Hey, Lilah! Happy Monday! How has the start of your week been? You still need to tell me all about Friday night!
I typed out a quick reply.
Hi, Meg. It's not going well at all. Have a minute to talk?
Almost as soon as the message had been read, my phone started to ring.
“Hey, Meg.”
“Hey! What's wrong, Lilipop. Are you all right?”
“Not really. It's been a hell of a Monday morning already.”
“Wow! You’ve been at work 15 minutes. What happened?”
“Asher confronted me about Friday night,” I explained.
“Umm, how did he know?”
“I figured you might have seen it, but there was a huge glowing picture of me and Brendan on the social page of The Times Saturday.”
“Ohhhhhh,” she let out.
“Yeah. So, we got into it and I kind of told him that Brendan was interested in me not just professionally, but also romantically.”
“Oh my God,” she exclaimed. “You have not one but two billionaires lusting after both your body and your genius brain?! Wait. Sorry. I know on the surface it would seem like every girl's dream, but I can totally see how this can be pretty overwhelming to deal with. So, what happened on Friday night after the restaurant? Brendan wanted to take you back to his mansion, didn't he?”
“He did.”
“Oh my God, and did you let him?!”
“No!”
“Thank God. Did you let him kiss you goodnight?”
“Nope. I didn't even let him give me a peck on the cheek. Even that would have felt like I was cheating on Asher. Not that Asher and I are together. Although, it feels like we are. Ugh! You know what I mean! Anyway, I told you already, my interest in Brendan was strictly professional.”
“But, you knew from the start that his interest wasn't strictly professional, didn’t ya?”
“Yeah, and I feel bad about that. But I really wanted to see what kind of job offer he would make me.”
“And, what kind of offer did he make?”
“A very tempting one, I'll say that much. He's offered me a higher salary than Asher pays me, a corner office with a killer view, bonuses, and shares in his company, and a company car—a luxury vehicle from his friend's dealership.”
“Wow. That does sound tempting.”
“It is. But the truth is, I really love working here. That has nothing to do with my personal feelings for Asher. I mean that on a strictly professional level. The camaraderie here is fantastic, the team is inspiring and passionate, there’s no backstabbing, and Asher is a brilliant leader. I feel like I could really grow and develop here and build a stellar career for myself.”
“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 be 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.”