“I’m good.” She motioned for the bartender and asked for the check. “My treat,” she told Mikaela. “After all, you did all the entertaining.”
“That was the easiest meal I ever earned. Anytime you need someone to talk your head off, think of me. But seriously.” Mikaela dug through her camera bag, pulled out a pen and a scrap of paper, then scribbled her name and phone number. “If you want to talk, feel free to call. No pressure or anything. Sometimes it’s good to get it out.”
“Uh, okay.” Not knowing what else to say or do, Sara slipped the paper inside her jacket pocket.
* * *
“Marianna, I want to thank you and Erin again for coming out today and helping us hit the fifty-volunteer mark,” Talya said as she removed the top on one of the large containers of barbecue ribs from Fox Brothers’ restaurant.
“Mikaela and I are a team when it comes to this stuff.”
“Our fifth year,” Mikaela said as she helped Talya arrange the food buffet style on the formal dining room table. The volunteering was over and it was time to feed her troops.
“Whatever the reason, I appreciate the help. Mikaela, can you get the big stack of paper plates from the pantry, please?” Talya looked around the table. “And the cups and napkins.”
“Let me,” Marianna said, setting aside her bottle of beer. “I’ve got nothing else to do, and Erin’s busy arguing about football with anyone who will listen.”
Between the three of them, they had the table set up in no time. Talya spread the word about food and the room quickly filled with hungry workers.
“Before we begin, I’d like to say a word,” Bill Foster said. “First, thanks to Talya and Mikaela for being this year’s organizers.” He paused for applause. “And second, I’d like to thank all of you for giving up your day off. I hope to see you at other similar events. Now let’s chow down.” Another round of applause greeted that proclamation, followed by the heaping of plates.
“Okay, now tell me the long version of what happened yesterday.” Marianna settled onto the porch swing next to Mikaela. “No detail is too small.”
“You already know the important stuff, starting with the scale and ending with Sara walking me home. We talked, we laughed, we learned more about each other, and I know I had fun. A good day. A little too good from my perspective.”
“No such thing.”
“It is when you know nothing will come of it.” She sighed and pushed coleslaw around on her plate. “She has this dry humor that takes you by surprise. And she gets mega points for not being put off by my silliness. I didn’t feel like I had to be the serious adult all the time, you know?”
“Like with Nina, you mean?”
Mikaela gave her the look. “We are not going there. Anyway, Sara would be a keeper if she wanted to be kept. I have to keep reminding myself that she doesn’t.”
“And is that working for you?”
“Not so much.” When Marianna snorted, she added, “Okay, so not at all. I can’t help that I’m a sucker for a gorgeous butch. But it’s only pheromones. I can quit anytime I want to.”
“Keep telling yourself that. No matter how many times it takes to sink in.”
“Ain’t nobody got time for that. I’ll just have to deal. Face it, you can’t always get what you think you want.” She gave a dramatic sigh. “But I’ll always have Paris.”
Marianna frowned, waving around a decimated rib bone. “Is that a euphemism for sex?”
“Pretty much.”
“That may keep you feeling warm, but it seems like a shame it can’t be more. You make such a cute couple.”
“Then by all means we should be together.” She rolled her eyes. “If only real life worked that way. And since it doesn’t, I’m having cake. You want?” She slipped off the swing.
“Only after I’ve tried the brisket. I worked hard today. I deserve seconds.”
They entered through the kitchen to find Bill and Jolene in quiet conversation. Mikaela hesitated in the doorway, then decided to enter as if nothing was happening. She tossed her dirty plate, grabbed a fresh napkin and moved to one of the three iced pound cakes that Jolene had baked. After an admittedly short internal debate, she cut a medium slice. Vowing that tomorrow’s workout would be longer, she took a bite of cake and hummed as the flavors of vanilla and lemon burst in her mouth. The pound cake practically melted in her mouth. “Fantastic,” she announced around a mouthful of cake and immediately wondered how long her workout would have to be if she had a second piece. Discipline, Mikaela, she told her greedy part sternly. “Jolene, this cake is wonderful.”
