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The alarm jolted me from the darkness, and I rolled over feeling like a lump of lead. Oh god. Work. My mom had warned me the day before that she would be coming by Chic-Wise again just to keep tabs on the outfit.
I rushed through the terrible L.A. traffic and bolted out of the elevator with only a minute to spare before nine o’clock. Unfortunately, Rowena was already there, in my office, waiting for me.
“Hello, dear,” she said.
“Morning,” I replied.
“Cutting it a little close, aren’t we?” she asked, staring pointedly at the clock.
“Traffic was a nightmare,” I murmured, hanging up my coat.
“It’s Los Angeles, Laurie,” she sighed. “Traffic’s not new. Although I must admit, after our talk yesterday, I wondered if you would even show up at all.”
“What would give you that idea?” I asked sarcastically. “Was it when you said you were going to replace me as soon as possible?”
“I was angry,” she had the grace to say. “I apologize. I don’t want to have to let you go.”
There had to be a catch. There always is with Rowena.
“Okay.”
“Because do you see why this is such a predicament?” she continued. “This entire office knows what happened in this room yesterday. It’s bad enough that I’m always second-guessed about putting you in this room to begin with.”
I couldn’t look at her.
“If you were me, Laurie, what would you do?”
“Mom, please let me keep my job.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“You don’t have anything to worry about,” I insisted. “I’ve ended things with Shawn. We’re not going to see each other like that ever again. There’s no conflict of interest. There’s no more rule breaking. If you want to suspend me, or give me a citation, or something to punish me, I get it, and I accept. But don’t fire me. Please let me stay here.”
“You swear to me that you’re done fooling around with that intern?” Rowena asked.
“I promise.”
“Okay, then,” she said. She got up out of her chair and grabbed her bag.
“So… are we okay?” I asked her.
“You can keep your job here,” she said magnanimously.
“Mom, thank you so—”
“However, you’ll have to fire the intern.”
That made me pause because the situation had been both of our faults. Why did his head have to roll as a sacrifice?
“I have to fire Shawn?” were my slow words.
Rowena’s green eyes gleamed.
“Will that be a problem?” she said in a silky voice.
What to do? I was hurt knowing that things had come to this. But there was no choice. What Rowena wants is what she gets, and I’d just escaped by the thinnest of hairs.
So I nodded woodenly, assuming a professional expression.
“That’s fine. I’ll let him go today.”
“Good,” Rowena smirked. “Talk to you later, honey,” she said before breezing off. And once the door closed, I sat down stiffly in my chair, unable to breathe. Because Shawn was going to pay the price for our misdeeds … and I hated myself for it.
10
Shawn
Oh shit. I was running late to Chic-Wise. Plus, my cell was going crazy. Laurie had called me three times, texted me asking me where I was, and seemed to be determined to have me there right away. I wondered if she’d be prepared for what I had to say.
Footsteps quick, I headed straight to Laurie’s office. The brunette looked upset, barely looking me in the eye as I shut the door.
“Are you okay?” I asked her.
“No,” she said, voice oddly stilted. “Why don’t you have a seat.”
I sat down, watching her pace around her office anxiously.
“Rowena said that I could keep my job here,” she said.
“That’s great news,” I growled. “You must be relieved.”
Laurie nodded, but still wouldn’t meet my eye.
“It’s not all great news,” she continued. “Rowena says that in order for me to keep my job, I have to fire you.”
I began to grin, anticipating her next words.
“I’m sorry,” Laurie said, her voice choking. “I really don’t want to have to do this, but she’s leaving me no choice. I can write a recommendation for you. I can call up some people I know at other magazines—”
“Laurie, it’s okay,” I growled. “It’s funny how it’s happening this way, actually.”
“What do you mean?”
Her head snapped up, and for the first time, those caramel eyes met mine.
“Laurie, the reason that I was late today was because I had a job interview with Sports Life,” was my rumble. “I went in for a writer’s assistant position. And I got the position. They hired me on the spot. I start next week.”
“Oh.” She seemed surprised. Suddenly the atmosphere changed, shock morphing into relief, the tension began to evaporate.
“Yeah, now you don’t have to fire me,” I said with a grin. “You don’t have to be the bad guy.”
“Well, I appreciate that,” the brunette murmured, flushing. She sat down at her desk, fingers fidgeting before shooting a glance my way. “You didn’t go get a different job because of me, did you?”
