“We’ve probably grilled Lucy enough for one evening,” said Steph. Lucy could have kissed her. “Girls, why don’t you finish clearing the table?” Bridget popped right out of her seat as though a reprieve had been granted, but Briony took her time getting up, then joined her sister in gathering various pieces of dinnerware before retreating to the kitchen. “Hey, Jackie, Lucy’s mom sent over that Christmas cake. How about putting on some coffee and cutting some slices?” It was hardly subtle, but Lucy was grateful that Steph was clearing the room on her behalf.
“Oh, sure. It’s wrapped in aluminium foil, right Lucy? On the kitchen counter?”
“That’s right. Thin slices would be good. It’s extremely rich and boozy.”
“No problem.” She and Jackie shared a smile, then Jackie left the table.
When she was out of earshot, Lucy threw Steph a grateful look. “Thank you. That was a little, um … intense.”
“Yeah, tact doesn’t exactly run in their family. How about we go into the living room?”
Lucy and Jackie settled on either end of one of the long leather sofas, the sounds from the kitchen becoming background noise. “We’ll have a little time before the others join us. You said there was something you wanted to talk to me about?”
“Oh, yes!” Lucy had been so stuck on replaying the awkward conversation about Will that she’d all but forgotten about the matter of her manager, Angela. Mindful of the short time she’d have Steph to herself, she gave the digest version of how Angela seemed to be undermining her at every turn, and how a job that Lucy had enjoyed was becoming more and more demoralising.
“Hmm, and how long has Angela been with the company?”
“Close to eight months now. Although, in some ways it seems far longer.”
“And how long was her predecessor there, your former boss?”
“Oh, that was Nigel. He was so lovely. He hired me, actually, and that was … eleven years ago. I think he’d been with the firm thirty-odd years when he retired.” Lucy had adored Nigel, learning so much from him, and appreciating his gentle and nurturing management style.
“So, Angela came in to replace someone who was at the firm for three decades?”
Steph was getting at something, although Lucy wasn’t quite sure what it was. “Yes, that’s right.”
“I imagine that would have been somewhat challenging.”
Oh, right. Now Lucy understood. Steph was helping her find a way to empathise with Angela. “Quite. I hadn’t thought of it like that. Do you suppose that she may be trying to find her footing, to assert herself in some way?”
“Something like that. I’m not saying it’s okay for her to walk all over you or undermine you, but it sounds like it could be coming from a place of insecurity. I’ve seen it before. In fact, I’ve been guilty of it myself.”
“Really?”
“Mmm-hmm. Years ago, now, when I was promoted into my first managerial role, I thought I had to go in guns blazing, ready to defend my ground.” She raised her eyebrows, a wry smile on her face.
“How did that go?”
“Terribly.” Steph laughed quietly. “But I had a good mentor, and she taught me how to be firm and fair without coming across as a tyrant. It was probably the steepest learning curve of my career.” That was saying a lot, as Steph was the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, one of only forty women to hold that position. “I also had a couple of key employees who knew how to manage up. You’ve heard of that, right?”
“Vaguely, but I’m not sure exactly what it means.”
“It means that they helped coach me to be the kind of manager they needed me to be.”
“So, that’s what I should do?”
“Look, I’m only going on what you’ve told me, but I think it may be the right approach. Send her an email and set up a meeting. Tell her that you’re excited for the New Year, especially everything you can learn from her. You could even ask her to be your mentor.” Lucy scrunched up her nose and Steph smiled. “I know, it seems counterintuitive, but if she feels like she has something to offer you, she’s going to be more inclined to listen to you and to stop undermining you. You make the first move; you set the tone for how you want things to be going forward.”
Lucy bit her lip and stared into the blue and yellow flickering flames in the fireplace imagining Angela as her mentor. It could work. And, really, anything would be better than being miserable at work or having to look for a new job. She looked back at Steph. “I’ll do it. I’ll take your advice. And thank you—for your help, and for letting me have a whinge.”
“Oh, no problem, honey. And, you know, once you get home and you’re working through all of this, if you want to talk some more, just get in touch. Okay?”
Lucy nodded, trying to quell the mild panic that arose. She didn’t want to think about being back home without Will. As her stomach twisted itself in knots, Jules’s family streamed through the doorway en masse, bringing with them loud and cheery conversations and after-dinner treats, including a plate piled high with her mum’s Christmas cake. Not typically one to eat her feelings, Lucy practically lunged at the plate, taking the fattest slice and biting off a corner.
“I’m definitely getting me some of that,” said Will. He handed her a paper napkin from the stack beside the plate and she took it sheepishly. How rude of her to help herself before anyone else had, and without a napkin or a plate. Will didn’t seem to notice her poor manners and when he had his own slice, he sat next to her and draped his free arm around her shoulder.
A quick glance around told her that no one thought this was out of the ordinary, or if they did, they were doing a fabulous job of pretending. “You
