Entrenched?“Tenure is a good thing, Cole.” I struggled for too many seconds to unwedge myself from the sticky leather. Finally, I got to my feet and towered over him, hands on my hips. “My years of experience at the company, and in the industry, will help me as CEO. But I’m sure they considered youroutsider’sperspective.”
His lips tightened once more, but this time they brought his eyebrows with them. Shit, I hadn’t meant to be mean. Waiting was stressing me out. “I’m?—”
“My ‘outsider’s perspective’ is what’s going to take this company to the next level. I bring innovative ideas to solve longstanding problems perpetuated by the old guard.”
Had he just called me old? Forty-three was notold.Not even to some fresh-faced thirty-something man with his damnedinnovative ideas.
I swallowed every swear word on my lips.Professional.“Sorry, I have to check this.” I held up my phone, which had been buzzing incessantly for the past fifteen minutes, and walked to the window. Briefly, I looked down at busy Mission Street, shaded by our tall building, then I opened my sisters’group chat. Checking personal texts at work was unprofessional, but it was preferable to throttling my colleague.
We’re all Mom’s favorite
Ciara
Any word yet?
Denise
You’ll tell us as soon as you hear, right?
Trish
Either way, we’re so proud of you
Megan
Leave her alone. U know she doesn’t text at work. She’ll tell us at drinks tonight. And stop changing the group name, T. U know Bridget’s the fave
Denise
I can’t wait that long! I’m living vicariously through Bridget while I keep 8-year-olds from fighting over a heart-shaped rock they found on the playground.
IT DOESN’T EVEN LOOK LIKE A HEART
Ciara
Sounds like Bridget’s colleagues still fight over rocks
My youngest sister, Ciara, had their number. In fact, here I was, playing the game-before-the-game of “Pick Me.” It wasn’t much different from Denise’s second-grade class.
Christ, how I wanted to be picked. Ever since I started my first job after college as a marketing analyst and got a glimpse of the CEO’s spacious office, then when I saw my boss’s boss’s boss’s dickish boss defer to her in a meeting, I’d coveted thatrole. When I joined Apex as a junior marketing manager a few years later, becoming the company’s first female CEO was the target at which I’d aimed my career.
I dropped my phone into my jacket pocket. Megan, my middle sister, was right. I’d tell them all tonight. They’d insisted we all meet up at the bar to celebrate—or commiserate. When we’d scheduled it, I’d been confident it would be a celebration. Now, an hour after Cole walked out of the board meeting after giving his presentation and two hours after I’d finished mine, I wasn’t so sure.
I glanced at the closed door of the boardroom. Through the frosted-glass windows, I saw the board members stand, and I straightened as the door opened.
“Bridget.” Anita walked out, a neutral expression on her face. “A word.”
My heart galloped into my throat. This was it. Nodding, I followed her into the hall.
Anita tugged me into the nearest conference room, a sad, windowless one with five chairs squeezed around a speakerphone on a round table. She closed the door.
“Sit down, Bridget.” She rubbed the spot between her eyebrows. She looked tired. Her dark bob had definitely gone more salt than pepper lately, and the lines were deep around her mouth. Fleetingly, I wondered how long she planned to continue serving on the board. She’d been my mentor for ten years, since I’d risen to director. I’d been desperate for guidance through the minefield of being a senior leader in an environment where, if I didn’t walk into a room smiling, themen on my team made jokes about it being that time of the month. Now more than ever, I needed her support.
“I…I’d rather stand, if that’s okay.” Energy sizzled under my skin. This was it. The moment I’d been waiting years for. I rubbed my palms together to warm my suddenly icy fingers.
“It wasn’t an easy decision?—”
“Jesus Christ,” I gasped. “I didn’t get it?”
