Page 62 of Love is a Game
She shook her head to clear him from her mind, a futile effort. She thought of Andrew constantly. When she woke up in the morning, she wondered what he would be doing that day. When Archer gave her a ridiculous task, she wished she could text him to complain. At night when she walked around the city, she remembered how eager he had looked at the idea of coming to visit her there. She wondered what it would have been like to walk through Pike Place Market with her hand in his.
She’d known she was falling for him, but she hadn’t realized how hard. That last night at his house, she’d wanted nothing more than for him to hold her, to kiss her. She’d wanted him to ask her to stay, and for a moment she’d thought he would.
She sighed. What was she going to do, quit her job to be with someone she’d never even kissed? Someone who probably hated her? It was ridiculous to even think about.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the mail cart rolling into her office. Her packages from Julie were balanced precariously on top.
“Miss Connor?” the young man asked.
“Yes, that’s me. Thank you so much for bringing these up,” she said, picking up the canvas. “Can you put the other one on my desk?”
Julie’s artwork had been sitting, forgotten, in a corner of her apartment with some of the other things she’d brought home from Briar Cove. When she found them the previous weekend, she remembered that they were supposed to be for her office, but since she usually took the bus after she arrived downtown, she didn’t want to carry them to work with her. A few days earlier she’d dropped them off with a delivery service and had been anxiously waiting for them to arrive.
It was just the distraction she needed. As soon as the man left with his cart, she slid the tapestry out of the cardboard tube and shook it loose. It didn’t complement the room the way it had in her parents’ house, but it could hold its own against the stark white of her office walls. She hung it beside her door with the hardware Julie had sent and then turned to the wrapped canvas. It was almost as tall as she was, but there was room for it on the wall across from her desk. Taped to the front was a folded note. For my beautiful big sister.
She pulled the brown paper away and stepped back to look at it. The background was made up of carefully placed splotches of brightly colored paint which gave it an abstract feel. In the foreground was a woman’s face, turned up toward the light source in the upper corner of the canvas.
Her face, Sadie realized. Somehow Julie had perfectly captured her mid-laugh. She was the only person who could, Sadie thought, because she only ever laughed like that around her little sister. The woman’s mouth was open and her eyes closed, with delicate lines extending out toward her hairline that brought her joy to life. This was the painting her mom had asked to keep. Her chest tightened and she felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she couldn’t look away.
A knock at the door startled her, and she quickly wiped at her eyes before turning around.
“Genevieve. Hello.” It was the last person she’d expected. She set the canvas against the wall and pushed aside the brown wrapping paper. “Please, come in.”
The woman stepped into the room and paused to admire the painting. She turned to Sadie with a sly smile and a raised eyebrow. “It’s a bold move, hanging your own likeness in your office. I like it.”
“Oh, yes. I didn’t know. My sister sent it.” Her hands fluttered awkwardly in front of her so she clasped them tightly behind her back.
“It’s beautiful. We’re in the business of soulless, mediocre art. It’s always refreshing to see the real thing.”
She beamed at the praise for her sister. Julie was, in every way, the real thing. She would have to pass the compliment along later.
Genevieve sat down in the chair across from Sadie’s desk and leaned back with her arms stretched comfortably on the armrests. “I was told you were back in the office, thought I would come down and say hello. I don’t know if you’ve heard the latest update on your little hotel.”
“The Cypress?” Sadie asked, sitting down eagerly. “No, I haven’t.”
“Acquisitions is putting together an offer. Should be ready in a week or so.”
“Wow, that’s great.” She couldn’t wait to tell her parents. Part of her wanted to tell Andrew, too, but he didn’t want to hear from her, and she knew he wouldn’t take it as good news.
“It’s quite the feather in your cap. Well done,” Genevieve told her.
“Thank you.”
“I meant what I said before. I want you on my team. I don’t care what Archer says; I think it’s time for you to take on bigger responsibilities.”
Sadie’s ears perked up at that. She cocked her head to the side and asked, “What did Archer say?”
Genevieve waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, he’s not ready to let you go. These department heads can get so territorial sometimes. Fortunately, for both of us, I don’t need his approval. I’ve already started the transfer paperwork. You should probably wait to mount any pictures on your walls. I don’t think you’ll be in here much longer.”
Sadie’s mind whirled. This was it—she was being promoted. Everything she had worked so hard for was finally coming together. She knew she should feel elated, but the revelation about Archer left her reeling. Was it possible she’d been stuck in her job for so long because he’d been standing in her way? She knew her family was right about him relying on her too much, but she hadn’t thought he would go so far as to sabotage her career.
“I-I don’t know what to say,” she finally stammered. “I look forward to working with you.”
Genevieve smiled approvingly. “I should warn you. I work my people hard. We put in long hours, and I won’t settle for less than excellence, but I promise it will pay off. I see a lot of potential in you, Sadie. If you give me all you have for a year, maybe two, I think you could be ready for a senior management position.”
Sadie blinked. All she had? She forced her features into a smile and said, “Well, I appreciate the heads-up. If you’ll excuse me, I have a few things I need to get done before my next meeting.”
“Of course.” Genevieve stood, and Sadie followed her to the door.