Before I start getting today’s work done, I get dressed for a jog and strap Julian in his sports stroller. This morning is a bitcold, but I don’t care. I jog a few laps around the neighbourhood, trying to erase the image of Will holding Julian from my mind.
That jerk. I’ll show him. He really thinks I can’t do this by myself? I’m not some damsel in need of being saved. I’m Sophie Côté. People come tomewhen they need their asses kicked into gear. When they need a dose of reality thrown in their face. Or when they need one hell of a party.
There’s nothing I can’t do.
I’m suddenly out of breath, so I stop in front of a park for a quick rest. I’m panting and sweating despite the cool air; I’ve pushed myself a bit too far to drown out the anger. From the front of the stroller, Julian coos.
I’m just about to get back to it and head home when my phone starts ringing. Without wasting a second, I take it out to answer it; it’s my assistant, Rosalie. “Hey, what can I do for you?”
“Hi, Sophie, good morning,” she sing-songs. Immediately, I can tell something’s off. Rosalie is hardly a morning person, and even though she’s lovely to work with, she’s never this bubbly. “How are you doing?”
“Uh … I’m fine,” I answer. “You?”
“I’m doing amazing!” Why is she this happy? What is this about? “Actually, Sophie, that’s why I’m calling.”
A sinking feeling suddenly takes me over, and my tone goes dry when I say, “What is it?”
“I hate to do this to you, and I am so,sograteful for the opportunity you’ve given me.” Oh no. This can’t be good. “But?—”
“Are you … quitting?” I interrupt. Despite the jog, my body has gone cold.
“I’m going to hate myself forever if I don’t take this opportunity,” she drones on. There we go. She’s quitting. “My cousin is doing this thing; she’s going to travel the world for a year, and she asked me to come with her! It’s something I’vealways wanted to do, but I never had anyone to do it with, and now?—”
“Rosalie,” I interrupt again, squeezing the bridge of my nose with my fingers. “Okay, okay, I get it.” I keep my tone professional despite how angry I am. “When’s your last day?”
“That’s the thing,” she continues. Her tone isn’t so jolly anymore. “This just came up, and she’s leaving tomorrow, so …”
This can’t be happening. She’s got to be kidding.
“Tomorrow?”
“Yeah. I’m so sorry, Sophie. And I want you to know how much I’m grateful for your mentorship, and how much I respect you, and?—”
“You’re leaving me high and dry. Do you know how unprofessional that is? How disrespectful?” I try to keep the venom out of my mouth. There’s no use berating her; she’s already made up her mind. But I need to be clear about the consequences of what she’s doing. “And what do you intend to do after this year abroad, Rosalie?”
“I guess I’ll see where life takes me,” she answers, her voice airy and dreamy.
“Legally, I can’t stop you,” I explain. “But let me make this clear, Rosalie—do not expect me to act as a reference the next time you’re looking for a job.”
“Wow,” she spits out. Is she … offended? “I thought you’d be more understanding.”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath through my nose. Stay professional. “And I thought you’d do me the courtesy of giving notice if you ever decided to leave.”
“Life isn’t all about work, you know,” she replies with an air of superiority. “And you?—”
“Goodbye, Rosalie.” I hang up without giving her a chance to upset me further.
Shit.
I quickly make a run-through of the day ahead to calculate what I’ll need to shift around. Rosalie was supposed to finalize the purchases for the Nelson party as well as give me a first plan of the Rodriguez event. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. There are a bunch of other tasks she needed to do before the end of the week, and even more so next week, when I’ll have the girls again.
Now it’s all back on me.
Dread crawls through me, planting goosebumps across my skin. Maya is an amazing assistant, but she has no experience with party planning. Her skills are invaluable, but they don’t escape the scope of administration. If I want to fulfill all the contracts I’ve snagged, and keep doing the work required to acquire more contracts, I need to find a replacement for Rosalie as soon as possible. But I also need to do her workforher.
And start planning and executing a growth strategy.
All at the same time. I feel dizzy and grip the handle of the stroller tightly in an effort to keep myself steady. Every possible scenario of the next couple of weeks flashes through my mind as I try to make it work—make it fit somehow.
