by Glazer, J B
I spend the next few days unpacking the last of my boxes—the ones marked “Miscellaneous” that I’d been avoiding. I put away the items I want to keep and toss the rest. Just as I sit down for a break, my phone rings. It’s Judy Schaefer from Hartman & Taylor calling to offer me the job. I’ve already received offers from the other two agencies, but I’ve been holding out until I heard from Hartman. I probably should tell her I need to think it over, but I accept on the spot. There are only so many errands and so much unpacking I can do, and I get restless sitting around all day. I’m eager to get back into a routine. I start a week from Monday.
My first instinct is to call Ben, but I don’t. Instead I call my parents to tell them the news, and then I call Liv. I catch her while she’s between classes. “Congrats, Lexi! We’ll have go out tonight to celebrate.”
We agree to grab martinis at our favorite bar, Lux. I decide to cook a nice dinner to thank Liv for all her support. I don’t know how I could have gotten through these past few weeks without her. I still feel like a ghost of myself. I peer in the mirror, and at first glance, I look the same—same long chestnut-brown hair, big almond-shaped brown eyes, olive skin, and slim build. But on closer inspection, I notice bags under my eyes even makeup can’t hide; my skin has lost its luster; and clothes that once fit perfectly now hang loosely on my frame. I didn’t have much of an appetite in the weeks after the “incident,” as I now like to call it, and I’m still not back to my ideal weight. I make a mental note to add more protein to my diet. Then I look at my left hand, now bare, which serves as a constant reminder. I sigh in frustration and close my eyes. I start to think about Ben but push the thought from my mind. Everyone keeps telling me time heals all wounds, but I’m still waiting.
The week passes quickly. I’m totally unpacked, and the apartment is clean and stocked with food. On Sunday night I choose my outfit carefully so I won’t have to waste time in the morning fretting about what to wear. I opt for a fitted, camel-colored, long-sleeve pencil dress with exposed gold zippers in place of pockets. I accessorize with a skinny, leather, chocolate-brown belt; brown, suede, round-toe Mary Jane pumps; and gold chandelier earrings. I don’t sleep well and feel exhausted when the alarm goes off at six forty-five. I take a hot shower to wake myself up then blow out my naturally wavy hair until it’s stick straight. Liv is always telling me I have such great hair because I can wear it so many different ways. It’s amazing what you can learn on YouTube.
I grab a coffee at Starbucks then head to Hartman & Taylor. Judy told me to stop by her office at eight thirty so she could give me an ID badge along with a key to my office. I arrive right on time; being late gives me anxiety. She takes my photo for the badge and gives me a temporary card until it’s ready. I head to my office and unpack the few personal items I have. My old office was filled with pictures of Ben and me. Now I have three simple framed photos: one of my family, one of my nephew Charlie, and the other of me with my friends. I stare at the picture and remember the night, one of my last in Chicago, when my friends threw me a going-away party. I hardly recognize the happy, carefree girl gazing back at me. Although it’s only been months, it seems like a lifetime ago. My friends had the photo framed as part of my going-away gift, but now it only brings back painful memories. I make a mental note to replace it. Just then I hear a knock on my door. A pretty blond girl with warm brown eyes pops her head in.
“You must be Lexi,” she says. “I’m Nicole. I sit in the office right next door.”
“Hi. It’s so nice to meet you.”
We chat for a few minutes, and she offers to show me around. She introduces me to some people on our floor and gives me the lowdown on everyone. I can tell she’s the type of person I would be friends with. Plus she seems like someone good to know because she’s up on the latest company gossip. We’re chatting outside her door when I spy Jake walking down the hall. Once again he’s wearing a crisp, light-blue button-down shirt that brings out the color in his eyes, along with sterling silver cuff links. I find myself wondering if they were a gift.
“Hi, Lexi,” he says. “I’m so glad you decided to join us. I see you’ve met Nicole.”
