“It wasn’t planned,” I state calmly. I glance over at Eric and watch him lean back in his chair as if this is just a casual catch-up. As if he has life-altering meetings like this all the time. I swear I hear him say “Speak for yourself” under his breath. I suck in my cheeks to avoid a shy smirk of my own.
“I should hope not, considering you wasted my and our investors’ time.” Catcher’s eyes flick between us, waiting for one of us to break.
Honed from years of people-pleasing, my instinct is to give him what he wants: groveling and repenting and begging for forgiveness. My lips part, the word “sorry” tingles against my tongue but my mouth closes when I remember I’m actually not sorry. Not in the slightest. If I could have the time again I would do the exact same thing.
At our silence, Catcher continues, “That being said, Suma and Angus were quite impressed by yourtenacity.” We both shuffle in our seats, the dread and stress shifting underneath us like tectonic plates. Catcher continues, “They thought it showed a ‘real passion for the role and the company’”—he finger quotes, eyes almost rolling—“putting egos and competition aside and recommending the best person for the job.”
I would give anything to have been a fly on the wall in Eric’s meeting. Maybe after this, he’ll indulge me with a dramatic re-enactment. That isafterwe both perform a re-enactment of our night in the penthouse.
Catcher runs his tongue over his front teeth and a whoosh of air releases from his nose. “I was clearly onto something when I said you work well together.”
I school my curving lips into neutrality. Upon first hearing the conclusion of our relationship I vehemently opposed it, but after everything that has happened it is hard to deny. We found it so difficult to be just friends because we demanded more from each other. When we couldn’t give it to each other, we burned out. Working together on Ditto forced us to rise from the ashes and flame together.
Catcher turns his attention to Eric. “You were so certain Miss Hastings would be the best person for the role you didn’t even do your presentation.”
My head spins to the side, catching Eric’s tense jaw. I thought what he told me was an exaggeration. He just walked in, told them I was right for the job and walked out? My heart simultaneously sinks and swells.
“And you.” Catcher turns to me, brows crinkled, face taut with restrained irritation. “If you hadn’t been so adamant we give the role to Mr. Bancroft, I would have disregarded everything he submitted for the project since he didn’t even bother presenting it. However, Suma and Angus were convinced by your words to assess his strategy, and they were very impressed by his work.”
I lean forward in my chair and hold my breath, my heart pounding. Did my incredibly poorly thought-out plan actually work?
“So, let’s get down to brass tacks.” Catcher leans back in his chair, crossing his arms and assessing our tense faces with an odd look of satisfaction. We made him suffer; he wants us to suffer too. “As I said, I’ve seen your side-by-side potential for a while now. After discussing the matter with our investors and the board, I have made the executive decision to promote you both.”
“What?” we say in unison; my heart pounds so loudly I swear Catcher can hear it.
He crinkles his brow in a way that screams “Have you not figured this out by now?” “If my two best Marketing Managers walk into the room, provide equally good strategies with opposing strengths and insist I hire the competing candidate... do you think I have any other option but to select them both?”
I mean, firing us both seems like a solid option too, but far be it from me to bring up that alternative.
Eric tilts his head and asks in a low voice, “But what does that mean exactly?” His fingers twitch on the wooden arm of the chair; it takes everything in me not to cover them with mine.
The deep green leather armchair creaks as Catcher relaxes, a man satisfied with his control over the conversation. “It means—pending the funds clearing—our investors are willing to put forward the capital for two Head of Marketing salaries. We think it will bring a bit of gravitas to Ditto. Having a man and a woman managing the launch allows for a more holistic approach to the rollout. You can divide and conquer based on your strengths, then work in tandem for any major elements.”
“Based on our strengths?” I ask.
“Eric handles bringing in the big fish, the established mainstream headliners who keep the lights on, and—like you set out in your presentation—you focus on localized brand awareness and the up-and-coming businesses to partner with for unique experiences.”
My foot taps the air as I try to calm my body and mind. Not in my wildest dreams did I ever think this would even be an option, let alone the consequence of us both going completely off script.
“That’s if... you two are happy to continue working together?” Catcher asks, eyebrows raised.
Be cool: he doesn’t know you’re obsessed with each other. He thinks you’re still rivals.Maybe we still are? Maybe we’ll always be the ones to light fires under theother. To challenge each other to be the best version of ourselves, to be the greatness we see in each other. To be the greatest things we love about each other.
I look to Eric, my heart beating so hard it’s halfway out of my chest. He turns to me and smirks.
Epilogue
Eighteen Months Later
“Ready?” Eric asks from the bathroom.
“Yep, gimme one sec,” I say, frantically typing out the final words of my email.
He leans against the doorframe, arms crossed and an eyebrow cocked. “They’ll be here any minute now.”
“I know, I know, I know. Sent!” The chair scrapes as I jump up and slam the laptop shut.
Eric’s phone dings and he rolls his eyes playfully at the screen. “You know this whole cohabitation thing means you can just tell me stuff instead of emailing me?”
