Lost and Found (Growing Pains #1)(31)

She dumped her crap next to her chair and headed toward the break room for coffee. She didn’t give a damn about seeing Sean today. She had to eventually anyway, so why not when she was in the worst mood to date?

There were two people present when Krista made the entrance into the break room. They looked up when she walked in, which meant they were probably gossiping. When they didn’t continue talking, it probably meant they were gossiping about her. She didn’t care.

She stopped behind the one with tight curls on the top of her head in an ugly hair thing.

“Nice clip,” she said, being nasty but hiding it behind the compliment. Basically, that was her kicking the dog.

The woman—she was from Client Retention—gave her a weird look and shuffled out of her way with her cup half full. The two ladies left shortly after. Krista didn’t care.

She got her java and skulked back to her cube with a raging headache. She had no phone messages and no emails, so if she was getting fired, the meeting wasn’t scheduled yet. Mr. Montgomery wasn’t in yet, either—she did a drive by and a quick glance—so she couldn’t enact the scowl-meter. She was flying blind. And in pain.

~*~*~*~

Sean sat at his desk facing Ray. She had till twelve. God he hoped he’d been right. He needed her. Their personal history aside, she had the potential to be a rock star. The presentation she put together was top quality material. The delivery was even better. And that was her first one! She was executive material. Undiscovered executive material. He could mold her like play dough. Marcus, too. They were both gifted and bright—if they could do what Sean suspected, they’d get the account and take it to market, no question.

“The woman you are expecting is the one you’ve been speaking of?” Ray asked in a mild voice.

Ray was a good friend. A longtime friend. He was the guy who had gotten Sean into sales. He was the one who looked at Sean like Sean was looking at Marcus and Krista. Sean was a rock star with Ray at his back, which was why he insisted to John that if he got the account, he needed Ray to lock it down.

It just so happened there was an opening for Sales anyway. Perfect timing.

“Yes. Now I wish I hadn’t. You’ll be surprised. I doubt she’s what you’ve envisioned.”

“She has to be special to catch your eye.”

“Catch it and hold it. That’s not why I want her on this team, though.”

“You’ve said.”

“I just want to make that clear. And try not to speak of her to others. She isn’t well liked by the women of this company.”

“I thought you said she was sweet.”

“She is, but she’s also beautiful, if a bit nerdy. I’ve not met one woman that wasn’t jealous. Plus, she’s in Research. She never had a chance.”

“Research is…not well liked?”

Sean smiled. “Indescribable. You have to experience it firsthand. I don’t want to ruin the surprise. I’ll take you to meet the department head after we talk to Krista.”

“And you’re sure she’ll come?”

Sean sighed and fidgeted. “No, I’m not. I’m not sure. And if she does, I’m not sure she’ll do it by twelve o’clock.”

“What happens if she doesn’t?”

“We’re sunk, probably. I am banking on Krista being able to work with Marcus. I have a feeling about it. She’s insightful. If anyone can crack his code, she will. She’ll find a way. She’ll sit and stew over it until she comes up with something. She hates failing worse than me, I think. If we don’t get her, and Marcus gets a run-of-the-mill researcher… he’ll be useless. It’ll all fall apart.”

“So we better hope she shows in time.”

“Yes.”

~*~*~*~

“Well, I have to do it sometime—might as well do it now,” Krista said to her Lucky Mug. “Even though I don’t wanna.”

Mustering her resolve, she gathered up her notebook and pen, and headed toward Sean’s office. If she had to go to Mr. Montgomery with her grievances, she needed to know how to thoroughly dissect Sean’s arguments to better her side of things. She knew how to debate. Hopefully better than Sean.

En route she worked on an image of health. She didn’t want to look as ragged as she felt. It wasn’t easy. She felt like the smell of puke. Not the look of it, not the actual stuff, but the smell of it. That was as bad as it got. That stuff lingers!

On the right floor, she walked to the office and angled herself in such a way that she could look through the window. Maybe he wouldn’t be there. Maybe he’d gotten hit by a car over the weekend was on bed rest.

His shades were drawn.

Merde! Still flying blind. Still in pain.

She slowly walked closer to the open door. She had a death grip on her Lucky Mug, hoping it would act as a shield to ward off evil spirits. As she neared, she heard subdued male voices.

With a flash of genius, she gingerly stuck her head in the doorway with her hand poised to knock. This way, she could eavesdrop for a second before actually going through with announcing herself. If foul winds blew, she would abandon ship immediately. If she was caught, she would glance to her hand as if to say, “Oh, hello, I was just about to knock.”

Before she could get her eavesdropping plan into action, however, Sean glanced up from his perch on the edge of his desk, and caught her. She nearly yelled, “AH!” like when you’re about to sneak up on someone and they turned around at the last second and caught you in the act.