by Asrai Devin
“Whose meeting you tonight?”
“Tristan, Calvert, Afton, Claire, Kendall and, Micaden.” He stared at his computer screen, his mouse moving back and forth.
“Gabe kissed me,” she blurted.
He stopped and looked at her for a moment. “What?”
“Gabe, we kissed, a couple of times.”
Trenton shrugged. “He’s been in love with you since forever. It was creepy at first, then I worried because you text him and talk to him daily.”
“And now?”
“You’ve chosen me. Clearly. If you were going to leave me for him, it would have been last month while you were there, kissing him.”
“So, you aren't the least bit annoyed or jealous or angry about it?”
He returned to his computer screen, which made her frown. “Not really. You’ve chosen me, I win, I have great confidence in myself. And I had planned this as a surprise for tomorrow, but I thought we’d go check out some rings you might like.”
She smiled. She’d hoped he wouldn’t take her shopping for a ring, that he’d buy her one he’d picked out and spring it on her.
“After I marry you, I will be upset if you kiss other men. But you made no promises to me so far, so, no, I’m not upset.”
“Have a good evening with your snooty friends.”
“Have a good evening,” he said, either ignoring her comment, or he hadn’t heard her.
Irked that confessing to kissing another man hadn’t ruffled him in the least, she left the office and took the elevator down the stairs. She went around the block to her usual nail place. While she waited for a nail tech to be ready for her, she called Gabe to share her disappointing news about her lack of job movement.
* * *
She and Carmen met at the door of the bar. Carmen linked her arm with Shanna's and they went to the bar and ordered drinks for themselves. "I invited a couple of others as well. That okay?"
"Sure, the more the merrier."
"What's got you so glum?" Carmen asked.
"I applied for a job in the marketing department, but they said they had no openings for me."
"That sucks."
"Yeah. I'm feeling crappy. I didn't even lose on merit, there isn't anything open."
"How have you transitioned back to working for Trenton?"
She wrinkled her nose. "He was really sweet about my news, told me to go home early, get my nails done, all that jazz."
"That was nice of him. Glad to hear he does treat you well."
"I'm tired of my own problems. Tell me about yours."
Carmen launched into a tirade about her landlord, as the other women started arriving. After that, the conversation turned to Gina's engagement and wedding plans, Tia's trip to Europe in a few months, and other things in people's lives. Shanna was grateful for the reminder that her problems were not the only problems in the world, that others had shitty moments in their lives as well.
They were all feeling pretty loose when Carmen leaned over the table. "I never got to tell you before, I never liked Trenton. From the moment he started dating you."
"Really?" Shanna said.
"I didn't either. I thought he was a snooty ass," Gina said.
"He is," Shanna said, with a snort. Everyone laughed. "Have you changed your minds?"
Mostly they shook their heads. "Sorry, baby, he's got you in a totally subservient job now. He's wasting your talents."
"Where is that coming from?"
"You are much gossiped about, honey. I've got some friends who work there, mostly guys, since that company is an old boy's club, unless you are a secretary."
"It is not. They are very progressive."
"Mmmhmm. Count how many mangers are women there." She looked around the table and everyone was nodding.
"So everyone talks about me?"
"Yes. They say that he's not smart enough for the position he has, so you have to do all his work for him. His father knows it too, so he's pushing Trenton to marry you." More nods from the other women.
"Everyone is saying this about me? Why didn't you tell me before?" She looked at everyone with gaping mouths. She dumped the rest of her drink into her mouth and held up her empty glass.
"I thought you knew," Carmen said.
"Me, too," Tia added.
The waitress came over. "A beer please."
"What kind?" she asked.
"Whatever. Just bring me a beer, please."
"Shan, you okay?" Carmen asked.
She slapped some cash on the table. "Pay for my beer and I'll be right back. I have to call someone."
"It's late, Shanna. Who are you calling?"
"A friend back home. Give me a moment."
"Okay," Carmen said.
She pulled her phone out of her purse and scrolled through her contacts as she walked outside.
"You okay?" the man by the door asked her.
She nodded. "Oh yeah, I have to call someone."
"Alright." He pushed the door open for her.
She hit dial and waited a step outside the door. There was an answer on the fourth ring.
"It's a little late, but I’m always glad to hear from you."
"Gabe, do you think I'm stupid?"
"I think you are the smartest person I know, love. Why?"
"Everyone at my company thinks I'm doing Trenton's work for him."
"Are you?"
"No. I mean, I do a lot, but assistants are supposed to. They are supposed to assist."
"You can't believe gossip, sweetie."
"Even if there might be a grain of truth in it?"
"You said there wasn't."
She sighed. "I'm drunk. What do I know? First you tell me all that shit. Today I got an e-mail from marketing, and now this. That has to be the three bad things, right?"
"Probably if you believe in the rule of three."
"I'll go with it."
"Who are you drinking with?"
"Carmen, Gina, the other girls. Women. We are career women." She leaned against the building. "At least they are. I'm someone's assistant everyone thinks I'm a patsy sleeping with the boss' son."
"They don't think that."
"I miss you. I miss home."
