Page 12 of Reaching Gavin

Chapter Five

I had nothing.As soon as the meeting had adjourned I’d returned to my desk and gotten to work. I sat there for what could’ve been hours, maybe days, and wound up with diddly-squat to show for it. I didn’t even notice that I’d missed my lunch hour. It was amazing considering I’d gotten nothing accomplished.

By hour five of nada, it felt as if the walls of my cubicle were closing in on me, dooming me to an existence of total mediocrity. I was never going to impress the NorthWest Investments team at this rate. The job that Gavin had dangled over my head seemed to be farther and farther out of reach. I’d probably graduate with no job and no prospects and return home to wait tables at one of Abilene’s dozen restaurants.

If I couldn’t come up with a proposal that would meet the needs of the community and show them what NorthWest Investments stands for, how could I work on larger projects. How could I be part of a bigger team? How could I ask them to invest in me?

I was getting nowhere and it was wearing down my usual, get-it-girl attitude.

When I stood up from my desk, my back was sore and one of my feet was asleep. I needed to get going, move, get the blood flowing. I decided to run down to the corner for a cup of coffee and whatever carbohydrates they had in their display. I needed sugar and whatever energy—albeit temporary—it provided. The elevator was actually on my floor for once, and I decided to take it lest stairs prove as unmanageable as my own brain. As the doors started to slide closed, a hand reached out to stop them. Trevor got on next to me.

Because this day needed to be any longer.

“Been working on the proposal?” he asked I nodded, keeping my eyes on the buttons as they lit up. At least it wasn’t a large building.

“You?”

“Yeah, I’m killing it. I swear the ideas are just flowing.”

Just like the bull shit, I added silently. The truth was that Trevor had always been an ideas man. It was the follow-through he lacked. He’d been good at foreplay and bad at sealing the deal. He talked a big game and delivered a C-average. I didn’t doubt that he’d already come up with a dozen great proposal ideas. Could he actually make any of them happen?

Not by himself, I realized. Maybe my stubbornness was going to be what got the best of me. Gavin had said they needed a PR team not a PR person. NorthWest Investments touted teamwork and community. I wasn’t doing that. I was sitting alone and struggling. All while Trevor was coming up with ideas left and right. Maybe if we played our cards right there would be a job in it for both of us. I ignored the nauseous roll of my stomach at the thought of working with Trevor longer than this summer. The truth was we were both auditioning. We might both be hired. Gavin had said team and there was no I in team, as the saying went.

I wouldn’t always get a say in who I had to work with, so now was the time to get used to the idea of working with someone like Trevor. It was hard to imagine a coworker that would grate on me more, but if I could learn to work with him I could work with anyone.

I might even find the secret key to establishing world peace in the process.

“Maybe we could sit down when I get back from grabbing coffee,” I suggested. “I could show you what I have. You could show me what you have.”

“I think it’s better if we keep our eyes on her own papers.” Trevor scoffed at my casual suggestion like I just asked him to make up with me and get married.

“I just think that Gavin wants a PR team”—

Trevor cut me off. “We both know that working together isn’t part of either one of our long-term plans. Why pretend?”

That’s what I got for trying to be the diplomat. I strode past him and up to the receptionist’s desk. For all his big talk, Trevor followed behind and continued, “It’s nothing against you. I know you’re really smart, Cassie. But I need to land a job in Seattle when I’m out of school. You have all sorts of opportunities. You could go back to Texas.”

“I could…” No good would come of me acknowledging that suggestions, except the world might have one less Trevor in it. Instead I turned to George and smiled sweetly.

“Would you like a cup of coffee? I’m going down to the corner for some.” I spoke in even, measured tones, belying the fact that I was about to blow my top.

“Thank the lord.” George said as he took in the afternoon show that had just started. “I’d love an Americano with some cream if it’s not too much trouble. Of course, if you need to stay and finish this discussion…”

“This discussion is all wrapped up,” I told him.

Trevor wasn’t getting the hint. “I suppose if you want me to look over your presentation, that would be okay, but I think it’s important”—

He stopped suddenly and his mouth fell open. I looked up to see what had struck him dumb. It wasn’t hard to figure out because easily one of the most beautiful women in the world had just walked through the doors to NorthWest Investments. Long, silky black hair fell past her shoulders. It was clearly a shade or two darker than her natural color based on her dusty, olive skin tone. As she whipped off her sunglasses and tucked them into the Chanel bag she was carrying, the bright blue of her eyes was mesmerizing as she passed. Her carefully tailored trousers stopped a few inches above her ankles allowing her long legs to stream into sky high, patent leather heels. Her loose, ivory blouse was sleeveless and skimmed her slender figure, moving softly with each step she took. She was the definition of poise, even I couldn’t help staring.

“You might want to close your mouth,” I muttered to Trevor as she passed. I mimed rolling up my tongue. He was so disgusting.

“Who is that?” Trevor asked and I could almost see him mentally putting her on some type of wish list.

“Imogen Sound,” George told us from behind the desk. “She must be here to see Gavin. She’s”—

“Hot as hell,” Trevor jumped in.

George heaved the sigh of someone who’d spent too much time dealing with the younger generation. He didn’t bother to continue whatever he’d planned to tell us.

I rolled my eyes and shouldered my purse higher. It felt distinctly less glamorous with her nearby. “I’m off to get you that coffee.”

I’d only stepped away from the desk when Gavin appeared out of the elevator and met Imogen. The smile that spread over his face as he saw her was like a fist around my heart. Squeezing and squeezing, it felt like it might pop like a grape under the pressure. In all my concern over not flirting with my boss, I’d never considered that he might not be available. Imogen leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before circling her arms around his shoulders in a tight hug, and I had my answer. Gavin paused and kissed her on the forehead before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and turning back toward the elevator. He looked up and caught sight of me watching them. Gavin opened his mouth as though he was about to call out to me, but I wasn’t in the mood to be introduced to his girlfriend. Not today. Not while confusion churned inside me like a tsunami about to hit the shore.