Page 9 of The Estate
Lisa walked over, grabbed a mug, and placed it next to Rachel’s on the counter. When Rachel gestured to the mug withher thumb, Lisa smiled. “Well, since you’re making a new pot and all. Besides, I come bearing treats.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yup, really. I woke up early this morning for some unknown reason, so I stopped at Pie in the Sky.” She chuckled when Rachel’s eyes lit up. Rachel didn’t even feel bad. Lisa and Lottie had gotten her addicted to Pie in the Sky Bakery. It wasn’t even that hard when everything there was so amazing. And the owner—Mrs. S as she insisted everyone call her—was a wonderful lady.
Rachel’s gaze shifted to the box. “Don’t toy with me. Is that really something from Pie?”
“It sure is,” Lisa assured her. “Thank goodness she opens early enough that I can stop in and still make it in to the office in time.”
“Since when does Mrs. S use sky blue bakery boxes?”
Lisa laughed. “I asked her the same thing. She just started using them. Mrs. S said something about finding her signature color.”
“It is a nice color,” Rachel admitted. “Honestly it could dead ugly and I wouldn’t care. As long as the treats inside are the same.”
“Anyway,” Lisa drawled. “The new project is coming along. I think we’re on a good trajectory. Initially it was slightly hairy, but you know anything new comes with its own set of challenges.”
Rachel rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it.” She’d been in her new department for a few months, and while things were going well, she wasn’t feeling as comfortable as she would have liked. Her boss Seth was nice, but still seemed leery of her. He keptassigning her small, inconsequential projects when Rachel knew she could handle something more complex.
That said, she gave each project her full attention. Simple or not, it didn’t stop her from obsessing over every detail, rechecking facts, and making sure her contributions to the reports were meticulous.
“Problems with the new team?” Lisa asked.
“No,” Rachel paused. “Not really.” Seeing the look on Lisa’s face, she explained. “The new team is great. Good people. Not a lot of drama. My new boss seems pretty straightforward.”
“But what?” Lisa prompted.
“But I just get the feeling that Seth isn’t too sure I was a good hire. I know I’m still in a training period, but with the projects and tasks he’s given me, I feel as if he doesn’t trust me.”
“Well, he might not,” Lisa said. Rachel slumped in response. Sometimes Lisa’s honesty was not what she needed to hear.
“Wait,” Lisa said. “Hear me out. He might not be familiar enough with youyet. It sounds like he’s treating you like an outside hire rather than an already established employee.”
“Could you clarify that?”
“Well, with an outside hire, there is a learning curve about the job, the company, and the clients. You’ve been here for a few years, so you know the company and many of the clients. Just maybe not in a customer facing position.
“So your boss might think you need more of an adjustment period than you do. He’s probably just trying to give you time to acclimate, not to mention, he’s trying to see where you fit into the team.
“I know it must be kind of frustrating, but it hasn’t been that long. Let him move at a pace he’s comfortable. You keep doing you because you’re an outstanding employee. He’ll see that.”
Rachel grabbed the now full coffee pot and poured them both a cup. Bringing the mugs over, she set them down and dropped into a chair. “Damn, Lisa. That was extremely insightful.”
“I know, right,” Lisa said, her voice heavy with sarcasm. “Sometimes I even surprise myself.”
Rachel grinned. “Some days you’re too much. But seriously, thank you. What you said helped.”
“My pleasure. Do we get to eat blondies now?”
“As if I would say no to a blondie,” Rachel retorted. “Although, isn’t it a little early for dessert?”
Rather than reply, Lisa opened the box.
The most delicious aromas engulfed Rachel. She started to salivate and dragged the box closer. “Dear gracious. What are those?”
Lisa snagged the box back but reached in and grabbed one. Putting it on a napkin, she pushed it across to Rachel before taking one for herself. “These,” Lisa said. “Are peanut butter fluff blondies. And the kicker is Mrs. S. adds some jam, so…”
“They’re peanut butter and jellyandfluff blondies,” Rachel murmured reverently. That was one of her favorite flavor combinations right there. The heck with it being too early. She had to try this right away.
