Page 28 of A Perfect Fit

“Iwas thinking I could visit you in New York sometime if you’re not too busy,” my mom says, her cheery voice ringing out through my phone.

Following my parents’ divorce, Mom moved to California, where she had been born and raised. Since moving back to New York, I’ve yet to see her in person.

“Of course, I’d love to see you, Mom,” I say, leaning back in my office chair.

“I’d love to see you, too.” She hesitates for a moment. “There’s something else I was going to ask⁠—”

“Jackson, do you have a quick moment?” It’s Andrew standing at my already-open door, holding a book.

“Sorry, Mom, just a sec,” I say to Mom and turn to Andrew. “Sure thing. What’s up?”

“I wanted to give you this.” Andrew walks inside and places the book on my desk with a smile. “I know you mentioned wanting to read more last week. I picked this one up at the bookstore yesterday. It’s one of my favorites.”

I glance at the book title. It’s Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. “Thanks, Andrew. That’s very kind.”

“You’re welcome.” His gaze shifts to my phone, and he clears his throat. “I’ll let you get back to your call.”

I nod, watching as he walks out before returning to my phone call. “Hey, Mom, sorry about that. It was just Andrew.”

“No problem.” A pause ensues. “How are you finding working with him?”

“It’s been good.”

Like everyone else at Carter Marketing Solutions, Andrew’s been welcoming and supportive so far, and I don’t have much to say.

“That’s good,” Mom says slowly, as if she’s choosing her words carefully. Another pause follows. “I … I have to go now, but we’ll talk soon, okay?”

A knot settles in my stomach. I feel as though there was something more Mom wanted to say, but I’m sure she’ll share whatever news with me when she’s ready.

“Yeah,” I say. “Love you, Mom.”

“Love you, too, honey.”

As we end the call, another knock resounds on my door, and this time, it’s Clarissa. She pushes her red-framed glasses up. “Mr. Carter, Mr. Webster is waiting for you in conference room 2.”

Despite assuring her I’m happy to just be called by my first name, she insists on calling me Mr. Carter in the office.

“I’ll be there in a minute,” I say.

Grabbing a pen and notebook, I head to conference room 2. Jeffrey Webster, a man in his forties, stands from where he was seated. He’s the VP of an online retailer Carter Marketing Solutions recently signed on—one of our biggest clients.

After introductions, we go through Jeffrey’s company’s budget, current marketing strategy, and challenges. I listen and nod as he speaks while taking notes, but for some reason, thoughts of brown eyes and dark hair keep creeping into my head. I push them away each time, my grip on my pen tightening. Thankfully, Jeffrey doesn’t seem to pick up on it.

Once the meeting’s over, I escort Jeffrey to the reception area and head to Aaron’s office, knocking once on his door.

“Come in,” he calls out.

I open the door, revealing Aaron working while having an early lunch. He glances up from his computer screen.

“Hey, wanna go for a coffee run?” I ask.

“Sure. Where?”

“The Daily Brew is only a five-minute walk from here.”

“The Daily Brew?” Aaron’s brows perk up. “Isn’t that where Isabelle works?”

I shrug. “It’s just close and convenient. Plus, they actually have decent coffee that satisfies my taste buds.”