Today I was a few minutes late, having overslept. I don’t think I finally closed my eyes until three in the morning, my brain was just stewing over Emmett and the situation, my heart racing like crazy. So of course when I finally did pass out, I slept through my first alarm.
The moment I walked into the building, I saw Tiffany at reception staring at me with an expression I couldn’t read. It was like she was bursting at the seams to tell me something and having to hold it back made her face red and sweat profusely.
When I went into the main office though, then I got it.
Everyone erupted into applause.
All these years at my job and I barely get a thank you from some colleagues.
But become Emmett Hill’s girlfriend and front page news for gossip sites and suddenly that’s something worth congratulating me on.
Needless to say, it was beyond embarrassing and I couldn’t even disappear into my office because now all anyone wants to ask me about is Emmett. To think that all these people were at the wedding on Saturday, not even paying attention to what was really going on, and now they all think they’re part of some clandestine love affair or some start-up they got in on from the ground floor.
Speaking of, I try and look around for Casey but I don’t see him in his office. I need to ask him straight up if it was him that took and sold the pictures. He’d lie, of course, but I’m pretty good at telling when people are lying. And if it was him, I would take great pleasure in whipping his ass with my handbag (and not in some kinky sexual way).
Thankfully, things start quieting down, even though every time someone walks past my office they do this sly kind of head nod or wink. Have we all resorted to being in high school or what? What’s next, someone is going to pass me a note asking if we’ve gotten to second base?
By the time lunch time rolls around, I need someone to talk to. It’s only then that I realize I can’t talk to Tiffany about it. While I did tell Jackie the truth, she can keep a secret. Tiffany cannot. She means well but she’s prone to bursting out the wrong thing at the wrong moment, like the time she told Casey to give me the last donut because I was having an extremely heavy period and therefore deserved it.
It doesn’t matter anyway. Ted just called me into his office.
I take in a deep breath and smooth my flowy blouse over my hips before I go inside. I can only imagine how this is going to go.
“Alyssa,” Ted says to me with a big smile. He’s sitting at his desk, leaning back in his chair and sipping from a mug that I doubt contains coffee. “Shut the door, have a seat.”
Hmmm. Usually Ted does all business with the door open, unless he’s on a conference call.
I cautiously take my seat, trying to keep cool even though my heart is starting to skip. “Everything okay?” I ask him.
“Yes, of course. I’m fine. Perfectly fine. Right as rain. I know you expect me to be crying in my boots because my daughter is gone, perhaps forever, run off with my best friend. That I’m overwhelmed by the bills of the wedding, let alone the fact that there’s going to be another grandchild popping up in eight months or so.” He says this so deadpan that I can’t tell if he’s joking or not. “I’m fine. Absolutely fine. Business as usual.”
He takes a sip of his coffee and a waft of whisky assaults my nose. Figures.
“Well, you look young for a grandfather,” I say lamely, not sure what to say.
He squints at me. “You know, I do want to talk to you about Emmett. I really, really do. But first, must I remind you that you called this meeting? Last week? Said you wanted to talk to me?”
Oh right. That. Funny how important it all seemed a few days ago and now it’s like everything has changed.
“No, I haven’t forgotten,” I say, not missing a beat. “It was just regarding my job…and my future here.”
Ted gives me an exaggerated frown. “Jesus Murphy. Please don’t tell me you’re quitting. You’re one of a kind and you know it.” He pauses. “And please don’t tell me you want a raise because we just can’t afford it right now, so sorry.”
I exhale but keep the smile pasted on my face. “A raise would be nice. But I know it’s all dependent on Warner Brothers and if they sign the next films to us, so I’m not going to be greedy. I’ve seen our books, I know what goes in and out. It’s just…I would like to be challenged more.”
He cocks a grey brow. “You want more responsibility?”
“I want different responsibility.”
“You mean you don’t want to be an office manager anymore.”
“I just want to know what else is available for me here.”
He nods, sucking on his teeth and looking away. “Okay,” he says after a moment. “I can appreciate that. It’s just that things are constantly changing here. Each film is something new.”
“For you,” I point out. “For me it’s always the same. I need to know I’m working toward something.”
“Okay. So what do you want to do?”
“I don’t know,” I tell him. And that’s a lie. Because what I want has nothing to do with this job whatsoever and never will. But even so, if there’s no place for me to go in this company…what am I doing?
“We could transfer you to marketing, with Casey.”
I scrunch up my nose, wincing internally. “No thank you.” I pause, taking the plunge. “What if you transfer me to the LA office?”
“It would be no different than here.”
“That’s where you would be wrong. It would be LA. Every single thing would be different.”
Oh please, please, please.
If he could transfer me there, then maybe I wouldn’t even have to do this thing with Emmett after all.
But he shakes his head. “Wish I could, but it’s not as easy as it sounds. Will was easy because his ex-wife was American but they’re getting pretty strict these days. You can go and visit, of course, and go to meetings, just like I do, but getting you a permanent position wouldn’t be justifiable when there are so many qualified people there already.”
“You could sponsor me.”
“It’s just not worth it for us, Alyssa.”
Fuck. I’m sure as hell glad I had this conversation now after Emmett’s proposal. Suddenly the deal, and the money, looks like my only way out.
“I’m sorry,” Ted says, reading my face. “How about when Will gets back from his honeymoon, the three of us put our heads together. I’m sure we can find a way for you to feel more challenged at the office.”
I nod politely but the truth is I’m already imagining my escape route.
“Now, onto other business. What in sweet hell is going on with you and Emmett Hill?”
“Why, what does it look like?” I ask innocently.
He points his finger at me. “I warned him to stay away from you.”
“I think that only spurred him on.”
“Alyssa. Are you serious about him? The last two days I’ve been reading about it everywhere. You even went to dinner with him last night. I saw the photos.”
I give him a small smile, finding it easier than I thought it would be to play this part. “A real lady doesn’t kiss and tell.” I get to my feet. “And I’m not about to give you the inside scoop. For all I know, you’re the one who took the pictures at the wedding and sold it to Perez, since you have such a boner for him.”
“I do not have a…” he cries out and then gives me a stern look. “That is not an appropriate way to talk to your boss.”
“Good thing I don’t have an appropriate boss. Can we drop it now?”
“Fine,” he says in a huff, like a child who hasn’t gotten his way. “But seriously, Alyssa. You’re a bright, smart, pretty young girl. Please don’t expect anything serious with Emmett. I’ve got to know him well enough over the years and while I like him, the man has some serious issues.”
“You can say that again,” I say under my breath as I head to the door.
“I mean it,” Ted says and when I glance at him, he’s morphed into dad mode. “If you expect anything serious from him, you’re just going to get hurt. And I don’t want to have to come into work to find you crying at your desk, day after day. Okay?”