is throwing me back.”
“Waverly Bryson, you are one lucky girl.”
“Okay, I would hesitate before using the word lucky to describe the big picture here, but for the small picture I may have to agree with you,” I said.
I heard something beep in her office. “I’m sorry, Wave, but my ten o’clock just arrived, so I gotta run. Talk later?”
“Okay, bye.”
I stood up and walked to the window. I pushed my forehead against the glass and looked at the view. My breath fogged up a little patch of glass, and I drew a little happy face with my finger.
Thank God.
Just then there was a knock on my door. I walked over to open it.
“Hey, Waverly, you got a minute? I’d like to talk to you about something.”
My stomach dropped.
“Sure, Jess, what’s up?”
“Could you drop by my office in a few minutes?”
“Um, okay.”
“Thanks.”
I shut the door and leaned my back against it. This didn’t look good.
Five minutes later I walked over to Jess’s office and knocked lightly on the open door.
“Hi, Waverly, have a seat.” He got up and shut the door behind me.
I set my coffee cup on his desk and folded my hands on my lap. I tried to sound casual. “So, what’s up?” I said.
He looked me straight in the eye. “Well, I’m not going to sugar-coat this.”
I bit my lip.
“It’s come to my attention that you were severely intoxicated at JAG’s party on Friday night. Severely intoxicated.”
All the blood in my body suddenly rushed to my cheeks. I seriously thought they might explode.
I looked at the floor and didn’t say anything.
“Is that true?” he said.
I nodded slowly.
He sighed. “I was hoping you wouldn’t say that. Okay, I don’t need to know the gory details, but I’ve got to tell you that I’m pretty disappointed in you, Waverly.”
I kept looking down at my hands. “I’m sorry, Jess.”
We sat there in agonizing silence for a few moments, and then he finally spoke. “Waverly, I know that trade show parties can get a little crazy, but you’re an account director, and I expect you to behave more professionally than that. I need you to behave more professionally than that, or it may damage the relationship K.A. Marketing has with JAG. Do you understand?”
I looked up at him and nodded. “I understand.”
“I would hate for this incident to jeopardize your career here. But this is a large company, and gossip spreads fast. So you’ve got to realize that people expect you to behave in a certain way, okay?”
“Okay,” I said softly.
“All right then. I trust it won’t happen again?”
I shook my head. “It won’t, Jess. I promise.”
“Good.”
More awkward silence.
“Um, Jess?”
“Yes?”
“Who told you?”
“That’s not important.”
“Was it Davey?”
“No. And that’s the last question I’m answering about it.”
“Okay.”
I looked down at my hands again.
“Jess?”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry.”
I stood up and slowly walked out of his office, squeezing my coffee cup so hard I thought it might break. I turned and looked back at him. “I really am sorry.”
He nodded, but he didn’t say anything.
I walked to the kitchen to get some water. My legs were shaking so much I had to put my hands on the counter to steady myself. I had the sinking feeling that Jess had planned to fire me but had changed his mind when he saw my face. How could I have screwed things up so much?
“Hey, Waverly, I heard you had a great time at the Super Show.”
I turned around and saw Mandy Edwards in the doorway.
“What?” I said.
“Sounds like that party on Friday night was a rager. Sorry I missed it.” She smiled and walked away.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Somehow I made it through the rest of the week, although I don’t really remember actually doing anything. I avoided everyone and spent the days holed up in my office, wondering if anyone would notice if I never came out. When the weekend finally arrived, I planned to spend it holed up in my
“Waverly Bryson, you are one lucky girl.”
“Okay, I would hesitate before using the word lucky to describe the big picture here, but for the small picture I may have to agree with you,” I said.
I heard something beep in her office. “I’m sorry, Wave, but my ten o’clock just arrived, so I gotta run. Talk later?”
“Okay, bye.”
I stood up and walked to the window. I pushed my forehead against the glass and looked at the view. My breath fogged up a little patch of glass, and I drew a little happy face with my finger.
Thank God.
Just then there was a knock on my door. I walked over to open it.
“Hey, Waverly, you got a minute? I’d like to talk to you about something.”
My stomach dropped.
“Sure, Jess, what’s up?”
“Could you drop by my office in a few minutes?”
“Um, okay.”
“Thanks.”
I shut the door and leaned my back against it. This didn’t look good.
Five minutes later I walked over to Jess’s office and knocked lightly on the open door.
“Hi, Waverly, have a seat.” He got up and shut the door behind me.
I set my coffee cup on his desk and folded my hands on my lap. I tried to sound casual. “So, what’s up?” I said.
He looked me straight in the eye. “Well, I’m not going to sugar-coat this.”
I bit my lip.
“It’s come to my attention that you were severely intoxicated at JAG’s party on Friday night. Severely intoxicated.”
All the blood in my body suddenly rushed to my cheeks. I seriously thought they might explode.
I looked at the floor and didn’t say anything.
“Is that true?” he said.
I nodded slowly.
He sighed. “I was hoping you wouldn’t say that. Okay, I don’t need to know the gory details, but I’ve got to tell you that I’m pretty disappointed in you, Waverly.”
I kept looking down at my hands. “I’m sorry, Jess.”
We sat there in agonizing silence for a few moments, and then he finally spoke. “Waverly, I know that trade show parties can get a little crazy, but you’re an account director, and I expect you to behave more professionally than that. I need you to behave more professionally than that, or it may damage the relationship K.A. Marketing has with JAG. Do you understand?”
I looked up at him and nodded. “I understand.”
“I would hate for this incident to jeopardize your career here. But this is a large company, and gossip spreads fast. So you’ve got to realize that people expect you to behave in a certain way, okay?”
“Okay,” I said softly.
“All right then. I trust it won’t happen again?”
I shook my head. “It won’t, Jess. I promise.”
“Good.”
More awkward silence.
“Um, Jess?”
“Yes?”
“Who told you?”
“That’s not important.”
“Was it Davey?”
“No. And that’s the last question I’m answering about it.”
“Okay.”
I looked down at my hands again.
“Jess?”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry.”
I stood up and slowly walked out of his office, squeezing my coffee cup so hard I thought it might break. I turned and looked back at him. “I really am sorry.”
He nodded, but he didn’t say anything.
I walked to the kitchen to get some water. My legs were shaking so much I had to put my hands on the counter to steady myself. I had the sinking feeling that Jess had planned to fire me but had changed his mind when he saw my face. How could I have screwed things up so much?
“Hey, Waverly, I heard you had a great time at the Super Show.”
I turned around and saw Mandy Edwards in the doorway.
“What?” I said.
“Sounds like that party on Friday night was a rager. Sorry I missed it.” She smiled and walked away.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Somehow I made it through the rest of the week, although I don’t really remember actually doing anything. I avoided everyone and spent the days holed up in my office, wondering if anyone would notice if I never came out. When the weekend finally arrived, I planned to spend it holed up in my
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