by Fiona Riley
Farrah walked off as Olivia stood there in a daze. “I’m going to get so much shit for this, I can already tell…”
* * *
Savannah unlocked the door to her office and glanced at the empty chair outside her door. Annabelle wasn’t due in for another hour and a half. She flicked on the light and dropped her purse and jacket on the chair across from her desk as she settled heavily into her seat. It wasn’t like Ken to call a meeting this early with such short notice. She powered up her tablet and checked her voicemail while her fingers traced along the file in front of her labeled Greater Image Design. She liked to keep hard copies of all her projects and assignments in her workbag just in case something like this popped up. She had crawled out of bed early, careful not to disturb Olivia, so that she could skim through their projections and check the deadlines again. Something about the tone in Ken’s voice last night had put her on edge, and she wanted to make sure she covered all her bases.
Savannah exited the voicemail menu and scanned over her emails once more before she packed up her tablet and portable keyboard. As she slid it back into its case, her attention was drawn to a small Post-it stuck to the back of her tablet that she must have overlooked before. In looping, carefree script was a message from Olivia, signed with a heart. Cash in that rain check after work? Call me. Savannah smiled as she traced the shape of the heart with her finger and let herself wonder what the symbol meant to Olivia. She tapped the heart twice and sighed before she folded the note and tucked it into her pocket. As she headed toward Ken’s, she let herself wonder what that heart shape meant to her, too.
Ken’s admin was sitting at her desk with a focused look when the chime of the elevator alerted her to Savannah’s arrival. “Early morning, Savannah?”
Savannah paused and looked at her curiously. “I have a meeting with Ken. I assume he told you.”
She bristled and straightened her back at the implication that her boss had made a decision without informing her. “No. He didn’t mention it. But that does explain why he wanted me here so early.” She frowned. “I’ll let him know you’re here. Hang on a sec.”
Savannah nodded and looked out at the view; the city skyline was gorgeous at this time of the day. She was rarely in her office to appreciate her own view, although it was nothing compared to Ken’s panoramic paradise. Her daydreaming was cut short by his admin’s return. “Mr. Dodd said to head over to conference room seven.” She nodded her head toward the end of the hall. “He said that everyone else is waiting.”
“What? Who is waiting?”
She shrugged and pinched her lips together. “I don’t know, Savannah, I didn’t even know you were having a meeting.”
Savannah’s eyes narrowed as she considered the new information, and her voice was flat when she spoke again. “If I’m not out by eight forty-five, would you please call down to Annabelle and tell her to push back my nine o’clock call to right before lunch?”
“Yes, ma’am.” She jotted down the note.
Savannah turned and strode toward the conference room, the clicking of her heels echoing off the blank walls as she went. The rest of the office doors on this floor were still closed—it was barely seven thirty in the morning, after all. She took a deep breath and paused outside the conference room door before stepping inside.
Four unfamiliar men looked up at her; the one in the glasses with the ill-fitting suit jacket’s eyes lingered on her pencil skirt for a moment longer than was socially acceptable. She made it a point to look directly at him when she spoke. “Good morning, gentlemen.”
He swallowed and redirected his eyes to the papers in front of him as Ken’s booming laugh sounded behind her in the doorway. “Savannah, making friends already, I can see.”
She stifled the desire to shrug his hand off her shoulder and offered him a false smile. “Ken.”
He motioned for her to sit at the other end of the conference table and introduced her to the group in his usual obnoxiously jovial way. “Savannah here is the best of best, gentlemen. You are very lucky to be in her audience today.”
Savannah took her seat and crossed her legs as she waited for Ken to explain why this meeting was happening.
“Anyway, Savannah, I wanted you to meet our new associates. James and Alvin Pearson, and…I’m sorry, what’s your name?”
The other two men introduced themselves and smiled at her warmly, but Savannah couldn’t have cared less. The one Ken had identified as Alvin, the one with the glasses and the wandering eye, seemed nervous and his fidgeting was distracting. Savannah directed her attention back to Ken and cocked her head to the side. “I seem to be missing something. You said new associates?”
“Oh yes, yes, excuse me.” Ken spread his arms in a grandiose gesture, his jolly, fat face shaking with his movements. “They’re part of your new team.”
Alvin cleared his throat and looked more uncomfortable. James’s attention was fixed on Savannah’s face. He seemed to be watching her reaction closely.
“Let me explain,” Ken continued. You see, Savannah, this project you’ve been working on has gotten us a lot of positive attention. The big shots who run this joint want to expand and do it quickly. James and Alvin will be observing the Chicago launch and are looking to take over the design reins from this point forward.”
Savannah didn’t believe her ears. She glanced back at the two men, pausing to hold James’s gaze as she responded with blatant sarcasm. “Take over? Now that the pilot projects are almost done, you want to take over?”
Alvin nodded and whispered something to James, who looked back at Ken with a frown.
The smile on Ken’s face disappeared and his happy facade slipped away. “Savannah. The Pearson brothers will be taking over after the Chicago launch. They’re going to install the concept in our sites nationwide and begin pitching it in Europe. I wanted to give you the opportunity to meet with them today so you can begin planning the next project site with them immediately.”
