“The only asshole on this elevator is the one with verbal diarrhea,” I shotback.
“Oh, if you want to go poop jokes, let’s do this thing,” Justin said. “Conference room, one hour. Bring your shittiestmaterial.”
The woman grimaced, and the elevator eased to a stop, allowing her and most of the riders to exit. I wondered if it was actually their floor, or if they just wanted to get out of Justin’spresence.
“So, did you?” Justinasked.
“Did Iwhat?”
“Ask herout?”
I frowned. It wasn’t that I’d sought out stuck-up women in the past, but they seemed to find me. Either that, or they were the only fish in the sea of Manhattan. Maybe work events and photoshoots weren’t the best places to meet women, but apparently, neither was a coffee shop. Where else did that leave? The Internet? I shuddered. Justin had once written a harrowing first-hand account on the perils of dating apps that had nearly turned mecelibate.
“Are you thinking about online dating again?” Justinasked.
I glanced at him. “How’d youknow?”
“You always get a certain look when it comes up. I told you, ending up front row at a One Direction concert wasn’t as bad as I made itsound.”
“She had no right to trick you into that.” The blind date had taken a turn for the worst when Justin had admitted to having a man crush on Justin Timberlake. Although we all idolized Timberlake, that didn’t mean we were fans of boy bands, which was what his date hadassumed.
“It’s almost as bad as—” I cringed. “I can’t even sayit.”
“Merkin?”
A man on the elevator glanced up from hisphone.
“A vagina wig,” Justinexplained.
“Ah.” The man nodded and returned to browsingReddit.
Now, I wouldn’t be able to get that image out of my head all day. “I’ve already told you not to talk to me aboutthat.”
“I’ll let you off the hook, only because of today’s date.” He nodded once at me. “How are you holdingup?”
This day clocked in as one of my worse ones. I’d made a woman cry within minutes of finding out my job was in jeopardy a yearto the daythat I’d held my mom’s warm hand for the last time as she’d succumbed to cancer. Somehow, my first fall without a mother was already upon us. Not that I was going to say all that to an elevator of strangers, or even to Justin. If I so much as tried, I’d never make it through the day. “I’m fine,” I said and checked my watch for the umpteenth time since getting Justin’s call. “I just can’t believe Vance hired this guy without my input. You’re sure it’s a donedeal?”
“Derek texted me because the guy has some kind of presentation, so he needed the projector set up. Want me to head to IT and grillDerek?”
“There’s no more time.” I switched the tray to my other hand and adjusted my tie in the reflection of the doors. “Meeting starts infifteen.”
Justin exited on thirty-five, but I rode the elevator up a few more floors. I walked through the executive level of Dixon Media Group to my editor-in-chief’s office, game face on, even though the girl in the coffee shop had threatened my focus with hertears.
Vance’s secretary was on the phone. I set one of the black coffees on her desk, and she smiled as she waved me through. I knocked once and entered. Reclined in a leather chair with a phone to his ear, my boss motioned for me to enter. I sat across the desk from him and set down thetray.
“Let me call you back,” Vance said, eyeing the iced coffee. “I have a meetingdownstairs.”
As he hung up, I pulled out the drink and passed it over. “Extra cream andsugar.”
“Sorry to break it to you,” Vance said, accepting the cup, “but I already have an assistant, and she’s not going anywhere. You’re underqualifiedanyway.”
“What’s so hard about the position? Sucking dick or kissing ass—either way, I’m still on myknees.”
“Jesus Christ, Quinn.” Vance threw a palm in the air, shaking his head. “Don’t even joke about that. HR has ears everywhere.” He glanced around the room and said clearly, “There is no dick sucking happening in this office.” He turned back to me. “And when have you ever kissed my ass—untilnow?”
“Vance, don’t do this. Call off today’s meeting and tell this guy to return to the bridge he crawled out fromunder.”
“Can’t.” Vance stood and raised his cup to me. “But thanks for thecoffee.”