Come home then. He didn't say it. "I could come visit you."
"Yeah, that would make Trenton real happy. It's fine. I’m drunk and depressed about my first courageous move in two weeks. Every time I think about doing something, all these fears crop up and I think I'm better to stay where things are secure."
"You need to start examining those fears, Shan. You need to start going for what you want, not what people tell you can get. Your company is not the only one in town with a marketing department. No one says you have to stay there. Hell, you don't even have to tell anyone but me you are applying."
"Good point. I'll do that Gabe. I think."
"No. You do it or I'm going to be on your ass every minute until you get a marketing job. Now, go enjoy the rest of the night out, and tomorrow you can start proving to everyone that you aren't only an assistant."
"Okay. Right. Thank you."
"I love you, Shan."
"Night, Gabriel," she said, wishing she had a little more to drink, so she could say 'I love you, too,' because she really did.
* * *
Gabe poured himself a second drink. This had to be his last one, or he would seek therapy.
He picked up his phone and read his texts from Shanna. He had sent two messages tonight, so a third would probably start looking desperate. Especially late on Friday night. It wasn't even that late here.
He tried to recall what he used to do before the heart attack. Before Shanna showed up to show him what he was missing in his life.
He couldn’t recall doing anything of interest. Watching hockey. Working.
Maybe he should take sometime off work and go see his Mom for a while. Might do him some good to get out of town. Out of his house. Even his bed reminded him of Shanna.
He checked his pho
ne again.
She was out with her girlfriends anyway. After the disappointing news about no positions in her desired department, which he thought was probably bullshit.
He reached for his laptop to see if he could find any listings.
His phone started singing. And speak of the angel, there she was on his call display. He hit the answer button. "It's a little late, but I’m always glad to hear from you."
"Gabe, do you think I'm stupid?"
"I think you are the smartest person I know, love. Why?"
"Everyone at my company thinks I'm doing Trenton's work for him."
"Are you?"
"No. I mean I do a lot, but assistants are supposed to. They are supposed to assist."
He was torn between making her feel better and making Trenton look like the bad guy. He decided, as he always did, that Shanna was the priority. "You can't believe gossip, sweetie."
After the call, he stared at her picture on his phone screen. He’d taken it while she was here. It was behind Bryce’s desk, her desk, in the office. She looked as if she owned the place. He touched the screen and the picture went away. That hadn’t been his plan, he wanted to pretend he could touch her face.
He got to his feet and headed for bed. He laid down on the side where she had slept that night. He texted her. I’m on your side of the bed. And I meant what I said about applying at other places.
Once the message was sent, he put her picture on the screen. He dragged his finger across her face.
With a sad smile, he shut the phone off and put it on his nightstand. He had to get a hobby.
Chapter 14
By Monday morning, she had applied for three other marketing jobs at various companies. She didn't tell Trenton. She did text Gabe. Her messages with him were always locked. The rest of the weekend was uneventful. She and Trenton both worked, as usual. Most of her work was a ruse, busy work.
When she went to get her notes from the printer, they weren’t there. Someone else's secretary came by, "This one hasn't worked all morning. I've been printing to the fourth floor. It's been working fine. Tech is supposed to be fixing it, but you know how fast they move on Mondays."
"Right. Fourth you said?" The other woman nodded. Great, marketing was on the fourth. Thanks universe for rubbing it in my face that you won't let me in there.
She went back to the office to inform Trenton of the issue. "We'll have to head down every time we want to print something off."
She walked past the elevator and walked down the stairs, trying to prolong her the time between floors. She swiped her employee card in front of the door and was granted access.
She stopped in front of the nearest office. "Which way is your printer?"
"Is that printer still down upstairs?" the man behind the desk said.
"Yep. Tech is slower than usual today."
"What's your name?"
"Shanna Whittikar. I'm Trenton von Brooke's assistant."
"Assistant to the second-in-command. I'm Richard Matthews."
"Well, he's not actually second-in-command." Not yet.
"May as well be. I heard someone he didn't like was trying to get a better position in the company. I know this because the guy applied to the marketing department. Anyway, Trenton didn't like whomever it was, the guy was like a secretary or mail room, overqualified for his current position, so Trenton had his Dad tell my boss not to give the guy the job."
Shanna felt her stomach drop. "I don't think Mr. von Brooke would do such a thing."
"I was out last week, so I only heard the story today. But everyone swears it happened. The guy next to me was in the office when the call came in."
Shanna clawed back her emotional responses. "Huh. What do I know? I'm merely his assistant?" And girlfriend, the rat bastard.
The turned a third corner. "Here's the printer. If you go that way, you'll make your way back to the stairs."
"Thanks." She scoured her brain for the head of marketing's name. Before she throttled Trenton, she had to be sure this wasn't a fabrication of the rumor mill.
She grabbed her papers and headed back to her office. Once at her computer, she searched the office database and found where Henry Schnek's office was. She logged out of her computer and went to his office.
His secretary looked at her with disdain for not having an appointment. "Tell him it's Shanna Whittikar."
"Does he know you?"
"The name might ring a bell. Let's see."
