I scowled, even though I knew she was right. I was a rule-follower through and through. But I was tempted to break the rules for Connor. And that idea both scared and excited me.
“What if it’s awkward?” I whispered.
She rolled her eyes. “Are your email exchanges awkward?”
“No, but—”
She cut me off before I could finish and said, “Just trust me, Olivia,” with an exasperated sigh.
“Fine.” I spun so I was facing my computer once more. “I’ll send him the book, but I’m not agreeing to a phone call.”You know you want to, a little voice whispered in the back of my head, but I told it to shush.
“Always so predictable,” Alyssa sighed. I knew she was goading me, but it wasn’t going to work.
“Nice try.” I smirked, typing out my reply to his latest email.
I was about to hit “Send” when Seth peeked his head inside the opening to my cubicle. Alyssa leaped out of her chair. “See you later, Olivia. Thanks for looking over that packet for me.”
I nodded, dreading this conversation. I assumed he was here to ask me about my dad’s memoir. I also assumed that was a big part of the reason he’d been such a strong advocate for my Spines for Soldiers idea. I hoped I was wrong on both accounts.
“Hey, Seth.” I kept my body angled toward the computer, typing out a business email, as if that would deter him from staying.
“Olivia.” He took a seat in the chair Alyssa had just vacated. “I wanted to check in with you. See how things are going.”
“They’re great.” I brightened, turning to face him. “Everyone seems to be enjoying the Spines for Soldiers program.”
“Excellent.” He rubbed his hands together. “Have you, uh, had a chance to speak to your father?”
I shook my head. “He’s been out of town for business, and there hasn’t been a good opportunity.” It was sort of true. But why couldn’t I just rip off the Band-Aid and tell him it wasn’t going to happen?
He nodded. “Sure. I understand. But we’re really hoping to get the ball rolling on this before football season. Which means that something would need to be decided in the next two weeks.”
“Of course,” I said, not entirely sure how to respond. It felt like I was walking a tightrope. And I didn’t like that he’d put me in this position—making me feel like my job was conditional on my dad’s cooperation.
“You know—” He lowered his voice, resting his elbows on his knees. “Rumor has it one of the senior marketing positions will be opening up soon. If you play your cards right, the job could be yours.”
I forced a smile because his statement had only confirmed my fears—the reason I was even being considered was because of my connections. “Thank you, Seth. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Please do.” He held my gaze a moment then stood. “You’d be competing against Nicole, of course. And while she’s had some great ideas in the past, securing a biography of someone like Harrison Hayes would certainly go a long way in showing commitment to Igloo and the type of go-getter attitude that we look for.”
You’ve got to be kidding me.
I clenched my hands beneath my desk but merely nodded. I wasn’t sure which I was more pissed about—the mention of “Nicole’s” ideas or the way he was pushing me to talk to my dad. Everything about it made me cringe. My job was in marketing fiction, not biographies, and certainly not acquisitions.
“Oh, and Olivia—” he said, just when I’d thought he was done. He gripped the wall of the cubicle. “Your annual review is coming up. I’m going to need you to compile a list of the things you’ve done this past year.” The longer he talked, the angrier I grew.
“Of course,” I said, having already anticipated this. I kept a running list throughout the year.
Once Seth was gone, I sagged in my chair. This had been an issue in the past with guys I’d dated, but never with my work. I folded my arms on the desk and cradled my head in my hands. I needed to find a new job. And maybe change my name so this wouldn’t happen again.
Why had I let Nicole take all the credit for my ideas? Why had I been so afraid to speak up? Seth had liked, and promoted, my Spines for Soldiers program. But was that only because he expected something in return?
Maybe it was time to revisit my thoughts on playing a “behind-the-scenes” role. Maybe it was time to make sure my voice was heard. And not just by my boss.
Emboldened and enraged, I deleted my earlier response to Connor and typed out a new one. I was done hiding. I was done letting other people take credit for my ideas. I was done playing it safe, playing by the rules.
I forwarded a copy ofInsatiableto his Kindle and then returned to the email. My response was simple and to the point:Let’s do it. And I included my phone number.
The rest of the afternoon passed by both quickly and slowly. I didn’t know when or if I’d hear from Connor. And I half expected him to wait to call until after he’d read the book.
