Stone Cold Fox (12)
“Len, I completely understand your alarm, but I can explain the situation. And please know that this isn’t how I wanted you to find out about—”
“I’d guess you didn’t want me to find out at all,” he barked. Len’s salt-and-pepper mustache danced around in a manner most grotesque when he was upset, like it had a mind of its own. Appalling.
“Collin and I have been see—”
“This type of conduct is very much frowned upon at our agency, Bea.”
“I realize that, but I can assure you—”
“I will have to make a recommendation that HR—”
“Len, please.” I stood up now, using every tactic I had to snap him out of the constant interruptions. He looked me up and down, he couldn’t help it, and I knew that would be the case. I finally had his full attention. “Like I was saying, Len, I can assure you that this isn’t some silly little tryst between client and vendor. Collin and I are in a very serious relationship.”
“Well, I should hope so, Bea. The Case Company is one of our highest profile clients. The optics of this are, well, frankly, they’re indecent.”
“Indecent,” I scoffed at him, briefly indulging in the insubordinate. “Len, I apologize that I didn’t disclose this to you before, but I can promise you that there will be no conflict whatsoever—”
“No conflict?!” The man was red in the face. I couldn’t stand it. I excelled at my career, and it was important to me, because it was my very own that I had built and always had under control. Now a simpleton like Syl had put it all at risk. I took a deep breath, choosing to be direct, so I could prepare for the worst.
“Len, is my future at the agency in jeopardy?”
“I’m not at liberty to discuss that further until you’ve spoken with HR.”
“Len, are you terminating me?”
“Bea. That’s enough. You’ll be receiving an invitation shortly to meet with Rhonda, and we’ll get this all sorted out.”
When he left, I spotted Jessica McCabe in her cube, quickly looking back at her computer, acting like she had been the whole time, but I saw the corners of her mouth turn up in delight. Surely her only triumph for the entire week. Good for her.
To say a meeting with Rhonda in HR was less than ideal would be an understatement. She had never been a fan of mine, all decked out in discount designer outfits from outlet stores with a heinous perm she’d likely been sporting for thirty years, grimacing at me whenever we crossed paths. She’d been in HR at the agency probably longer than I’d been alive. This was all so frustrating. Surely Collin had communicated to Syl that our relationship was not for public consumption at our respective workplaces? How could she make such an enormous mistake in her first week? And who else might she have blabbed to on the phone while “updating her files” that day? I called Collin immediately, all while keeping a watchful eye on my inbox for Rhonda’s forthcoming wrath.
“Collin Case’s office,” Syl practically sang through the phone.
“It’s Bea for Collin.” Suffice it to say, the tone of my voice didn’t match her own enthusiasm.
“I’m so sorry, Bea, but he’s in a meeting right now.”
“I do not care. You need to get him on the phone with me right now. It’s urgent. We have to clean up a mess that you made today.”
“What?!” Syl was completely mortified.
“Didn’t Collin mention the terms of our relationship to you?” I asked her.
“Terms of your relationship? I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean.”
“Get him on the phone.”
“Yes. Um, ri-right away,” she stammered. I could tell she was about to cry. I heard the click of the phone, and ambient music began to play. She had the audacity to put me on hold. Before I could hang up and ring her again, Collin was on the line, frantic.
“Babe, what’s going on? Syl said it was an emergency and she was crying.”
“She should be crying. I might be crying soon.”
“What happened?”
“Your new assistant told Len Arthur about us this morning. I just had him in my office reading me the riot act about my indecency and poor judgment, and now HR will be reaching out to me to discuss my uncertain future with this agency.”
“Shit. I’m sorry, Bea. It’s one hundred percent my fault. Don’t blame Syl. I must have forgotten to tell her,” he admitted, an imbecilic move on his part. I wanted to shout at him as well, but that wouldn’t behoove me, particularly if I’d be getting sacked by the end of the day. Rhonda’s request had just come through with a proposed time to meet within the hour. This was a disaster. My résumé had not been updated nor my network sufficiently fluffed for maintenance. I was in no position to be seeking both new employment and a new boyfriend, so I remained calm with Collin. A show of temper could only be deployed in a relationship at moments when the other party would find it endearing and cute, believing their partner is a spitfire or a spark plug or a pistol or some other terrible turn of phrase reserved exclusively for women who openly share their opinions.
“Well.” I turned on a crack in my voice so Collin would feel appropriately contrite but no one in the office would see any tears. “I’m not really sure what to do now.” Collin loved when I pretended to need his help, but this time I feared I really did.