Free Pressure Point (Point #2) by Olivia Luck Page B

has been doing, too, by taking a short leave of absence from work and interviewing dozens of therapists until he found one who he felt was just right.
    “One more shot,” I tell Violet. “I’m going Friday after work and if she wants me to stop trying… I will take a break for a little while.”
    “Whatever you think is best,” she says with an understanding smile. In the past three months, Violet hasn’t cast judgment on Zoe. I know that she’s just watching out for me and I appreciate her protectiveness.
    “Excuse me, ladies. Stella, do you have a moment for a meeting?” Both of our eyes swing to where Katya stands above the table we’re sitting at in the lunchroom. She got into town a few days ago, and since then, my boss Colin has been on high alert. Instead of coming to work late and leaving early as he usually does, he’s on time and his shirt is tucked in for the most part.
    “Yes, of course.” I push my seat backward and move to toss the uneaten bits of my lunch. Then I follow her through the employee lounge and into a small conference room. We sit across from each other, Katya the presence of sophisticated Speck royalty, and me, a serf looking to earn a spot with the nobility.
    “What are your career plans, Stella?”
    I’m flabbergasted. This was the very topic that I discussed with Zoe right before the Clarkes incident, but I let it fall to the wayside while I tried to be there for her. Now, I can hardly remember the plan I had formulated. “I love working at Speck,” I start out honestly. “I believe in our product and the executive team’s vision for the company. Ultimately, I want more responsibility in the account management team. I’m ready for bigger clients and providing more value to the company.”
    With all that attention focused on Zoe, my career goals fell aside. Now I can see what Violet meant by my actions only hurting myself. I’ve always been career-minded. Katya has heard what’s important to me; that’s all I can do.
    The first pleased expression that I’ve ever seen her share flashes across her face. “Wonderful. I agree with you that it’s time to expand your responsibilities at Speck. You have an excellent reputation here.”
    Pleasure spreads across my chest and I can’t help but smile. “Thank you.”
    “With that in mind, you should know that Colin will no longer be working at Speck.”
    Internally, my jaw hits the floor and eyes bug out of my head. Come again? Colin’s been here since the company opened its Chicago office. His work ethic has slipped significantly in the past year, but I figured that a sense of loyalty would prevent him from being fired.
    “Gone?” I repeat stupidly.
    She nods once in a short affirmative. “Don’t think about it. You know as well as I do that he’s lost his motivation for Speck.” That’s putting it mildly. “As you know, he was managing the rollout one of our biggest clients, Chicago Center.”
    Instinctively, my hands clench. Over the summer, Speck signed the arena that Blake’s father owns. I wanted to mention it to him, but other activities have consumed both of our attention.
    “You will assume the Chicago Center. If all goes well with their next integration, you’ll have Colin’s job.”
    “I-I…” How uncool of me to stammer in front the head of all account management. “That’s exactly the opportunity that I was looking for. I won’t disappoint you, Katya.”
    A stiff smile appears and she lays her hands primly on the tabletop. “See that you don’t. Hiring a new manager in the accounts team would be a nightmare.”
    What a crappy vote of confidence. I fight to school my features when I stand and thank her again. Katya dismisses me with the normal level of ambivalence. It’s not until I make it back to my desk that I let the inner cheerleader out and shout. It sucks that Colin is gone because we got along well, but this is a tremendous opportunity for me.
    The rest of the week is dedicated to