The three of us chat for a bit, and I notice how easily he and Nicole banter back and forth. It’s like they’re old friends—or perhaps something more. Then Jake looks at his watch and says, “I gotta go meet with legal. If I don’t settle this tagline dispute, Simon will have my head. See you, Lexi, Nicole.”
“Bye, Jake,” I tell him. “And good luck with that.”
After he walks away, Nicole says, “Gorgeous, isn’t he?”
I guess I’m not the only one who’s noticed. “Yes,” I reply with a laugh. “What’s his deal?”
“I hear he goes out with a lot of girls, but he doesn’t date anyone at the office. God knows, many have tried, but he has a strict rule about inter-office dating. It’s kind of an unspoken thing.”
“Oh,” I say, trying to hide my disappointment. “Is there a company rule against it?”
“Only that you can’t date your direct superior. Apparently there was an incident that happened a number of years ago—some girl claiming he sexually harassed her. From what I heard, she was hung up on Jake, and they had a fling. When he tried to end it, she freaked, and it was her form of revenge. Everyone around here knew it wasn’t true, but ever since then, he won’t date anybody at the office.”
I too find the claim hard to believe. Jake doesn’t seem the type; plus he probably can get any girl he wants. I plan to investigate further.
I go back to my office and check my calendar. I have a meeting with Morgan in fifteen minutes. I read through some of the materials she gave me then head to her office. She’s talking with someone but motions for me to come in. “Lexi, this is Nigel Hughes. He’s the head planner on our New Business team. Nigel, this is Lexi Winters. She just accepted the position on the Lumineux account.”
“It’s a pleasure,” he says in a British accent as he shakes my hand.
“Lexi has a lot of beauty experience,” Morgan says. “I’m sure she’d be a real asset on some of your upcoming pitches.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Nigel looks me over, which makes me uncomfortable, but I hold his gaze. Then he turns back to Morgan and says, “I’ll send you those numbers you asked for by the end of the day.”
Once Nigel leaves, Morgan turns her attention to me. She shares her plans for the account and gives me background on all of our clients. The good news is that the company has an office in Chicago, which makes it much easier to establish and maintain a relationship with them. Plus it means less travel—not that I mind traveling, but constantly being on the road can be tiring. Morgan has made arrangements for the two of us to go to Lumineux’s offices tomorrow so she can introduce me. She also arranged a lunch with my new team for this afternoon so I can get to know everyone.
The rest of the morning passes quickly, and my team and I head out to Riva’s, a seafood restaurant at Navy Pier that overlooks Lake Michigan. Michelle is the only person there I’ve met. Morgan introduces me to Barb, our planner; Matt, creative director; Erica, art director; and finally Megan, our copywriter. It’s a fun group, and everyone is very friendly. We spend a large part of the meal talking about our personal lives, and then Morgan gets down to business. We have our first briefing on Thursday, so she wants us to spend the next two days doing research to prepare. When I return to the office, I decide to set up meetings with each team member individually so I can learn more about their styles and experience.
The next day, Tuesday, Morgan brings me to meet our key clients: Paul, the marketing director, and Natalia, the brand manager. Paul recently came to Lumineux from Lancôme and is very seasoned. Natalia was based with Lumineux in France and recently moved to the States to help with the US launch. She has a beautiful European accent and is very polished. I can now see what Simon meant about wanting someone who looked the part. We talk about their challenges, goals, and vision for the business. I ask a lot
of questions and take copious notes. Then I give an overview about my background and share some initial thoughts I have for the launch. Natalia latches onto one of my ideas but says we’ll first need to engage the other agencies that will be helping with the launch. I suggest we arrange an introductory meeting and Paul asks for my help in setting it up. Overall it’s a productive meeting, and I’m looking forward to working with them.
