Page 6 of That Time I Kissed My Beachfront Boss

She narrows her eyes. “Because why?”

I wiggle my feet inside my shoes. These new heels pinch my toes, but I wore them because they’re gorgeous power shoes. When I put them on, I pictured sailing out of here to celebrate the promotion with my roommates. Before that, I’d stood in the shower practicing the call to my family. I couldn’t wait to tell everyone I’d landed this promotion through sheer grit and determination. That I’d only ever accepted a lower position handling Luxe’s online branding so I could prove myself.

Except I didn’t prove myself.

“I’ve been at Luxe for two years now,” I say. “And I’ve earned it.”

Francine clicks her tongue. “That’s like saying you’ve earned an engagement ring because you’ve been dating for two years. Or that you’ve earned a baby because you’ve been married for two years.”

Now it’s my turn to blink at her. “I don’t think this situation is anything like that, Francine.”

Her eyes flick to the door like she’s looking for an escape hatch. “For the record,” she lowers her voice, “I was rooting for you.”

“But?”

“But the rest of the hiring committee felt your resume lacked substance.” Francine levels me with a stare. “Allow me to be blunt.”

I gulp. “By all means.”

“You’re a beautiful young woman with a lovely wardrobe and a knack for creating viral TikToks and shareable memes. But those particular talents also landed you a reputation for being a bit—shall we say—superficial. And I’m afraid the team was worried your skills won’t extend beyond the surface level.”

Oof. The gut punch reaches straight into my soul to poke at the festering bruise of my self-doubt.

Darby’s the smart one, the triplet most likely to succeed.

Tess is the funny one, the triplet who’s everyone’s best friend.

Me?

I’m the triplet who gets eaten in the first episode of The Walking Dead.

“You think I’m shallow?” My voice drops to practically a whisper. Not being taken seriously is a fate worse than being chased by zombies. And unfortunately, it’s one with which I’m all too familiar.

“No. But certain members of the interview panel questioned your readiness for advancement. At least for now. So just give it a little more time, Olivia. Keep doing good work. Look for opportunities to show us some innovation. Be a go-getter. And maybe in another year or two?—”

“What if I got management experience someplace else?” I cut her off and hold her gaze, although what I really want to do is run out of this office, and keep on running far from this fresh evidence of my failure.

“But where?” Francine’s brow drops. “I’ve always got an ear to the grapevine, and I haven’t heard of any local resorts looking for managers.”

“Besides Luxe, you mean?”

“Besides Luxe.”

A swell of stubbornness rises in me. You’ll find something better, Liv. If not here in Aspen, then back in Breckenridge. It’s only been two years since I left. One of my contacts there might be able to help. Either way, if I’m not willing to take a chance on myself, who will?

I press my hands together, prayer style. “That’s not a no, though.”

“It’s not a no.” Francine’s measured smile is back. “Of course, if you leave, you’ll be surrendering your current job. You may feel you’re overqualified, but you’ve got a bird in the hand here at Luxe. Are you really prepared to give that up for two in the bush?”

Ugh. That phrase is the worst.

But risk is better than stagnation.

“You told me to be a go-getter.” I square my shoulders. “So that’s what I’m doing, Francine. I quit.”

Chapter Three

Hudson

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