“Well, here's what I think you should do. Go and talk to Asher. Tell him exactly what Brendan has offered you. Leave out the romantic interest bit, obviously, keep it professional. But tell him that this is what's waiting for you. See if he makes a counter-offer to keep you in his company.
“I mean, yes, you love the environment there, and you're working with a great team, but it sounds like Savage would b
e bumping you a few rungs up the ladder. More than you could achieve even after a few years at Sinclair.
“Just keep it as professional as you can. Don't let your feelings for Asher—or his feelings for you—get in the way.”
“You're right. You're exactly right. That's exactly what I'm going to do. Thanks, Megs. I'm so glad I can always count on you. You rock.”
“Yes, yes I do!” she chided. “Anything for my best friend. Now, go! You walk right in there and let Asher know what's what.”
“Yes, ma’am. Thanks again! Bye.”
“And, call me later. Bye.”
I put my phone away, exited the stall, and went straight to the mirror to clean up my face and touch-up my makeup.
“All right, Lilah,” I said to my reflection in the mirror, “you can do this. You can do this!”
I marched out of the restroom and headed straight to Asher's office. I knocked on the door and stood tapping my foot impatiently outside.
“Come in,” his voice echoed through the door.
I flung open the door and strode in with confidence.
“Lilah,” he stated, sounding and looking surprised and a little nervous. “Did you come back for the key?”
I closed the door behind me, marched straight up to his desk, sat down, and explained in clear terms everything Brendan Savage had offered me. I also told him that I loved working at Sinclair, but that, as any reasonable person could understand, Savage's offer was beyond tempting. I informed him that he'd need to make some concessions to keep me at Sinclair.
He sat in silence for a while after I'd explained everything to him, simply nodding with his hands clasped together on his desk. I could see that he was contemplating everything I'd just told him. Eventually, he spoke.
“Very well,” he said. “I'll match Savage's offer, term for term, to keep you here. With exception of the corner office, as that would mean displacing someone who has been here far longer than you. I hope you understand that I can't and won’t do that. Talent is important, but so is seniority. I'm not going to sell someone out who has been loyal to this company for years just to appease the demands of someone who has just arrived.”
I nodded. “I can understand that and I wouldn’t want you to. I'll stay then.”
“Good. We need you here.”
“I know you do.”
He chuckled. “Don't get too big for your boots now, Lilah. You're extremely talented, but it's still early. A lot of people get burned out in this line of work. Your streak of genius might not last forever.”
“Well, it's burning brightly now, and I intend to keep it that way for as long as possible.”
“I hope you do. Well, now that we've cleared everything up, is there anything else you'd like?”
“Yes, there is one more thing.”
“Name it.”
“The relationship between you and I . . . I know we’ve had this talk before, but it’s just too much to navigate while trying to balance with work. We're going to have to keep things strictly professional. And before you ask, no, it has absolutely nothing to do with Savage. I have no romantic interest in that man whatsoever. But I'm here for the sake of my career, and my career is always going to come first. Always. Can you understand?”
I recognized a flicker of pain concealed beneath his calm expression. It was the same pain I felt twisting my insides like the blade of a rusty knife. This was how it had to be, though.
“I understand. Strictly professional,” he said in a wounded, soft voice.
“All right then. If you’d be so kind as to give me the key, I’ll return it at the meeting later.”
Asher handed over the key, I turned on my heels and left, with my mouth dry and my heart pounding.