Once she was in the hallway, she was immediately less frightened. Her heart was still racing but she was less convinced she was dying.
Nicole walked to the bathroom and went into the stall, sat with her head between her legs for about a minute. She’d read somewhere that sitting in that position could help you get over a panic attack, and she was pretty certain that’s what this was.
Now she was even more embarrassed. How was she going to walk back into that meeting with everyone staring at her, hating her, thinking that she was totally unqualified for this new position?
Besides, she was unqualified. Red had forced her to take something she didn’t deserve, simply because he was embarrassed at her being a mere intern at the company he ran. Of course, she needed the money too—she couldn’t stay in the city on nothing, and Nicole wasn’t about to start taking an allowance from her fiancé.
A few moments later, the door to the ladies room opened and two female voices floated in. “…Can you believe it? With her? HER?”
“It’s beyond the pale.”
“Speaking of pale…have you gotten a look at that girl’s skin? Casper’s got nothing on her.”
Nicole put her face in her hands and huddled in the stall, knowing that somehow, for some unfathomable reason, these two women were talking about her.
They went to the sink and the water started to run. “I swear, I’ve given Red Jameson the look since the day I started here—“
“What look?”
“The come fuck me look. It works like a charm, usually. But with him? No dice. I come in dressed sexy, I give him the come fuck me look, he acts like I literally don’t exist.”
“You’re so bad.”
“Apparently I’m not his kind of bad. Apparently he likes Miss Vanilla with her fake smile and her fake goody-two-shoes act. I’ve got her pegged.”
“Maybe he’s not as smart as everyone gives him credit for.”
The water stopped running and Nicole could hear them fussing with their makeup, teasing their hair, wiping their hands on towels. “I can’t believe The Rag actually got pictures of it.”
“If The Rag ever does a story on me, I’m going to move to Gwam for a few years. Peace Corps time.”
“Point is, they went to a crappy little barbeque out in the sticks, Darlene. Red Jameson is losing all sex appeal for me after that stunt.”
“Shhhh…Don’t say it so loud.”
“Let’s go, I need to get back to my desk. I’m expecting a call from Granger anyway.”
“Oh boy.” Giggles.
The voices floated out as the door opened and shut again.
Nicole sat in the stall for another few minutes trying to catch her breath. She couldn’t imagine how they knew the things they knew. And those awful things those women had said about her—she didn’t even know them.
What was that magazine they’d referenced—The Rag?
She needed to find out how everyone seemed to know about her and Red and even the party at her parents’ house. As she left the bathroom, she realized that finding out about whoever told her personal business to the world would have to wait. Nicole had to go back to the conference room for the team meeting.
Feeling like a prisoner walking to the gas chamber, Nicole made her way back to the conference room. She put on the most convincing smile she could—
“Her fake smile and her fake goody-two-shoes act”
--and walked into the meeting. “Sorry about that,” she said, as everyone’s eyes followed her to her seat.
Everyone, that is, but Remi, who continued to make zero eye contact with her.
“It’s fine,” Glen said with a small frown and a couple of irritated blinks. “Anyway, we were talking about product branding…”
***
When the meeting ended, everyone headed for the door and Nicole tried to get Remi’s attention. “Hey, do you have a sec?” she asked.
Glen and Edward were deep in conversation as they left, and soon it was only Nicole and Remi left in the room. “I’m really pinched, I have another meeting to get to…” Remi said.
“You seem upset with me,” Nicole said.
“Why would I be upset?” Remi still wouldn’t even glance at her.
“I don’t know. Maybe because I was promoted?”
This caused the older woman to grimace and make a laughing sound. “Is that what you call it?”
“I don’t know. What would you call it?”
Remi shrugged. “Payment for services rendered.”
Nicole tried to control her voice, but it was shaking and the tears were close to the surface. “I asked to stay with this team because I love working with you. Red was going to move me to Public Relations.”
Remi folded her arms and made another face. “You should have taken the PR job. I don’t see why you should stay with the creative team.”
“I thought you liked the work I was doing.”
“I did, when you were an intern. There’s certain ways things have always been done around here. I paid my dues in this business. You don’t just get to cut the line because the boss likes what you do between the sheets.”
“That’s not fair.”