Page 16 of All for Love

8

MERCEDES

Today was my last day at Glamorous Living, the corporate firm whose policies I had been rewriting. I’d also done a bunch of other things for them, organizing all their systems. Digital, physical, and otherwise.

I looked around the filing room I had spent the last couple of days in, smiling at the gorgeous, colorful art on the walls and the thick fluffy rug under my feet. Even here, in the filing room where few ever came, these offices were awesome.

It was posh and feminine with plenty of natural light. Freshly cut flowers in vases and tiny little touches all over spoke of the fact that the company was run by four businesswomen with no men involved at all. They were fearlessly feminine boss ladies who were dominating the exclusive interior design industry in the city, and I’d really loved working with them.

The best thing of all was that they were all friends, and they made me feel like I was part of their group. It made it pretty sad to think I was leaving them behind, but I’d done my job. It was finished, and I’d done it well.

When I’d started here, their offices had been overwhelmed, cluttered with pieces of furniture they’d ordered for clients but hadn’t installed yet, books filled with swatches of material, and all sorts of tricks of the trade. They’d also recently hired four new team members who had jumped in and started working before they’d even been given contracts to sign, and their invoicing and payroll systems had been a mess.

I’d felt the frantic energy as soon as I’d walked in, and it’d taken me some time to work through it all, but I was proud of the work I’d done here.

To start with, I’d restored order to their offices. A quick walk through their building had revealed unused office space that they’d now rented and were using for storage. It was only one floor down and easily accessible from all the designers’ offices, and the inventory was also there.

We’d organized it meticulously, sorting everything they’d had by client ideas and category. New habits had been introduced to help the staff stay on top of things, and I’d created a variety of systems that helped the office function better.

Miranda, the CEO, suddenly spoke up from the doorway, leaning against it with a soft smile on her face and her hands in the pockets of her slacks. “You know, when Angie suggested we hire you, I thought it was a waste of money. New-agey voodoo we didn’t need, but I’ve got to say, I have no idea what we were doing before we had you.”

Warmth filled my chest and I pulled up my shoulders, returning her smile and walking to join her at the door. My work was done in here anyway. I’d merely been taking a minute to reflect.

“I’m glad I could help.” It was the complete truth too, not just a line I was throwing out there for a client. “I loved working with you and I love your firm.”

“Keep us in mind if you ever need any decorating done.” She winked, then pushed off the door frame and motioned for me to follow her. “If I thought you’d accept a permanent position on our staff, I’d offer it to you right now.”

“Thanks. That’s a huge honor, but I’m afraid I’ve already got another project in the pipeline.”

“Pity.” She led me down the corridor, polished tiles gleaming under our feet as we walked. “We could make it worth your while.”

“I’ll always be back if you need me, but for now, I’ve done everything I can.” A cushy job with posh offices at a great firm was something I’d have jumped at back when I’d been starting out, but I’d gotten used to a certain degree of freedom.

Plus, maintaining systems I’d already put in place wasn’t quite the same as devising new organizational systems depending on the needs of the client. I lived for that design. For the challenge of finding a company in disarray and setting everything right.

“I understand, but I still hate to see you go.” She pushed open the door to the big conference room and stepped back to let me in first.

“Surprise!”

The cheer that went up was deafening, and I blinked, my heart racing as I nearly fell over when I found myself looking at almost their entire workforce. They were all beaming at me, clapping in front of a banner that read Bon Voyage.

Jane, their receptionist, blushed and shrugged her shoulders when I met her gaze. “It was either that or Happy Retirement. I figured Bon Voyage was better.”

I laughed. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

She smiled and I walked in, beyond surprised at the beautiful buffet lunch they’d set up for me. Sammy, the CFO, came to stand next to me. “Thank you, Mercedes. You’ve done an incredible job here. We’ve written you glowing recommendations and posted them to your website, but we wanted to do something for you in person as well.”

“You’re so very welcome. It was wonderful working with you. Thank you for the opportunity, and the party.”

She inclined her head in acknowledgment. “It was the least we could do. You’ve changed our lives. We owed you quiche and cake.”

I chuckled. “I love quiche and cake.”

Miranda came up on our other side. “So what’s this next project you’ve taken on? Are you sure you wouldn’t rather stick around here?”

Sammy pursed her lips at her friend and colleague. “After all these years working for yourself, would you take someone up on a job offer right now?”

Miranda’s nose wrinkled. “Probably not, but Mercedes is half our age. Besides, nothing ventured, nothing gained.”