Page 14 of All We Could Still Have

I sat up straighter. This wasn’t how I’d imagined my promotion would go down, mixed with an unjustified scolding, but I’d take it.

“You’re going to have some help starting next month.”

Heat coursed through my body. “What do you mean?”

“I hired a new managing editor. Elizabeth Sanders. She starts on March first.”

I couldn’t swallow. I couldn’t breathe. I tried to open my mouth to say something, but no words came out.

“She used to work for Condé Nast. Recently relocated to the area from New York.”

“But I’ve been doing the job since Leo left.” I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to unknot the muscles.

“You filled in admirably, but you’re not ready.”

“I am.”

Andrew shook his head. “The whole Hank mess proves you’re not.”

Rage constricted my throat. Hank had already stolen my parents’ restaurant, and now he was going to cost me the opportunity to pass on their genes. “We can’t ignore every other restaurant in the area because he advertises with us.”

“I think you’ll like Elizabeth,” Andrew said. “She has fresh ideas.”

“I want a raise and a bonus. For all the work I did filling in for Leo.”

Andrew stood and slid into his jacket. “You got a raise in the fall.” He made his way around his desk.

I jumped from my chair to block his path. A musky scent filled my nostrils. “That wasn’t really a raise. It was a cost-of-living adjustment.”

“If you’re not happy with your compensation, I encourage you to seek other opportunities.” He bumped my shoulder as he breezed by me.

“Wait!” I rushed toward him, stumbling over the ball and falling forward. He caught me, breaking my fall. The odor was almost unbearable. “How about a onetime bonus?”

“No.” He was holding me up, and now he released me. “I have to go.” As he strutted toward the elevator, he looked back at me over his shoulder. “Hank’s waiting for your call.”

Even as he disappeared around the corner, the scent lingered, and I realized it was coming from me: the smell of desperation.

I slammed my office door and fired up my computer. The message announcing the new managing editor was waiting in my inbox. I wanted to punch my fist through my monitor. Instead, I took out my aggression on the keyboard, pounding on the delete button until the email vanished.

Page burst into my office. “That asshole.”

“He’s pissed about the article on Declan’s because they compete with Hank’s.”

Page’s face turned white. “Oh no, it’s my fault.”

“No. It’s Hank’s. He called to complain. Now I have to interview him. Honestly, I’d rather quit than talk to that prick.”

“You can’t quit.”

She was right. I couldn’t. Office jobs were hard to come by in this mountain community, where the service industry fueled the economy.

“I would if I could afford to.” I shook my head. “I already had my raise spent. We need the money.” My eyes filled with tears. I blinked hard to clear them.

“Oh, honey, I know. Things are tough. I had to take an early withdrawal from my 401(k) because that deadbeat dick didn’t send child support for months.”

This took me aback. I knew things were rough for Page, but I hadn’t realized how bad they were. “Did he finally send you the money?”

“Part of it. Says he’s between jobs.”

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