Page 24 of Book Club Confidential

She turned to find him a short distance away and closing in. “Are you following me?”

A few passing coworkers glanced in their direction but kept moving.

He reached her in the next moment and stopped within an arm’s reach. “I need you on this project,” he said quietly. His voice was firm, and he leaned slightly toward her. “It’s the biggest thing Hello, Marketing has going on right now. We need all hands on deck.”

“Sorry, my hands are full,” she said. “Maybe hit up your golf buddies.”

Peyton snorted. “I knew that was what this was about. You’re jealous.” He tipped his head back in silent laughter. “I get it. You break your back around here, and it goes unnoticed. Sucks. I would feel the same way if I was you, but I’m not. Because I know how to play the game.”

Tessa opened her mouth to tell him what she thought of his ridiculous observation, but his palms flipped up in mock surrender.

“Now, don’t kill the messenger. It is what it is, and I got the promotion. I’m also the front-runner on this pitch, and I need a girl with me. It’s an all-female account.”

Pressure built in her head from the sheer number of things she had to say on the subject. But history had taught her that nothing she told him would make a difference, so she saved her energy instead.

“I’m too busy to take on anything else right now,” she said. “I can appreciate the amazingness of the L and L account, and I hope they choose Hello, Marketing for their next campaign. But I don’t want Xavier to offload anything from my plate to another employee. I like my accounts. I’ve been with most of them from their beginning, and I’m staying where I am.”

Tessa turned and walked away. She slid her laptop into her bag, thankful for Grant’s lunch invitation. She needed fresh air and a lot of distance between her and her new shadow.

“Your accounts are all microscopic compared to L and L,” Peyton said, following on her heels. “You’re missing a chance to make a name for yourself in this business. Hello, Marketing needs your insights. I’m adding you to this team.”

“You want my advice? Stop calling women girls,” she said. “Keep that up, and Leah and Amara will walk away before you start the pitch.”

He bunched his features into a knot and laughed. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Does anyone call you a boy?” she asked. “How would you feel if they did?”

He shook his head. “That’s dumb.”

She waited.

“The word girls isn’t offensive.”

“Is the word boy?” she asked. When he didn’t answer, she went on. “Women aren’t fragile, docile, childlike, or anything else that makes the term girls an acceptable way to describe adults. Stop doing it.” She gathered her keys from her bag. “And yes, my clients are small and boutique, but I like them. They’re mine, and they’re important, unique pieces of our community. I’m not giving them up to watch you butcher Leah and Amara’s campaign pitch.”

Peyton’s top lip pulled back in a sneer. “I see how it is.” He released a puff of air through his nose in disbelief. “Your feelings were hurt, so you think you’re taking some kind of stand. We’ll see about that.”

Tessa walked past him on her way to reception, away from this place for now. “Good luck, Peyton.”

She responded to Grant’s message while she waited for the elevator.

Tessa: Yes, please. Meet me at the river

Chapter Seven

Tessa fought back tears in the elevator, hating that her body’s response to extreme anything—happiness, sadness, frustration, anger—all of it ended with her crying. Thankfully, she had a legitimate means for escape this time. Unlike Peyton, Tessa had a client meeting.

And after the way he’d chased her down and spoken to her, she would not, under any circumstances, help him with the Lilacs and Lace account. In fact, upon threat of death, she would leave this mortal coil before assisting Peyton with anything short of a tragic fall into the river. And she’d spend eternity proudly knowing she’d stood firm.

She checked her phone for missed messages, then scrolled social media while waiting for the elevator to load and unload at each floor on the way down. Her feed wouldn’t fully update until she reached the lobby, but she could see earlier posts from both Hallie and Kate, which was all she really wanted. Hopefully their first days of main character energy had gotten off to a better start than hers.

Hallie’s boss had been openly rude this morning, but at least she planned to quit and not return after the wedding. Her upcoming nuptials would provide a welcome escape from many things, financial and emotional. Which was fantastic, as long as she truly wanted to marry Bryce, something that seemed more in question than ever lately. Divorce was miserable, even under the best of circumstances, so she hoped Hallie would choose exactly what she wanted, without influence from anything or anyone else.

Kate’s late-night post featured a compilation of photos taken at the rooftop bar. Under the image of the three holding their books, she added a caption: What would the main character in your life’s story do? Do you think you could make her choices for thirty days? What might happen if you did?

Her newest post was a close-up taken outside a coffee shop downtown. Her lashes were thick and long, casting shadows across her cheeks in the bright morning light. The picture showcased her freckles, usually obscured by a heavy filter or full-face makeup. She wore a comfy brown romper over a long-sleeve cream top, no cashmere or designer label in sight. She’d even traded her usual heels and handbag for knee-high socks with images of little fall leaves, loafers, and a canvas tote from the local orchard.

Tessa bobbed her head in appreciation. Sharing photos of the laid-back lifestyle Kate loved was a powerful start to embracing her own main character energy.