And then there was a click. She was gone.
Love?
Chapter 51
Sadie
Ihung up the phone and looked around the waiting room at the other interviewees who were casting curious glances my way. I smiled weakly at them before looking down at my résumé I held in my hands, being careful to keep the edges of the paper crisp. It was hard with how shaky my hands were after that call from Jeremiah. He had called several times this morning, but I had ignored each one. Partly because I had been in job interviews. Partly because I didn’t know what to say to him.
I had told him I needed space, which he had given me the past few days. It hadn’t given me much clarity, other than pointing out that I missed him more and more with each minute that passed. I had the welcome distraction of living at Erica’s on my side. Being able to talk to my best friend until the late hours of the night. Playing with Josie in her princess playroom. Being in a different part of town than my job at the accounting firm and Jeremiah’s apartment.
Still, even without the constant reminder of him, I still saw him in everything I did. In everywhere I went. It was frustrating how easily things could remind me of him. The biggest one of all being the first kick I felt last night. It was the most surreal feeling. I pressed my hand to my belly to let them know I was there as a tear streamed down my cheek. It was both happy and sad. Happy because it was an incredible feeling. Sad because Jeremiah was missing it.
He had spent so many evenings with his hand on my stomach, waiting for any sign of life from the baby. Each time, he looked at me disappointed, as I ran a reassuring hand through his dark hair.
“Sadie Lane?” called the receptionist through the glass door she held open.
“Here!” I said, feeling like I was back in high school and the teacher was taking attendance. She looked at me with a hint of amusement as she tapped her clipboard with her pen. I muttered to myself quietly as I stood from my chair and walked to where she waited. She looked me up and down before gesturing me to follow her. I could have sworn her eyes lingered over my midsection, which I had tried my best to camouflage with a black peplum top and matching skirt. But there wasn’t much to do about it anymore. I was five months pregnant. The bump was out. I knew it hurt my chances of getting a job, but it didn’t stop me from trying.
Now, if only I could look past this receptionist’s judgmental stare. And get past Jeremiah’s phone call, which had me shakenup. I shouldn’t have taken it. Not right before this interview. I just thought maybe it was an emergency. Maybe it was. To him.
I knew a part of me just wanted to hear his voice.
As I followed the receptionist down the hall, I thought about what on earth could have been in the article he was talking about. He was so worked up on the phone. Scared even. I don’t think I had ever heard him like that before. It had to be bad. Really bad.
And what had I said about “love”?
I couldn’t think about any of that now. Not as I was being led into the office I was interviewing in today. His name was Dean Handler, a CEO of a smaller AI company. I gave him a smile as I walked into his office, hoping his eyes would stay at my face as I held out my hand. He shook it firmly.
“Sadie Lane,” I said. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Mmm,” he said gruffly, not bothering to stand from his desk chair. He gestured for me to sit down in the seat across from his desk before dismissing his receptionist with a flick of his hand.
“Well, Ms. Lane. I looked over the résumé you sent over…” said Dean as he peered down his nose at me. His brown eyes were unimpressed as his lips pressed into a thin line.
“Oh good, I also have another copy here,” I said, placing it on his desk.
He looked annoyed at my eagerness, but I tried to ignore it as I squared my shoulders.
“You were at your last accounting firm for years. What happened?” he asked bluntly.
“While I gained a great deal of valuable experience, I decided to try a different path,” I said. It hadnothingto do with the fact that I had a secret affair with my boss and ended up becoming pregnant with his child.
“And that path is AI?” he asked, raising a brow. “Do you have any experience in artificial intelligence?”
“Well, no. But the position is for a personal assistant, and I know how to do that at an expert level,” I said confidently. I reached into my bag and pulled out the letter of recommendation that Jeremiah had typed up for me last week. “I have my letter of recommendation from my former boss—”
“Jeremiah Mason,” he interrupted coolly. “Yes, I saw the letter alongside the résumé you sent.”
I nodded. I guessed there was such a thing as being too prepared for some people. It seemed to irk Dean Handler. Or was it something else that irked him about me? I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. I suddenly wondered if it had anything to dowith the article Jeremiah had called about. I had to get my hands on it.
“His letter was certainly glowing,” said Dean, an unreadable expression on his face.
“Yes, well, we spent a great deal of time together as he took over the company.”
“I’m sure you did.”
I didn’t like the tone he had.
