Big Chicas Don't Cry(22)

Stop it, Selena. He’s not Seth.

It was true. Nathan was tall and thick with wavy brown hair. Seth was my height, skinny as a rail, and a ginger. In addition to their physical differences, Seth came from a wealthy and well-connected family in New Hampshire, and Nathan was raised by a single mother in the South Side of Chicago. Seth was all about appearances and making money. Nathan couldn’t have cared less about either.

Seth had hurt me. Deeply.

Even though I knew in my heart that Nathan would never dare, it was better for both of us to keep things casual. I opened my mouth to let him know I was ready to get back to the reason—the only reason—I was here.

Afterward, we put on some clothes and raided the mini-bar water bottles and snacks.

“You know, I was serious about the whole job in New York thing,” he said once we’d settled back on the bed. “There’s a position open at this agency, and I know I could get you an interview.”

“Which agency?” I asked after popping a chocolate-covered almond into my mouth.

“Kane Media.”

I stopped chewing. Kane Media was one of the biggest and most respected of the New York agencies. It had swept the Clio Awards last year thanks to some pretty innovative campaigns. In the advertising world, winning a Clio was like winning an Oscar, Tony, and Emmy all on the same night. That’s how good Kane Media was. It was the kind of agency I could only ever dream of working for—in about five years.

“There’s no way,” I told him. “I don’t have enough experience.”

“But you do, Selena. Plus you can really turn on the charm when you want. I’ll get you in the door, and you just be your normal fantastic self.”

Okay, for that comment, I had to kiss him. And keep kissing him.

“So, is that a yes?” he said after a few more kisses.

I pulled away to look him in the eyes. Nathan wasn’t the type to lead me on, but I still needed to be sure.

“You can really make this happen?”

His expression was sincere. “I can really make this happen. Come on, Selena. I know Umbridge doesn’t realize what you’re capable of. You’ve put in enough years and sacrifices there, and it hasn’t gotten you any closer to a promotion. A position with Kane can be a life changer.”

No kidding.

But it was also a huge risk. What if I got the job and then was a complete failure at it? Umbridge was small potatoes compared to Kane. There was no way I’d worked on enough accounts to keep up with the New York industry. If that happened, I wouldn’t just embarrass myself; I’d embarrass Nathan.

“Well?” he asked.

“I’m not sure. Let me think about it, okay?”

He sighed and kissed me softly. “Okay.”

And then we headed into round three.





Chapter Twelve


MARI


The offices of Delgado & Ramos were located on Colorado Boulevard in the heart of Old Town Pasadena. Because it was surrounded by trendy eateries and the Paseo Colorado mall, I usually only visited Esteban’s firm when I had other appointments nearby.

Today, however, the only item on my agenda was to surprise my husband and take him to lunch.

The idea had come to me in the shower when, for no reason at all, I started to cry.

All right. I had a reason.

Esteban had left before the sun, or I, was even up. He hadn’t even woken me to say goodbye. My brain told me he was just in trial mode. I should’ve been used to it by now. He didn’t mean anything by it. He never did.

Still, it had upset me. And when I was done with my shower pity party, I decided to take matters into my own hands and go see him.

He had mentioned last night as he was crawling into bed that he only had court in the morning and planned to work the rest of the day in the office to catch up on paperwork. It was a perfect opportunity to stop by and steal him away for an hour or two.

As I headed up the elevator to the third floor, my stomach dipped. Why was I so nervous?

The doors opened, and I waved to Carla, his assistant, as I passed her desk.

“Oh, Mrs. Delgado. He’s not back from court yet,” she called to me.

“That’s okay,” I sang over my shoulder. “I’ll just wait in his office. He should be back soon.”

And wait I did.

An hour and four unanswered texts later, I gave up.

“I know he’ll be sorry he missed you,” Carla said as I walked out of his office.

I couldn’t even answer her. Rage and embarrassment tightened my throat. So I offered her a quick smile instead and then made a beeline for the elevator. And just when I thought my day couldn’t get any worse, Chris stepped out.

“Marisol! What a nice surprise. What are you—” His expression changed from delighted to concerned. “What’s wrong? Did something happen to Esteban?”

Shaking my head, I walked around him and stepped into the elevator. He followed me.

“I know something is wrong. Please tell me so I can help you,” he said as the doors closed. Chris touched my shoulder, and I squeezed my eyes shut to keep the tears at bay.

“It’s nothing. I promise. It’s actually kind of stupid.” The waver in my voice evidently didn’t convince him since he put his other hand on my other shoulder.