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I open the door, but Blake stays where he is.
“I heard the interview with KPG didn’t work out,” he says, sounding awkward. “Sorry about that.”
“Yeah, well… Turns out our boss is still a vindictive creep.” I remind him. Then, with a hopeful rise in my voice, “Is there anyone in your network that you’d have an in with? Maybe a personal recommendation would make the difference.”
“Umm… I don’t think that’s the best idea.”
“For me to have a job?” I ask.
“For me to stay… Involved.” Blake looks like he’s sweating. “Not that we are, involved, but our whole thing. See, the board is getting its panties in a twist now about ‘harassment’ and ‘inappropriate behavior’,” he makes air quotes, “And I want to make sure you’re not going to, you know, overreact and come after me as well.”
“Overreact?” I echo, going still.
“C’mon,” Blake rolls his eyes. “You know what I mean. This didn’t have to be a whole thing. If you could have played it cool, everything would have been fine.”
Hot, red anger rises up my body like a thermometer.
“It wouldn’t have hurt you to flirt with Karl a little,” he adds. “Hell, you could have landed the contract and been promoted!”
Oh, should I have? I’m nearly foaming at the mouth. I should have leaned into being treated as a sexual object so a grown man wouldn’t have a hissy fit? “Has it ever happened to you?”
Blake gives me a blank look. “What?”
“Has a man you just met ever grabbed your ass and suggested that you leave with him?”
“What?” Blake repeats, his face pinkening. “I—no. No, of course not.”
“So, first of all,” I say, acidly, “maybe don’t advise me on something you have literally zero experience with. Secondly, you’re telling meyouwould simply diffuse the situation? Say excuse me, smile, step away, smooth it over?”
“No,” he says, puffing out his chest. Laughable. “I would… Well. I’d—”
Punch the guy. We both hear the thought, although I doubt Blake would have the guts to go through with it.
“Exactly.” I say. Then, deeply sarcastic, “I wonder why it’s unacceptable for me to hit a guy, but fine for you. If Karl had gropedyourass, you could have just flirted a little.”
His face has gone beet colored. “You made your point, Jenn.”
“Great. Bye, Blake,” I say, breezily.
He’s barely out from under the doorframe before I slam and lock it. How did I not seeing it coming with these guys? Even their names sounded like frustration—Greg, Blake, grr, ugh.
I sigh, my back pressed against the door, and I take a bite of the croissant—really ripping with my teeth. I feel one quasi-hookup lighter, at least. To hell with drunken bad choices. Now, I just need to figure out how I can get a job without a good word from a previous employer.
The phone buzzes again, and I walk to the coffee table, finger poised to ignore my mother. But it’s a number I don’t recognize, with a Manhattan area code.
“Hello?” I answer.
“Good morning. Jennifer Walker? This is Lisa Hall calling from Staff Solutions Midtown. How are you?”
For a moment, I consider replying with heavy sarcasm:I’m fantastic. It’s a banner day already. But, of course, I don’t. “Fine, thanks.” I reply chirpily. I don’t recall the name of the company, but I’ve been applying so many places, they’re all a blur. “What can I do for you?”
“We have an open marketing position we’re looking to fill.”
“Oh?” I sit up.Please, let them not ask for references until I’ve already made a dazzling first impression.
“The client is a start-up luxury spa,” the recruiter says. “The owner is a former athlete. I pitched your resumé, and we think you’d be a great fit for their Head of Marketing.”
“Oh,” I repeat, in shock. Did I actually manifest a job? “Really?”
