Chapter 42

“I don’t want anything but a fair shot,” I say. “But I’m not going to use Hugo to do that. I intend to stand on my own two feet.”

Lila stares at me for a long moment. “I don’t know whether or not to believe you, but… I suppose we can see.” Sighing, she steps out from behind her desk. “Grab your stuff. Let’s find you somewhere to sit down.”

Hope rises high and fast in my chest. Am I getting my own desk?

Lila walks out of her office and I eagerly follow her. She marches into the cubicle pit and I’m practically floating off the ground. She stops at the very first cubicle, the on nearest the door.

I’d be pretty far from the other journalists, sitting here, but it’s closer than I’d been only a moment ago. I’m not complaining.

“You can work from here,” Lila says. “I expect you to come into my office several times a day. You might think it busywork but I need someone to make sure those reporters actually read my missives.”

“I understand,” I say. “I’ll make sure it’s done.”

“Good,” Lila says. She turns to leave without another word.

Surprised, I call out after her. “Lila!”

She pauses. “What is it?”

“Do I have an assignment?” I ask.

“Check your email. I’ll send you leads to start tracking down,” Lila says.

Tracking down leads is true journalistic work! “Thank you, Lila,” I say. “I will succeed. You’ll see.”

“Yeah, yeah. Sure.” Lila waves her hand at me as she heads back into her office.

With her gone, I settle into my cubicle, arranging my papers and pens and setting up my email alerts. All around me, I can feel the buzz of the journalists in their element, making calls, typing articles, tracking down leads – just like I’m about to do!

I wait patiently for an email from Lila to come in. Then I wait some more.

A full hour later, I’m starting to wonder if she forgot.

Not wanting to be too demanding, I send her a quick reminder email. I keep it friendly and brief. Ten minutes later, I notice a read receipt on the email. Another hour passes without anything for me to do.

I know she’s busy. Giving me a desk is such a kindness that I don’t want to bother her for more. But I also dislike sitting here wasting company time. They hired me to do a job. I would like to actually do it.

I’m torn. I don’t want to make a splash, but I can’t just sit here.

Before I can decide what to do, the receptionist opens the security door and a delivery man enters carrying a vase overflowing with bright flowers. The tiny vase is stuffed so full that it looks like it’s positively exploding. The delivery man has to crane his neck to see around them.

It’s such a spectacle that heads start poking up from behind cubicles, a slew of curious people eager to see who has earned these flowers – and why.

Everyone is surprised – including me – when the delivery man is led to my cubicle and those flowers are placed on my desk.

At first, my heart skips a beat, thinking of Miles. But I immediately push down that thought. Miles doesn’t even know I work here, and even if he found out somehow, he wouldn’t do something as garish as sending me flowers in front of the entire office on my first week.

Especially not when I’m still a married woman.

“Thank you,” I tell the delivery man, who gives me a little salute before he’s led back to the door.

As I reach for the attached card, a small crowd starts forming around me, Amber among them.

“Well? Who are the flowers from?” Amber asks when I hesitate. I don’t really want to show the crowd. “With a display like that, it must be from someone important.”

I open the card and read,

Congratulations on your first week back after ten years at home. Your husband, Garnar Graham, CEO.

The asshole even added CEO to the card.

I try to hide the card, but Amber reads it aloud over my shoulder. Immediately, whispers begin.

I can only catch a few of them among the chatter, but the ones I do hear make my stomach twist.

“How did she get a job here with a gap like that on her resume?”

“Her husband’s a CEO, that’s how.”

“Money talks.”

“She’s likely not even taking this job seriously.”

Glancing around myself, I could see the annoyed and bitter looks on the faces of my new co-workers. I’ve worked here a week, and I’ve gone from totally unknown to most resented woman in the office.

Amber’s smirk is the sharpest. “Why don’t you just go home, housewife? Leave the reporting to the actual professionals.”

A few others laugh, hearing her words.

Hanging my head, humiliation settles over me. No doubt this was Garnar’s intention. The words on that card were too purposeful to be anything other than malicious.

“What is this?” Lila snaps, stepping out of her office. “Get back to work, all of you.” She claps her hands.

My co-workers quickly bustle away, disappearing back into their own cubicles.

Eyeing the massive bouquet on my desk, Lila comes closer. She reads the card in my hand to herself, but I can hear a word now and then, enough to know what she’s doing.

“God,” she snaps when she reaches the end. “That man either loves you or hates you, writing all that. Did he think people would see that and think fondly of you?”

I hang my head lower.

Lila tilts her head, looking at me. “Is this job truly an excuse just for you to get out of the house?”

“No,” I say at once.

Lila’s eyes narrow. I can’t tell if she believes me. I’m suspecting that she doesn’t.

“Please, Lila,” I say once more, very aware that I’m begging now. “Give me an opportunity to show I’m capable. I swear, you won’t be disappointed with the results.”

Lila tilts her head the other way, looking at me this way and that, before she finally sighs, long-suffering.

“There’s a dog fashion show in the downtown park this afternoon,” Lila says. “It’s a fluff piece. No one wants it. You get me an article and make it compelling and I’ll consider something bigger, alright?”

“Thank you!” I say at once, suddenly beaming so brightly that Lila startles.

“This isn’t a good assignment…” she starts to say.

She doesn’t understand. Compared to making coffee, delivering messages, and standing in the corner of her office all day, this is a godsend.

Who cares if it’s about dog fashion? In fact, that sounds adorable!

“Should I take a camera?” I ask her. “Or is there a photographer assigned?”

Lila still looks at me like I’ve grown a second head, but she answers my questions well enough. “I’ll get you a camera. I’m not wasting anyone else’s time on this.”

“I’ll make you proud,” I tell her.

“Just do the job,” she says. Shaking her head, she starts to walk away.

Immediately, I turn to my computer and search up information about this dog fashion show. I search through the list of dogs to be shown. Their owners are listed underneath.

I pause. My co-workers really think this is a bad gig? The dog owners are some of the most influential members of the city! Including the mayor!

Well, let them think whatever they want. I have a dog fashion show to attend and a story to deliver.

They’re all going to see what I’m capable of.