The once well put together senior designer looks a little disheveled. Her blonde hair is in a messy bun at the back of her head. Her signature low-cut tops are no more. Now she’s wearing a turtleneck sweater that covers her completely. Her face is bare, and her skirt is non-formfitting. She looks completely unlike herself.
“Hello, Tess.” Despite her rude-ass comment, I greet her with a smile. “I won’t waste my time or energy arguing with you about my title. I actually have clients to tend to.”
Mira snorts beside me. “You know, the thing you used to have.”
Tess’ nostrils flare before she storms away from my door. Mira and I laugh as I enter my new office. The moment I open the door, I’m met with the scent of fresh flowers. All across myplain desk are vases filled with roses. Walking over to the desk, I pull the card from one of the vases.
Congratulations, Angel. Your promotion is well deserved.—Love N. Basille.
My face is hot from me blushing. I quickly place the card back into the little envelope and place it down on my desk.
“Okay, Hubby. I see he’s putting in that work.”
“He’s just trying to apologize. I’m not folding.” Placing my bag into my rolling chair. I start to remove the flowers from my desk and place them on the file cabinet to my left.
“And what exactly is he apologizing for?”
When I turn back to Mira, she’s seated in the chair in front of my desk. Her brow lifted as she stares back at me, waiting expectantly.
Shaking my head, I take the seat behind my new desk. “Nothing.” I wave her off. “So what’s up with Tess? Why is she dressed like a kindergarten teacher?”
Mira laughs, leaning up in her seat. “She had a pitch with a client. Some old money bought a bed-and-breakfast and was looking to do some updates. Well, Tess had been trying to impress Jeremy—”
“Who is Jeremy?”
I’ve been away from the job for six months, and it feels like years.
Mira tosses her long locs over her shoulder. “The new civil engineer they hired to replace Russ.”
My heart stutters in my chest. Russ never recovered from the beating he took when his house was broken into. Now that I know the truth about my husband, I wouldn’t put the attack past him.
“Anyway,” Mira goes on to say. “Well, halfway through the pitch that Jeremy is also attending, the wife stops the meetingand says, ‘Sorry, I can’t take your designer seriously with half her cleavage nearly falling out of her top’.”
I clutch a hand over my mouth in shock. “No way.”
“Girl, yes. Tess turned bright red. Now, usually I’m a girl’s girl and would have told that woman to go kick rocks, but let’s be honest, Tess deserved that. She’s been a bitch to everyone here except the men.”
“Wait, so because she got called out by a snobby wife, she’s now turned into turtleneck Tess?” It’s not the first time someone has made a reference to the way Tess dresses. What made this time so different?
“That and the fact that Mr. Johnson and Mr. Paulson both called a meeting with her and HR afterwards. No one knows what was said in the meeting, but ever since that day, she’s been dressed like a Presbyterian pastor’s wife.”
Okay. Now that makes sense. Nobody wanted a meeting with the bosses and HR. I can only imagine what all was said if Tess is now walking around here like she’s joined a cult.
“I see you took the meeting with that guy?”
The moment I notified the bosses I was returning, Mr. Johnson told me about Ezra. Apparently, Ezra has been calling the office randomly to see if I’d returned to work. He’d just bought a $2.8 million mansion down by the river. Prime real estate. I’d honestly love to work on the job. I did a little research on the place last night preparing for my meeting.
The last owner of this home was some kind of head at a pharmaceutical company. The place hadn’t been updated since the 80s. It looks like it came straight from the set of Miami Vice.
“Yeah, he’s supposed to be here sometime this morning.”
Mira and I chatted for a little while longer before we both went our separate ways. I spend most of my morning preparing for the meeting with Ezra and answering emails. As I head intothe meeting room for my consultation with Ezra, my phone chimes in my hand.
I place my design books down on the table before checking my phone.
Husband:How’s your first day back?
I can’t help but smile. Of course, I immediately wipe it away when I remember I’m still very pissed at him.