Jolene beamed. “Thank you. Family recipe. I was trying to persuade Bill to try a piece. I added a little something extra this time.”
“Bill, you have to at least try a sliver,” Mikaela said. “I hear they don’t have calories.”
“You talked me into it.” Bill patted his flat stomach. “Just a sliver, now,” he warned Mikaela as she reached for the knife. “I already have to add to my run tomorrow for the ribs and brisket.”
“I didn’t realize you were a runner.”
“Most mornings since high school. I ran cross country eons ago.”
Mikaela nodded, thinking he had the physique for it—thin with long legs. “I started a walking program. I earned my two-day pin this morning,” she joked. She handed him the cake. “Being dedicated to exercise is hard work. Well, for me.”
“You have to start somewhere,” Bill said. “One trick is to congratulate yourself on the days you follow through and not beat yourself up on the days you don’t.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. But if I manage to do it for two weeks in a row, I’ll be shouting in the streets.”
“Whatever works,” he said with a smile. “Mikaela, I wonder if you can spare me a few minutes?”
Her stomach dropped. “Sure.” She looked around to see Jolene and Marianna had left them alone. They probably wouldn’t be alone for long, given that the desserts were in the kitchen.
“Talya suggested using her office.”
She followed him with trepidation, her heartbeat echoing around her head with every step. She wasn’t ready to talk about the job. Not to him. Yeah, she was going to apply, and yeah, she would most likely go all out to get it, but that didn’t mean she wanted to have a discussion with the head man right here, right now. He didn’t need to know she was feeling a little bit intimidated about his expectations. But none of that mattered. If Bill was going to press the issue, then she’d damn well better have something intelligent to say.
“I’m sure you have some idea of what this is about,” he said as he closed the door.
“Jolene’s job?” she guessed.
“In part. I understand you might have some misgivings, and I thought if we talked informally we could clear up some of them.”
Mikaela took a deep breath and decided to go from the heart. “Some of it’s not so much the job as it is…office politics. Maybe you already know, but some of the other admins have ideas about who the position belongs to.”
“Which shouldn’t worry you.” A fleeting smile touched his lips. “I’m well aware of, shall we say, the behind-the-scenes wrangling that’s going on. Jolene is nothing if not thorough. Is that the only thing holding you back at this point?”
She licked her suddenly dry lips. “As you said, Jolene is thorough. Honestly, and I probably shouldn’t be admitting this, but I’m not sure I can step in and be at her level when it comes to, well, a lot of what she does.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to be. What I do expect is that you have the desire to learn. That you’re open to new ideas, new ways of doing things, and most important, that you bring some ideas of your own. Everything I’ve heard and seen about you and your work supports that.” He looked her in the eye. “I’d like you to give the position serious consideration. The business climate is changing, and frankly I have no use for anyone married to the old ways. Baker International doesn’t either.” He smiled kindly. “
I suspect I’ve given you enough to mull over on your day off. And let me add, your willingness to step up and help spearhead today’s effort says a lot about the type of assistant you’ll be, the type of assistant we need at Baker International.”
She felt a warm glow of pleasure. “You have given me a lot to think about. I appreciate your candor and be assured that what was said will stay strictly between us.”
Mikaela exhaled once she was alone, her mind racing furiously. She might be hallucinating, but it sure had sounded like Bill wanted her for the job. That he was okay if she wasn’t up to Jolene’s level right from the start because she had other skills he valued, skills the company valued in an executive assistant.
And if he wanted her to learn and grow, she could and would do that. Her job performance reviews would back that up. And now she had the work she’d done for the summit and Bill’s upcoming meeting to add to that. No one in their right mind could argue about her qualifications should she get the job. No one could say she got it because of Talya or any other crazy reasons, and that was important to her.
