Between You & I

by Susan Cairns

  But I can’t dwell on that anymore. Like Case said, I need to prove to Miranda that she made the wrong decision, and the first way to do that is by going into this meeting with my head held high and with the same amount of determination I’ve always had when it comes to my job.

  In the conference room, Miranda’s sitting at the small round table opposite the door. In front of her are all the files I’ve been slaving over for the last several months, laid across the table. These are people I’ve developed relationships with, who trust me to do the right thing by their businesses. Right away, I start jumping to conclusions, but I can’t help it. I should have known she was going to hand all of my hard work over to the new guy because why should he have to put in his own hours to build his clientele when he can just be handed mine?

  My anger slips out before I can’t push it back. “Let me guess, you’re giving all of my clients to Reid, am I right?”

  Miranda lifts her head from the tablet in her hand when she hears the bite in my voice. “Take a seat, Taylor. I have several things we need to go over, and yes, the clients you’ve been working with are on that list.” Her voice is neutral, but her eyes express irritation at my question.

  Taking a few steps into the room, I turn and shut the door, closing us into the small box of a conference room. However, ignoring her request, I don’t sit. “What’s going on, because I’m really starting to feel like you’re trying to force me out?”

  “Is that what you think?” she asks, her eyebrows raised nearly to her hairline, which seems accentuated with her white-blond hair pulled into a tight bun at the nape of her neck.

  “Yeah. I mean, I don’t know,” I stumble to find the right thoughts as I step up behind the chair to her left. “All I know is that I had the best interview of my life for that position. I felt like you were going to offer me the job before I even left your office. But then I waited all day for you to make me an offer, but it never came because you had already offered it to someone else.”

  “Sit down, we’re going to have a discussion about this. It’s something you need to hear, so you’re prepared for future letdowns.” Miranda kicks the chair next to her out and away from the table, inviting me to take it. “You’re young and you’re hurt, so I understand where you’re coming from. However, you need to understand there will be times in your life and career where you’re not going to get the position you’ve interviewed for even though you are more than qualified.”

  She waits until I pull out the chair and plant my ass in it with a bit of a huff, which makes me realize that she’s right and I am being a little unprofessional and maybe a little immature.

  “Now, I don’t need to tell you my reasons for hiring Reid over you, but for your benefit, so that you can grow and learn from this experience, I’m going to. I’m assuming you probably think it has something to do with your age, but I assure you it has absolutely nothing to do with that. It also has nothing to do with the fact that you’re a woman, so if that thought even crossed your mind, you can dismiss it right now.” She stops to look in my eyes, probably hoping I understand everything she’s saying.

  With a deep sigh, Miranda continues. “Reid offers something new for our clients. Where you’ve been focused on building their businesses by offering them plans and executing them, he brings in a side that will help them expand. His marketing experience, which is something you don’t have, is what sold me. And yes, I did make him the offer before you interviewed, but I still wanted to meet with you so you could have that experience to prepare for the future. What I’m hoping for now is that you can learn from Reid, because by adding that knowledge to what you already bring to the table, you will be a powerhouse in this business.”

  I’m stunned into silence and can only nod to acknowledge what Miranda just said.

  “I get you’re upset about the position, but I have other plans for you. And I hope you’ll be on board with what I’m offering here?” she phrases it like a question.

  Blowing out a deep sigh, I look Miranda in the eye. “I’m willing to do whatever I can to advance myself in the company, you know this. So if you think I should take some marketing courses, I’ll do it.”

  “You don’t need to take courses. You’re going to learn from firsthand experience. Reid has a lot of years under his belt where marketing is concerned. His resume is extremely impressive.”

  “So I’m going to be reporting to him now?” My annoyance is apparent in my tone.

  “No, you’re going to be working under me. You’ve done so well with the smaller businesses, I’m ready to throw you in with the big fish. But first I need you to show Reid the ropes. He needs to be brought up to speed on these clients,” she says, motioning to the folders splayed across the table. “You’ve done an amazing job getting your clients on the right track, and you’ve built a rapport with them. They trust you. Which is why I want you to be the one to bring Reid into the loop.”

  “Okay, so you want me to bring him up to speed. Then what? He’s going to set up meetings and take over from there?”

  Her calm looked nailed on as she says, “Yes, I want you to brief him on each of their businesses and what you’ve done for them, but I also want you to take the time to set up introductions. Like I said, they know you and trust you because of the dedication you’ve shown to them, so I think it will be in their best interest, as well as Reid’s, if you set things up. Are you okay with that?”

  “Yeah, not that I have a choice. But I’d rather be the one passing the torch, so to speak. I don’t want any of them to feel like I’m ditching them for bigger fish.”

  “Exactly, so I’m giving you a month to get everything settled with these accounts. After that’s complete, I’m going to bring you on to a complete call center revamp. A big one, about three hundred employees and they’re in dire need of help. I’ll take the lead on the project, but you’re going to be my second. So you have a month. Get this done so you can move on. In the meantime, while you’re making introductions, pay attention to Reid’s ideas for marketing and promotions. It’s not something you’ll need for the call center project, but it’ll be important down the line.”