That night when I get home, I do another Google search on Jake. I’m curious about the sexual harassment claim and don’t remember seeing anything about it when Liv and I did our initial search. I type in “Jake Hartman” and “sexual harassment.” A number of links come up but none related to that topic. I scroll down and finally find a hit on page three. Clearly he had a good team in place to optimize the search results so the more favorable stories come up first. But that’s the thing with the Internet—you entirely can’t erase your past. I click on the link and scan the article. It doesn’t give much information other than Hartman & Taylor planned to vigorously defend itself against a lawsuit brought by a former employee, Jessica Adams. The suit alleged that she received unwanted sexual advances from Jake Hartman, which resulted in a hostile work environment. I continue to scroll and find another hit. The story doesn’t say much either, aside from the fact that the judge dismissed the case because the claims were unsubstantiated. I now understand why Jake won’t date anyone at work. I can only imagine the embarrassment the case caused him and the company. I go back and read some of the other articles about him. Most of them discuss his success at Hartman & Taylor and the fact that since he took over the New Business team, the agency has more than doubled its client base. None of those articles mention the lawsuit. I bet he’s had to work extra hard to make that stain go away. Before I go to sleep, I find myself thinking of Jake. It’s too bad he’s off limits. He definitely could be a nice distraction.
It’s Friday, the end of my first week. Late in the afternoon, I’m heading back to my office when I bump into Jake.
“Hey, Lexi. How’s your first week been?”
“Good, although it’s felt like much longer than that. I’ve already had a few meetings at Lumineux’s offices, and I just briefed my team on a new project.”
“Sounds like you could use a drink. Want to head downstairs to Taylor Tavern?”
I’m flattered. “Yes, I definitely could go for a drink.”
“Good. A bunch of us are meeting there at five. You should come.”
I feel foolish for thinking he was inviting just me. I nod and say I’ll see him there. Then I stop by Nicole’s office.
“Are you going downstairs for drinks?” I ask her.
“Yes, you should definitely come.”
“What’s the deal with that place? Is it agency owned?”
“No, they just named in it our honor. And we get great drink specials, although on Fridays Hartman and Taylor always covers the first round. I have a few e-mails to finish up. I’ll grab you when I’m done.”
“OK, great.”
I wrap up a few things and go to the ladies’ room to freshen up. When I come back to my desk, Nicole is ready. We head downstairs at a quarter to six, and the bar is packed. She introduces me to a lot of people, and I do my best to try to remember their names. Everyone is very nice, and even people I don’t work with make a point to come meet me. I guess there’s something to be said for being the new girl. I spy Jake standing by the bar, talking to a well-dressed man. I recall from a photo on the company’s website that it’s Bill Hartman. I’m impressed he makes an appearance at happy hour. Jake catches my eye and motions for me to come over. I make my way to the bar and give him a shy smile.
“Lexi, I want to introduce you to Bill Hartman. Bill, this is Lexi. She just started on the Lumineux account.”
Bill shakes my hand firmly and gives me a warm smile. “Lexi, I’ve heard great things about you from Ted Milton.” I’m puzzled—Ted was my former boss in New York, so I don’t know why Bill would be talking to him about me. Plus, I wouldn’t expect someone at his level to get involved with hiring decisions. Seeming to sense my confusion, he says, “Morgan reviewed the list of candidates with me. Lumineux is an important client, and I wanted to know who we were considering for the position. I saw that you worked for The Studio, so I figured you’d know Ted. He and I go way back, so I called him. He gave you a glowing review.”
I feel my cheeks redden. “Ted was a great boss and mentor. I learned much of what I know from him.”
“Well, we’re glad to have you.”
“Thank you. I’m glad to be here.”
“Jake, be sure to keep an eye on this one,” Bill says, winking at me. “I’ve got to be heading out.” He shakes my hand then pats Jake on the back.
After he walks away, I ask, “Does Bill always come out for happy hour?”
“He comes when he can. Why do you sound so surprised?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’m not used to seeing senior-level executives mingling at these kinds of functions. They usually stick together—if they come at all.”
“Yeah, I think he wants to be seen as approachable, and it gives him a chance to keep in touch with what’s going on. Happy hour is a good place—drunk people who let their guard down.”
