Page 89 of Forever Wild

“Okay,” she breathes, looking shocked that I remembered our bet from so long ago. “Okay. But I’m going to… I’m going to head out for tonight.”

I nod, pulling her into one last hug before letting her go with a kiss to the forehead. I know I have to let her go, but watching that door shut behind her is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

Chapter forty-five

Bryn

Jameson

Good luck today! You’ve got this.

Me

Thank you *nervous smiley*

I make sure my phone is on silent before sliding it into the pocket of my black work backpack that’s currently stuck between my feet. True to his word, Jameson has texted me multiple times every day. I’ve responded each time but haven’t worked up the courage to answer any of his calls. He continues to leave me voicemail messages, just short recordings telling me about his day, or something he loves about me. They’re actually very sweet.

I know I need to make a decision about what I’m going to do, but it feels like I need all the information. I want this promotion so bad, but I also know it means Jameson and I are likely over. It’s a real lose-lose. Or win-win, I suppose. If I embrace either having Kyle as my boss or being jobless. The stress of it all has been threatening to overwhelm me since I walked out of Jameson’s hotel three days ago.

Luckily, today is the day. Promotion presentations are happening in just under thirty minutes. After Conrad and his brothers passed on partnering with Hungry Guy (and therefore, me) on the app, I had to go with my second option. It’s a solid upgrade, one that would use register data and in-store cameras to estimate wait times at each of our locations, but after the success of Kyle’s campaign, I’m worried it’s not going to be enough.

I want to bitch and moan about Kyle, but the truth is I got outmaneuvered. It may have been completely underhanded the way Kyle managed to get me kicked off our joint campaign, but I should’ve seen it coming. He was playing chess while I was playing checkers. I was distracted by my relationship with Jameson. And now I have to face the music. Or, in this case, the horrible sound that will be Kyle’s name getting announced for the promotion.

They decided to tell us today who will be promoted so Tara can have a few months to fully train her replacement.

Kyle strides in, his scuff-less loafers coming into view as I sit, staring at my hands. “That article last week,” he says in greeting. “So crazy. How are you holding up? Everything still okay with you and Jameson?”

The words seem kind, but the self-satisfied glint in his eyes tells me that he is enjoying the fact that I was knocked off my game last week. And, because I’m catching on to his scheming, I’m pretty sure he’s bringing it up now just to try to throw me off my game before we go present.

No way am I going to let him get to me. “I’m fine. And yeah, things are fine with Jameson. He thinks it was probably his ex.”

“Oh, yes. I’m sure it was Alexis,” he says in a tone just as Tara opens the door and calls us in.

Three hours later, we all exit the conference room.

I didn’t get the promotion.

They gave it to Kyle because his project was better. Not because his presentation was better or because he leads better, but because the project that we started together and I had to recuse myself from was better than the one that I had a couple of weeks and no team to put together.

Tara tried to stand up for me, to argue it wasn’t fair, but it was clear the boys’ club who all came up through the marketing department wanted Kyle. So they made it happen. It feels both better and much worse knowing their decision actually had nothing to do with me—I could’ve had the best idea and the best presentation and they would’ve given the job to Kyle regardless.

It makes my decision to quit that much easier. I’ll write it on my flight home tonight, and I’ll be gone in two weeks. What will I do after it? I don’t know.

We’re walking down the hallway as a group, me trying to burn a hole in Kyle’s back with my eyes, when Kyle’s comment about Alexis from earlier flies into my consciousness.

I slow down. “Hey, Kyle,” I say.

He slows down as well, and now we’re walking side by side at the back of the group. “How’d you know Jameson’s ex-girlfriend’s name is Alexis?”

It’s like the one question unleashes the evil cartoon character in him. His eyes darken, his lips curl into a smirk, and I swear two animal henchmen pop into existence at his side. “Oh. Did I forget to mention that, when doing my due diligence before asking Jameson to be part of the commercial, I actually ended up having a lovely chat with Alexis? Just wanted to make sure there weren’t any skeletons in the closet that I should know about.”

I stop completely, turning to face this man who has been manipulating a game I didn’t even know we were playing. To say I’m shocked doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Kyle, on the other hand, is clearly enjoying this. “And, when it was looking like Tara might be able to convince one of the other leaders to vote in your favor, I thought it might be a good idea to reach back out. It was remarkable how quickly she agreed to being a source for the article. It’s almost like she wants Jameson back or something… I know which of you I’d choose if I were him.”

The gall of this man. Not only is he standing there admitting to being the impetus behind an article that not only screwed me over but didn’t look great for Hungry Guy either, but he’s also trying to make me jealous of Alexis of all people.

“And Conrad? How did you know about that?”

---