“No, no. I mean we’d like to hire you, Georgina. As creative director.”
Oh. “That’s Sebastian’s position,” I said dumbly. Sebastian didn’t just work as a creative director—he lived the job title. “Are you . . . are you promoting him?”
He hesitated. “Sebastian is welcome to stay on the team—your team—if you decide to keep him. That would be your call.”
That didn’t sound like a promotion. In fact, it sounded like a demotion. “Sebastian is very nearly back on course,” I said slowly. “Trust me. He’s got this.”
“It’s obvious that a change in perspective has done everyone some good,” Vance said. “Against the advice of my peers, I gave Sebastian more editorial control than customary for this industry because I had a feeling about him. It worked in my favor. I have that same feeling about you.”
I wiped my palms on my slacks. “I’m very happy with the position I’m in now,” I said. “In fact, there are opportunities within my current agency.”
“That so? What kinds? I’d at least like the chance to match them.”
It was only partially true. I’d heard rumblings from everyone except my boss about the possibility of expansion, from hiring new agents to opening an office out of state to introducing a new department. Yet, any of those options would be, at best, a lateral move for me. “I’m not at liberty to discuss them,” I said.
“Are you at liberty to discuss salary?” He glanced at the notepad, then cocked his head and scratched out what he’d written. He hadn’t been doodling but writing zeroes. “I suppose I’ll need to up my game if I’ve got competition.” He wrote a new number and skated it across the desk. “Here’s what I’m authorized to offer. If anyone asks, you negotiated me here.”
I widened my eyes. It was nearly double my current salary, which was already very decent—at least, for those who lived anywhere but New York City and didn’t care for a terminally sick dog. A strange sense of pride settled over me. I’d taken on this job unsure of how I’d wrangle an office full of “bad boys.” Clearly, I’d succeeded. My boss had believed I could do it, just like she’d cultivated my drive since day one. Yet, it’d been some time since I’d been promoted. At my current position, job satisfaction came from challenging assignments such as Modern Man, but considering Dionne had founded the agency, my position lacked upward mobility. Had my ambition plateaued as a result? I wasn’t sure how I felt about staying on as creative director, but it hit me that Vance was offering the more I’d never get where I was now.
And I did want more. That was how I’d grown into George, and it was how I took care of my loved ones. Money had been tight ever since Neal had stopped working and left me to handle our bills, including the seemingly never-ending vet visits. Once I’d started to fall behind, I hadn’t been able to catch back up, and the debt had been mounting for a while. The number in front of me would not only allow me to cover Bruno’s healthcare expenses but upgrade them. And put a serious dent in my debt. And leave some for myself.
“You’re speechless,” Vance said. “That’s what I was going for. We’d love to bring you on as soon as you’re able to get free of your current situation.”
“I . . . I’m not even sure I’m legally allowed. I’d have to look over my contract.”
“Well, find out,” he said, ripping off the top slip of paper and crumpling it. “Take the weekend to weigh your options. And of course, keep this between us. It won’t be easy breaking this to Sebastian, but I’ll handle him. It shouldn’t come from anyone but me.” He grumbled as he tossed the notepad back in a drawer. “If he storms in here one more time making demands, he’ll get an unwelcome reality check.”
Sebastian. He’d been running the show successfully for a long time. What’d happened this last year to throw him off his game? Perhaps I could’ve gotten to the bottom of it if he’d ever indulged me in a one-on-one session like I’d requested. But he hadn’t thought it was worth his time.
Could I do this to him knowing how much he’d dedicated to the position?
Dismissed, I exited the office in a daze and headed back downstairs. I went straight for the restroom, where there’d be no chance of running into any of the guys. I needed a moment to process this, and peace and quiet was hard to come by anywhere but the ladies’ room. As soon as I turned the corner, though, I nearly ran into Sebastian on his way out of the men’s.
“Hey,” he said, leaning against the wall and blocking me from the moment alone I desperately needed. “What’d Vance want?”
“What?” I stalled. Vance wants . . . me. Not you. “Oh. Nothing. Just a check-in.”
“Don’t you do that Fridays?”
“Yes, but as we get closer to the end of my assignment . . .” I tried to swallow without gulping. “I guess he needs to touch base more.”
“Ah. Makes sense.” Sebastian’s damn shoulders were so broad, I couldn’t even see around him. That made it easy to notice when they eased from around his ears. Did he suspect something was up? I gestured behind him. “I just need to—”
“I’ve barely seen you all week,” he said.
I held my notebook to my chest. “I had some work to catch up on at my office,” I said to explain my absence since the baseball game.
Which could very well be my old office soon.
Was Vance testing the waters, or had that been an official offer? And was it firm? The salary was generous, but I’d never leave any job or position, especially one I loved, without negotiating for the best.
Sebastian tilted his head. “Well?”
“Sorry, what?” I asked.
“I said, how’s François?”
“Um.” I scratched my eyebrow, trying to glance around Sebastian’s irritatingly large physique to signal that it wasn’t the best time for a chat. I needed to digest the news, and I certainly didn’t want to be talking to Sebastian until I’d decided how to broach this with him . . . or if I should at all. “I don’t know. We haven’t spoken since after the game.”
Sebastian glanced over my head. “After the game? Justin said you went straight home.”
I cocked my head. Justin had already teased me mercilessly about François. He’d peppered me with questions even after I’d told him with exasperation that yes, the date had been fine, and maybe we would go out again and no, François had not kissed me at my train stop. A first kiss in a subway car with onlookers would’ve been only slightly less awkward than one in front of Sebastian and his sidekick at the game. But why would any of that have come up between Justin and Sebastian? “I did go home,” I said. “But we took the train together until his stop.”
Sebastian’s eyebrows lowered. “He couldn’t even see you to your door?”
“He would’ve had to ride all the way to Brooklyn, walk three blocks, then backtrack home.” I caught myself fidgeting with my notepad and stilled, not wanting my anxiety to show. Sebastian making non-hostile conversation for once wasn’t helping my budding guilt over the fact that I’d been offered his job minutes earlier.
“You only live three blocks from the subway?” he asked. “What’re your cross streets again?”
“I live on Pineapple.” This conversation was going nowhere. Couldn’t we be having it after I used the bathroom? “But again,” I said, “it would’ve made no sense for Frank to—”
“Pineapple. Cute,” Sebastian said, smiling like it was an inside joke. “If it were me, I would’ve walked my date home—at least to see how the hell her Great Dane fits in a one-bedroom. Or is it a studio?”
Despite my desire to escape, I smiled a little at that. “One-bed. We go on lots of walks.”
“Hey, Bruno and I are good on walks. Any time you need some extra muscle, let me know.”
“Sure.” With a higher income, Bruno and I could move closer to a park. Apparently, I really was considering Vance’s offer, but I couldn’t decide how to feel about it while Sebastian was being so nice. I moved to get around him. “I need to—”