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“Okay,” Hannah replied, peering up at me with a confused look.
I hurried out of the library, shoved open the door of the closest bathroom, and rushed into an open stall just in time to empty my stomach. I held my stomach as I hovered over the toilet, feeling lightheaded. Whether I had a stomach bug or food poisoning from the questionable Chinese restaurant down the street from my apartment, I was going to have a tough day.
Chapter 20
Tyler
My fingers tapped against the surface of my desk in a tense rhythm as I watched Brittany read over Sara and Madison’s ideas for what seemed like the hundredth time. We had spent most of the morning talking about the ideas and trying to figure out which one was the best for the company. It was a hard decision because both ideas were great in their own ways.
“Sara’s idea is pretty straightforward,” Brittany said as she set Sara’s printed report on my desk.
Sara’s idea was a safe route to go down. There was low risk, but the reward was fairly low as well. There would be results, but they would come in slowly. It wouldn’t be a drastic change. Part of me leaned that way because I was still nervous about my business going down. Maybe I needed to play it safe to limit the damage, or maybe I needed to throw a Hail Mary to save my business.
She picked up Madison’s and flipped through it. “Madison’s has some risk. We’d be spending some money, but it could work out really well,” Brittany added before sighing and placing Madison’s report down. “What do you think?”
I didn’t want to be asked what I thought because I honestly didn’t know. Madison had a great idea, but Brittany was right. There was risk. Was I willing to take that risk? I stopped tapping my fingers and sank back in my chair.
“They’re both good ideas,” I murmured.
“We know that,” Brittany said, giving me a pointed look. “Give me something.”
I sighed and forced myself to sit back up. I had to make a decision today because I already arranged a meeting with the interns and the marketing department to discuss what plan of action we were going to take.
“Are we in the position to take a risk?” I asked Brittany.
“We might have to. Nothing is changing for us, while Brandon is flying past us,” Brittany replied.
I was tired of sitting still and watching Brandon acquire all of this success that he didn’t even deserve in the first place. I had to make a move, or I was going to be left behind. I would never forgive myself if I let him win; if I rolled over.
“I think Madison has the better plan,” I said.
Brittany eyed me for a few seconds. “Why?” she asked me.
I narrowed my eyes slightly, wondering why she was asking me that. She already knew the reasons why Madison’s plan outpaced Sara’s. We had spent the entire morning talking about that. She was asking me that for a different reason.
“What are you getting at, Brittany?” I asked her.
Brittany shrugged as she glanced away from my hard stare. “I’ve noticed that you’ve taken quite an interest in Madison. You’re not exactly known to engage with interns this much,” she commented. Her words were weighted with extra meaning that she wouldn’t speak aloud.
“I’ve treated Madison and Sara equally,” I replied as I peered at her, my expression not shifting. On the inside, my mind was racing, wondering how Brittany had noticed my interest in Madison when I had tried my hardest to hide it. It wasn’t like I had given Madison that much of an edge above Sara. Madison took the initiative. She worked hard. Hard work deserved to be rewarded.
“Perhaps,” Brittany said as she looked between the two reports. “I just want to make sure that you’re judging this fairly.”
I leaned forward, catching her attention. “I wouldn’t let my personal feelings get in the way of business. I want my company to survive. That means choosing the best idea, regardless of who came up with it,” I told her sternly.
Brittany stared at me for a few seconds in silence before nodding. “I believe you, Tyler,” she said softly.
The tension in my body started to melt away. This was Brittany that I was talking to. She wasn’t threatening me or judging me. She was curious, and I couldn’t blame her. It wasn’t like I was acting normally. I had changed, and that was because of Madison.
“I trust your judgment. If you want to go with Sara’s idea, I’m with you,” I told her. I trusted her judgment more than my own. She was the head of the marketing department for a reason.
Brittany smiled a little before shaking her head. “I think Madison’s idea would benefit us more. I’m ready to get my hands dirty again,” she said, sounding a hint excited.
