Romance: Dedication - A Workplace Romance (Dedication Series, Romance, Contemporary Romance Book 1) (3 page)

              Charlie glanced around. “Not a bad place. What do you think, Rebecca?”

              The woman nodded. “I think it’s a good location. Relaxed enough to put the clients at ease and look at these drink specials.”

              Charlie and Jane laughed. Rebecca seemed to have a one track mind, but Jane couldn’t- blame her. After her weeks of hard work, she was in desperate need of something to make her relax. They all placed their orders, huge Southwest salads which Jane heaped with dressing making Rebecca shake her head at her.

              “I’ll make it up in class,” Jane promised with a smirk.

              “Oh, you bet your ass you are.”

              Charlie laughed as she ordered all of them martinis. The conversation quickly turned to the office as Charlie shared stories that Jane had never heard before. The woman had a story for everything, each one ending more hilarious than the last. For the first time in weeks, Jane felt herself relaxing, the pressure melting away if only just for a moment.

              “Jane,” Charlie called after she’d speared a piece of lettuce, “how are you liking things? I heard you got Belmore. How’s he treating you?”

              Jane gave a tight smile. “Belmore’s tough, I’ll give him that. I love this work though, it’s why I’ve fought so hard to be here.”

              Charlie examined her as she sipped at her martini. “Good. Belmore’s a bit of an old jerk, but he’s very good at what he does. I suspect with him, you’ll grow in more ways than one.”

              As they went back to their conversation, Jane couldn’t help but to think about Mckinnon and his words in the conference room. Maybe a hard ass like Belmore was exactly what she needed. The man was fearless. While Jane’s doubts surfaced once in a while to eat at her, she could see that he didn’t let the opinion of anyone but himself phase him. She had to admit, she liked that quality in people.

              Charlie turned the expensive looking watch on her wrist towards her. She sighed. “”Looks like lunch is over ladies. Let’s get going.”

              They gathered up their bags. Jane had enjoyed her time with them so much, she almost regretted having to go back right away. When they pulled up in front of the building, Charlie promised them that they would do it again. Jane shook her hand as they exited the elevators, the woman’s hand firm around hers.

              “Keep going Jane. I can see the tired look in your eyes, but keep going. It will only get better.”

              Jane could have hugged her for those kind words. Instead, she nodded, shook her hand again and headed back to her cubicle. When she settled behind her computer, there was a smile on face. The lunch had given her more comfort and confidence then she’d thought possible. Once she logged back on, Jane banged away on the keys furiously. The numbers had taken on a new look for her, one that ran through her brain continuously.
Success, success, success.

              There was a knock on the wall of her cubicle. Jane had been so into her work that she jumped. Franklin stood there, a smile on his face. She couldn’t help the scowl that slipped onto her face. She didn’t have time for him.

              “Parkett, I came by to take you out for lunch. Where’d you disappear to?” He asked as he leaned in closer to her.

              Jane leaned away from him. “I had lunch with Rebecca and Ms. Everson,” she said as she turned back to her computer.

              “Everson? Really? Well, look who’s skipping the “hard work” she preaches so much about and goes straight to the schmooze.”

              Jane rolled her eyes. “I’m not doing anything that you haven’t been doing since the beginning,” she snapped.

              Mckinnon turned her chair around, making her glare. “Admit it, you love the feeling of rubbing elbows with the elite. Admit it and I’ll leave you alone.”

              “You’ll leave me alone or I’ll shove my foot up your-”

              “Go away, Mckinnon,” Rebecca said as she glared over the cubicle. “I’m trying to work. If I hear your mouth one more time, you’re not going to like the results.”

              Rebecca’s glare was enough to even make Jane shiver. The man let go of her seat, held  his hands up in the air. When he walked away, Rebecca beamed at her. Jane had to work hard to control her laughter. The contrast of strict and sweet Rebecca was almost too much to handle. She soon settled back into her work, her only goal to finish her project ahead of schedule. Rebecca had been right. She wanted this.

              "You have to put him in his place, Jane,"  Rebecca commented as McKinnon slunk away. “He wants to get inside your head. Throw you off your game. He won’t hesitate to end your career before it even starts.”

              “I know that, but…”

              “There’s no but. Either get it together or let him win.”

              Rebecca disappeared back behind her cubicle leaving Jane to groan. As strong as she was, Jane’s primary focus had always been on her work. She could dish it out, but she wasn’t focused on the office politics. In her opinion, the harder you worked, the more you accomplished. It wasn’t like that here. The people were cut throat, back stabbing when they needed to be. One less person to compete with was a good thing.

              Jane sighed, she wasn’t that kind of person. She didn’t see the need for a bloodbath when her work was good enough to speak for her. Even with the boys club that reigned supreme at the office, she had to admit that if they hadn’t wanted her, then she wouldn’t be sitting there.

              McKinnon, as annoying and repulsive as he was, had a valid reason for being there too. She didn’t want either of them to have to leave, not if it meant doing things the dirty way. Jane wondered if she was letting her conscience get the best of her.

              When the day was over, she began to pack up her things to head home. There was still more work to be done, as much as she wanted to sit in front of the TV and doze off with a beer in her hand, that wasn’t a possibility. Rebecca leaned into her cubicle.

              “Some of us are heading to the bar tonight. Think you can make time to go?”

              Jane considered it. “If I do, I don’t think I’ll be getting any sleep tonight.”

              Rebecca shrugged. “Who needs sleep? You need a drink before you explode and decorate this office, the bad way.”

              Jane shook her head. “You have such a way with words.”