  “All right, I guess I’ll get these files together and meet with him after he’s settled?” I ask.

  “I’ll get him the files after we have a short meeting to introduce him to the team. Once we’re set there, I’ll turn him over to you. You can either come back in here to start or head to his office. It’s your decision, wherever you’re comfortable.”

  “Sounds good,” I say, pushing my chair away from the table then standing.

  “I sent out a meeting invite to gather everyone”—she looks at her watch—“in about two minutes, so there’s no point in bringing Reid in here beforehand.”

  “That’s fine, I’ll meet him when everyone else does.” I take a few steps to the door then turn around. “Thanks for explaining everything, Miranda. It’s helped me understand why I didn’t get the position and what I need to do to make it to the next step.”

  “I’m glad. Just one more thing—I want you to know how much I appreciate that you stepped up when Lindsay decided her job was no longer important. You showed me you do have what it takes for a leadership position. Just remember your time is coming.” She stands, adjusting her plum silk shirt.

  “Thank you, I appreciate that.” I pull the door open.

  As I step through, a pair of shiny, stiff-looking black dress shoes fill my line of vision. I snap my eyes up just in time to catch the new guy, Reid, taking a visual tour of my body. His eyes drag up my legs to my chest, then finally he meets my eyes. I cock an eyebrow and smirk. I’m surprised there isn’t a hint of shock in his eyes, despite the fact that I just caught him checking me out.

  Without a word, I straighten my back before heading back to my desk. Just as I round the corner, I catch sight of Casey sitting in my chair, spinning it slowly in circles.

  “Well, you don’t look pissed, so I’m guessing the meeting with Miranda went we
ll?” she says, halting the chair so she can look me in the eyes.

  “It was fine. I’m not going to lie, I was pissed when I went in there, but she explained things, so now I’m good.”

  “So back to early bird Taylor?”

  “Probably not at first. Apparently I have to acclimate new guy to his job then introduce him to the clients.”

  “Let me get this straight…” She pauses for dramatic effect, Typical Casey. “You, who did not get the job, have to train the person who did get the job, who is technically your new boss?”

  “Kind of, but I’m actually not going to be reporting to him. I’m going to be working under Miranda directly. Speaking of that, we need to ‘gather’ so we can meet Reid.”

  Moving to the other side of the room, I prop myself against the windowsill, Casey following and moving in next to me. Before she has a chance to grill me more, Miranda claps, her normal way of calling a meeting to order. It kind of makes me feel like a kindergartner. Reid takes up residence to her left, then I follow his eyes as they take in the faces around our circle. Only he doesn’t make it the entire way, stopping when his gaze meets mine and he gives me a small smile. I return the gesture, although my lips form more of a smirk.

  Casey’s elbow jabs into my side. “He’s staring at you.”

  “I can see that. You didn’t have to throw an elbow at me,” I whisper back.

  “All right, ladies and gentlemen, good morning and happy Monday,” Miranda practically shouts, waking everyone up from their Monday-morning-induced haze. “I’m excited to introduce you to our newest account executive, Reid Mariano. Like I said last week, Reid comes to us with a lot of experience, so I’m going to let him take the floor and tell you a little about that. Reid?” She gestures for Reid to take a step forward.

  Reid

  “Thank you Miranda.” I say giving her a nod. “Hello and good morning,” I address the staff, scanning the circle in front of me. “My name is Reid Mariano. Not only am I new to Great Lakes Consulting, but I’m also new to the area. I actually just relocated to Buffalo yesterday. So if any of you have suggestions on things I need to experience as a new Buffalonian, please let me know. And in return, if any of you are heading to Chicago in the future, let me know and I’ll send you to my favorite places.”

  “You’re in Buffalo now. Time to trade in those Chicago sports teams for the Bills, Sabres, and Yankees!” one of the guys to my left interrupts.

  “Ha! I’m not so sure that’s going to happen. My Cubs are world champions now and I wouldn’t trade them in for anything. Same goes for the Blackhawks. Now the Bears, I could do without them, but I’m not so sure the Bills are a better replacement,” I joke.

  “Once you’ve been to a game, you’ll change your mind, especially if you tailgate first,” the same guy says.

  “That might do the trick. I’ve heard some pretty wild stories about Bills fans and their tailgating.” I look around the circle, my eyes stopping again on the blonde, before continuing to scan. “Let me tell you a little about my background and experience. I graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a bachelors in business administration, took a few years to get my feet wet in the job market. Then I started with a position in a small business consulting firm, much like Great Lakes, but after a year, I decided I wanted to give the marketing side of business a try. I took a paid internship with CBD Marketing. From there, I was encouraged to go to graduate school, which is how I ended up at Northwestern University for Integrated Marketing Communications, where I got my master’s degree. After that, I took an account executive position at CBD and I’ve been there since.”

  Taking a breather, I look to Miranda to see if she wants to add anything before I give my “what I hope to bring to the table” speech. She only offers an encouraging smile, so I nod and keep going.

