I took a seat on a plush leather chair and crossed one leg over the other. Victoria hung up the phone and spun around in her chair. “Macey, thank you for revising the article.”
She was…thanking me? Alarms wailed inside my head.
“Of course,” I said with a smile, even though I was dying inside.
“I have your assignment for the next week.” Victoria handed me a one-sheeter with information about an upcoming event. My interest piqued.
If she thanked me for the new article, that must mean she liked it. The article, plus my photos, hopefully proved to Victoria that I was ready for more press trips. Bigger events. I was ready to cover the most exclusive events, like the?—
Groundbreaking of a new parking garage?
Excuse me?I skimmed the rest of the overview. Yep, she wanted me to witness history as city officials took turns awkwardly shoveling dirt while dressed in business casual.
“You want me to write about a garage groundbreaking?” I asked. “This doesn’t even seem worthy of an article on the site.”
“It doesn’t have to be long.” Victoria shrugged, already turning her attention away from me and back to her computer.
My body froze with shock. What was happening here?
“But…why?” Aware that I sounded like a petulant child, I straightened my shoulders and forced myself to add confidence to my voice. “I thought I proved myself worthy for bigger assignments after Whale Fest.”
Victoria paused whatever she was doing on her computer toeye me. “After Whale Fest? You mean, when you embarrassed the company in a viral video?”
I wouldn’t say embarrassed was the right word, especially when it drew readers to my page.
“Macey, I think maybe you aren’t as far along in your development as I had hoped. Think of this as back to basics. Just for a little bit.”
Back to basics?
No way. I hadn’t hustled these past two years just to be assigned to something an intern could do with their eyes closed.
But how did I counter her point without appearing rude or ungrateful?
The words flew out of my mouth.
“Actually, I was personally invited to cover the opening of Opal Serenity, a resort in Aruba.”
Personallymay have been an exaggeration, but, well…close enough.
Victoria’s eyebrows shot up, and a strange sense of satisfaction overcame me. “Really?”
I nodded, pretty sure I could see wheels turning in her mind.
After consideration, Victoria nodded. “You’ve never been scouted specifically for an event before, so I’ll agree to it. Email me the details.”
Oh my God. It was going to happen. I was going to attend a press trip all the way in Aruba.
“Of course.” I jumped up, tucking my notebook under my arm. “Thank you, Victoria.”
Thanks for nothing,the sassy part of my brain said. At least I had a good filter in a corporate work environment.
Victoria didn’t say anything as I left her office. I shut the door quietly, making eye contact with Calculator Cal, who got up from his desk to join me in my walk down the hall.
“Did you take my advice?” he whispered as I filled up my water bottle at the fountain.
“Maybe,” I said with a grin. Even though I had to fight for a better opportunity, I knew this would be a chance to prove myself and hopefully scrub the video from Victoria’s mind.
“I knew it.” He smirked. “Knock, knock.”