Less than two minutes later, Mr. Schnek had ushered her into his office. "I already e-mailed you and told you there were no positions available."
"I hear this might not be true, Mr. Schnek. Look, I'm not here to get you into trouble or make a scene, I need to know the truth. Were you asked to not hire me to your department?"
Henry’s eyes darted everywhere but hers. Hopefully he never cheated on the wife he had pictured around the office. He wasn’t good at lying, which made her wonder why he was in marketing at all. "Of course not, Miss Whittikar."
"Did Byron von Brooke ask you not to hire me?"
"Look, I do my job here. I don't want to get into trouble with the upper management. I'm not part of their little circle of friends. They don't like me that much. When Bryon von Brooke calls, you don't ask questions. If it were up to me, I probably would have hired you. I don't know what they have against you. But if anyone asks, I did not tell you this."
"I'm not going to take this any further than my own office. However, if I get indicted for murder, you may be called to trial about it."
"What?"
"Sorry. I don't do black humor very well do I?" Schnek shook his head. "My own boyfriend is stopping me from getting a better job. Don't work where you date people and don't date people you work with. My advice."
He looked like a deer caught in headlights. "Thanks. Are you going to be okay?"
"Probably. We'll see."
"Okay. You weren't serious about the murder thing, right?"
"No, no. I need to go back to my office, quit my job and find a new place to live.”
"Alright." He seemed confused. “Wish I could help by giving you that job.”
“Don’t even worry about it. I need to be far away from this company.”
Shanna sang to herself as she went back to her office. Her former office. She stopped by the supply room and found an empty box. She started packing her things from her desk.
Trenton came out of his office. "You've graced me with your presence. I've been looking for you for a half hour. Where have you been? What are you doing?"
Shanna leaned on the desk. "Have I been a bad girlfriend?"
"No, you've been wonderful."
"Then why would you not want me to succeed?"
"What do you mean? Of course I want you to succeed. There are no jobs in marketing. In a few months―"
"In a few months, you'll be a distant memory to me." She watched while he frowned deeply. "It's a long, boring story about how I learned all this, but I know you got your Daddy to block marketing from hiring me."
"Shan, I would never do such a thing. You wouldn't believe an office rumor would you?" He reached out and grabbed her arm.
She shook her arm. "Get your hands off me and don't Shan me. Ever again. You wouldn't be the type to use a girl's brain to get his work done in college either, would you? I technically got two degrees, yours and my own."
"That's not what it was like at all."
"Right, before you met me, you were this close to failing out of school." She held her thumb and index finger millimeters apart. "This close. And within a few months of dating me, your marks were the top of the class."
"Because we studied together a lot more. Before you, I didn’t do much of my work."
"Bull. You can't proofread your own work. You can't spell worth shit, and your reports are crap before I go over them. If I haven't written them in the first place. You know what? I don't even care if you admit it to me, though I'd respect you a lot more if you manned up to you
r shit."
"Shanna, you're not mad about you helping me out. I still did the work."
"Still lying. Whatever. I'm going home. I'll inform HR of my employment status on the way out of the building." Trenton headed for his office. "Go call Daddy. While you are on the phone asking him what you should do, because you can't even figure that out for yourself, ask him if you can stay at his condo tonight. You need to stay out of the apartment for the next couple of days while I pack my things."
"You can't go in and pack the apartment without me agreeing to what you take."
"Here is what I want. My clothing, my personal items, and all the toilet paper because I think that's funny. And the espresso machine. You can keep the furniture, especially the furniture, the only reason I'd take it is to burn it. I certainly don't want it."
"What about all the jewelry I gave you?"
"Those were gifts, I'm going to go pawn it. I paid for at least half the furniture, so don't even start with the jewelry. Now, go call, so I can finish packing my desk before I go home and pack."
Trenton slammed his office door. Shanna turned on some music on her cell phone and cranked it up. She danced while she finished packing the box. The phone rang twice, but she ignored it both times. She thought about answering it and disparaging Trenton to the caller, but she decided that would be unprofessional, and she wasn't going to stoop to being like Trenton.
She had her drawer's empty of personal items when he came back out. "Father says, you badmouth me, him or the company and we'll sue."
Shanna snorted. "You're an ass. I'm sure someday I'll remember that I liked you and I wanted to marry you. I wish I'd let you buy me that twelve thousand dollar engagement ring. I'd have to return it, good manners and the fact that I broke things off. Because you'd never manage to sell it for what you paid." She laughed bitterly. "Bye, Trenton. Have a nice life." She wanted to slap him across the face, instead she kept her head held high.
“What will you do?” he asked, as she grabbed the door handle.
She whipped around. "Move to Claresholm and marry Gabriel.”
"You'd decide that five minutes after dumping me? I always knew you were low class."
"I have loved Gabe for as long as I can remember. And he promised to give me everything I wanted. Someday I'll thank you, when I'm done being pissed that I wasted the last two years of my life on you.” She turned on her heel, then turned back. “You know what’s great? I’m leaving you, and you are worried about material goods. That tells me how much you felt for me over the past four years. Thanks for clearing that up.”