I did my best to snap out of it. “Yeah, I’m good. I’m glad I finally get to do my real job! I was about to die of boredom over here in the cubicle wasteland without any real direction, now that Mr. Brighton isn’t spoon feeding me instructions. Thanks.”
He still seemed skeptical but he left me alone. “No problem. I have another meeting I have to get to,” he checked his watch, “now. But catch up with me later if you have questions.”
I was filled with questions. Sadly, none of them were things I could expect any help on.
“Sure thing,” I answered. He scampered down the hall and I turned back to my computer. I opened the pack and started to scan the instructions, following the steps on my computer, but my eyes glazed over and made it hard to read, much less understand, the information in front of me.
When five o’clock hit, I tossed it all aside and knew I would have to start from the beginning the next morning. I made my way out of the building, doing my best to avoid the pockets of people busy making happy hour plans. When I first took this job, I knew I was way out of my league, I knew it would be a challenge to ever fit in with these people. However, as I wove around the clusters of co-workers I caught hints of their whispers and the daggers in some of their eyes as they watched me pass by. I put my head down and shut it out, waiting till I got into the safety of my car to release the frustrated tears that had been building up since leaving Cooper’s office the day before.
Chapter Nine
Two more agonizing days went by without a word from Cooper. No phone calls, text messages, or—even more frustrating—replies to my email about the evils of BHA. I had figured he would at least have something to say about that. But I guess not. Luckily, it was finally Friday and in less than eight hours I would be free to go out and get a little crazy with my friends. Somewhere out there was a pitcher of beer with my name on it.
I sank into my chair at my desk, hating the way my ass had already left permanent indents in the faux leather fabric. As if I needed one more thing to worry about.
“She’s not really his type.”
The words of the jealous secretary replayed in my head as I looked down at my lap, contemplating the size of each thigh and the width of my hips as I sat in my chair.
I shook the thoughts out of my head—a session of weight obsession was the last thing my Friday needed. All I wanted to do today was bury myself in the training Bryce had given me the other day and focus on getting immersed in my work where I could be safe behind my computer. Numbers, code, and certainty. That’s just what I needed.
“If he doesn’t like me like this, he doesn’t deserve me anyway. Fuck that!”
My declaration came out a little louder than I had intended and sent a couple passersby scurrying away in giggles.
I’d officially been left alone in this cubicle too long.
I lay my head down on my desk, cradled by my forearms. A beep rang from my computer and I think I gave myself whiplash as I flicked up and frantically started clicking away to get into my inbox.
Terror hit me before the hollow disappointment did and I groaned slightly at the message staring back at me.
Rita Blair: Performance Review
Allison,
Please join me in my office at two o’clock. There are some matters I would like to discuss with you in regards to your first performance review.
Rita Blair
“Balls,” I whispered. I glanced around my cubicle, wondering if I should start packing up my belongings now, or wait for the official notice to do that.
I had been working at the agency for less than a month, so the premise that the meeting was an actual performance review was hard to believe. To me, it sounded more like code for getting fired. I mentally started calculating all my bills that would go unpaid, including the stack that was past due already. I felt a rush of tears but held them back and did my best to shove aside the money stress.
At two o’clock I trudged to Rita’s office, mentally preparing my defense, which was hard since I wasn’t certain I knew what she was going to say. All I knew for sure was that it was going to involve Cooper.
I knocked and Rita waved me through the glass door from behind her desk.
“Please sit,” she said, gesturing to the chair across from her.
I obeyed silently, knowing that if I were to start talking too soon it would disintegrate into a ramble and my poor mind hadn’t been able to shut off since being with Cooper and goodness knows I couldn’t afford for all that to come out right now.
Literally.
Rita clasped her hands together on top of the desk in front of her before beginning. “Allison, I know you’re an intelligent girl. It’s one of the main reasons I let Bryce talk me into hiring you in the first place. So, I’m going to cut right to the chase here.”
My nails secretly dug into the corners of the armrests on my chair as I waited for her to pass her sentence.
“There have been several reports of misconduct on your part. Specifically involving our client, Cooper Brighton.”