “Forget it. I’ll tell Mr. Remington that we’re not doing this presentation—then I’ll punch that asshole in the face.” Trent’s expression clouded over, and he tried to turn towards the door again.

  This is about to be a really bad situation—we’re both going to get fired.

  “Wait.” I tried to regain my composure and clung to Trent’s arm. “Can you give me a couple of minutes? Just stall—and please don’t punch him, promise me you won’t.”

  “I can’t promise that,” Trent growled under his breath and glared over his shoulder.

  “You have to.” I dug my nails into his arms a little more. “You trust me, right?”

  “I do…” He nodded, and it seemed like the anger in his eyes was getting more intense by the second.

  “Then just buy me a couple of minutes.” I felt like I was practically pleading with Trent, but I didn’t want him to get fired because someone insulted me.

  I was ready to punch Ben in the face myself after that night at the bar, but that wasn’t going to do either of us any favors. I was formulating a plan in my head. I just needed a couple of minutes to take some deep breathes and give myself a pep talk. Trent finally promised not to punch Ben—he made the promise through clenched teeth, but I didn’t think he would break it. I let go of Trent and hurried to the bathroom while he walked into the conference room.

  I can do this. Nothing has changed. I have to stop letting people rattle me, no matter who they are.

  If my campaign was a success, and I moved on to another project, then there were going to be more big presentations ahead of me. I couldn’t break under pressure and get upset like I did when Fulton started asking me stupid questions. I certainly couldn’t lose my shit because someone in the room insulted me once upon a time. Trent believed I was ready. Mr. Remington trusted his decision, but deep down, he had to have some faith in me if he didn’t overrule Trent. It was time for me to prove that I could handle the responsibility.

  Here goes everything.

  “Hi everyone! I’m sorry that I was running a couple of minutes late.” I stepped into the room with a smile plastered on my face.

  “Nonsense, you’re right on time.” Mr. Remington gave me a nod. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet Brooke Weiss, she’ll be handling the presentation today. She came up with these ideas, and I’m very excited to have her share them with you.”

  “Thank you.” I looked around the room and stopped when I finally made eye-contact with the man at the end of the table. “Ben? Hey! How are you doing? How’s the wife?”

  “Uh…” I could see his expression change in an instant when he realized who I was. “Fine—she’s good.”

  “You know Ben?” The CEO of Xavier Wholesale glanced at his executive and then to me.

  “We met recently.” I nodded and kept the smile plastered on my face. “Not long before I started working here.”

  “Awesome, well I can’t wait to see what you have for us.” He settled into his seat and seemed to relax.

  Not the ice-breaker I had in mind when I prepared for this meeting, but it works—and if the look on Ben’s face is any indication, he’s squirming in his seat right now.

  I started my presentation and didn’t feel the overwhelming sense of dread that I had when I found out what was at stake. I glanced at Trent a couple of times, and he was nodding his head in approval at everything I said. The room seemed to be fully engaged in the campaign—I even saw the CEO of Xavier Wholesale make a few notes along the
way. I got about midway through the presentation before a few questions came my way, and they were in line with what Trent prepared me for. The answers were easy enough and seemed to please everyone in the room. I got to the last slide, ran through some figures for the marketing campaign, and felt an enormous sense of relief wash over me when I finished.

  “Do you think this campaign will work with the drop-shipping model?” The CEO of Xavier Wholesale directed his question to Mr. Remington.

  “I wouldn’t be trying to convince you to run with it if I didn’t.” Mr. Remington nodded. “I own enough of a stake in Xavier Wholesale for it to hurt if it fails.”

  “That’s true.” One of the other executives nodded quickly.

  “Ben, you’re usually the one that asks a million questions.” The CEO of Xavier Wholesale glanced at the man sitting at the end of the table. “You don’t have anything?”

  “No sir.” He shook his head quickly. “Her presentation answered them all.”

  I think I answered them all when I introduced myself.

  The discussion continued for several minutes, and a few more questions came my way. One of them pertained to something that I wasn’t even familiar with, but Trent was able to answer it. The CEO of Xavier Wholesale and Mr. Remington entered into what appeared to be a handshake deal at the door. I thought that was a really good sign. Ben didn’t even wait for his boss to leave the room before he made a break for the door. I assumed he didn’t want me asking any more questions about the wife. She must have been more concerned with his late-night affairs than he let on when her number popped up on his screen at the bar.

  “I still want to punch him.” Trent looked up at me once the room was almost empty.

  “I think he’s more wounded than that.” I laughed.

  “What were you saying?” Mr. Remington turned to us once the last person from Xavier Wholesale walked through the door.

  “Nothing.” I shook my head back and forth. “I was just asking him how I did.”

  “You did great.” Mr. Remington smiled. “I think this campaign is going to be the first one in your portfolio for years to come—I just hope you aren’t applying for any jobs outside of this building when you show it off.”

  “I think there are plenty of options here.” I nodded quickly.

  For now—and who knows what will happen in the future. Someone else may be a better candidate than Fulton when it’s time for Mr. Remington to relinquish his chair.

  “Good! Glad to hear it.” Mr. Remington sat down. “We don’t like to dilly-dally, so you’ll be starting your next project tomorrow. I’m putting you back on the Gordon Cosmetics campaign. Paul hasn’t stopped talking about the research you di, and might quit if I assign you anywhere else.”

  “Wow, thank you sir!” I felt my whole face light up. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  “Trent, I’d like for you to stick around for a few minutes so we can talk.” Mr. Remington motioned to him. “Thank you for everything, Brooke. You did a fantastic job today.”

  “I appreciate the opportunity.” I gathered my things and walked to the door.

