Page 90 of Love on Deck

I have a plan to state my case later this morning.

Jack

Complete with a few charts and spreadsheets, right?

They were sprinkled in my PowerPoint, but there was no way I was telling him that.

Jack

Can I bring you dinner tonight? I want to talk.

Dinner with Jack? I hated that I wanted to accept the offer so badly. He hurt me, and my job needed my attention right now. It’s not a good time.

Lauren

I don’t know how long Amelia will be with me.

Jack

I’ll bring enough for three.

My heart hammered. Did he deserve an opportunity to explain himself? Yes. Did I need to give him that chance today? No. But did that make me want to see him any less? Also no.

It was almost scary how badly I wanted to tell him to come over as soon as possible, preferably with Torchy’s tacos and a giant tub of queso. Amelia could really pack that stuff away. But I was scrambling right now to put together my argument for why I deserved this promotion, and if Jack hadn’t forced me to avoid work for the entire cruise and got me stuck in a podunk town for the weekend, I wouldn’t be in this position.

Lauren

Not tonight.

I put my phone away while people filed in for the meeting. Hal came in at nine o’clock on the dot and strode to the front of the room, taking the seat at the head of the table.

“You all know that Camila decided to make her maternity leave permanent.”

My breath stalled. Oh, no. He could not be doing this now. It was far too soon. He hadn’t even seen my PowerPoint yet.

“And while she hasn’t been working, we did ask her to make a recommendation for her replacement. Who she found qualified and why they fit the criteria.” His gaze swept over the occupants in the room, not settling on any one person for too long.

When he’d mentioned the announcement he had to make, I’d assumed it was something along the lines of Fridge cleaning week! Everyone take your moldy Tupperware home and throw away expired yogurt!

I caught Jerry’s eye across the table, and he looked smug. His shiny forehead was lined and his cheeks ruddy with pleasure.

Chill out, Jerry. No one’s offered it to you yet.

“But Camila’s word wasn’t the only one we took into consideration while making this decision. I’ll have you know that while there are multiple qualified members of this team who we would love to offer the position to, there can only be one lead events manager. The candidate we settled on has shown exemplary management skills while maintaining a willingness to learn.”

That was me, right? I’d been managing teams for over a year now and Camila had done nothing but teach me while she was still here. My heart beat faster and faster.

“The offer was extended and accepted last Friday. Please join me in congratulating our new lead events manager, Jerry Coolidge.”

I started to stand from my seat when the name registered, and it occurred to me that it wasn’t mine. My legs froze in their half-up position, incapable of moving one way or the other while Jerry stood and shook Hal’s hand in the front of the room, his wide smile passing over me briefly.

Kind of like the way Hal had passed over me for the promotion I deserved. I sat hard in the chair, avoiding pitying looks from my colleagues. Then I lifted my gaze and caught Hal’s. This was not over yet.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

LAUREN

Hal followed me into his office when the meeting ended—or was it Jerry’s office now? When would Hal return to his old job and leave us under Jerry’s shiny-headed guidance? I clutched my laptop with its useless PowerPoint to my chest for comfort.

---