Page 1 of Dearly Unbeloved
1
ROSE
I’m going to kill my roommate.
My knuckles are white, gripping the papers I went out of my way to have printed—because who has a printer at home anymore—ahead of my job review. Sure, I could’ve just shown up with the stats I painstakingly put together, outlining my time at SEALAB on my laptop or tablet, but I’m trying to look as professional as possible.
It’s hard to do that with Sierra’s scribbles all over the back of the paper. She’s infuriating. How many times have I asked her nicely (ish) not to write the answers to the stupid radio quiz she’s obsessed with on my shit? And how many times has she blatantly ignored me and grabbed whatever paper was closest? This is the last thing I need right now.
I rub the ink helplessly with my thumb. God forbid Sierra have the foresight to grab an erasable pen from the penholder on the kitchen counter.
“Rose? Are you ready?” Lisa, my boss, is smiling at me from her office doorway.
Lisa’s office is… homey. Like the kind of soft, comfy living room I thought only existed in sitcoms growing up, because my parents wouldn’t know homey if it slapped them in the face. She has a scuffed oak desk with a white leather office chair, but she sits on the squishy gray sectional. I look between the couch and her desk.
“I like to keep reviews informal,” Lisa says, patting the seat beside her. “We’re just catching up.”
I perch on the edge of the couch, awkwardly crossing my legs at the ankles.Informal. I didn’t prepare for informal. “That sounds perfect.” The lie is like lead on my tongue.
It’s been a little over a year and a half since I dropped out of med school, crushing my parents’ dreams of having a doctor for a daughter. In school, I always preferred the practical work, and after an internship at SEALAB, an innovative lab focused on researching low-cost solutions for infectious diseases, I fell in love with the work and the atmosphere. I’ve never been a people person, and the lab is the perfect place for me to put my head down and work on my own.
I don’t have the fancy title my parents have been dreaming of since I first showed an interest in science when I was three, but I’ve never been more professionally content. And at least I’m not wasting the double major in biology and chemistry I spent four years exhausting myself over.
“I can’t believe you’ve been with us for eighteen months already! Time really flies, doesn’t it? How are you finding things?” Lisa asks, and I take a deep breath as I smooth the papers over my lap, scribbled side down.
The job is great. The money is… fine. It could be worse, but Seattle isn’t a cheap city, and I’m desperate to get a place of my own. I love my apartment, but the company is less than ideal. My parents kicked me out when I left med school, and I thought I’d struck gold when my sister told me her assistant, Sierra, was looking for a roommate. In reality, it’s been fucking awful. Sierra is impossible to live with, and I need to get out.
But for that, I need a raise, which means I need a promotion. And I just so happen to know that one of the team supervisors is leaving Seattle next year. Though her job hasn’t officially been posted, everyone is talking about it. I may not be the chattiest, but I listen.
SEALAB favors internal candidates, and based on when she’s leaving, it looks like they’ll be hiring to fill her job in around three months. Which means if I want the job—and god, I want it—I have to put my best foot forward now.
Lisa listens as I talk her through my first eighteen months, the highs, the lows, and the steps I’ve taken to work past them. The proof is in the stats: I’ve excelled at SEALAB. I know I’m the most efficient person on the team. I know I’m the most dedicated. I regularly work unpaid overtime without being asked, and I’m always the first one in the lab. If anyone needs someone to step in and cover them, I’m there. When new people join the team, I spend time with them, giving them tips and tricks. I even stay late every time the team has after-work drinks planned, so they can leave early. Of course, I could always do more, but my results speak for themselves.
“Wow, Rose. What a year and a half you’ve had,” shesays with a wide smile. Lisa has to be around my mom’s age, but her smile is a lot softer. Probably because my mom is surrounded by sycophants who act like getting older is the worst thing in the world, so she’s spent a small fortune to make sure she doesn’t look a day over forty.
My mom is beautiful, and I love her, but sometimes I wish I’d gotten to know my parents before their business took off. Back when they were just Alex and Lilia Cannon, living in a rundown two-bedroom house in Marysville comfortably, but not excessively. But it’s easy to think that way when you’ve grown up as privileged as I have—I’ve never wanted for anything. My parents might not have given out much love, but I’ve had a more comfortable life than most.
“Thanks, Lisa. I’ve really enjoyed all the projects we’ve worked on,” I say, setting the papers down on my lap again. “I’ve learned a lot and really pushed myself.”
“I can tell. You’re a real asset to the team, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. We appreciate all the hard work you’ve put in.”
Her smile is warm and genuine, pushing me to sit up straighter, and untangling some of thewhat if I’m not good enough?knots in my chest. Of course I’m good enough. I’m Rose Charlotte Cannon, and my parents might not have hugged me growing up, but they taught me to succeed. I’ve got this.
“I’ve been happy to do it,” I reply, projecting as much confidence as I can.
“Glad to hear it. Now, usually in reviews, this is whenwe talk about things you’d like to work on over the next year. You included a lot of that in your recap, and I think everything you’re working toward is achievable. It sounds like you have a good idea of how to get there, but let me know if you need help with anything. Is there anything else you’d like to work toward? I know we talked about us helping you get your master’s if that was something you wanted to do. Generally, that’s a benefit we reserve for two years of service, but given how dedicated you’ve been this year, we can look at bringing that forward if it’s something you’d like to do.”
Oh. I wasn’t expecting that. Getting my master’s is the next logical step in my education, but I don’t know if I’m ready to put myself through school again. I still wake up in a panic some days, thinking I’ve forgotten an assignment.
My hesitation must show, because understanding dawns on Lisa’s face. “There’s no rush to decide,” she assures me. “I just want you to know you have the option.”
“Thank you. I’ll definitely think about it.” I clear my throat. “Actually, there is something I wanted to talk about working toward.”
Lisa gestures for me to go on, her expression nothing short of encouraging, but the mention of going back to school has derailed me.
I take a deep breath. “I heard Kayleigh is going home to England next year and there’s going to be a supervisor position available. I’d love to be considered.”
The change on Lisa’s face is minute, but her brows lift a fraction, her eyes just slightly wideningin surprise. It’s gone as soon as I notice it, but it’s enough for my stomach to sink.
