“You okay? Did you enjoy yourself?” Jason asked as he loosened his tie.
“I did. It was fun. I’ve never done anything like this. Going to a movie screening with the actual star of the film? It’s all been very glamorous.”
“Well, good. I’m glad you had fun.” Jason scrolled through his phone, smiling and nodding at the screen, sometimes typing away and laughing. “Sorry. Just work stuff.”
“Yeah. Of course.” She’d used those exact words herself many times. In fact, she’d used them with Alec. And her mom. And her sister. Being on the receiving end, she realized just how unpleasant it was. Between this moment, and the talk she’d had with Lela a few days ago, she knew she needed to make a serious change when it came to her work life. As they pulled up in front of her building, Brooklyn spotted Cy as he beelined through the door and headed for the car. He was working late, and she’d never been so thankful for anything. “This is me.”
“I had a great time tonight,” Jason said. “I’d love to see you again, but I don’t know my schedule right now. I fly to Toronto Sunday for some press and pre-production onLavababy, but I’m not sure how long I’ll be there. Then I go to LA for at least two weeks. The schedule is always changing, and everything is up in the air.”
Brooklyn felt the need to let Jason off the hook, and not just for his benefit. It was for hers, too. She’d enjoyed her date with a superhero, but Alec was right. Jason was just a guy. “You know, Jason, I really appreciate you inviting me tonight, and it was super fun, but we’re in very different places in our lives. I’m ready to settle down, and your whole career is taking off.” Very much like her and Alec.
He nodded a bit too eagerly, then his sights quickly returned to his phone. “Yeah. You’re probably right.”
Well, that was easy.“Goodnight, Jason. Good luck with everything.” She leaned over and pecked him on the cheek just as Jason’s driver was opening the door and Cy patiently waited for her on the sidewalk.
“Goodnight, Brooklyn. I hope you find everything you’re looking for.”
“Thanks. Me too.” She hopped out as gracefully as she could, teetering on the sky-high heels of her boots. Why were female superheroes expected to wear stilettos? Ballet flats or sneakers were far more sensible for saving the world. “Working late tonight, Cy?”
“It’s a double shift for me today, unfortunately. Miguel has a nasty cold.”
The conversation she and Cy had earlier that week popped into her head. “So much for the regular hours, huh?”
“This doesn’t happen too often, but my wife doesn’t like it when I’m at work this late, that’s for sure.”
“Do you like your job, Cy?”
He came to a stop at the door and delivered an expression she’d never seen on his face. “Aside from my wife, kids, and grandchildren, more than anything. But it’s the people, not the job.”
Brooklyn’s brain was going now, and she had what she thought might be a brilliant idea. A way to help herself slow down at work, and help Cy, too, if he was interested. “Would you have any interest in coming to work for me?”
“What would that entail?”
“I could really use someone to oversee our operations. I have a feeling it’s not that different from what you used to do before you were a doorman.” Brooklyn felt a bit like she was standing on the edge of a cliff. She’d fought this idea for so long that it had become like a reflex. But she had to let go. She had to make a change. “But it’s not just your qualifications. I need someone I can trust.”
He cocked his head to one side. “And you thought of me?”
Brooklyn’s heart seized up in her chest. He sounded so genuinely surprised that she had to wonder if the other residents of her building actually paid any attention to him. “Of course. I trust you, Cy.”
He opened the door for her and followed her inside. “I’m not getting any younger, you know. Maybe you should ask someone who’s not quite so long in the tooth.”
Brooklyn looked Cy square in the eye. “I understand what you’re saying because I feel the same way about my own life.”
“You mean the baby situation. Is that why you need help?”
“Yes. I’m trying to be realistic. If I’m going to have a baby, and actually have any time to enjoy it, I need to find a way to offload some of what I’m doing. I’ve hesitated for so long, and a lot of that was me having a hard time giving up control. But I also didn’t have the strength to search for the right person. Again, someone I can trust.”
“I hope you know how much I appreciate the vote of confidence.”
They strolled to the elevator and Brooklyn pressed the button. “Just think about it. I promise that you’ll always get the regular hours you thought you had with this job. I won’t let you leave your wife at home alone on a Friday night. I’ll give you as much support as you need. A full-time assistant. Great salary. Benefits. You can pretty much write your ticket. Just tell me what you want.”
“Wow. You know, my youngest wants to go to graduate school and it’s not cheap. We hate the thought of him taking on any debt, so this could be great. I could tell him we’ll pay.”
“You have a kid who’s still in college?”
He grinned. “We do. Frankie. My wife and I were both forty when he was born. For whatever reason, we just couldn’t stop having kids. We love ‘em.”
How did Cy do this? Answer a questionandmake her feel better about her lot in life? “Again, think about it. I’d like to keep this in the family if I can, and you feel like family to me, Cy.”
