He let out an unsubtle grumble. I sat next to him on the bed and put on a pair of boots. Fiona was coming with me to work today, which I'd okayed with Summer as soon as Eamon booked the meeting and we realized she'd still be staying with us. Fiona was incredibly well behaved, but Eamon didn't want to take her to what might end up being a very tense meeting. I figured it was good for her to spend a day seeing what it was like being a woman in the modern workplace.
“Have you thought at all about what you're going to say about the new songs not being ready?”
His entire body stiffened, and not in a good way. “Of course I've thought about it. And I don't want to talk about it.”
I would've been upset if that hadn't been the response I'd gotten for the last several weeks. “Okay, then. Fiona and I are headed to the office.” I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “You'll do great.”
“Thanks. I'll text you when I'm done. I can swing by and pick up Fiona.”
Mittened hand-in-mittened hand, Fiona and I headed out into the cold and hiked to the subway to ride uptown.
“Hello, sir,” she said to the pudgy young businessman in a skinny suit sitting across from us. He'd had only one earbud in, but was now putting in the second. “Lovely day today,” she chirped to the teenaged girl standing in the aisle, who promptly stepped ahead to the next metal pole. It wasn't that Fiona was clueless as to the expected behavior on a subway. She'd done this before. It made Eamon a little crazy. “I like seeing what people will do to avoid talking to me,” she explained for anyone to hear.
“You, Fiona, are officially one of my favorite people.”
When we arrived at NACI, I got her set up at a small table in the corner of my office. She unpacked her drawing paper, colored pencils, and an iPad loaded with movies. “What should I draw first?”
I settled in behind my desk. “How about our subway ride?”
“Perfect. Then I can tell Daddy how awkward I made things.”
“He'll love it.”
I got to work, reviewing the January production schedule and reading up on a potential new client Summer was bringing in tomorrow. It was like any other day at the office until I heard Miles's voice booming out in the hall.
“Ms. Fuller!”
Fiona turned to me and made a face. “What was that?”
“That would be my boss.”
“He sounds terrible.”
“He is,” I whispered.
Miles appeared in my doorway. “Katherine, we have a massive problem. The Anthem Apparel catalog is quite honestly the most atrocious thing I have ever seen and you approved the final proof.” He slammed the catalog down on my desk. “It has already gone out. To thousands and thousands of customers. Anthem is furious and this is your fault. We might lose one of our biggest clients because of you.”
My stomach sank, but not so much because of Anthem. I hated the way he was acting in front of Fiona. She could handle plenty, but she was still only nine. “Do you mind lowering your voice? My boyfriend's daughter has come into work with me today. Fiona, this is Mr. Ashby.”
Fiona got up from her chair and shook his hand. “Hello, Mr. Assby.”
I have never in all my life had to try so hard not to laugh. “Uh, Fiona. It's Ashby. With an h.”
She nodded in a condescending way, making it plain to me that she'd done it on purpose. She was very much her father's child, after all. “I’m so sorry.”
“This is not a daycare center, Ms. Fuller.”
I stepped out from behind my desk. “I’m aware of that. But Eamon and I had extenuating circumstances today. He had a business meeting and we couldn’t leave Fiona at home. Summer okayed it weeks ago.”
As if her ears had been burning, Summer poked her head into my office. “Is there a problem?”
Miles whipped around. “Your pet employee has made a massive mistake with the Anthem Apparel account and now they're threatening to drop us.”
“First off, she's not my pet employee. She just happens to be very good at her job.” Summer held out her hand. “Here. Let me see the catalog.”
Miles handed it over. “It's all wrong.”
Summer walked it over to me and we flipped through it together. “You're right. It is all wrong. This isn't what Katherine approved or suggested. I was there.”
