April turned to Lexi, who was sitting at her desk, making a half-hearted effort to look like she wasn’t listening. “Do you mind, Lexi?” April didn’t like to kick Lexi out of her own office, but she knew that things were about to get heated.
“No problem, boss. I’ll go grab a coffee.” Lexi got up and left the room, shooting Vicki a withering look on the way out.
“Well?” Vicki asked.
“Well, what?” April said.
“I don’t have time for this. This stunt you pulled? Do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused me?”
The stunt that Vicki was referring to? April had taken Eliza’s advice. Not only had she started an online petition to save the library, but she’d started a campaign to make it go viral.
Well, it was mostly Lexi. April didn’t know much about social media, but Lexi, who ran a popular blog about the city’s music scene, was an expert. They made a short video about the library and the important role it played in the community, complete with heart-wrenching testimonies from community members the shutdown would affect. An eccentric historian who spoke about the building’s past. A sweet old grandma who moved to America from rural Chile and had learned to speak English because of the library’s free lessons. An adorable third grader whose parents couldn’t afford to buy her books, so she came to the library every single day. It felt a little exploitative to April, but she had to do whatever she could to achieve her goal.
It worked. Lexi had shared the video with her huge network of friends. She knew everyone, including other bloggers and social media stars. Within a few days, the video had been viewed and shared thousands of times, and the petition had thousands of signatures. The fundraising page they had started months ago had gotten a surge in donations. It was nowhere near enough to save the library. But it was better than nothing.
And the best part? Half the city seemed to have turned against Oasis Developments. Oasis, and companies like them, had been doing similar things in other parts of the city for years, and people weren’t happy about it. April had no doubt that their PR department was in damage control. She hadn’t even considered the fact that it would directly affect Vicki’s job.
But any sympathy she had for Vicki quickly evaporated.
“Do you have any idea how much this has cost me?” Vicki said. “Because of you, everything I’ve worked for is in jeopardy!”
“Do you really think you’re the victim in all this?” April asked. “Oasis Developments, and companies just like them have been pushing people out and destroying communities for far too long. This backlash? It’s what you deserve.”
“So this is about revenge to you?”
“Of course not. I’m not that petty. It’s about saving the Oakmont Street Library.”
“I’ve seen your little fundraiser,” Vicki said. “Do you really think a few thousand dollars is going to make a difference?”
“It’s not about the money,” April said. “It’s about putting pressure on Oasis. And you’ve made it clear that Oasis is feeling the pressure right now.”
“You’re delusional. I’ve said it before, there’s nothing you can do to stop this.” Vicki shook her head. “Why did I even try to help you?”
“I don’t know why you bothered either, considering how inadequate your help has been. Which is why I had to take action.”
“You’re not going to give this up, are you?”
April crossed her arms. “Nope.”
Vicki let out an irritated sigh. “The very moment that we met, I knew you were going to be trouble. I should have listened to my instincts. You’ve been a thorn in my side since day one.”
“Don’t you remember what you told me the night that we met?” April asked innocently. “You said that you like a challenge.”
Vicki planted her hands on the desk and leaned down until her face was inches from April’s. “You can’t help yourself, can you? You just keep pushing and pushing. It’s like everything you do is designed to infuriate me.”
April’s breath caught in her chest. Although Vicki hadn’t raised her voice, her tone was overpowering. And her eyes smoldered. Not with anger, or annoyance.
With passion.
April held Vicki’s gaze. At that moment, she wanted Vicki to push her against the desk and do exactly what she had threatened to do that day in her office.
Instead, Vicki turned on her heel and walked toward the door.
“Wait,” April said.
Vicki stopped. “What is it?”
April whipped her phone out and sent a message to Vicki. It was a photo she’d taken that morning.