Savannah was reminded of the rumors that, in his youth, Ken Dodd had been a vicious businessman who dealt many decks at the same time. “You’re severing our relationship with Greater Image Design?”
Ken’s face was impassive. “They were contracted to complete three job sites within a six-month time period. They have completed their contractual obligation and have been appropriately compensated for that work. This is the end of their partnership with us.”
Savannah felt her blood pressure begin to rise. This morning she had checked and double-checked the dates of all the evaluations she’d submitted regarding Olivia’s team and the project outcomes. They were all in on time, early even, and all had the necessary supporting documentation showing Greater Image Design’s incredible work and success at every turn during these pilots. Olivia’s team had knocked this audition process out of the park. Savannah knew that Olivia had been specifically sought out for her ingenuity with modern green space design. “So let me get this straight—after you used them to engineer and perfect this project, you’re going to put all their hard work into the hands of someone else and toss them to the side?”
Ken’s masked face twitched, and his eyes narrowed. “Ms. Quinn, I’m sure you meant to phrase that question another way.”
James scowled while Alvin seemed to sink farther into his chair. The other two men shuffled their papers and looked flustered.
The realization settled in her stomach like a stone: Ken and New Horizons never had any intention of pursuing a relationship with Olivia’s team outside of having them do all the grunt work on the front end. That’s why he had always been so dismissive of the reports she had agonized over all these months. Greater Image Design was never the endgame for him. That fucking snake.
Savannah’s lip curled in response. “No, Mr. Dodd, I believe my question was appropriately worded. I can see the answer I was searching for is blatantly evident on the faces of the Brothers Grim, here.”
Ken leaned forward in his chair. “Savannah—”
James cleared his throat and interrupted. “I can see you are uncomfortable with this discussion, Ms. Quinn. Perhaps a later time would be better to approach these details.”
“Where are the next sites?” She ignored James and kept her eyes locked on her boss.
“San Francisco, New York, and Miami, then some European partnerships begin,” Alvin squeaked out next to her as he avoided raising his gaze from the papers in his hand.
“I suppose you expect me to travel to all those sites, too? Walk them through every site detail from the first three locations?” she asked, even though she already knew the answer.
Ken leaned back in his seat. “You are expected to complete the duties of your position, yes. You will meet your new team on Monday and leave at the end of next week for San Fran.” He paused and pressed the tips of his fingers together. “It would behoove you to wrap up Chicago and take a few days off to prepare yourself. I will have my admin get all the logistics to yours after today’s meeting.”
Savannah made sure her face remained emotionless as she pushed out of her chair and stood. “I assume since you are giving me more unsolicited vacation advice that this meeting has come to a close.” She glared at Ken before directing her attention back to James and Alvin. “You’ll like what you see at the launch party. There’s no team more qualified or talented than Olivia Dawson’s. You have some mighty big shoes to fill. Good luck with that.”
She reached the elevator in what seemed like fifteen steps. She was shaking with anger as she pressed the button to her office floor. Her temples throbbed and she felt nauseous as she imagined the look of hurt on Olivia’s face when she would hear the news. She slammed the door close button just as the sound of Ken’s false laughter approached.
She exited the elevator and charged around the corner to her office, pausing in front of her admin’s desk. “Annabelle.”
Her administrator looked startled and immediately stopped what she was doing. “Good morning, Savannah.”
“Get Legal on the phone for me, immediately. Cancel my morning calls. Page Corrine Baylor in New York and make sure no one, I mean no one, interrupts me until further notice.”
Annabelle’s eye widened. “Yes, Ms. Quinn.”
Savannah paused in the doorway of her office, her voice low when she spoke again. “Thank you, I appreciate your help.” She meant that. She was going to need all the help she could get.
“Of course, Ms. Quinn.”
* * *
Olivia checked her phone for the fifth time in the last twenty minutes. Savannah had not returned any of her texts and it was almost noon. It wasn’t as though she expected constant communication from Savannah during their workdays, but she had been a little on edge ever since her run-in with Farrah, and she wanted the reassurance of Savannah’s voice in her ear to quiet the noise in her brain.
“Why do you keep checking your phone? Do you expect it to start doing tricks?” Reagan asked around her coffee cup.
Olivia chewed the inside of her cheek to keep from blushing. She felt guilty keeping this from Reagan, but the last thing she wanted was to fuel Reagan’s curiosity. “No, ass. I was just waiting for an email from Corrine about the projects back home,” she lied.
“Hmm, I almost forgot about those.” Reagan frowned. “I’m looking forward to being back in the Big Apple. All this traveling is a drag.”
“Is that because you haven’t found any hot ladies to keep you company here yet?” Farrah appeared over Reagan’s shoulder. “I hear Chi-town has quite the gay scene.”
“Did you just say Chi-town?” Reagan scoffed. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“What?” Farrah’s brow furrowed. “Am I not allowed to use slang?”
“No,” Olivia and Reagan replied in unison, breaking out into laughter.
“Well, whatever.” Farrah sighed. “Devon and I are almost done with the last of the art installations.” She motioned toward the room behind them. “We’ll be finished here soon—having all these extra hands really helped move this site along.”