“That’s true,” I say with a laugh. “I admire that he wants to stay close to his employees. It shows he cares about the people who work here.”
“He does.” The bartender hands Jake his drink. He takes a sip then asks me, “What would you like?”
You. The word almost slips out of my mouth, surprising me. Instead I say, “I’ll have a vodka cranberry.”
When the bartender serves it, Jake says, “We should make a toast: to your first week.”
“Cheers to that,” I say, and we clink glasses.
“I’m glad you decided to work here, because I know you had your choice of agencies. You’re going to be a real asset.”
“How did you know I had my choice of agencies?”
“Lexi, I have a lot of connections in this industry. I know you got an offer from each agency you interviewed at.”
“Oh, well, Hartman and Taylor seemed like the best fit for me, and I had the best chemistry with the team.”
Jake nods. “Chemistry is important.” Our eyes lock, and I feel myself blush. Luckily he doesn’t seem to notice. “When you’re a leader, it can make or break your career,” he continues. “And it’s key to winning new business.”
Nicole walks up to the bar. “Jake, you’re monopolizing Lexi,” she says. “Other people want to meet her. Come,” she says, as she pulls me away.
“Bye, Jake,” I say over my shoulder.
He holds up his hand and gives me a playful grin. I hang out for another hour or so then call it a night. I have to be up early tomorrow and want a clear head. I’m planning a benefit dinner in honor of my Aunt Lynne and have appointments with several vendors. Lynne was my mom’s younger sister, and I was very close with her. She successfully battled breast cancer five years ago and was in remission. However, the cancer came back and her immune system was compromised from all of her previous treatments. She ended up catching pneumonia and passed away three years ago. My family put together a benefit in her honor, and it’s become a yearly tradition. It’s a big task, but I really enjoy planning it. I feel like it’s a small thing I can do to help honor her memory; plus we’re helping thousands of other women by raising money for a cure.
The next morning, my mom picks me up at eight. We have a full day of meetings, the first being with three florists to look at flower arrangements. We had an initial meeting with each of them a few weeks back to give them a sense of what we were looking for. Today they’re sharing their interpretation of our vision. All of them are beautiful, but a small local florist put together a stunning arrangement that outshines the rest. I take a photo of the centerpiece and text it to my sister, Jules. Even though she can’t be here, I want her to feel like she’s part of the process. She wanted to come today, but
her husband Scott was invited to the Cubs game, and she had no one to baby-sit my nephew, Charlie. She’s been very helpful, though. She works as a business consultant, and one of her clients is Starwood Hotels. She was able to secure us a great rate at the W, so we’re having the event in their grand ballroom. Jules texts me back her approval and tells me she loves the arrangement. Next my mom and I meet with the caterer to discuss the menu and decide to go with a plethora of appetizer and dessert stations instead of a formal seated dinner. We sample all the foods and make our selections. My mom and I planned on going out for lunch, but we’re both full, so we decide to do some shopping until our last appointment. We walk up Michigan Avenue, which is packed with tourists. I’ve gone down this street many times, but I try to view it from their perspective. As we’re walking, my mom asks me about Ben and whether I’ve spoken with him.
“Not yet. He’s still calling, but I’m not ready to talk to him.”
“I understand you need time. But at some point, it would be good for you to hear him out.”
“Mom, what’s he going to say? ‘I’m sorry I cheated on you’? What difference will that make? It’s done and over. I just want to move on.”
“I know you do. I just thought maybe it would help you move on—that’s all.” She changes the subject. “So have you met anyone interesting at work?”
“Yes, everyone is really nice, and I’ve made some new friends.”
“Honey, that’s wonderful. How are the men? Any potential suitors?” An image of Jake flashes through my mind but I’m hesitant to tell my mom. I don’t even know how I feel about him yet. She senses my reluctance and asks, “Lexi, is there someone I should know about?”