Chapter 7: Late Night Summons

AVA

It had gotten dark without me even noticing. When I looked up, instead of the harbor, I saw myself reflected in the now mirrorlike window.

A little lower, the city lights lit up the water, and thick snowflakes were quickly covering the streets in a white blanket. I gazed at the peaceful scenery for a while before snapping back to reality.

Most of my colleagues had already left. I saw August, Tobias, and James walking my way.

“Are you almost done?” Tobias asked.

I shut off my computer. “Yeah, I just lost track of time.”

They weren’t planning on going to Mel’s tonight, because it was a Monday. We just walked to our cars together most days. I was pretty sure James and Tobias even carpooled, since they lived in the same building.

I threw my phone into my purse, grabbed my tumbler, and walked out. When we passed Mr. Brentstone’s office, his door opened.

“Ms. Mayweather, a word please.”

I sent a helpless look Tobias’s way.

“We’ll wait,” he assured me.

“Everyone else may leave,” Mr. Brentstone commanded.

“What is this about?” I asked, feeling suddenly scared about my job security.

I was still in the probation period, and I’d had two not-so-nice run-ins with Mr. Brentstone already. I found my mind racing.

I doubted Porthouse would take me back, so that would leave no options in publishing in the area, meaning I’d either have to have a super long commute to work in a different city, or I’d have to relocate entirely, that is, if I even wanted to stay in the publishing field.

Before I could contemplate all the other scenarios, Mr. Brentstone gestured toward his office. I waved to the guys and reluctantly went in.

I had never actually been inside his office before; I’d always stayed in the doorway. From this side of the building, he had a view of the whole city, which looked quite magical on this dark, snowy evening.

The office itself was tastefully decorated, with muted colors and a large, modern-looking desk in the middle.

There were two large green plants in the far corners of the room and one smaller one on the corner of his desk. I recognized it. I had the same one on my own desk. It had come with the office.

The single plant made the desk look kind of off-balance, whereas the rest of his office seemed to be perfectly symmetrical. I wondered if there had been another one on the other corner at some point.

I remembered the crashing sound from this morning. Had he accidentally knocked it over?

“Sit,” Mr. Brentstone said.

I sat in one of the two chairs opposing his own. He didn’t say anything further but just began typing on his computer.

“May I ask what this is about?”

“Hold on,” he said, his eyes still glued to the screen.

I raised my eyebrows but said nothing, scared my job might be on the line. The seconds dragged on, however, and as my mind wandered, I heard my nostrils make a small scoffing sound.

“Something the matter?” He still did not look up.

“No, sir,” I replied too quickly.

His eyes shot up at me and lingered there for a second. Then he sighed and folded his hands. “Thank you for coming in.”

I smiled nervously, not really knowing what to say.

“How do you like it here so far?”

“Honestly, I love it here,” I told him. “I love the projects. I love my team. I love the atmosphere in this place. I feel better than I have in years, really.”

Mr. Brentstone’s face seemed to soften for a second, but he quickly turned back to his usual cold self. “Good to hear,” he said. “We feel the same about you.”

My stomach did a flip.

“Anyway, ~what this is about~,” he said, mocking my earlier question, “is that one of our clients would like to meet you. It’s Diane Payne.”

I sat up straight. I’d heard of her.

She was a fairly well-known author, but as far as I knew, she’d never had any illustrations in her books. She mostly wrote romance novels and the occasional psychological thriller.

“She’s coming in next week. I’ve had Martha schedule an appointment with you. She’ll send you the details later.”

Mr. Brentstone started typing again. “That’s all.”

I looked at the single plant sitting on the corner of his desk. “What happened to the other one?” I heard myself ask. What the hell had gotten into me? Was I trying to get myself fired?

Mr. Brentstone’s eyes locked with mine again. “It…died.”

I cleared my throat. “Eh, thank you for your time.” I got up and left his office.

“Leave it open,” Mr. Brentstone said before I could shut the door.

When I passed my office on the way out, the plant on my desk caught my eye. ~Should I?~

Feeling bold, I went in, grabbed the plant, and before I could change my mind, marched over to Mr. Brentstone’s office. I paused in the doorway.

“Forgot something?” I heard him say.

I walked over to his desk and promptly placed the plant on the empty corner of his desk. ~Ahh, much better.~

To my surprise, a tiny smirk appeared on Mr. Brentstone’s lips. It sent shivers up my spine. I quickly turned and made my way out of there.

“Thanks, Ava,” he said.

I left with a smile that lasted all the way home.