But if I wasn’t pushing for that, was I even trying?
33/
link
Ididn’t know what to make of the call from Judith.Can we see you in my officewas as ominous as things got around here. When I walked through her door and saw Elliot though, my heart flipped. It stumbled and crashed when I saw his flat expression.
“Close the door please. Have a seat.” Judith gestured.
Elliot smirked the moment I found my chair. “Missed you.”
I had no idea what was going on, but that look was one of the biggest reliefs ever. Still, he didn’t get to mess with me like that, when the situation was what it was. Especially in front of other people. Like one of the people who could still fire him. “It’s been a day.”
“Half a day,” Elliot said. “But it was a week before that, andGodthat sucked.”
He was speaking, acting, like the bad was over. I looked between him and Judith. “Does that mean he’s back?” Did I dare hope?
“Yes and no.” Judith’s answer wasn’t crushing, but it was close. She gave Elliot her attention. “Do you want to…?”
“Hardly my place anymore.”
Fuck fuckity fuck fuck.
Judith pursed her lips. She had an entire arsenal of stern and disappointed expressions, and if she rolled even a fraction of them out today, that was bad. “You haven’t technically signed any paperwork.”
“But it was done before the conversation started.” Elliot on the other hand was more casual than I’d seen him in a while.
“It’s your show,” Judith said.
Elliot shrugged. “You’re the boss.”
“Enough.” Whatever they were doing, they either needed to let me in on the gag, or drop it. “Answers. Now.” Was I demanding information from the boss? “Please?”
Elliot chuckled. Judith rolled her eyes. Neither of them was carrying the weight they had been on Monday, but she was still masking something.
“Elliot is going to be moving into a consulting position. He’ll be available for questions, coding, and anything and everything development related, but he will no longer be in charge.” When she relented, Judith’s answer was both better than I’d feared and worse than I’d hoped.
“Are you looking for someone new?” We brought in outside people on a regular basis—Adrienne and Landon were only a few—but we never had for management. It was bound to happen eventually. It wasn’t right that the first time would be to replace Elliot.
“We hope not. I’d like to offer you the position.”
I glanced at Elliot. What was I missing? “You just took it away from him, though. Now you’re giving it back?”
Elliot laughed.
Super weird. Nice, but creepy.
“Not him.” Judith looked amused too. “You, Lincoln. I’d like to offer you the position of Director of Development. Effective immediately. There’s no one else in the world who knows thisjob as well as Elliot, and you’ve shown in the last week that you’re capable of stepping into the role.”
Uh… What? “I don’t… I can’t…” What? I could never fill Elliot’s shoes. This wasn’t right. If I were replacing anyone else, I’d sayyes, not to get rid of them, but because of the opportunity. But not Elliot.
“Don’t turn it down because of me.” As if he’d read my mind, Elliot spoke directly to my hesitation. “My fate is the same regardless of what you say, and I’m lucky it’s not worse. Don’t make it a wasted gesture on my part.”
When he put it that way… I still felt odd stepping into his position, but, “In that case, I’d love to. Yes. I accept.”
We talked a little more about an offer, about timing, and about the fact that she wanted me starting now in case things broke this weekend. Which was possible, but seemed far less likely since we’d escorted Chris out the door and blocked Bryce’s way in.
Judith, Elliot, and I went to tell the rest of the development team. The cheers and flurries ofcongratulationswere overwhelming, but reassuring. As the bedlam faded, another reality sank in.