What Lola Wants (Leave Your Shoes On 1)

“Oh, shit!” Lola’s hand pressed to her chest as her heart launched into her throat. Her Friday morning was getting off to a very unexpected, insane start. “What the fuck?” she managed to squeak out.

“Killer, huh?” Sarah beamed as she stood beside Lola, just outside the conference room.

“Oh. My. God. Staci’s in there.” Lola tried to breathe. It was a natural function. One that shouldn’t require any sort of thought or effort. Yet, for Lola, at that moment, it demanded her full concentration.

She should have known something was up. A table had been placed next to the door of the conference room with lox and bagels and rich-smelling coffee set out. Obviously for a surprise guest. She never would have believed it was the surprise guest of the century.

In a very calm voice, Sarah said, “She’s my aunt. Did I forget to mention that?” She smiled coyly. “Anyway, Todd and I talked about how we were bringing in the ad agency so quickly, and he suggested it’d be cool to have Staci here before that, and I took that as an exploit nepotism request to get her in this morning. Whatever a girl has to do, right?”

Lola’s head whipped in Sarah’s direction. “You could have warned me,” she snapped.

“No.” Sarah insisted. “I couldn’t take the chance. You wouldn’t have slept all night and look as refreshed as you do. And it might have given you a whole mind-block, which won’t help in a situation like this. What you have to do,” Sarah said as she gripped Lola by the shoulders, “is be as savvy as you have been since Tuesday—screw Monday, right?—and look Staci in the eye and sell this campaign. You remember what I told you about her philosophy regarding those within being the true stewards of shoe sales?”

Lola swallowed hard.

Holy shit.

How was this happening? She’d just bought a car. She’d signed a lease on an apartment. She couldn’t afford to lose her job, or she’d end up living in her parents’ house.

No! Not an option!

Oh, God. What if she opened her mouth in front of Staci and all that came out was blah, blah, blah that didn’t make any sense at all?

“How could you do this to me?” she demanded of Sarah. “I thought we were like, you know, becoming friends.”

“We are.” Sarah stared into her eyes. “I would not have called Staci if I didn’t believe, to the depths of my soul, that this ad campaign is going to launch this company into the stratosphere. And here’s something else you need to know…” She actually cupped Lola’s face with her hands and stared even harder. “Staci wouldn’t have come just because I called. She came because she knows this is a defining moment for her business. Don’t just sell the campaign. Fucking own it.”

She released Lola and sauntered into the conference room.

Lola felt her entire world spiral out of control.

Her.

Lola Vonn.

The woman who thrived on out-of-control. The woman who created chaos because she believed everyone should have twists and turns in their lives.

Clusterfuck was her middle name, for chrissakes.

Yet she felt the way Alex must have back in high school, wondering where the hell his car ha

d disappeared to when she’d moved the Altima on the sly. Had someone stolen it? Was he losing his mind because he couldn’t even remember, between first period and lunch, where he’d parked?

Alex.

Just thinking about him made her smile. Made her breathe easier. Alex was a steady, stable force in her life. If he were there at that moment, he’d tell her she could nail this meeting—and he’d do it with conviction in his eyes. Because Alex always believed in her.

When she’d tried out for cheer the first time in junior high… when she’d worried over taking the SAT, despite her stellar grades, because college meant so much to her… when she’d vacillated over whether she was doing the right thing by moving to Baltimore three years ago… Alex had helped her to follow her instincts and her dreams. Always.

In addition to him, her new coworkers were on her side. Even the management team supported her. She accepted what they’d all told her—that Todd wouldn’t have called in the ad agency so soon if he didn’t buy her campaign concept.

It was go-time, and Lola knew she’d never have a better chance than this to strut her stuff and prove she was no Barbie doll. She was an up-and-coming creative marketing force. And the people surrounding her—Alex and her team—were the ones helping to make her dreams come true. Because they all believed in her.

She squared her shoulders and entered the conference room. Staci stood and extended her hand.

“I’m Lola Vonn,” she said as they shook.

“Staci. We’ve met a couple of times. In Baltimore. You worked in Maxi’s division.”