Ezzie’s office was on the thirteenth floor. We had the same office, just one floor apart. The same corner, the same size, but Ezzie was on the business floor while I ran the creative floor.
Ez was pacing back and forth, EarPods in and talking on the phone when I reached her. I knew which client she was talking to without needing an explanation. Ez’s negotiating skills were one of the reasons we’d gone into business together. I would handle the creative side, and she could handle the business side.
Although taking on the most popular dating app out there was not exactly what I had in mind.
Babe! I need details!Lana was texting.
Did you see him?
Is he still hot?
I shook my head and crossed my hands in front of me as I waited on Ez. She glanced sideways and finally saw me. Her face lit up, and she held up a finger, signaling me to wait to talk to her.
I looked down at my phone one more time, finding that Lana had sent one more message.
Look at the universe, and there was a wink-face emoji after the words.
I resisted throwing my phone and instead opened it up just as Ez was hanging up her own phone call.
I hate you.
Love youuuu, she said with a kissy-face
“Chloe!” Ezzie said enthusiastically, her arms in the air, and I realized she had finally hung up her phone. I snapped my attention to her and placed my phone in the back pocket of my dark jeans.
Ezzie’s beautiful face was glowing. Her short, dark blue hair was curled lightly today, a nude color on her plump lips, and light, simple makeup that accentuated her tan skin. I was envious of her style. Today’s outfit consisted of high-waisted black pants with small white stripes and a snug black long-sleeve top that fit her arms, full breasts, and stopped around her ribs, showing off her soft mid-drift.
And barefoot, as she always was around the office.
Ezzie was a tall, plus-size goddess who commanded attention. When she and her girlfriend, Raegan, went to dinner or a bar with Lana and me, it was hard to contain us. Tyler had even made a point in the past to ensure he was out of town to his parents’ when Lana and Raegan were visiting.
“Morning, Ez,” I said, wishing I could return her enthusiasm.
“Anything you’d like to tell me?” Ezzie grinned, folding her arms over her chest and lifting up her chin. “Anything like ‘you’re the best’ or ‘congratulations on nailing that contract, you fucking goddess’ or—“
“Great job, you fucking divine,” I said with a small clap, chuckling at how proud she was.
She flipped her hair off her shoulders and did a slight bow. “Thank you, thank you. Honestly, it was pretty easy. They contacted us,” she said with a laugh.
“Who contacted you?” I asked.
“It was…” Ezzie leaned over her desk and clicked a few times on her computer. “Avril Patel,” she finally said. “She’s over their marketing department. Says she wants to do a special campaign, including new logos, for their ten-year anniversary, and she’s having trouble hiring new staff. So she decided to outsource since it was such a large project.”
I let the sentence sink in and took a deep breath, putting on my logical face and ignoring the emotional side that was screaming.
“So, when do we start?” I asked. “Who is our contact? Are we meeting in person or—“
“Are you okay?” Ezzie cut in.
I balked. “Yeah. Why?”
“Your vibe is off,” she said. “What’s wrong? You’re normally excited about new projects, especially large ones with well-known clients.”
“I’m excited.”
“Tell your face,” Ezzie said with a raised brow.
My lips pursed and I looked at the ground. I couldn’t hide anything from Ezzie. She always saw through my facade when something was wrong.
