Free Stubborn Love - A Contemporary Romance: Falling for Him (Falling for Him Contemporary Romance Series Book 6) by Jessica Gray Page A
Authors: Jessica Gray
did you really compare your mediocre job as moderator to my skills? Please! Someone definitely thinks highly of herself.”
Why is she such a bitch? Clara was totally confused. She continued to wonder that throughout the morning as Kaylee found a reason to bash her work at every turn. It wasn’t until lunchtime that Phoebe shed some light on Kaylee’s motives.
“She’s just jealous. The first thing she heard when she returned was what an awesome job you did in her place. I can tell you, she was really pissed off. You couldn’t have picked a better time to get sick.”
“Why’d she be upset that the event went well?”
“I think she’s threatened by you. Your designs are so much better than hers. I mean, you’re truly gifted. Much more than the rest of us.”
Clara was flattered. Deep in her heart she knew Phoebe was right. But that didn’t make it less annoying.
During the next few days, nothing worked. Clara began to get desperate. All of a sudden she lost things; sketches disappeared, or she found them ripped up in the trash can. The ones that reappeared looked odd. Almost like someone had altered them.
She was worried that she had come back to work too soon. Maybe the fever affected me more than I thought. But it got worse; finished garments disappeared, and later showed up with large cuts or rips in them. One dress had a large cut right down the middle of the expensive fabric. Everything was going to hell in a hand basket and she had no idea of what was happening.
Maybe the flu had somehow messed up her brain? Is it possible to develop a mental disorder from the stomach flu? Maybe I’m just exhausted and need a few more days rest.
Those thoughts persisted for the first few days, but then she began to consider seriously that someone might sabotage her at work. There were too many things happening.
She needed someone to confide in, but who? Surely not Kaylee. And Phoebe was nice, but she’d heard her in the break room tearing down other junior designers and that had made her wonder what she truly thought of her. There was simply no one at Bella she trusted enough to voice her suspicions. No one.
Friday afternoon finally rolled around, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she headed home. The week had been trying, and come Monday, Nigel would be back. He’d given up sending her text messages, but she knew there’d be no way to avoid seeing him at the office. She was proud of the fact that she’d made it through the week without answering him, though she’d been tempted a million times.
But next week would bring the acid test to her determination. Could she resist him?
Chapter 18
Clara entered the office Monday morning, listening to the office chatter. As soon as she’d stashed her purse in the small desk she used, her desk phone rang.
It was him, “Clara, please meet me in my office.”
She swallowed, “Sure. When?”
“Right now.”
Clara stared at the phone for a moment and then sighed in defeat. I so don’t want to do this. She figured Nigel wanted to confront her on not answering any of his phone calls or text messages.
She had deleted all of them without even reading or listening to them. Now that her rage had decreased, she wondered if that had been a good idea. I wish I’d at least read a few of them. What if it was important?
Squaring her shoulders, she decided to let him direct the conversation and take her cues from there. Her only excuse was that she had acted stupid and overly emotional. Couple that with a good case of stomach flu, and surely I could be given a little leeway. Right?
Clara approached his office with trepidation. To make matters worse, she had to wait outside, because he was currently in a meeting with Kaylee. As she sat in the chair right outside his office door, she could overhear their conversation. Every. Word.
“Nigel, I’m telling you. I worked with her all of last week and she simply doesn’t have what it takes to be successful in this
Why is she such a bitch? Clara was totally confused. She continued to wonder that throughout the morning as Kaylee found a reason to bash her work at every turn. It wasn’t until lunchtime that Phoebe shed some light on Kaylee’s motives.
“She’s just jealous. The first thing she heard when she returned was what an awesome job you did in her place. I can tell you, she was really pissed off. You couldn’t have picked a better time to get sick.”
“Why’d she be upset that the event went well?”
“I think she’s threatened by you. Your designs are so much better than hers. I mean, you’re truly gifted. Much more than the rest of us.”
Clara was flattered. Deep in her heart she knew Phoebe was right. But that didn’t make it less annoying.
During the next few days, nothing worked. Clara began to get desperate. All of a sudden she lost things; sketches disappeared, or she found them ripped up in the trash can. The ones that reappeared looked odd. Almost like someone had altered them.
She was worried that she had come back to work too soon. Maybe the fever affected me more than I thought. But it got worse; finished garments disappeared, and later showed up with large cuts or rips in them. One dress had a large cut right down the middle of the expensive fabric. Everything was going to hell in a hand basket and she had no idea of what was happening.
Maybe the flu had somehow messed up her brain? Is it possible to develop a mental disorder from the stomach flu? Maybe I’m just exhausted and need a few more days rest.
Those thoughts persisted for the first few days, but then she began to consider seriously that someone might sabotage her at work. There were too many things happening.
She needed someone to confide in, but who? Surely not Kaylee. And Phoebe was nice, but she’d heard her in the break room tearing down other junior designers and that had made her wonder what she truly thought of her. There was simply no one at Bella she trusted enough to voice her suspicions. No one.
Friday afternoon finally rolled around, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she headed home. The week had been trying, and come Monday, Nigel would be back. He’d given up sending her text messages, but she knew there’d be no way to avoid seeing him at the office. She was proud of the fact that she’d made it through the week without answering him, though she’d been tempted a million times.
But next week would bring the acid test to her determination. Could she resist him?
Chapter 18
Clara entered the office Monday morning, listening to the office chatter. As soon as she’d stashed her purse in the small desk she used, her desk phone rang.
It was him, “Clara, please meet me in my office.”
She swallowed, “Sure. When?”
“Right now.”
Clara stared at the phone for a moment and then sighed in defeat. I so don’t want to do this. She figured Nigel wanted to confront her on not answering any of his phone calls or text messages.
She had deleted all of them without even reading or listening to them. Now that her rage had decreased, she wondered if that had been a good idea. I wish I’d at least read a few of them. What if it was important?
Squaring her shoulders, she decided to let him direct the conversation and take her cues from there. Her only excuse was that she had acted stupid and overly emotional. Couple that with a good case of stomach flu, and surely I could be given a little leeway. Right?
Clara approached his office with trepidation. To make matters worse, she had to wait outside, because he was currently in a meeting with Kaylee. As she sat in the chair right outside his office door, she could overhear their conversation. Every. Word.
“Nigel, I’m telling you. I worked with her all of last week and she simply doesn’t have what it takes to be successful in this
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