Page 92 of If Our Hearts Collide

I swallow the spit pooling in my mouth. “Okay.”

She smiles. “It’s not that I want to go behind her back, but I bet she’d feel more comfortable as a result of my efforts in hindsight.”

I know Angie is coming from a good place, so I don’t feel anything but gratitude that she would want to include me in her discussion at all.

Angie guides me over to the sofa section. How cool is it that a corporate office—one I’ll now be working in—has a section for relaxing and brainstorming? Everything about this place lives and breathes warmth and inclusion.

I’m obsessed.

The dress code is relaxed, yet everyone appears to choose to be professional. Living plants rest on stands and in pots near the windows. And there’s an amazing lounge that is stocked with healthy snacks.

I really could get used to this.

Angie and I each take up a sofa.

“So, I’ve been thinking…”

I cross my legs at my ankles. “Okay…”

“I know the original plan was for you to model for Plus None, and that’s still definitely something Claire and I both want. But the work is sporadic and is centered just around photoshoots and not as much the office.”

I nod, trying to predict what she’s going to say next.

“With Claire going on maternity leave later this year—at Nic’s request, not hers—I would like to have employees be more versatile.”

“Of course. That makes sense.”

“Although, I imagine once Claire holds her baby for the first time, she may completely jump ship and enter the stay-at-home mom life. Anyway, I’d like to get you trained on the marketing aspect of the business for the off chance we need a bit more help while she steps away temporarily.”

“Or permanently.”

“Yup. That’s always a possibility. Claire can be unpredictable at times, but I know her well enough to know she’ll always have a firm foothold in the company she helped create. Her role might just look a little different than it does now, where she is putting in so many hours.”

“She is a determined and driven person.”

Angie nods. “She’s out right now meeting with potential partners for Plus None who might place products in our subscription boxes.”

“How wonderful. I can’t wait to see what gets decided.”

“So, you’d be willing to learn some of the behind-the-scenes marketing techniques and strategies? And also brainstorm with a team your ideas on what colors to use, fonts, and motivational monthly slogans? This would involve field testing, surveys, and analyzing already successful marketplaces.” Angie takes an exaggerated breath. “Sorry, that was a lot. I’m a lot.”

I laugh. “I can do all of that, just as long as you understand that I have zero experience but am very eager to learn.”

Angie smiles brightly. “Hiring you is our game changer.”

“But you barely know me.”

“I know enough. And I make decisions based on my intuition which rarely lets me down. Besides, this is a low-pressure type of thing. If you try it out for a while and really don’t like the work, we can reassess and come up with a new game plan. But I’d really like to see where this goes right now. We already have a decent-sized following. It’s just about staying fresh and keeping our clients always wanting more.”

I nod. “This sounds like a lot of fun.”

“Did someone say fun?”

We turn to see Claire looking as adorable as ever. I know when she first found out she was pregnant, Plus None decided to host a pregnancy subscription box that has really taken off. There wasn’t a ton on the market and definitely not one that was meant to progress with all months of pregnancy.

I can only hope that I can learn a lot and help relieve some stress that might occur to the company if Claire takes an extended leave.

“Good seeing you, Claire,” I say, getting up from the sofa to give her a hug.

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