"It's Lexi Alexander. She wants to talk about the event."
She was probably calling to tell Sharon the event was off. After the call, Sharon would come back in here and fire me. I might not be the only one getting fired, though. I looked across the table at Christine again.
Sharon stood up and then stared down at the two us. She looked like she was about to have a coronary. "You two, try not to kill each other. We will finish this when I get back."
Isabel and Sharon left the room, leaving the two of us alone.
" I know you don't believe me, but I didn't mean for all of this to happen." Christine glanced up and looked me in the eye. "Really. I knew I made a mistake right after I told them."
" Why did you do it in the first place? What did I do that made you hate me so much?" I couldn't control the anger in my voice.
She sighed and sank down farther into her chair. "I don't hate you." She paused. "It's never been about that. Well, not exactly. It's just that you got this job so easily. I've been here for three years. I have a degree and I still had to start in the receptionist position. I worked my ass off to move up. But you came in, and boom, you're taking over half my office, you're getting accounts that should've gone to me, and you hardly have any experience." She huffed and shook her head.
My shoulders fell. I allowed the built-up tension to flow out of them. As mad as I was, I could see her point. Kind of. I did get this job pretty easily. I actually wondered myself why Sharon had given me a chance.
" I didn't know you felt that way, and I didn't know you worked so hard to get where you are."
Her face softened. "Listen, I know I've been a complete bitch to you and I'm sorry. I'm not usually like this. I guess… I guess I was just jealous of you."
I wanted to laugh. I wanted to tell her she had no reason to be jealous of me. My life was so messed up no one should envy it.
" I'm not going to apologize for getting this job, but I would like us to work together," I said. "It's not very fun hating and being hated by your office partner."
" Yeah, it's exhausting." She rolled her eyes and then a tiny smile appeared on her lips.
I shook my head, but on the inside I was relieved. It seemed like something good was going to come out of this mess. Hopefully, Christine and I could finally work together, if we still had jobs.
Finally, Sharon came back in the room, saying nothing as she sat down. She looked a little more relaxed. "Well," she began, "Lexi would like to follow through with the Black and White event."
The buildup of anxiety in my chest eased a bit. Lexi had seemed so unsure about it last night. Maybe she was even stronger than I thought.
" That's really good news," Christine said, nodding. She looked a little more relieved as well.
Sharon glanced over at Christine, her stressed and bitter face returning. "This isn't over for you. I'm going to have to simmer and think about what to do about the situation you put Emily and the company in. I won't allow the employees here to feel bullied or betrayed by their co-workers. What you did to Emily, it was inexcusable."
Christine cowered down in her chair more and more. I swore if Sharon kept talking, she would be under the table soon.
" I'm so sorry, Sharon. It won't happen again. I don't know what I was thinking. I've already apologized to Emily over and over."
Sharon turned toward me. "She did." I nodded.
" Well, right now, we need to continue with the Black and White event. We only have a few weeks, so we'll need to work double time. Everything else, including this mess, will just have to wait. I'm going to talk to the press and answer all of their questions. Hopefully, they'll get the information they're looking for and leave."
With that, Sharon stood up and we all exited the conference room. Christine and I were halfway back to our office when I turned around and headed toward Sharon's office. There was something I had to do.
Sharon was already sitting at
She was probably calling to tell Sharon the event was off. After the call, Sharon would come back in here and fire me. I might not be the only one getting fired, though. I looked across the table at Christine again.
Sharon stood up and then stared down at the two us. She looked like she was about to have a coronary. "You two, try not to kill each other. We will finish this when I get back."
Isabel and Sharon left the room, leaving the two of us alone.
" I know you don't believe me, but I didn't mean for all of this to happen." Christine glanced up and looked me in the eye. "Really. I knew I made a mistake right after I told them."
" Why did you do it in the first place? What did I do that made you hate me so much?" I couldn't control the anger in my voice.
She sighed and sank down farther into her chair. "I don't hate you." She paused. "It's never been about that. Well, not exactly. It's just that you got this job so easily. I've been here for three years. I have a degree and I still had to start in the receptionist position. I worked my ass off to move up. But you came in, and boom, you're taking over half my office, you're getting accounts that should've gone to me, and you hardly have any experience." She huffed and shook her head.
My shoulders fell. I allowed the built-up tension to flow out of them. As mad as I was, I could see her point. Kind of. I did get this job pretty easily. I actually wondered myself why Sharon had given me a chance.
" I didn't know you felt that way, and I didn't know you worked so hard to get where you are."
Her face softened. "Listen, I know I've been a complete bitch to you and I'm sorry. I'm not usually like this. I guess… I guess I was just jealous of you."
I wanted to laugh. I wanted to tell her she had no reason to be jealous of me. My life was so messed up no one should envy it.
" I'm not going to apologize for getting this job, but I would like us to work together," I said. "It's not very fun hating and being hated by your office partner."
" Yeah, it's exhausting." She rolled her eyes and then a tiny smile appeared on her lips.
I shook my head, but on the inside I was relieved. It seemed like something good was going to come out of this mess. Hopefully, Christine and I could finally work together, if we still had jobs.
Finally, Sharon came back in the room, saying nothing as she sat down. She looked a little more relaxed. "Well," she began, "Lexi would like to follow through with the Black and White event."
The buildup of anxiety in my chest eased a bit. Lexi had seemed so unsure about it last night. Maybe she was even stronger than I thought.
" That's really good news," Christine said, nodding. She looked a little more relieved as well.
Sharon glanced over at Christine, her stressed and bitter face returning. "This isn't over for you. I'm going to have to simmer and think about what to do about the situation you put Emily and the company in. I won't allow the employees here to feel bullied or betrayed by their co-workers. What you did to Emily, it was inexcusable."
Christine cowered down in her chair more and more. I swore if Sharon kept talking, she would be under the table soon.
" I'm so sorry, Sharon. It won't happen again. I don't know what I was thinking. I've already apologized to Emily over and over."
Sharon turned toward me. "She did." I nodded.
" Well, right now, we need to continue with the Black and White event. We only have a few weeks, so we'll need to work double time. Everything else, including this mess, will just have to wait. I'm going to talk to the press and answer all of their questions. Hopefully, they'll get the information they're looking for and leave."
With that, Sharon stood up and we all exited the conference room. Christine and I were halfway back to our office when I turned around and headed toward Sharon's office. There was something I had to do.
Sharon was already sitting at
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