              “It’s an art,” she said with a grin, “come on. My treat.”

              “You’re such a cheater,” Jane said as she rolled her eyes and followed behind Rebecca.

              It was only a Thursday night, but Crazy 8’s was packed. It seemed like the whole business district was stuffed inside of the electric neon blue decorated bar. As Jane looked around, she saw many of her older co-workers were there as well. Tucked into booths, drink in their hands, ties loosened and shoes kicked off, most of them didn’t look so threatening anymore. It was almost a phenomena to see them carefree, laughing.

              “I think we slipped into an alternate dimension,” Jane mumbled.

              “I know what you mean. It’s weird seeing them all together like this. Let’s sit in that corner over there.”

              They passed Charlie on the way to their seats, giving her a little wave as they went. She wiggled her fingers at them as she spoke, the people around her seeming to hang onto her every word. Jane didn’t know how she did it. It was almost like an instinct, the woman started talking and you listened. They slid into the black, leather booth before two other people slid in after them.

              “Oh Mckinnon, what the hell?” Jane asked exasperated.

              The man rolled his eyes. “It’s the last open spot, what do you want me to do? Move?”

              “We can leave if you ladies like,” the man with him started.

              “Aaron, we’re not going anywhere. We saw this booth first. We just got held up talking to important people.”

              Jane scoffed. “Well, then I guess you better go and sit with those
important people.
”

              Rebecca laughed. “The problem here is that he wasn’t important enough to sit with them. Ass kisser you may be, but after work, you’re still one of the newbies.”

              Mckinnon opened his mouth to fire back, but the waiter showed up. For five minutes there was quiet at the table as they ordered their food and drinks. As soon as the waiter was gone, Jane leaned towards the other guy at the table. He was tall, thin with dirty blond hair and big, round blue eyes. He looked really young.

              “I haven’t seen you around before. What’s your name?”

              “Aaron Bean.”

              “Where you from, Bean? I hear a little accent?” Rebecca asked.

              “Well, originally Texas.”

              “What’s with the thousand questions?” Mckinnon asked, scowling.

              “What’s does it matter to you hot stuff? Jealous because we’re not focusing on you?” Rebecca asked with a raised brow. She looked back to Aaron, “You new?”

              “I only started yesterday.”

              “Your daddy must be really important for the likes of Mckinnon to give you the time of day,” Jane said as smirked. “What’s he do?”

              “Well, we have some oil-”

              Rebecca and Jane burst into a fit of laughter at the same time. Mckinnon sat scowling as he shrugged off his jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his button down. When they’d composed themselves, Aaron was looking between the two of them with a confused expression on his face.

              “Don’t pay attention to them. They’re both just jealous because they’re still working their way up from the bottom, which you both should be used to by now.”

              “See, that’s where you’re wrong,” Jane said as she sipped the beer that was sat in front of her, “I’m used to being on top.”

              She watched Mckinnon’s open mouth turn to rolled eyes, but it was more than satisfying. For once, she had taken the words out of his arrogant mouth. It was almost a guilty pleasure seeing him so thoroughly stunned. Jane almost found herself tempted to keep screwing with him, even if it was only for the laughs that she and Rebecca could get out of it.

              "What made you wander out of your cube, Parkett?" McKinnon said slowly, throwing a look at the waiter as he returned with their drinks.

              "Well, I'm the only one that works, so I think I earned a break." Jane innocently sipped at her whiskey sour, enjoying the pleasant tang almost as much as she enjoyed the look on McKinnon's face.

              “I do work," McKinnon said sharply.

              "Golf isn't working, buddy." Aaron added with a laugh.

              "No," McKinnon scowled in the low light for a moment, before it morphed into a pleased grin. "But getting a client to take us on, is. Right, Mr. Bean?"

              "Oh, come on. You should buy me dinner first."

              "I'm a drinks and business kind of man, Aaron." McKinnon threw back his scotch, "Parkett, do you think that signing a multi-million dollar account to the firm is considered work?"

              "Using your rich friends to gain favor?" Rebecca quipped. "How like you."

              "Friends?" Aaron laughed heartily, "This son of a bitch bugged me for days to get an appointment. Sat outside my office-"

              "So you don't work for the company?" Jane said, trying to hide her shock.

              "I enjoy a good ruse. Besides, being an oil tycoon is so overrated. And I do technically work at the office. Learning from your president, so that I can run my father's company.”

              “You’ve actually met Mr. Bradford?” Came Rebecca’s stunned reply.

              “Once or twice.” Aaron said, “We have lunch every week to discuss things. When this one here,” he nudged McKinnon in the ribs with an elbow, “Heard I was in the building, he started a near constant pursuit to get a meeting. I had to give the poor guy a chance.”

              “Not gonna be so poor once I get your signature, Bean.”

              “Mmm, true. But what if I decide to help out one of your pretty friends instead?” Jane rolled her eyes at the compliment, and watched as Rebecca sat up a little straighter, making sure her best assets stood out on display. Jane watched closely as her friend leaned a little bit across the table, meeting Aaron’s eye with a coy smile.

              “As much as I would love to take a client away from Mckinnon,” She said, “It wouldn’t be good for business: Bad karma.”

              “Oh, you don’t fight dirty, then?”

              “I fight plenty  dirty, but I do try to have good manners. Stealing a client from someone at the same firm as you is just heartless.”

              “Honest and beautiful.”

              “Anyway,” Seeing that the pair were about to descend into a night of flirting, Jane moved her attention over to McKinnon, who had ordered another scotch. He nursed it slowly, his face only looking slightly disgusted at the turn of events.