  I wish Trent was leaving with me, but I’m sure I’ll see him soon enough…

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Trent

  I struggled with maintaining my cool once I walked into the room and had to stare at Ben while we waited on Brooke, but I kept my promise. I was terrified she wasn’t going to be able to get through her presentation—those fears were horribly misplaced. She didn’t just get through her presentation; she absolutely dominated it. I could see the panic in Ben’s eyes. If he planned on opening his mouth when he sat down at the table, he quickly decided to keep it shut. Brooke put him in his place, so I didn’t have to resort to violence, no matter how much I wanted to punch him in the damn face. His embarrassment was probably worse on his ego anyway.

  “I was questioning your decision making until she walked into the room.” Mr. Remington leveled his gaze at me. “Did you know that she was friends with Ben?”

  “I don’t know that I’d call them friends.” I shook my head quickly. “But it worked out for the best.”

  “Yes it did.” He nodded. “Okay, so we need to discuss your next project.”

  “I figured.” I smiled and gave him a quick nod. “Can’t let me dilly-dally, right?”

  “Correct!” He laughed. “I’m tempted to move you out of the Emerging Leaders program, but I don’t know if that’s the right decision yet. I kind of pulled you away from your team before you had a chance to prove that you could manage multiple projects—this one needed some finesse.”

  “Yes sir, I understand.” I kept myself from showing my disappointment—I really did hope I’d get to skip a few steps after successfully completing one of his pet projects.

  “Part of being a leader at this company is proving that you can recognize talent, so I’m going to move you to the hiring department. I don’t think you’ll stay there long, but it’s an important step—especially if you want to fill a whole department one day.” Mr. Remington smiled.

  Not the most exciting thing to do, but it’s definitely important.

  “I start tomorrow?” I tilted my head inquisitively.

  “You do.” He nodded. “Your first assignment will be the expansion of the college internship program—I believe Fulton has some ideas for it. You can set up a meeting with him and go over his strategy.”

  I have a feeling my ideas over who we should hire will vary greatly from those of my old boss.

  “Since we’re done with the project, I may take the rest of the day off. Are you okay with that?” I leaned forward and started to stand.

  “I have no problem with it at all.” He smiled. “Enjoy your afternoon.”

  I plan to.

  I was completely satisfied with my new position. It wasn’t grandiose or one that I would be able to shine in, but it was clear that Mr. Remington was focused on the bigger picture. He wanted me to develop my leadership skills, and part of that was definitely hiring. Fulton was not going to like my strategy, but I had no intention of choosing our interns based on their physical assets. There would be plenty of time to figure that out. I needed to get a feel for the department, see what I was working with, and then lay out a few ideas—but that could wait. The only person I was interested in seeing at the moment was Brooke.

  Does this elevator always move this slow?

  I stepped off the elevator when it finally got to my floor and looked around for Brooke. Her desk was empty, and she wasn’t in my office—I assumed that meant she was in the conference room. I practically ran in that direction and saw her smiling face on the other side of the glass. She looked so happy. If I could have seen that moment for the rest of my life, I would have cherished it. I pulled the door open, stepped inside, and used it as a shield so nobody else could see us. Brooke almost leaped into my arms, and my lips met hers. We kissed so for so long that I had to use the door for support, and we were both gasping when the seal our lips formed finally parted.

  “You were—awesome, amazing, everything! Mr. Remington was very impressed.” I pulled her into a tight embrace. “I’m so proud of you!”

  “I’m not going to lie, I was absolutely terrified when I saw Ben sitting at the table, but after I had a moment to compose myself…” She looked up at me and grinned.

  “You figured out how to put him in his place without missing a beat.” I nodded quickly. “It was so fucking hot.”

  “I must say, I did enjoy that a lot more than getting dragged out of the bar by a bouncer.” She laughed.

  “Wait—you said he called you a prostitute.” My eyes shot up in surprise. “You didn’t tell me that you got dragged out of the bar!”

  “I’ll tell you all about it.” She laughed a little louder. “Over a drink?”

  “Someplace within walking distance?” I tilted my head inquisitively. “I doubt either of us will want to drive after we put a few back.”

  “Do you really want
to walk to your place?” She grinned.

  “No.” I shook my head quickly. “That would be a little difficult in those heels…”

  “These don’t give me blisters.” She looked down at her shoes. “I still feel the ones from the other day though, so I’d prefer to drive—or be a passenger.”

  “I’ll drive.” I took her hand and started to open the door.

  “Wait, we can’t leave yet. We have most of the day left…” She looked up at the clock.

  “As my last official act as your boss, I’m giving you the rest of the day off.” I squeezed her hand. “How’s that?”

  “What about you?” She gave me a concerned look.

  “My boss already agreed to give me the day off.” I smiled. “Any other questions, or can we leave now?”

  “I guess we can leave.” She pulled away. “But you can’t hold my hand on the way out!”

  “True, I’ll wait until tomorrow to start holding your hand.” I opened the door and motioned for her to exit.

  “You didn’t tell me—where are you going to be working tomorrow?” Brooke looked back at me as I walked over to lock up my office.

  “Hiring.” I clicked the lock and turned towards her. “I think it’ll be a good experience.”

  “Awesome! I’m excited to work on the Gordon Cosmetics account again, especially after I did all of that research.” Brooke nodded.

  “That one might take longer than what we did. Paul’s team has a lot of different projects going at the same time, but I have a feeling you’ll be giving the presentations.” I walked over to the elevator and hit the button.

  “I doubt they’ll be more stressful than the one I did today.” She shrugged. “I can handle it.”

  “Yeah, I know you can.” I nodded and waited for her to enter the elevator before I stepped inside. “You can handle anything.”

  “I had a good boss—once he got his act together.” She looked up at me and grinned once the doors closed.