Page 36 of Fun Together (Make Romance #1)

Eli

“Faye isn’t getting the job?”

Melissa takes off her glasses and sets them on her desk. “We’re going with another candidate someone on the team brought in. They said Faye seemed like a great person but is not qualified for this role.”

This is bad. I made Faye think she was a shoo-in for this job. How am I going to tell her this when I brushed aside her worries about the interview?

“I don’t think Faye should have even been put up for this role.”

“I disagree.” This comes out more combative than I meant. I ease my tone and ask, “Why do you say that?”

“I know you two are friends, or maybe more than that based on some of the notes from Mary, but we can’t be offering positions just because we’re friends. This is a business, and I’d like to make sure we’re crossing t’s and dotting i’s. Not wasting anyone’s time.”

So not only am I about to disappoint Faye, but now my manager thinks I’m bad at my job for trying to offer favors to my friends.

Or worse, that because I made Faye dance with me at the company party, everyone thinks she’s sleeping with me to get a job?

It’s so stupid and I feel heat rise up the back of my neck.

I don’t mention that ninety percent of people get their jobs through connections.

I think I might key Mary’s car.

“I’m sorry if they feel that I wasted their time. And I assure you, I think Faye would be great in that role.”

“Well, decision’s been made already.”

“Who is the person they’re offering it to?” This is the first I’m even hearing of an outside candidate. Wouldn’t this be information I should be made aware of?

“Someone that Anna went to school with. They used to work together at another company, and I like the initiative she showed to bring her in.”

I want to scream. I want to snap her glasses in half. The same thing I’m being reprimanded for is the same reason she’s praising someone else. I feel like I’m going insane.

“Can I tell Faye?” The least that I can do is have this news come from me, since this is all my fault.

“Sure, that’s fine. Now, let’s discuss your next assignments. I think it might be best if you and I work on them together. I may have let the baby chick out of the nest too fast.”

Great, now I’ll have a babysitter.

When I get back to my desk, I see that I have a missed call and voicemail from Andrew.

He’s probably confirming I can pick him up from the airport next week, but I’ll have to listen to it later.

It’s bad, but part of me isn’t ready to face the fact that he’s coming back, and Faye and I will no longer be able to avoid discussing our friendship that has evolved into much more than that.

Right now, I need to think about when and how to tell Faye that she didn’t get the job. I also have a ton of emails to sift through. It’s going to be a long day.

I get a text from her a few minutes later.

Faye: How did your meeting with Melissa go? I hope she was able to offer some help.

Shit, I completely forgot that I wanted to talk to Melissa about how things are going at work, but I got so distracted by the conversation about Faye.

I can’t talk to her about this over a text, though.

I’m also not sure I can talk to her about this today at all.

I’m feeling overwhelmed with everything and need to get my thoughts in order.

Eli: I actually didn’t get a chance to talk to her about my issues. We had some other things to discuss.

I could tell her now and just rip the band aid off. But I can’t bring myself to do it. This fucking sucks.

Faye: I’m sorry. Maybe you can find another time.

Faye: No pressure, but would you want to come with me to my grandpa’s tonight? I don’t know if I’ll want to go on Sunday if we get back late Saturday night.

I sit up in my chair. Faye’s grandpa is this sort of enigma to me. She’s told me bits and pieces about him, and she’s mentioned she visits him each Sunday, so he’s clearly an important person to her. Asking me to go with her feels like a huge step.

Eli: I would love to.

Eli: Are you going to blindfold me so I can’t see the name of the town you grew up in?

Faye: That’s a great idea.

If I tell her today, would she change her mind about coming to the party with me?

It’s a weight on my shoulders and I’d be selfish to keep this from her all weekend, but I really want us to have fun tomorrow. And I really want to meet her grandpa. I don’t want to ruin our weekend with bad news.