Gavin Sheppard consulted his notes. “I understand you left Helios before your internship was complete. Can you tell us why?”
Because I blackmailed Norah’s ex into retracting the smear campaign his father started against her. Yeah, no, she couldn’t mention that.
“Norah left Helios in January and relocated to Wishful, Mississippi. We have an exceptional working relationship, so I felt that my apprenticeship would be better served by continuing to work with her, rather than switching horses midstream, as it were.”
“And what exactly have you been doing in Mississippi?” asked Derek—something. Cecily couldn’t remember his last name. She could tell he couldn’t fathom that she’d done anything of import in a place so small.
Feeling defensive on Norah’s behalf and protective of Wishful, Cecily squared her shoulders. “We waged a war and turned the tide of a town that’s been economically disadvantaged for several decades—without resorting to accepting the less than beneficial offer of GrandGoods, which would’ve irrevocably damaged the character of Wishful.” Warming to her topic, Cecily continued, “And since they got sent packing, we’ve firmly established the first phase of a long-term rural tourism campaign, while assisting individual local businesses in maximizing their potential.”
As she began to outline the specifics of the rural tourism campaign, Cecily’s new phone beeped with an incoming text. Mortification at her unprofessionalism was quickly chased away by the twin demons of hope and dread. They seemed to circle her as she muttered an apology and reached for the phone to switch it over to vibrate—and saw the text from Dinah.
Plot twist! Talk to him.
Cecily blinked at the message, her train of thought entirely derailed. What had Dinah found out? Plot twist? In Dinah’s world, that meant something wasn’t as it seemed—exactly as she’d predicted. Her aunt was no bullshitter when it came to matters of the heart. That meant that somehow, some way, there was some kind of explanation for what Cecily had seen. She couldn’t fathom what that was, but hope flared in her chest nonetheless. That meant everything could be all right. Didn’t it?
“Is everything okay?” Nina asked.
“Yes.” Cecily thumbed the phone to silent and mentally shook herself. “I’m terribly sorry. Where was I?”
“The planned roll out of Phase Two.”
“Ah, yes. Phase Two deals with the revitalization of other downtown retail space in preparation for luring small business entrepreneurs. Part of that is individual marketing plans for the existing businesses, maximizing their client base and revenues. That’s predominantly what I’ve been doing the last several months.” She began to describe some of the specific projects she’d spearheaded. As she got into the meat of those campaigns, citing befores and afters, Cecily realized that nothing she’d ever done at Helios—even while under Norah’s tutelage—had ever made her this happy.
On the heels of that epiphany, Gavin asked, “Why don’t you tell us about your vision about marketing in general.”
“I come from a family that believes in utilizing skills in the service of
others. In light of that, I love connecting on an individual level—with both clients and their customer base. That personal service is so rewarding. And I suppose my vision is of doing that in a way that’s affordable for small businesses.” Which was exactly the business plan she’d outlined for her own firm.
As she looked around the table at the faces of these movers and shakers, Cecily tried to imagine herself as one of them. She tried to see the life she’d envisioned for so long. And she simply couldn’t. The truth was, no matter how things turned out with Reed, she didn’t want to work in corporate marketing. No matter how prestigious.
“This firm is one of the best in the country. But Verdant doesn’t do small. You have a different vision, a different function, and I’m not sure I’m the best fit for that. I appreciate the honor of interviewing with you more than you can know, but I’ve got another path to follow.”
The various stunned faces around the table made it quite clear that no one had ever walked away from the opportunity of a job with their firm.
“Well, we appreciate your candor, Miss Dixon.” Nina offered her hand.
Cecily took it. “I apologize for taking up your time.”
“Not at all. Your unique viewpoint is…refreshing. And should you change your mind, give me a call.”
She knew she wouldn’t be changing her mind. Not on this. “Thank you for the opportunity.”
“I’ll walk you out.”
As they descended the spiral staircase down to the first floor, Nina asked, “Where will you be headed?”
Cecily thought of Wishful and of the confrontation waiting there. “Home.”
“Best of luck. I suspect you’ll be successful at whatever you put your mind to.”
She certainly hoped so.
The moment Nina Winslow left her side, Cecily pulled her phone back out and dialed Reed’s number from memory. It began to ring as she stepped outside. It rolled to voicemail.
Damn it. She’d expected him to pick up. What the hell should she say?
“I—Reed, it’s Cecily. I have a new number. I’d like to talk to you. Call me back.” She unzipped her purse, feeling deflated and losing some of her nerve.