“Was it a surprise?”
She bites her lip, looking at me through her lashes.
“Yes, Mr. Steele. I wasn’t expecting this. Thank you.”
I laugh.
“I hope it was a good surprise? But we’ll iron out the details later. For now, just enjoy your promotion.”
Addy nods, shooting a look at me, and then at Marissa. But she merely says another quiet “thank you” and then departs. With that, a new chapter of my life has begun because it’s out with the bad, and in with the good. I look forward to getting to know my new designer and working with her one-on-one.
4
Addy
This has been the strangest week of my life. I’ve gotten the promotion I always dreamed of, and not only that, but my boss is gone! Marissa and Marcus are getting divorced, and Marissa’s lost her job. Her ex-husband said they were parting amicably, and maybe that’s true, but the long and the short of it still stands: Marissa’s no longer a part of my life, and I now occupy her old position.
It’s surreal. Sure, I’ve been thinking a lot about a promotion, but I had no idea it would happen so soon. I didn’t even realize that Marcus Steele knew my name, much less that he was familiar with my work. I expected at least a few more years under Marissa’s thumb before anything would happen. And even then, I expected that I’d have to leave the House of Steele to make headway in my career.
But now fear makes me queasy, and I pick nervously at a loose thread on my sofa. What if I fail? My official first day is on Monday, according to the papers HR presented me with. People are going to expect me to take charge, and I can’t let them down.
My phone rings and I immediately pick it up.
“Hi, Mom,” I say a bit breathlessly. Pam’s voice comes over the line, tinny yet comforting.
“Sweetheart, hi! I’m so sorry I missed your calls. You know how service can be on a cruise.”
I laugh. “It’s okay, Mom, because I have some good news. I got promoted to head designer!”
Mom squeals. “Oh, Addy, that’s wonderful! This is the position you’ve been wanting for years. I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks, Mom. My first day is on Monday, and I’m really nervous.”
My mom merely chuckles again, and I hear the blast of a cruise ship horn behind her.
“That’s perfectly normal. You’re going to be amazing, though, sweetheart. I know you can do it, just try not to let your nerves ruin the excitement.”
“You’re right. I need to be more confident. When are you and dad headed back to New York, by the way?”
Pamela says something in the background, but then she turns back to me.
“Sweetheart, it’s funny you ask because we just docked here in New York! Dinner tonight?”
I shake my head ruefully.
“I’d love to because I hardly see you and Dad anymore, with all the cruises you’ve been taking. But I’m having dinner with my new boss tonight. He wants to get to know me since we’ll be working so closely together.”
My mom’s voice fades for a moment, but then comes back on.
“That’s sounds nice. Are you going somewhere special? And who’s your new boss? Did she get promoted too? I can’t remember her name right now.”
“It’s Marissa. She was my old boss, and it’s a long story, but she and my current boss are getting divorced, and basically, I got her old job. She’s not working for the House of Steele anymore.”
My mom pauses for a moment, although I have no idea what she’s doing.
“My, my, my, that sounds complex! It’s a shame their marriage failed, but you get to reap the rewards. Enjoy your dinner. We’re about to disembark, but I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay sweetie? Lunch? Call me.”
“Absolutely, Mom. Love you, bye.”
“Bye sweetie.”
Mom hangs up and I smile ruefully. Ever since hitting sixty-five, my parents have decided to take advantage of the “senior specials” that cruise lines offer. As a result, they’ve been almost continuously at sea since last year. Even though they live in my same neighborhood, I rarely see them anymore.
But it’s okay because I want them to enjoy their golden years. Both Pam and Jerome are retired, and they deserve to enjoy their lives now. As their only daughter, I’m happy for them.
But now, I need to get ready for dinner with Marcus. He said we should grab dinner to get to know one another, and I do want to get to know him better because I still can’t get the image of his naked form out of my mind. God, it’s wrong, but I can’t stop! Last night, I had to touch myself just to fall asleep. It was totally worth it.
But I force myself to look through my most severe business outfits. This is a business dinner. This is not a date, and I have to get that through my head. I need to dress appropriately.
I pull out a business suit and set it on my bed, looking distastefully at the cheap gray fabric. I bought it on-sale and it’s not tailored to fit my body. Ugh, this is going to be bad.
Slipping on the pants and jacket, I take a look at myself in the mirror, and frankly, want to cry at the image that stares back at me. The suit makes me look frumpy and square, not to mention boxy and overweight in all the wrong places. I literally look like