Reagan nodded and made an exaggerated fist pump.
Olivia gave a small smile, making eye contact with Farrah briefly before looking back at the schedule in her hands. This installation had been the fastest and smoothest of all three sites. They had hit a nice rhythm with their local workforce and did not encounter any of the setbacks they’d had in Denver or Phoenix. It should have brought Olivia great satisfaction, but it didn’t.
“Since this is the final stop on our world tour,” Reagan joked, “I say we go out with a bang.”
Olivia added without looking up, “New Horizons has the launch party scheduled in two days. Once they showcase the room to the rest of corporate, there will be a reception afterward.”
“Uh, okay. But that’s their party. I think we should do something as a group. One last hurrah, you know?” Reagan encouraged.
Farrah smiled at Reagan’s infectious enthusiasm. “It might be nice to do something as a small group, Liv. Have Savannah come—let’s do something together before the big official party.”
“Yeah, exactly. Listen to reason, Liv.” Reagan pulled her into an aggressive one-armed hug before she skipped away and exclaimed to the rest of the group. “Olivia’s planning a dinner, guys. Get ready for some overpriced filets!”
Olivia rolled her eyes and sighed.
“How about you and I get a coffee?” Farrah said quietly by her side as Olivia checked her phone again.
Olivia nodded and grabbed her purse. She followed Farrah out of the work space and to the vendor on the corner outside the busy downtown building.
Farrah handed Olivia her coffee and sat on the bench, motioning for Olivia to join her.
Olivia closed her eyes and leaned her head back, basking in the warm sunshine.
“So, you and Savannah, about how long?”
Olivia sighed and slouched into the seat. “Since Denver.”
Farrah did a double take and gaped. “You’ve been seeing Savannah since the beginning?”
“Well, no. Sort of. Yes? It’s complicated.” Olivia sipped her coffee and watched the cars zoom by.
“And?”
Olivia looked over at Farrah with a confused look. “And what?”
“Listen, I have two teenage daughters. I know that vacant, dreamy look I saw this morning when she drove off. I know all about that embarrassed blush you’re sporting now. And I have known you for a very long time, Olivia, so does she know how much she means to you, or not?”
The forwardness of Farrah’s statement should have made Olivia laugh, but instead her eyes welled with tears and her chest tightened. “I don’t know. Yes?”
Farrah took her hand and squeezed it. “Does she make you happy?”
Olivia nodded and wiped her eyes.
“Why are you so sad if she makes you happy?”
“Because in a few days we’ll be back in New York and everything will change and God, why hasn’t she texted me today?”
Farrah stroked along Olivia’s hand in silence for a moment. “Olivia, she’s probably busy wrapping up loose ends at the office.”
Olivia’s lip quivered, and she tried to silence the sob in her throat. Farrah’s rationale didn’t give her any comfort. It just reaffirmed the fact that their time together was running out.
“Aw, Liv, don’t cry.” Farrah pulled her into a motherly hug. “Shh, sweetheart. It’ll be fine.”
Olivia nodded and hoped Farrah was right.
Chapter Twenty-three
Olivia was alone, waiting for Savannah to meet her, when she finally got the opportunity to look around the project space with a proud smile. She took a moment to admire the way the photographs of the Chicago skyline complemented the canvas painting she’d finished earlier today after Christine had talked her off the ledge. By the time Savannah had finally texted her late in the afternoon with a promise of a date after work, she had already left a few frantic calls and texts for Christine, even though Farrah had assured he
r she wouldn’t mention anything to anyone about what she had seen. She had felt foolish calling and texting her sister like some panicked teenager, but when Savannah was unreachable and Farrah caught them kissing and the realization set in that the project was almost over, she freaked out. Christine had listened to her and completed her sisterly duty of telling Olivia to snap out of it and get it together.
Once she had hung up the phone she was able to silence her panic and put all her energy into the signature piece that would be the focal point of the room: a vibrant and passion-filled red and orange abstract that, when positioned above the photographs of the skyline, looked like the sun was either rising or setting, depending on the angle.
“It’s beautiful, Liv,” Savannah’s husky voice supplied as her arms looped around Olivia’s waist from behind. She pressed a kiss to a spot below Olivia’s ear. “This might be my favorite one yet.”
Olivia melted into Savannah’s embrace and hummed in agreement. There was something so deliciously seductive and evocative about the color swirls in the canvas. She was proud of the outcome. She turned in Savannah’s arms and pressed their lips together in a slow kiss. “Just give me a few minutes to freshen up and I’ll be all set.”
Savannah pulled Olivia close to her once more and kissed her again before playfully slapping Olivia’s ass as she walked away.
* * *
Savannah was admiring the canvas when the smell of Olivia’s perfume brought a smile to her face.
“So, all this secrecy is exciting,” Olivia said, “but where are we going?”
“Well”—Savannah turned with a wink—“I am taking you to one of my favorite places in Chicago.”
“Ooh, sounds delightfully vague,” Olivia deadpanned as Savannah laughed.
“Shh, good things come to those who wait.” Savannah looped her arm with Olivia’s and tugged her to the door, casting one last glance at the burning sun image on the wall.