He muttered a word not approved by her mother. “I never would’ve thought that you, of all people, would develop an app for the romance industry. You don’t exactly give off warm and fuzzy vibes.”
Wow. Rude. But also … fair.
He blew out a breath, watching her under creased brows. “I don’t like surprises, and this has proved a very unpleasant surprise.”
She pressed her lips together, hoping that Jordan’s prayers were working. “I can’t believe it, after all we’ve done for you,” he muttered.
Maybe it was time to try out a prayer of her own.Lord, can You help me, please?
Dean exhaled noisily, then shook his head. “Fine. Leave. But you know that if you leave, you’ll need to leave today. And that means walking straight out of here, no touching your computer.”
She’d expected that. Most tech companies had an exit clause that meant exactly that procedure, which was why she’d already retrieved everything she needed for her own work. “Dean, Iwanted to thank you for the opportunity to work here over the years—”
“Don’t thank me. Not when you’re quitting. You’re leaving me in the lurch. You know that, don’t you?”
“Lionel is across everything I’ve been working on,” she said carefully. Lionel was supposed to be, anyway. Whether he actually understood it all was on him.
Dean sighed. “You’re sure there’s nothing I can do to keep you here?”
That was nice. “Thank you, but no.”
“Fine.” He stood, leaned across the desk, and held out his hand, which she shook. “You’re a class act, Miss Bennett. I’m sorry we won’t be seeing you in the office anymore.”
“I do appreciate the fact you gave me a chance all those years ago.”
“Seven years ago, wasn’t it? Too bad you won’t be getting your long service leave.” His nose wrinkled. “Don’t think it hasn’t escaped my notice you waited for your payment review bonus.”
“I learned a thing or two working here.”
His laughter held an edge, the sound ricocheting off the sharp glass angles of the room. “You’d better watch yourself, young lady. Impertinence only gets you so far.”
“It wasn’t meant to be impertinent,” she said. “Only honest.”
He shook his head, then pointed at the door. “Talk to Maree, get her to sort out what happens next. I can’t help but think that Lionel is going to have a meltdown once he hears this.”
She nodded. “That was my thought too.”
“You’re sure about leaving?”
“One hundred percent.” Not a niggle of doubt remained. This was right, and the fact Dean had a cancellation felt like even heaven was saying, “It’s high time.”
Which meant it was time to find Jordan, collect her personal belongings, and go celebrate.
The iron arms of the Sydney Harbour Bridge arced across the sunset, the reflection in the glass windows showcasing the beauty of the city. She beamed at Jordan, her very soul tingling. “I can’t believe we’re here at last.” Here in Sydney’s most iconic venue, feeling like she was right where she was meant to be. Wattle Vale who? No, this was what she’d been born for.
“I tried to get a reservation in the restaurant, but it was fully booked. But hey, at least it’s better than a meat pie from Harry’s Café De Wheels, right?”
“So much better.” She took a sip of her drink, savouring the sweet taste and fruity decoration on the rim, dialling down her grin so she didn’t look Joker-like. People here were sophisticated, classy in that way she’d always wanted to be, in that way that small-town roots rarely allowed for.
She glanced around the space, the inside concrete of the iconic white sails having been sculpted to look like pipe organs before the large wall of windows highlighted Sydney’s city lights. April was the middle of autumn, and now with daylight saving time having ended, darkness settled sooner, making the city sparkle in the evening. Their position, right near a window and overlooking the restaurant below and a golden table tucked between the sail and window, seemed to provide a gold mine of guests of the rich and fabulous variety. And while they might be walk-ins, she was here. At last!
“So I probably don’t need to ask how you feel, but I will anyway.” Jordan smiled. “How are you feeling?”
She sipped her Gondolier, the sweet fruity drink smooth and delicious. “I can’t believe how free I feel. Thank you so much for encouraging me to quit.”
“I don’t think you should be saying that too loudly.”
She laughed, but it was true. Dean might’ve taken the news surprisingly well, but she sure didn’t want life being made hard for Jordan, who would continue to work at Donwell. If word got out that he’d encouraged her to leave, then it might not go well for him.
