Page 5 of Inevitable

“Of course, I know that Keek’s. Sorry I snapped, I didn’t sleep much and now I have my date with Andrew tonight that I am so not looking forward to.”

She goes to open her mouth, but a shrill voice cuts her off.

“Ashlynn! In my office, now!” Camila screeches.

I roll my eyes and groan. My chair rolls backwards as I stand and smooth my pencil skirt. “And now I get to deal with Camila’s shit. Wish me luck.”

Kiki gives me a sympathetic look and squeezes my shoulder as I walk past her and into Camila’s office.

“You wanted to see me?” I ask trying to keep the disdain out of my voice.

“Yeah. The designs you submitted for the winter collection are shit. You need to redo them, all of them,” she says with a sneer and a faint smirk playing at the corners of her mouth.

Bitch.

“What specifically was wrong with them? They were exactly what we had discussed. Actually, most of them were your ideas,” I snap back. I guess I am feeling a little extra feisty today.

“Well, I don’t know what to tell you. They were childish and very out of style. Maybe cute if this was 2004 and they were designed for an American Girl doll but that isn’t the case, is it? So, redo them, today.”

“Camila-”

“That’s all, you can go.”

“But Camila I-”

“Leave,” she snaps, before turning her back to me and walking to the other side of her office.

I huff in resignation before I turn on my heels and storm out of her office. I fucking hate her so much.

I throw the folder of the winter collection designs onto my desk and drop into my chair with an irritated groan. I see a messy head of auburn hair walk past my office before poking its head through the door.

“Rough morning already?” Ian asks.

Ian is my closest friend, second to Kiki. He works in HR and shares my strong distaste for Camila. He is very sweet and funny and has been shamelessly badgering me for a date for close to a year now. He is wonderful but a little too…soft for me.

“Just one of those days I guess.”

“Uh oh, isn’t it also date night with prince not so charming?” he teases.

“Please don’t remind me. I have 8 more hours of freedom and I would like to relish it.”

“Well, I have a solution. How about you ditch the dud and you let me take you out?”

He smiles like he is joking but I see the sincerity behind his eyes. I wish he would drop it because it breaks my heart to reject him every time. Especially when I go out with douche bags like Andrew, even if that isn’t necessarily by choice.

“Ian, isn’t there a company policy against dating co-workers?” I ask. It’s my usual defense when he asks.

“I won’t tell if you don’t,” he whispers playfully and winks.

I roll my eyes and laugh it off, hoping he will drop it. He seems to recognize the brush off and sighs heavily.

“Can I ask you something?” He asks after a few moments.

“Yes?” I draw cautiously.

“If you don’t want to go out with me, I get it. I mean you are gorgeous and sweet and over all wonderful so you can’t blame me for being into you. But if you really don’t like this Andrew guy then why do you even go out with him? From everything you have told me he is a grade A asshole that doesn’t deserve a second of your time. You deserve someone who sends butterflies through your body when you see them, someone who would give you the world in an instant.”

My heart aches at his words, he really is the sweetest. I really hope he finds someone wonderful so he would stop wasting his attention on me.

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