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But there was no use.
I took a long hard look at her that day, and I knew.
She was done, and it was over.
The both of us had been working a lot, and we didn’t spend nearly as much time together as we used to. I knew it wasn’t ideal, but that was marriage, wasn’t it?
So, now that I was sitting here after having just landed my biggest account in my career and feeling not an ounce of excitement about it, I reverted back to the single emotion that had been at center stage for me for the last three months.
Anger.
I was so mad at Kiera, because she was ending our marriage, and she was taking everything away from me, even the joy I should have been feeling about this huge win in my career.
Feeling frustrated, I let out a sigh just as a knock came at my office door.
“Yeah, come in,” I called out.
The door opened just a touch before I saw my secretary, Jackie, peek her head around the corner. She was wearing a hopeful look. “So, how’d it go?” she asked.
Doing my best to ignore all of the thoughts that had been running through my mind about Kiera, since nobody knew we were technically separated and on the verge of divorce, I forced a smile and nodded. “We got the account.”
Jackie’s eyes widened in surprise. “No way. Really?”
I nodded again. “Yep. I just got off the phone with them.”
Her expression warmed, and following a beat of silence, Jackie pushed the door to my office open a bit wider, so she could step inside. When she first walked in, she had both of her hands hidden behind her back, but once she’d taken a few steps toward my desk, she pulled them both out. In one hand, she held two champagne flutes, and in the other was a bottle of champagne.
“I had a feeling it was going to go well, and I thought it was worth celebrating,” she declared.
I stood from my chair and said, “Jackie, I really appreciate that, and I’m humbled by the confidence you had, but this wasn’t necessary.”
She came to a stop on the opposite side of my desk, set the bottle down, and argued, “I think it is. This is a huge accomplishment.”
I wasn’t quite sure what to say. Jackie was right. Landing this account was a huge accomplishment. “I’m honored that you want to celebrate it. If nothing else, we’ve ensured several years of job security, right?” I joked.
Jackie had already opened the bottle of champagne and was pouring it. After she’d filled both glasses, she lifted them in her hands, held one out to me, and returned, “Wehaven’t done anything.Youdid this, Johnny. And you should be proud of yourself. Cheers.”
We both took a celebratory sip of champagne. “Thank you, Jackie. I appreciate this, and while I know you think otherwise, you are just as vital to the success here as I am.”
A sheepish look washed over her face. “I’m just doing my job.”
“Well, the hard work has really paid off,” I said. “It’s good to know I’ve hired someone competent to handle so much of the day-to-day responsibilities, which allows me to do my part of the job well.”
“Speaking of which—”
“I know,” I said, cutting her off. “I’ve got to get started on the Bytes account. I was planning to start that first thing tomorrow.”
Jackie’s face lit up. “Just making sure you stay on track.”
“I appreciate that.”
We both took another sip of the champagne before Jackie set her glass down and rounded the desk. I was caught off guard when she walked up, slipped her arms around me, and gave me a hug. “Congratulations, Johnny. I’m so proud of you.”
My body was tense, but to avoid an awkward scene, I simply replied, “Thank you.”
Jackie loosened her hold, took a step back, and stared up at me. “If there’s ever anything else I can help you with, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’d be eager to assist you inanyway that I can.”
This wasn’t right.
