AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When he showed up, she promised herself, she’d treat him like any other client.Keep it professional.
“Chess,” Derrick Newman, her coworker, called out behind her.
“Yeah?” She turned to him.
“A sec?” Derrick asked.
“Sure.” Chess slowed her footsteps so he could catch up with her.
Objectively speaking, Derrick, a black, forty-three-year-old man, was handsome. He had the bald head and goatee thing going on, and he was tall and athletically built. But Chess had never been attracted to him. As soon as she’d learnt that he was married, he’d become a no-go zone. Crushing on taken men wasn’t her jam. That however didn’t mean that she didn’t like Derrick. She liked him very much… as a friend.
In her first year in Synovent, he’d taken her under his wing in the promotions department and mentored her. Two years later, he’d encouraged her to apply for an open position in the company that would’ve put them at the same level. When Richard later made her a team director, Derrick was her biggest cheerleader.
Even though that director position technically meant that Chess was now a level above Derrick, he’d never shown any hostility toward her. If anything they’d become closer, and she now considered him to be her confidant and greatest ally in the company. They’d even become family friends, and their sons went to the same school.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this situation?” Derrick asked once he was walking alongside Chess.
“I guess.” Chess sighed. “Working this fashion event isn’t on my ‘favorite things to do’ list, but it’s not the worst thing that could happen to me.”
“I’m not talking about the fashion thing.” Derrick looked around as if to confirm that no one was eavesdropping on their conversation. “I’m talking about Tazeem. Are you okay working with him?”
After that first accidental meeting with Tazeem, Chess had told Derrick about him being her son’s father.
“No, not really.” Chess made a face. “But I don’t have a choice. He’s holding Le Stride’s contract over my head. He’s told Richard that if I don’t work on this project, he’ll take their money elsewhere.”
“That’s foul.” Derrick winced. “I see why you dumped him.”
“I know, right?” Chess started walking towards the conference room. “But at least you’re on my team. I know you have my back if he tries something.”
“I always have your back,” Derrick reassured while matching his strides to hers. “And speaking of having backs, Mark went to Richard to try and poach me from your team.”
“What?” Chess exploded. “That rat! I knew he was going to try something.”
“Richard even called me into his office, but I declined.” Derrick’s top lip lifted in a sneer. “Like I’d ever work with Mark voluntarily. He and I don’t get along, and he’s always got something smart to say when I have to leave early to help Kendall out.”
Kendall, Derrick’s wife, was battling cancer and often needed Derrick’s help with her medical appointments.
“You don’t need to worry about that with me,” Chess reassured. “If there’s an issue with Kendall, just let me know and we’ll work something out.”
By this time, they’d reached the conference room. Derrick opened the door for her.
“Thank you.” Chess entered the spacious room only to find that it wasn’t empty.
“You’re late,” their coworker, Felicity Bodinsky, curtly informed them.
“No, you’re early,” Chess retorted. “I hope that means you’re done with the list of potential venues and had some time to kill.”
“Of course!” Felicity retorted. “But you’d already know that if you read the email I sent you last night. Is this how we’ll be working? Because if it is, then I…”
And on, and on, she whined.
Most people would consider Felicity attractive. She had the slender coltish figure that models ate so little for, flaming red hair, green eyes, high cheekbones and a great sense of style. But her attractiveness was overshadowed by the fact that she was an overambitious heifer with a tongue that was as sharp as a rapier. Still, she was the best venue coordinator in the company, and she liked to win. If the only way to win was by working with Felicity, then Chess would grit her teeth and take whatever the lady threw at her.
“And why are we even working on H-Street?” Felicity ranted on. “I thought you said we were doing the movie premiere. I wasted my time watching other premieres by that director and…”
Chess only half-listened to Felicity even as she set up her laptop and the projector.
Felicity only stopped talking when the rest of the team trooped in. Apart from Felicity and Derrick, there were three other Synovent employees on Chess’s team. H-Street, Le Stride’s co-sponsor and the company that was bringing the clothes, also sent in two representatives.
