“Love you too, Mom.”
After hanging up, my thoughts went immediately to the million dollars that Carter had shorted against the New York Solar Company's stock.
I shouldn't even look. I'm not at work. This is supposed to be my personal time. Damn if I'm not curious, though, I thought.
Using my cell phone, I logged into my work profile and found the stock that Carter. It was a good thing he'd taken my advice on it, too. As I had predicted, the value had already plummeted fifteen per
cent in after-hours trading. There wasn't a statement from the company yet but I was sure that there would be one soon. Anybody who had stayed invested with them was surely upset right about now and would be demanding some explanations.
I smiled. I had to email Carter and tell him what I had just found out. It was the first time I had ever contacted him outside of work hours, but this seemed like a good reason to do so.
Hi, Carter. I hope I'm not bothering you, but I wanted to let you know that New York Solar Company's stock value is dropping hand over fist. Looks like shorting it was the right decision. I probably could have waited until tomorrow to tell you but I was just too excited not to share the news. -Jane.
With the email written, I went to send it, but hesitated. I wasn't sure if I was crossing a line by contacting him outside of work hours. It almost felt a little bit taboo for whatever reason. I wondered if any of his other employees ever did it.
“Screw it,” I whispered, pressing the send button and then tossing my phone to the couch cushion next to me. “He probably already thinks I'm weird anyway. What difference does it make if I email him at night?”
I finished my glass of wine and kicked my feet up on the coffee table. I grabbed the remote to my stereo and turned on some music. I had no intention of even looking at my cell phone again that night, but curiosity continued to get the best of me.
Did Carter write me back? I thought. I wonder if he's happy with the news.
It was too hard to ignore. I grabbed my phone and opened my email, hitting refresh. Sitting in my inbox was an email from Carter. It was a response to my email and my heart fluttered as I opened it up. It was a single sentence from him.
Told ya you'd be good at this, Jane
It was a simple praise, but coming from Carter it made me feel incredible. I read the message and could practically hear it in his voice. Especially the part where he said my name. I loved when he said my name.
Chapter 7
When I arrived at work the next morning, I couldn't wait to see Carter. The move we'd made by shorting the stocks for New York Solar Company had made more money for Winthrow Holdings than anything I had ever been part of. By far. It pumped me up and gave me confidence that I hadn't felt before. I was suddenly walking with my chest pushed out and my head held high. There was a spring in my step as I stepped through the front door of the building and made my way up to my office. I was on top of the world.
As the elevator doors opened, Cindy looked up from her desk.
“What are you so smiley about?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Even Cindy's negativity couldn't bring me down that day. I just shrugged as I walked past. “What is there to frown about?”
“Jane,” she said, stopping me in my tracks. I spun around before heading through the double doors.
“Yeah?”
“Carter wanted me to let you know that he won't be in until later this afternoon.” The phone in front of her started to ring and she picked it up before I could respond. So I just gave an affirmative nod and made my way to my office.
There wasn't much work for me to do, though. My mornings usually consisted of touching base with Carter, where he'd give me my tasks. I sat at my desk and spent a few minutes scanning through some stocks, but finally I decided that I'd just take my lunch break early and meet up with Maddy. I sent her a text and she immediately replied.
It's like 930 Jane. Who eats lunch at 930?
I replied back quick.
Coffee then?
She replied.
That I can definitely do. Let's do the coffee shop on fifth avenue, just a few blocks away
Some fresh air and coffee sounded like the perfect start to the day. I grabbed my purse and headed out the door.
Maddy was already at the coffee shop when I walked in the door. She was sitting at a table in the corner, with a gigantic cup of steaming coffee in one hand and a jelly donut in the other. Before making my presence known, I approached the barista and ordered a caramel macchiato. While it was being made, I stepped up to Maddy.