pleased with the way my clay foothills had turned out.
Martucci grimaced. ‘ Your fifth-grade science project?’
‘ It’ s so I can demonstrate the freeway race. See, I’ ll take the cars and go vroom-vroom like this’ -I took two toy cars and set them on my model-’ and the one in the carpool lane will win.’
Martucci was silent, which had me worried. He wasn’ t one to hold back.
‘ What?’
‘ Nothing.’
‘ Tell me.’
‘ All right. That is the stupidest thing I’ ve ever seen.’
Slumping, I groaned, ‘ It’ s the best I could do. Troy Jones was supposed to help me do a live race on real freeways, but he bailed.’
‘ Why didn’ t you ask me to do it?’
Good question. Why hadn’ t I asked? Maybe it was because he didn’ t have a spiffy race outfit like Troy said he’ d wear.
‘ Oh, it would be wonderful if you could-’
‘ Too late. I didn’ t drive in today, and the motor home’ s off getting washed.’
‘ Then I’ m back to the science project.’ I sighed. ‘ Because I’ m sure not going to stand there and talk about my idea.’
‘ Why not?’
‘ Phyllis told me that I had to wow Bigwood. She said that’ s what he expects-wowing.’
‘ I agree, but a race is a race. You can describe it in a sentence-only a moron wouldn’ t get it. You’ re missing the point. A race isn’ t what you’ re selling Bigwood.’
‘ Oh yeah? What am I selling?’
Martucci crossed his arms and leaned on the edge of my desk. ‘ You.’
‘ Then I’ m doomed.’ When he rolled his eyes at me, I said, ‘ I’ m serious. I already tried that before-I wrote a big proposal with all kinds of ideas saying why I was so great, and he gave my job to Lizbeth.’
‘ I doubt Bigwood ever read your proposal. Even if he did-and don’ t take this the wrong way-I don’ t blame him for skipping you over before.’
‘ Thanks a lot!’
‘ It’ s true. Frankly, you didn’ t seem that excited about anything-like you were just going through the motions. I always got the impression that you were only here because you didn’ t have anywhere else to go.’
‘ Well, that’ s not how I felt. You didn’ t know me.’
‘ Except for Susan, I don’ t think anybody knew you.’
It was hard to have a comeback for that.
‘ So what you need to do,’ he continued, ‘ is make Bigwood aware that June Parker is a force to be reckoned with. That you’ ve got a track record. You’ ve got ideas. You’ ve got balls.’
‘ I don’ t know if I can do that.’
He slapped my arm. ‘ Sure you can. Take him out for drinks-he’ s a bourbon man, by the way. Show him the clips of your interviews from the gas giveaway.’
‘ You want me to remind him about that fiasco?’
‘ I want you to show him that you’ re cool under pressure.’
‘ Well,’ I hedged, ‘ I guess I could get the interview files from Brie. And she has a portable DVD player. I could pack it up and take Bigwood to the Brass Monkey.’
‘ That’ s the spirit. And whatever you do, don’ t let him pick up the check, however hard he tries. Wrestle him to the floor if you have to. Paying is a sign of dominance.’
‘ Got it.’
‘ Good. But out of curiosity, why is this promotion such a big deal to you now? I’ d figure with you about to be on the mommy track, you’ d be laying low.’
‘ For one thing, you’ re being sexist,’ I admonished. ‘ A woman can have both a career and a family. Secondly’ -I picked an imaginary piece of lint off my shirt so I didn’ t have to meet his eyes-’ I’ m not going to adopt the baby after all.’
‘ Sorry, I didn’ t realize. Something go wrong?’
‘ Only that I changed my mind.’
‘ Then it’ s a good thing, right? You can go back to your wild single ways.’
‘ Yeah, well, as far as that goes, the rumor that I was going to be a mom scared off my major prospect,’ I said glumly. When Martucci looked at me confused, I said, ‘ Troy. As soon as I told him that I was going to adopt a baby, he took off.’
‘ Ah. I see.’
‘ It’ s so frustrating. I felt as if the list were helping me figure out my life. I thought, Aha! It’ s a relationship and kids that have been missing. But it must not be those things-otherwise I wouldn’ t have let my chance for them get away.’
‘ Come on. There are plenty more chances.’
‘ I suppose, but I’ m still bummed. Deep down, I’ d hoped the list would have a bigger impact& that it would help me identify what I truly wanted.’
