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I fumed my way through, my notes a shambles I’d have to fix later before handing them over to him. Not that he deserved nice, tidy notes. When it was over and Ms. Hudgens led the business people out to show them around and schmooze them some more, I sat in my chair and stared Eli down.
He finally turned to me and raised his eyebrows. Game on, then. “I see you kept it the way I changed it.”
I wanted to say more, that the advertisers seemed to like it just fine, that they obviously liked it better themselves or they would have changed it back, that maybe he owed me an apology. But of course I couldn’t say any of that to my deranged boss. I knew I was pushing my luck saying anything at all. But I would have died from pent up rage if I didn’t.
I could see the wheels turning in his head and it made me feel slightly better that he at least inwardly acknowledged he had been unnecessarily mean to berate me the way he did.
“The point is, Violet,” he said slowly. “Is that you’re not part of the creative team, you’re not qualified to do things like that, and furthermore, you were not asked your opinion on the matter. The fact we ultimately decided to keep it is of no consequence because it could just as easily have been a disaster if we hadn’t noticed. So, please, no more liberties.”
He walked past me and I gathered my notes. There were a million things I wanted to shout after him, but like he said, none of it was of any consequence. I slunk back to my office to clean up my notes, feeling like crap. The only thing keeping me going was the fact it was Friday and I had a nice dinner and maybe a movie with Jed to look forward to. Best of all, I’d be free of Eli for the whole weekend.
Chapter 9 - Eli
I knew I shouldn’t have lit into her so badly about the presentation lineup, especially not in front of Laine. But seeing her being so flirty and chatty with Jed gave me a feeling I didn’t like at all. It was dangerously close to self-reflection, which could only lead to misery. I talked myself down, knowing there was nothing wrong with her being friendly with the rest of the team. So what if it was clear that Jed had a whopping crush on her. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her for ten seconds when they were in the common area together. Maybe she flirted back, but I knew from my own sad experience with Violet that flirting meant nothing. Jed could try to get her to go out with him all he wanted, he’d end up getting nothing, same as me.
Except, she very happily accepted his invitation to dinner. Sure, I shouldn’t have been hanging on their every word, but I was waiting for her to tell him no. I might have been holding my breath. She actually said yes.
What did Jed have that I didn’t? Why would she be interested in spending more time with him than me? The self-reflection came hard and fast. He was a respectful and friendly coworker, I was a drunk hitting on her in a club. Now I was embroiled in a battle to make her rue the day she rejected me and I was the only one filled with regret. Then the jealousy happened.
It was vile. When did I get jealous? I honestly couldn’t remember a time. Maybe high school? Probably not even then. It swirled around in my stomach like bitter battery acid. I hated every second of it, and let it spill out all over her.
Laine tried to save her. After all, we decided the slide switch actually worked a little better and decided to keep it. I could have told her quietly and in private that even though it worked out this time, it was better not to do things like that in the future. Instead, I went full beast. I didn’t just end the truce, I restarted the war. When I glanced her way during the part of the presentation that revealed we kept her change, the flare of rage in her eyes let me know I’d be in for something soon.
Oddly, I was a little excited to see how she’d subtly get her revenge. After the meeting was over and we were alone in the conference room, she asked me about it. Just a very simple question, and I could tell she was dying to say much more. I could have apologized for going overboard, and we could have kept our easygoing work relationship the way it had become the last few weeks. But I didn’t want an easygoing work relationship with her. I wanted to be the one taking her to dinner and maybe a movie, and then I definitely wanted more after that. Damn jealousy.
“The point is, Violet,” I said, speaking to her like she was a child. I could have still fixed it, let her know not to do things like that anymore while acknowledging she got it right this time. No, I couldn’t possibly have done that. Not when she’d be leaning across a table in a dimly lit restaurant looking impossibly sexy and smiling at Jed later on tonight. “You’re not part of the creative team, you’re not qualified to do things like that, and furthermore, you were not asked your opinion on the matter. While we ultimately decided to keep it is of no consequence because it could just as easily have been a disaster if we hadn’t noticed. So, please, no more liberties.”
The worst part of that diabolical tirade was that she didn’t seem to care. She only nodded. I left, expecting her to regroup and speak up for herself. Where was fiery Violet? She said nothing and I slammed my way back to my office.
When I took my phone off do not disturb, I had a message from my mother, three missed calls and a text from Will demanding I call him back, and what might have been a picture of Pamela’s breast. I swiped it away without really looking at it and listened to my mom’s message first.
“Darling, I’m back. I made a reservation at a place called Benoit’s for us. It’s supposed to be just divine according to your brother. See you tonight at seven, we can grab a drink first.”
I groaned and reached for my stash of acetaminophen, the headache already starting. There was no way out of it, and it would only delay the inevitable anyway. I called my brother back.
“I’m going to kill you,” I said before his greeting was even out. “Are you coming tonight as well?” Anything to keep her full attention off me. Benoit’s wasn’t appropriate for little kids though, and God forbid we could ever go to a family style restaurant, as if we were an actual family.
“Can’t. No babysitter.”
“You don’t have to lie to me, I understand not wanting to go.”
“No, I don’t even have Sandy anymore. I’m on my way to pick up Ava right now, then I have to take Harrison to indoor soccer.”
I whistled out a breath. “What happened?”
Will sighed and I could picture him getting a stony look on his face. “A series of unfortunate events, but the straw that broke Sandy’s back was Harrison wouldn’t stop calling her the sandman because he said she was dull and always put them to sleep. On her last day they pretended to be asleep and refused to get up for homework or chores or dinner. They laid on the living room floor for three hours until I got home, completely ignoring her and fake snoring whenever she came into the room.”
I was speechless for a moment. “I guess you have to admire their perseverance?”
“I don’t have to admire shit,” he said, making me snort at his rare curse. “I’m about at my wit’s end and will not hire someone I haven’t vetted for one evening just to hear Mom whine about the bad cuisine.”
Now it was my turn to sigh. “Why the hell did you recommend Benoit’s then?”
“I was in a pissy mood,” he admitted, then laughed, though without any humor behind the sound. “I still am.”
“Good luck,” I said.
I didn’t have a speck of advice on how to find a nanny who’d stay for longer than a few months. His kids were fiends. Even with therapy, they just weren’t coping with the loss of their mom very well. I could relate somewhat since the accident took our dad when I was a grown man, and it knocked me on my ass. Actually, I wasn’t anywhere near off my ass yet, so I couldn’t imagine how awful it would be for a seven and a four-year-old to lose their mom. And Will only pretended to be a rock. Losing Callie would have killed him if it weren’t for Ava and Harrison.
