Big Chicas Don't Cry(30)

“She just got back,” I said and pointed behind him.

He spun around and headed straight for her office. Relieved I was off the hook, I went back to answering emails. My reprieve didn’t last long.

Less than ten minutes later, I was summoned by Kat.

Her door was open, and I wondered when Alan had left. She glared at me from behind her desk.

“Why didn’t you text me that Alan was looking for me?” she said as soon as I sat down.

I shrugged. “I didn’t know you were going to be gone so long.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I thought you were still in the building. I figured you’d be back eventually.”

“Next time, text me. Don’t assume anything, all right?”

“Okay,” I answered. Part of me wanted to ask where she’d been. But I knew better. “Is that it?”

She handed me a folder before turning to her computer screen. “Alan wants you to look at these stock photos of couples and pick the ones you think we could pass off as Hispanic.”

I opened the folder and noticed two pages filled with images. “Are you seriously asking me to choose an image based on the color of the people’s skin?”

Kat turned back to look at me. “That’s exactly what I’m asking. What’s the big deal?”

Any other day, I would’ve kept my mouth shut. But I didn’t appreciate having to lie to Umbridge on her behalf.

“Not all Latinos are brown, you know. I think the graphics department should go back to the drawing board and find images that specifically used Latino models.”

I braced myself for her usual sarcasm. Instead, she crossed her arms in front of her chest and leaned back into her chair.

“Come to the conference room in five minutes. You’re going to sit in on this new client meeting.”

Kat rarely invited me to new client meetings. My instincts told me something was up. Dread swirled around my gut, and I instantly regretted my lunch choices.

I had checked her calendar when Alan was looking for her, so I knew she was meeting with someone named Scott Anderson from a company called Cup of Sugar. The company sounded vaguely familiar to me, but I didn’t have enough time to do a quick internet search. I left her office and stopped at my desk to grab a notepad, a pen, and my iPhone. Then I speed walked to the conference room.

Kat was already there, seated at the head of the conference table, and to her right was a man I assumed to be Mr. Anderson. He was younger than I’d pictured, maybe late thirties or early forties. To her left was Henry Umbridge.

“Scott, this is my associate Selena Lopez,” Kat introduced me in her fake syrupy-sweet tone. “I asked Selena to join us since you mentioned over the phone that you were also interested in getting some ideas for social media strategies. I figured we could discuss those today as well.”

Mr. Anderson stood up and shook my hand. His palm was cool and his grip strong. I noticed his eyes were hazel and that his smile was warm and easygoing. “Thanks for being here, Selena. I can’t wait to hear all of your ideas.”

Oh crap! So that’s what the bitch was up to. Pull me in at the last minute so I wouldn’t be prepared and then profusely apologize to the client for my incompetency. That way Kat could blame our lack of social media strategy on me, rather than her, since it was one area where she was not an expert. And I was. Or I was as close to an expert as Umbridge & Umbridge could offer.

As Kat went through her cookie-cutter PowerPoint presentation on advertising, public relations, and marketing plans, I remembered where I had heard the name of the company before. It was the company Nathan had met with last month.

Cup of Sugar was a start-up app that allowed neighbors to rent or sell things to people who lived nearby. Nathan told me the company was getting ready to expand, and he was brought in to help find people for some key positions. He had been really impressed by the company’s grassroots beginnings and their plans for the future.

And, fortunately for me, I had actually listened to every word.

“As you can see, Scott, we at Umbridge & Umbridge are really a full-service agency that can deliver award-winning and effective strategies that will take your company’s brand up to the next level,” purred Kat as she concluded her PowerPoint.

Scott nodded and smiled at Kat and then turned to look at me. Umbridge did, too, and so did Kat with her evil Cheshire grin.

I cleared my throat and smiled back.

“Forgive me, Mr. Anderson, but I don’t have a PowerPoint presentation like Kat,” I began. I could tell the Wicked Witch was about to feign surprise, so I quickly continued. “But based on your company’s roots, I figured you’d appreciate a more organic approach.”

For the next twenty minutes, I talked about creating a social media strategy that would elevate the brand’s awareness while also keeping its casual and homegrown appeal.

“Wow, I’m really impressed, Selena,” Mr. Anderson said after I finished my impromptu pitch. “I’ll definitely be in touch in a few days about next steps.”

Pride welled up inside me. Along with a little smugness. Okay, a lot of smugness. Especially when I glanced over at Kat. Her thin lips and crossed arms told me I’d done a better job than I’d even thought. It was an amazing feeling. And the fact that it also made Kat stew in her jealous juices was a bonus.