I’m not sure if it’s the shiny joker grin on his face, the amount of contradiction in what he’s saying to me, or the sudden relief I feel now that I don’t have to work for him anymore, but something in me snaps. Holding my breath, I nod and stride for the door, eager to exit before the laughter threatening to burst forth can escape. It would be highly inappropriate and very unflattering. I’m not a fucking idiot. I know I have to play the part of a professional yet wounded employee until I’m back in the safety of my office.
Stella’s confused face causes me to break, and I drag her into my office, where Naomi is waiting. As soon as the door shuts, my shoulders shake with the absurdity of the situation, and I howl with laughter. When Naomi joins in, clutching my arm, I know Stella thinks we’ve lost our minds.
“It’s nothing personal,” Naomi snorts out.
“Except you’re redundant,” I chime in, doing my best Lance impression.
“What is going on?” Stella yells.
That catches both Naomi and me by surprise, and we settle down enough to fill her in on what’s happening. I swear her to secrecy since I’m technically not supposed to tell anyone on my team until tomorrow, but there was no way I would have kept this from Stella. I haven’t signed any NDAs. I also tell her she’s safe but not to get too comfortable because I’m coming for her as soon as I can.
“I’m calling Jess,” Stella says as she dials on the speakerphone.
“Oh, now she calls me,” Jess spits out once she’s on the line. “After going MIA all weekend, she wants to talk.”
“You’re on speaker. Stella and Naomi are in here, too,” I tell her so she knows now isn’t the time to talk about my weekend. I should’ve known an audience would only hype her up more.
“Perfect. Then you’ll only have to give the details about banging Wyatt all weekend once!”
“And here I thought you’d want an exclusive for your podcast,” I say to force the subject change, and it works.
“Well, fuck. You win. Spill it.”
We give Jess the details about the meetings Naomi and I had with Lance this morning, and Stella shares that more have been planned throughout the day. This implies that a few more top leaders are likely being laid off. It’s not enough for a full story, but this is Hollywood, and there’s nothing more exciting than a social post that starts:Happening Nowand ends withUpdates Ongoing.
“I’m hanging up so I can chase this story,” Jess says, “but drinks later so we can hear more about Blatt.”
“What is Blatt?” Naomi asks.
“We’re not doing that,” I say.
“It’s their ship name! That is so cute!” Stella says.
“It’s the worst!” I say.
“It sounds like a bug hitting a windshield,” Naomi chimes in.
“You’re welcome,” Jess says, and then the line cuts out.
Naomi stands, gives Stella and me each a strong, tight hug, and makes a promise to call in a few days once she’s finished celebrating her freedom from TWA.
After Naomi leaves, I notice that Stella is still planted in my office. Then I realize that while we were all joking about leaving, she wasn’t.
“Hey, you ok?” I ask her. “You know I’m serious about hiring you as soon as I land somewhere. And you know Brian. He’s harmless. You’ll be just fine.”
“Oh, I’m not worried about that. I mean, without a doubt, you better come get me as soon as you can, but I was actually thinking about something else.”
She stands and looks like she’s going to leave without finishing her thought, but then she surprises me with her next words. “What did it feel like? With Wyatt? The connection you had with him the first time, and is it different now? I just was curious. What made you feel like he was the one for you?”
I think about her question for a minute because it’s hard to find words for something as intangible as emotions and intuition. A warm smile spreads across my face as I recount my journey with Wyatt.
“I don’t know if I realized it at first. In the beginning, he made me feel understood and cherished. He still does. And that felt different. I’d never experienced those feelings with anyone else before. I’ve always felt like he sees the best parts of me, even when I can’t. And now there’s this unshakeable foundation of mutual respect and support. When I’m with him, it’s this incredible mix of comfort and excitement, like coming home and embarking on a new adventure all at once.”
“And you love him,” Stella says. It’s not a question.
“I’m completely and madly in love with him.”
I realize I want him to know exactly how I feel, too.