  “I just want to take a minute to thank Miranda for giving me the opportunity to be here and allowing me to share my experience and expertise. I look forward to providing all of you my knowledge of marketing in order to offer our current clients a more in-depth business plan, as well as attracting new and bigger clientele.” I look around the circle and give them my winning smile before finishing. “My door will always be open, and I’m always willing to share my opinions and suggestions whenever you might need.”

  “Thank you so much, Reid.” Miranda touches my shoulder then quickly removes her hand. “I think I can speak for all of us and say that we’re excited for everything you are bringing to Great Lakes Consulting.” Clapping, Miranda calls the meeting to an end. “Now let’s all have a great Monday and an even better week.”

  I watch her greet every one of her employees with an encouraging smile. Miranda’s attitude toward her job is the main reason I accepted this position. After being offered several others, most of them in marketing, I was sold on Great Lakes by her hopes and excitement for the staff and clients. I’ve worked for companies where the employees felt like numbers, where they dreaded coming to work on a daily basis, but from this brief gathering, I can tell the employees here don’t harbor those feelings. As they pass me, smiling and greeting me with “hi” or “welcome,” I don’t hear any complaints about work or the management. That’s definitely a positive change from CBD.

  “Reid, I’m going to introduce you to Taylor. She’s the one who will be training you and setting appointments with the clients you’ll be handling,” Miranda interrupts my thoughts. “She’s been working their accounts for a few months now and has established a great rapport with them. I’m also hoping you can share a little of your marketing expertise with her. She’s sharp as a tack, and with some marketing experience, she’ll be a powerhouse.”

  “Great, I’m looking forward to getting acclimated with the clients, and having someone who’s established a good relationship with them will make it easier. I’m more than willing to share my marketing experience with anyone who wants to add to their knowledge base.”

  “That’s exactly why I’m glad you accepted our offer,” Miranda responds with a beaming smile. “Here she comes now.” She nods toward my blond bombshell, who stayed back as the rest of her coworkers headed to their cubicles. “Reid Mariano, this is Taylor Lewis.” Miranda motions between us, and all I want to do is thank her for giving me a name to put with this gorgeous woman’s face. “Taylor, I let Reid know that you’ll be giving him some training, as well as introducing him to the clients.”

  “Nice to meet you,” she says confidently, extending her hand, a small smirk pulling at the side of her mouth.

  When our palms connect, a zap, like an electric shock, passes through our connection. The small gasp passing her lips lets me know she felt it too.

  “Likewise,” I respond with a huge smile.

  Reluctantly I let go, after holding on for longer than I should have, but I couldn’t help it. Breaking the connection was like losing the sunshine from the morning sky.

  “So I’m going to let Reid take a few minutes to get settled.” Miranda looks between us, stealing Taylor’s attention while I continue to study her. “Taylor, you go ahead and start your day as normal. Once Reid is ready, just show him what you do from day to day, then later this week, you’ll set up times for him to meet with the clients. We can schedule a meeting to talk logistics later in the week.”

  “Sounds good. Just let me know when you have time and I’ll get something put together,” Taylor says.

  “I will. Now, Reid, let me show you to your office.” Miranda turns to me, touching my forearm before stepping past Taylor, who is heading toward her cubicle. “I left the supply book on your desk. Feel free to make a list of anything you need and I’ll have it ordered for you.” She waves toward a metal cabinet as we walk. “We do have a supply cabinet over here, but I know there are things you’ll need that we don’t keep stocked. You can give the list to me when we meet later.” She stops in front of my name placard, to the right of the door. “I’ll let you take a few minutes to settle in. There’s a list on the des
k with the temporary passwords you’ll need to access the system. I’m going to run and get the files you’ll be working on. You can either start with Taylor right away, or you can take a look through them. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

  Without even thinking, I know exactly what I’m going to do. There’s no way I can sit in my office by myself and read over files when I can have a certain blonde in here with me. “I’ll probably grab Taylor and get started right away. I’m interested to hear everything she’s done for the clients, as well as what she hopes to see for them in the future.”

  “Wonderful! I guess I’ll leave you to it.”

  “Thank you, Miranda, for the opportunity and for welcoming me.”

  “You’re welcome. I can’t wait to see all you’re going to do here.” She smiles then steps away. “I’ve got a conference call in about fifteen minutes, so let me run and get those files for you. We’ll catch up before the end of the day, and you can let me know how everything went.”

  “No problem, I’ll let you get to what you need to do,” I say, but remain standing next to my open door.

  Instead of heading into my office, I move back down the short hall toward Taylor’s cubicle. I should probably wait for Miranda to bring the files and at least look them over, but I see no reason for it when I’m just going to be doing the same thing with Taylor. Taylor… I’m so glad I can put a name to her beautiful face. But from the way Miranda talks about her, she’s much more than just beauty. Add in the way she challenges me with her eyes, the teasing smirks, and the small smiles she threw at me during my meeting, and I can tell she is a force to be reckoned with. I’m absolutely up for whatever she’s going to throw at me.