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"You're here. Good. Take a seat." Katherine motions to one of her chairs.
I sit, the sound of a death knell ringing in my head.
"So, how was the trip?"
"Good."
"And? How about giving me some details? Tell me what you did and what you discovered."
"I discovered I have a problem with the article."
"Oh?" Katherine leans back, placing her hands in her lap. "What kind of problem?"
"Well, it's kind of a cute story. I…um…sort of slept with one of the cruise line's owners."
"Excuse me?" Katherine narrows her eyes as she stares at me, the scorch in her gaze making the temperature in the room rise.
Stiff and speechless, I sit there desperately trying to formulate a response.
"I'm waiting," she snaps.
"I swear I didn't know he was an owner," I blurt, my hands gripping the arms of the chair.
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
"No."
"Perhaps you should try telling me what happened," she says icily.
I take a deep breath. Then, a colorful and far-too-detailed explanation pours from my mouth, going on and on like a running toilet.
Katherine's gaze never wavers, boring through me like a skewer, her body deathly still.
Confession complete, I shift in the chair and raise my hand to my forehead, feeling the sweat beading on my skin. The subsequent silence seems to drag on forever, making me want to curl up and hide.
"Out! Out of my office right now."
"But, I—"
"Don't say another word." Katherine's voice is cold and measured, cutting me off.
I look down at my lap, trying to will the floor to open up and swallow me whole, ending my misery.
Katherine sighs, causing me to look up. She leans forward, her hands clasped on top of her desk. "We are dealing with a disaster involving Drake, whom we terminated two days ago. Getting hit with a bungled assignment while dealing with that is quite unfortunate. Your only saving grace is that you've been an asset to the magazine, and we like you. I suggest you try to figure out a way to fix this. In the meantime, I'll advise Natalia of the situation."
"Okay," I whisper, afraid to say anything else.
"I'm sure you understand this failure means your promotion is off the table. While you are on an assignment, you represent the magazine. Your behavior was lacking in good judgment and unbefitting of the company. I can't promise there won't be disciplinary action once I talk to Natalia. In the meantime, continue as you normally would."
"I understand."
"Good. You can go back to your office."
"Thank you." I get up and slink out of Katherine's office. Romeo flags me to his desk when he sees me.
"Oh, sweetie. That didn't go well, did it?"
"No. I lost the promotion." I sink into one of Romeo's chairs.
