AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter One
“Here’s to Elizabeth, the youngest Director of Investments at Palmer James Company, and the soon to be youngest Managing Director,” Jody said as she held her wine glass up high.
The clang of their glasses reverberated in Elizabeth’s ears, adding to her nervous excitement about her new promotion from Associate Director to Director, and her transfer from the New York office to the Chicago office.
“I can’t believe we’re all going to be living near each other again. It will be so much fun, and just like old times when we were in college. I’ve missed you.” Holly’s smile stretched from ear to ear.
“Oh, by the way, I’ve got a great house for you to look at tomorrow,” Jody added. “It’s the last one available in a new development project my dad’s company recently completed. It’s gorgeous, brick, has three bedrooms, a huge kitchen, a large open entryway, and a den designed as if made specifically for you. And just wait until you see the size of the living room. I can’t wait to show it to you.” The excitement in her tone, as well as her bright gaze, was unmistakable.
“And there’s more, my dad is giving me a condo in this same development, which comes with a membership to the new golf course that borders both my condo and the house I’m going to show you. We’ll practically be neighbors.”
“Sounds great, I can’t wait to see it.” Elizabeth tried to match her perky friend’s enthusiasm, which was always a challenge for her.
After finishing their celebratory meal consisting of seared salmon with crab salad with avocado sauce, Elizabeth reluctantly headed out for some clubbing with her friends. Though she was tired from her travels and ready to call it a night after dinner, they managed to guilt her into going out.
As she sunk into the booth, she watched her friends dance and flirt with the handsome, well-to-do gentlemen who caught their attention. How could they be so carefree at their age? They were in their late twenties, for crying out loud, and it was time to curb the giddiness.
It was no secret her conservative and well-reserved nature always prevented her from behaving in the same lighthearted manner as her friends, even back in college. Holly and Jody focused more on the social activities rather than the academic component like she did. It was probably her father’s fault she was wound so tight. If he hadn’t always implied that a woman’s place was in the home, she probably wouldn’t be so gung ho on proving him wrong by excelling in the workplace; and the Palmer James Company was just the place to do it since it was owned by her father’s long-time friend.
From the very first moment she stepped foot in the New York office, she knew what she wanted. She dreamed of becoming the youngest Managing Director and someday running that very branch.
While she watched her friends on the dance floor, nervous anticipation consumed her. She couldn’t wait to get to work on Monday and hit the ground running, knowing she’d need to prove her abilities in the Chicago office if she wanted to go back and manage the New York office someday.
Jody returned to the table, grabbed her hand, and tugged her to the dance floor. “Come on, dance, smile, and have a good time. You’re way too young to be this uptight.”
Elizabeth conceded and followed her friend to the dance floor, but the entire time she moved to the beat of the music all she could think about was work. She needed to be successful; just had to be. She needed to prove to her father that having a daughter could be every bit as fulfilling as having a son. Maybe, just maybe, climbing the ranks at Palmer James Company would get her father to notice her once and for all.
Chapter Two
The late night of clubbing did not prevent Elizabeth from waking at 6:00 a.m. as usual the next morning, in order to get an edge on the day. After pulling her loose, brown curls back into a ponytail, she threw on her workout clothes and headed to Jody’s treadmill for her routine morning run.
She closed the door to the exercise room hoping it would lessen the noise and not disturb her friend’s sleep. It did cross her mind to wait until friend woke, before running, but she desperately needed to clear her mind, and a run would certainly do the trick.
As her feet pounded against the track, she thought about what she would need to do to accomplish her career goals. Most importantly, she’d need to focus and stay the course; eliminate, or at the very least, mitigate distractions. Sad to say, living with Jody was a distraction. Her friend was sweet and kindhearted, but their priorities fell on the opposite ends of the spectrum. And though she loved Jody, and appreciated her kind offer to stay with her as long as she needed, Elizabeth hoped to find her own place as quickly as possible. She needed peace, quiet, and solitude, in order to stay the course.
Upon completion of a full hour of running, she meandered into the kitchen, made some coffee, and grabbed the newspaper from the front porch. She spread the paper out on the kitchen table and perused the business section.
