Page 1 of No Such Thing as Serendipity
CHAPTER 1
The room was exceptionallydark, but not dark enough. I hadn’t bothered to turn on the office lights or open the blinds. Still, a thin beam of sunlight peeked through the tiny gap at the bottom corner of the blinds.
The past eight years, since I’d moved into the corner suite, the office had been perfect. Then one day, I’d discovered the annoying light invading my office.
I scowled at the pinpoint of light targeting my desk, much like a dot from a sniper’s gun. It landed in the middle of my nameplate.
Blake Saunders, Vice President
Fortitude Equity Group
I smiled, thinking that I’d soon need to update my nameplate.
My happiness didn’t last long as the invading dot hammered at my brain. I’d complained to the maintenance manager severaltimes. Not only had he been unable to fix it, in his exasperation, he’d told me he could just paint thewhole goddamned window black if that would make me happy.Of course, it wouldn’t make me happy. Him doing his job would.
I did my best thinking in the dark. With nothing to distract me, I managed to laser focus my mind. My lip raised in a half-smile. Some might argue I was hyper-focused enough and needed no more advantage. My many rivals would agree, but they weren’t important now. What was important was my meeting with Terrence.
Giving up on the peace darkness brought me, I turned on my banker’s lamp with the green shade, and the damnable dot disappeared.
Good.Now maybe I could concentrate. I opened the center drawer of my desk and pulled out the well-worn Moleskine notebook. It was one of the smaller ones, about the size of a paperback book.
I ran my fingers over the cover and smiled. Memories of when Auntie Bess presented it to me flooded my mind. She’d told me the notebook was special, just like me, and it should hold all my goals and ambitions and most importantly, my dreams. The normally stoic Bess had tears in her eyes as I’d thumbed through the pages. The memory was bittersweet. I never suspected then that Bess wouldn’t be around to see my high school graduation. I suspected Bess knew, though. Thoughts of Auntie Bess always churned emotions I tried to avoid.Auntie Bess.Who was neither my aunt nor was her name Bess.
I pushed my thoughts aside as I opened the notebook I’d cherished for thirty years. The precise adolescent handwriting greeted me on the first page. Handwriting, which grew more meticulous over the years. While other executives’ handwriting became more illegible the higher they climbed the corporateladder, mine did the opposite. I wanted to ensure everyone was clear on whose signature graced the deal.
There wasn’t time to stroll down memory lane since I needed to leave for my meeting with Terrence soon. I flipped to the third page, leaving behind all the goals I’d achieved and the one I’d crossed out.
My finger trailed farther down the list, and my lip curled in annoyance when I reached the unchecked item.
Marry the love of my life
If Marta hadn’t lost her mind and walked out on me, I could have achieved it. It didn’t matter now. In hindsight, it would’ve been cheating if I’d married Marta and checked the box.My true love wouldn’t have abandoned me, nor would I have felt so little when she did. I hadn’t shed a single tear, but I couldn’t remember the last time I had. Tears were for the weak.
Today was no time to dwell on the past. I picked up my pen and moved it toward the other unchecked item on the list. Should I check it before it became official in—I glanced at my watch—ten minutes?
Become CEO of a multimillion-dollar company
I smiled at more of my youthful naïvety. Fifteen years ago, when I’d started my career at Fortitude, it had been a multimillion-dollar company. Through hard work and sacrifice, Fortitude had crossed into the billions five years ago, and everyone knew I was a huge part of the company’s success.
With Terrence McClinton’s retirement imminent, it would be my chance to punch the company through the trillion-dollar ceiling. I dropped my pen on my desk without checking the box. After all, I was a rule follower. It could be several weeks before I signed a contract with Fortitude. There would be countless meetings and negotiations before solidifying the final details. Then god knows how long it would take the lawyers to bless it.
No.I’d use the pen I signed the contract with to make the checkmark. I closed the notebook and slid it back into the center drawer of my desk.
I stood. It was time to meet Terrence.
Before opening the door to my office, I buttoned my blazer. Armani. It was my favorite suit—black, of course. It made me feel powerful when I set out to break the glass ceiling. Faced with a roomful of men, in a man’s world, I needed every advantage I could get, and the suit helped me exude my trademark confidence. Though I was relatively small, standing only five-foot-four, I’ve been told I appear much taller.
The tailored fit highlighted my efforts at the gym. Since I loved the adrenaline rush and feeling of power from lifting weights, it had been easy maintaining my well-defined shoulders. But I couldn’t say the same for my slender waist. It had been a challenge, considering my love of M&M’s. After careful calculations, I allowed myself ten M&M’s on days I didn’t work out and fifteen on days that I did. It worked for me.
I didn’t believe in false modesty, so I’d admit I turned heads and puzzled men when they discovered I was a lesbian. I was unsure why since I considered myself a soft butch, but then again, most men didn’t realize that was a thing.
Even after the discovery, I’d had to tell some men to back off. I’d never had to tell them twice. At least Terrence had shown no sexual interest toward me. Even after the #MeToo movement, I continued to hear horror stories from female executives. But my relationship with Terrence had been a fatherly one, which was fitting since he was thirty years my senior. While none of his children was interested in the company, at least he’d have someone who was like a daughter to him taking the reins of his baby.
Nancy looked up from her desk when I emerged from my office, and an enormous smile lit her face. Nancy Stern had beenmy first and only personal assistant at Fortitude. There was no one more loyal or competent than Nancy.
“This is it,” Nancy said.
“This is it,” I parroted. I was almost as excited for Nancy’s promotion as my own—almost.