She walked to the window overlooking Talya’s manicured back yard, looking, but not really seeing. She was going to do it. She was going to go all out, and she was going to get that job. Screw what Christine and Ilene thought. She was good as Talya’s assistant and she’d damn well be good as Bill’s.
Because she was alone, Mikaela did a quick twirl. She was feeling positively giddy and in a good way. But she couldn’t let on. Not now or she might jinx something.
To distract herself, she returned to the living room and turned her attention to her coworkers sitting around drinking beer and no doubt regaling each other with tall tales of what they’d accomplished today. And they should brag. Everyone, including Bill, had pulled their weight to get the job done. And in the end, the look on the seniors’ faces had been the ultimate reward, a reason for her to start thinking about how to get everyone back next year.
“Everything okay?”
She gave Talya a nod without turning around. “Just wondering what kind of war stories Dave and John are making up.”
“Knowing them, we put up a skyscraper today,” Talya said, coming to stand next to Mikaela.
“Too true. We had a great crew this year. Have an even better one next year if I have anything to do with it.”
“You pulled most of the load this year and I thank you. But actually, I came to make sure Bill caught you before he left.”
“He did. You know, he’s good. Yeah, you’ve said it, but now I know for myself. A few words and all of a sudden he’s got me looking at things differently, seeing possibilities.” She dropped all pretense of looking out of the window. “I want that job. I’m going to do my best to get it.”
Talya’s smile said she was pleased. “I’m going to miss having you at my beck and call.”
“Don’t get carried away. I don’t have it yet,” she cautioned, thinking again of the jinx. She didn’t tell Talya, but she was looking forward to the challenge, to learning new aspects of the business. And okay, to seeing the expressions on certain people’s faces when the announcement came out.
* * *
Later that evening, Mikaela rechecked her cell phone for a dial tone. When she heard the familiar sound, she sighed. Although she hadn’t dared expect it, she was disappointed Sara hadn’t called. She had some crazy idea that after yesterday they were heading toward being friends. And friends called to share stories of their day, especially if it involved doing something out of the ordinary. It wasn’t like she could be the one to call because, hey, Sara had never given up her number. That should’ve told her something. She sighed again, placed her phone on the coffee table, then stretched out on the sofa and tried to pay attention to the sitcom on TV.
She gave up after five minutes. No use pretending she wasn’t thinking about what Sara was doing and who she might be doing it with. She’d known from the go Sara was in the game. Had even convinced herself one night would cure any itch. She didn’t usually delude herself like that. Well, now she had, so she was stuck lying around mooning by the phone like some damn sap.
“What are you moping about?”
She looked up at Casey in irritation. “I’m not moping. I’m trying to catch up with all the shows I foolishly recorded last week.”
“Now that’s a hopeless task.” Casey moved Mikaela’s feet aside and sat. “No wonder you’re moping.”
“Did you not just hear me say I wasn’t?”
“Then what has you in such a bright and cheerful mood?”
Mikaela bit her lip to keep from smiling. “Go to hell.”
Casey looked around the living room, then back at Mikaela. “And here I thought I was already there. Come on, you know you want to tell me. Bad day at the senior center?”
She shook her head. Did she really want to admit her stupidity? Oh yeah, this was Casey, and over the years she’d admitted more stupid things to her than this. “Okay, I was kind of hoping Sara would call. Dumb, I know.” She sat up and clutched a throw pillow to her body. “It’s just…I thought we’d connected enough for her to call and tell me how her volunteering went. Thought she’d want to call and talk, you know, friend to friend. Obviously I was wrong.” She punched the pillow. “Damn if I didn’t jump into the deep end. Again.”
“Will you hit me if I say I told you so?”
She shook a fist at Casey. “Right in the kisser, baby.”
“Okay,” Casey said, drawing out the word. “Will you hit me if I tell you I had a little bit of fun today?”
