Page 6 of The Lies I've Told
I let out a breath, thinking back to all the long nights without sleep, the endless travel, and the lack of a social life. “It hasn’t been; that’s for sure. But it’s not a guarantee. The position, I mean. It’s all rumors at this point.”
I was totally lying through my teeth.
That promotion was mine. I’d heard it directly from my boss’s lips late last night.
“Well, you’re an inspiration, Millie. Truly. I wish you nothing but the best today at the company meeting.”
“Thank you,” I said, watching her exit.
I returned to my primping, dabbing on a little lipstick before letting out a breath.
“This is it,” I said. “This is when everything finally begins.”
Wasn’t there a saying about famous last words?
When I entered the conference room, it was bustling with energy. Most often reserved for board members and key leaders of the company, today, the usually large space was bursting at the seams.
That was because today was the annual company meeting.
Today, we would recognize achievements across the board. From the support staff all the way up to the top.
And today, that would include me.
I tried to play it off as casual as I made my way in, but the moment I saw my boss and CEO, I broke out into an ear-splitting grin. Lorenzo Russo, sharply dressed in a suit that no doubt had been perfectly tailored to his body, gave me a brief nod before continuing his conversation with a board member. But, as I turned away, I couldn’t help but notice the small smirk that had formed at the corner of his mouth.
“Mills!” someone called.
I turned to find Kyle Tennant, one of my original friends when I’d started here.
“Over here.” He gestured, giving me a full view of the ensemble he’d picked for today.
“Jesus.” I laughed, taking the seat he’d saved for me next to him. “Going for shock value?”
He looked down at the plum-colored sequined top and shrugged. “I have to do something to get noticed around here. Not all of us are traveling the world, you know.”
Although Kyle and I had started here at the same time, both of us wide-eyed newbies like Sadie from the restroom, I’d surpassed him in rank within the first year. While I met with board members and made decisions about fall and spring lines, he was still grabbing coffee and running errands.
I rolled my eyes, giving him a nudge. “As glamorous as it sounds, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be sometimes.”
He gave me a hard stare. “Tell that to me the next time I’m at your house, crying in the middle of your closet. Have you been in there recently?”
My lips pressed together, trying to cover my growing smile. “Okay, yeah, that part is pretty great.”
He just shook his head before glancing down at my shoes. “Speaking of, where’d you get those beauties?”
With my crossed legs, I shook one foot in his direction. “Why? Jealous?”
“I’m jealous of your whole life, honey. But I’d take those the shoes for starters.”
I laughed as more people began to find their seats. I leaned in closer to him, catching the familiar fragrance of Chanel No. 5—Kyle’s favorite perfume. “How about this? When I get this promotion today, I’ll do you one better than a pair of shoes. What if I make you my assistant?”
He gave me a dejected stare. “Assistant? Are you fucking kidding me? I am nobody’s assistant!”
I placed a hand on his shoulder, still amused by the amount of sequins on it. Did he ever stop and wonder if that was maybe why he didn’t get promoted? Maybe they were scared to put him on design work when he showed up in such ridiculous clothes.
“Hear me out, okay?”
He let out a huff of air and sat back in the chair, clearly not amused. “Fine.”
