So here’s what I propose going forward. We continue our conversations as we always have. If you want to meet me, then it’s up to you. I won’t suggest it again. You make that call.
Now that she knew it was Zac, Macie could hear his voice in his words. It was equal parts cringe-worthy and swoon-worthy. Macie had never denied Zac’s hotness, but she’d always focused on his shitty attitude. Maybe it had really been her shitty attitude.
She sat up straight.
Oh my God. Did I do this to myself? The thought made her sick to her stomach. She’d never even considered it before. But it wasn’t all her. Zac antagonized her and said things he knew would piss her off. Of course, if she hadn’t been so damn defensive, she wouldn’t have let him get to her so fast, so easily. He’d always seen her at her worst, and he’d always been quick to make a joke out of it. Maybe she’d just taken that all the wrong way to hide her embarrassment.
It didn’t matter now. She had to let all of that go and move forward, because this Zac was not the Zac she’d known all these years. She had to try, at least. She owed it to herself.
Macie took her time responding, choosing her words carefully. Nothing she wrote to him could give away who she was. It took her longer than ever to compose the message. She’d never had writer’s block before. Words wouldn’t come to her. Macie typed out what she wanted to say, “It’s me. It’s Macie. I was there.” Then she deleted it.
Her phone buzzed on the table beside her. The caller ID read “A$$hole” which meant Alex. He’d picked up her phone yesterday while it was unlocked and added his number. She changed the name.
“Good morning. I emailed you some photos of a story I’m working on for the website. Please get them to me by eight this morning.”
Macie deleted the message. He knew she’d get in at eight. Besides, this was her personal phone. If the station wanted her to be on-call, then they could provide her with a phone. She shook her head, putting Alex and Zac out of her mind. It was time to do something more important. She opened her web browser and started job hunting.
NOBODY WOULD TELL HIM anything. They all pledged fealty to his father as if he was an actual king. Not that Zac expected them to confess his father’s potential downfall, but nobody would even talk about him. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
Maybe it was just Zac. Maybe he wasn’t meant to be a part of his father’s war. Maybe he wasn’t meant to be a part of Sparks Investments. That thought had crept into his mind over the last week. Was this what he wanted to do with his life? He would be financially secure. It would be smart. It would be easy. He was good at it. But was that what he wanted? He’d never asked himself that. It was a foregone conclusion that he’d take over the family business. But he’d never been the one to come to that conclusion.
Zac propped his tablet up in front of his monitor. He was sick of numbers for the day, it was time for a break. He opened Blind Friends, smiling at the new message before he even opened it.
I took this job because I needed it, not because I wanted it. The job I wanted never even called me in for an interview. Maybe I set the bar too high. Maybe desperation makes us do stupid things. I don’t know. Regardless, it started out great. The first few weeks I thought I’d made the right choice. Then this past week something changed. Or rather someone changed it. A co-worker demanded all my time. To be blunt, the guy’s an asshole. He’s also the owner’s son.
My boss gives him exactly what he wants at the expense of others. He’s so bad that one guy quit, just walked out. And nobody does anything about it. Being down one in our department gives me a little power. I can push my boss, but only so far. I can’t get fired or quit yet. I need this. Bills don’t get paid on their own.
The first round of new resumes went out today. One month and I’m already looking for a new job. I’m terrified I won’t find something else. I feel like I’ve already failed. But how is this my fault? How am I the one who failed? My boss failed me. I’m just doing what I can to remove myself from the situation. But then I ask myself, what if I don’t find another job for a few months? Or even a year? Then what do I do?
I don’t know. And that scares the shit out of me.
Zac sat back after reading. The owner’s son? Was it possible that his mystery girl worked here? He stood and strolled down the hall, checking out each woman he saw in the rows of cubicles. None of the new investors qualified. They were all male. The clerical pool was small, and again, no new personnel that fit the description. He didn’t even deal with them much as it was. The only