“I’m giving it serious consideration.” She pursed her lips and pretended to think. “Tell me who she is so I can make up my mind.”
“Suzette.”
“Wait. I heard wrong. I know you did not say Suzette.” But looking at the smile on Casey’s face, Mikaela knew Suzette had somehow found her way back into Casey’s life. “I thought she and her partner moved up north someplace.”
“They broke up eight months ago and she’s back down here with her old firm. I ran into her, we got to talking and—”
“Is that who you spotted at Pool? Tell me the truth.”
“I thought I did, but she didn’t show up until after you left. I kind of knew she might be there and that’s why I wanted to go.”
Mikaela gave her a pinch. “You could have told me. I wouldn’t have said anything. Okay, I wouldn’t have said much. So, are you pretending to be friends like you did before or are you actually dating this time?”
“Dating,” Casey admitted with a little smile. “There’s no need for me to pretend I’m not interested in her that way this time.”
“I’m happy for you, Casey. I always knew she was it for you, so it’s good she has another chance to realize what a Princess Charming you are. ’Course you know I thought she knew that before.”
“Let’s not go there again.”
“Fine, but I still think if you had pushed a little harder she would have left her cheating skank of a girlfriend and fallen into your arms.”
“You really need to back away from the Disney movies.”
“Never!” she said, putting her hand to her heart. “So where did you go?”
“Lunch, then did the Botanical Garden. I can’t remember the last time I went, but it’s really nice. After that we went to this little wine bar in Midtown not far from my office and talked. And talked.”
“Judging by that goofy look on your face, you had a crazy good time. If you weren’t my landlady, I’d punch you.”
Casey shivered. “I’m so scared.”
“Shut up.” She pulled her arm back, then dropped it onto her lap. “You’re saved. I don’t much like the thought of sleeping on the street or lowering my hygiene standards.”
“You could always call Nina. I bet she’d come running to the rescue.”
“You didn’t even have to go there. Aren’t I suffering enough?”
“Oh, but I did have to go there. She called me. Again. Left a message for m
e to tell you to call her, seeing as she couldn’t get through to you.”
“Told you to block her number. And what is it with her anyway? She didn’t put this much effort into our relationship.” Mikaela frowned. “I don’t get it. She’s the one who found someone else, so why call me?”
“Maybe she’s the type who loves you more after it’s over.”
“Too bad. I’m the type that when it’s done, it’s done. And the way she did it, it’s dead and done. Let her go find another little coed and leave me the hell alone. And please for the love of God, block her number.”
“She’s blocked. But I don’t trust her. You need to watch your back, make sure she doesn’t go all stalker-chick on you.”
“She’s all talk, but if it makes you feel better, consider it done. Now, enough about crazy.” She waved her hand, dismissing Nina from her universe. “I talked to Bill today. Well, he talked to me.”
“What? When?”
“He surprised us by actually showing up to work. Stayed the whole time, pulled his weight. Then later at Talya’s house, he took me aside.” She recounted the conversation almost word for word. “Doesn’t that sound like he wants me for the job? Can you believe it?”
“Yes. Sometimes I think the only one who undervalues you is you. The Mikaela I know will throw herself into the job from day one. Why wouldn’t he want you? Shows what a good manager he is to not only recognize your worth, but also to recognize that the Righteous Three are totally wrong for where he wants the firm to go. If I were them, I’d be more worried about my job than hassling you.”
“Shame you’re not them. A big part of the job, if I get it, will be finding a way to work with them.”
Casey waved a finger. “You got that reversed. Remember, as Bill’s assistant you’ll be top dog. They have to find a way to work with you.”
“Don’t have the job yet and The Three, as I intend to call them from now on, will probably, no, they will definitely work my last nerve between now and the time the job is filled.”
“Aren’t we the executive?” Casey laughed. “Seriously, I’m glad you decided to go for it. The extra pay won’t hurt that spreadsheet of yours.”
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