Trent and Danielle both look at me expectantly.
I mentally rearrange my plan for the day, and night, to prioritize this while I smile back at them.
“Sure, okay, let’s start with getting a new image.”
I text Rui on our company instant messenger to let him know I am going to be tied up for the rest of the day.
Rui: Thanks for the heads up. I guess we can go over the closing tasks tomorrow.
Me: Thanks Rui. I’m sorry. I’ll finish up this week’s entries before tomorrow morning.
Rui: No problem. Can you just do a quick double-check when you’re done? I noticed you had transposed some numbers in yesterday’s entries. Nothing big. Erica actually caught it, and we got it fixed. Just try to be more careful.
My eyes shut tightly. Dammit. I’m always so conscientious of accuracy. It’s vital in accounting that nothing is incorrect. That’s the entire point of our roles. My nose burns, and I suck in a deep, steady breath.
Me: I’m so sorry. I’ll triple-check everything. I promise.
That isn’t like me at all, but I was so tired last night. My eyes were fighting to stay open, and at some point, the numbers all started to blur together. That’s when I called it a day, but it must have been too late.
Rui: Alls good. Let’s get together tomorrow, if you have the time.
I will have to make the time. I can’t let him think that my work was suffering because of my time helping with marketing. I just needed to reprioritize.
I shift my focus back to the team in front of me.One thing at a time.
Trent, Danielle, and I work on the ad copy together for the rest of the day. It takes a little coaxing for them to believe that I truly welcome their suggestions, but once the ideas start flowing, we make good progress. Trent and Danielle help to guide my big concepts into impactful but manageable selections, providing honest feedback about what will or will not work—and why—based on their experience and expertise.
“Thanks for everything today. I really appreciate you guys letting me pretend to be in charge,” I laugh.
“This is all you. We’re just here for support,” Danielle says, slipping her arms into her sweater.
“And for the glory, of course,” Trent adds with a laugh. “Honestly, you’ve done a great job today. You have a real knack for this kind of thing.”
“Thanks. That means a lot,” I tell them.
“Have a good night, Brielle. Don’t stay too late.”
“See you tomorrow,” I say as they leave together.
There are just a few more things I want to work on before I leave, like seeing how the ad will look on various platform and sizes. Ifwe need to make any changes, I want to know now before we get any further. There is still a lot of work to be done, especially on the messaging, but that’s on tomorrow’s to-do list.
I pop into my other office a little while later to gather my things before I head out for the day. Rui and Erica are already long gone, and when I check the time I realize that it’s past 8:00 p.m.
“Shoot,” I mumble to myself. That’s another hour that I have to mentally erase from my plan to get everything done. Despite the fact that I hate to spend the money, I bite the bullet and schedule an Uber to take me home. At least that will save me the twenty minutes of walking.
I unlock my apartment door a few minutes later, tired and hungry, but at least I’m home.
“Hey, lady, I saved you a plate. It’s in the fridge,” Holly calls from the couch as I close the door behind me. She’s already changed into comfy clothes and wrapped her bonnet over her braids to keep them from frizzing.
“Thanks, boo. What did you make?”
“Stir-fry with rice. It was good. Hopefully, it reheats okay.” She shrugs.
I reheat my plate in the microwave and set up my work-issued laptop on the two-person table in our tiny kitchen. A few hours go by in a flash, and before I know it, Holly is getting ready to head off to bed.
“Don’t stay up too late again. You’re working yourself to death, and you’re only going to get burnt out.”
“I know. It’s just temporary though. I don’t want to waste this opportunity to work with the marketing team, but I can’t drop the ball on my real job either.”
