“No worries, Laura. You’re just doing your job. Thank you. Tell them I will be up in fifteen minutes.” I put down the receiver and then got back to my work.
For about one minute, then my heart rate picked up, and I had to put my pen down because my hands were starting to get sweaty.Seriously, Marilyn, get a grip. You’re not getting fired.I smiled when I realized I was getting worked up over nothing. It was just a knee-jerk reaction when you were called into the boss’s office to get nervous. It made me feel like I did when I was told to go to the principal’s office in grade eight (which only happened to me once, and I still swear I didn’t trip Nancy in the hallway, even though I’d wanted to).
I went to the bathroom to freshen up and was annoyed when Cheryl Cranston walked in. Of all the rotten luck.
She had her bleached blonde hair smoothed back behind her ears with ridiculous barrettes at each side. I longed to tell her how hideous they looked but opted to let her keep them in because it made me happy that people laughed about it behind her back. Okay, I’m not usually that mean, but sometimes karma comes back to you, and she deserved some karma. She was wearing a white sleeveless pantsuit, and I had to admit she looked dynamite in it. She was ultra-thin and likely around five foot seven. I looked through the mirror at her, and she was looking back at me with those bugged-out brown eyes of hers that I always worried were going to jump off her face and bite me. She would have been a beautiful woman if her heart wasn’t so ugly. She had that smug look on her face like she was about to say something nasty. I braced myself.
“No need to doll yourself up, love. The walk of shame carrying your boxed-up belongings will look bad, no matter how perfect your makeup is. I hear there are a few pink slips being handed out. I would say it’s been nice working with you, but that would be a lie now, wouldn’t it?” She narrowed her eyes at me and clenched her jaw.
Wow. Now, that surprised me. I knew it was an awful place inside her mind, but I never realized just how foul her heart was.
I stood up straight and smiled sweetly. “Well, I’m finished touching up the face of success, so I’ll leave the bathroom to you so you can fix your face of failure.” I held my head up high and walked out, and crossed the hall to the elevators. Once inside, I let out a deep breath.Okay, that was a little bit childish, but she needed to be knocked off her high horse.
What if she’s right and I’m getting my walking papers?My hands felt clammy, and sweat was pouring down my back. I tried to calm myself by doing the breathing techniques my sister, Naomi, showed me several years ago when I kept having panic attacks.I am not going to give in to Cheryl’s nonsense. I’m going to come out of this meeting a winner!
I walked into Mr. Farthington’s office and was happy to see that Mr. Wright and Ferdinand weren’t there. It was less nerve-wracking if all of them weren’t staring at me while I entered the room.
Eldric Luke Farthington, 3rd, stood up when I arrived and waved me over to the luxurious sitting room on the other side, close to the window and fireplace. He followed me over there and sat across from me. I had such high regard for him. He’d given me a job even though he had no positions. He said he saw something in me that reminded him of when he was my age. He also told me that it would be good because my looks would give Chase Ferdinand something to occupy his mind so that he was annoying him anymore. He wasn’t kidding. Chase followed me around like a lost little puppy and flirted with me every time he saw me. It was both annoying and sweet at the same time. He was harmless and good for my ego.
“How are you doing, Marilyn? Thank you for coming up here on such short notice.” He shook my hand and smiled. “I see you did great things in Vegas. It was a hard case, and you did a fabulous job. Another win for us, but a big win for you. How are you liking it here at Farthington & Wright so far? It’s been how many years now?”
“Two,” I told him, keeping my smile front and center. I changed my position for the third time.
“Very good. You are something of a spitfire, aren’t you, Marilyn Alexander?” He leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs.
“I always go after what I want, sir,” I told him, trying to make my voice sound self-assured.
“And what is that? What do you want, Marilyn?” He held my gaze.
“Do you mean right now or in five years?” I asked, wanting to clarify.
“Both.”
“Right now, I want to learn as much as I can and refine all my skills so that in five years, I can become a partner in this firm,” I answered, sure I’d put enough confidence in my words.
He leaned forward thoughtfully. “Why wait five years?”
The question hung in the air between us.
“Sir?”
“You say you’d like to become a partner in five years. Why not within the next year?” He smiled, so I relaxed.
I’m not getting my walking papers.
“I would like that very much, sir. I will work as hard as I can to make that a reality,” I told him firmly.
“I know. I’m proud of you, and I was right to give you a chance. Chase never wanted me to hire you. Cheryl was dead set against it. But I saw it in you. I’m never wrong. Now they are eating their words,” he said, standing up.
I stood up with him and took his outstretched hand in my own, pumping it up and down.
“Be careful, I’m a frail old man,” he said and laughed. “Well, go get started becoming a partner. Show me what you’ve got.”
“I will, sir.” I almost felt like I should salute or something. Instead, I walked out and hurried to my office so I could let out all the built-up air in my lungs. I hoped I ran into Cheryl at some point during the rest of the day, but I never saw her. Secretly I hoped it washerwho received the dreaded pink slip!
* * *
“Achoo!”I grabbed a tissue just as the sneeze came out and covered my mouth. “Achoo!” I blew my nose. “Achoo!” And again. I sat down and put my hand up to my forehead. It was hotter than a lump of burning coal. I needed some more orange juice. I made my way to the kitchen slowly, stopping to have a coughing fit on the way there. I drank the juice and put the kettle on. Perhaps some hot lemon and ginger tea would help. I’d already called Laura, and she said she’d cancel all my meetings and let the higher-ups know of my absence. Luckily, I didn’t have any court meetings. If I had to be sick, this was the best day to do it.