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“I got my proposal for the youth center back today—nothing but red pen.”
Kirsten snorted.
“It’s not funny,” Lydia complained. “I’m kind of devastated here.”
“Sorry, I wasn’t laughing at you. I’m just not surprised to hear that. Actually, I’m a little confused as to why you are.”
“What do you mean?”
Kirsten’s perfectly manicured brow arched to a point. “Most of the leadership team is gunning for partner at the firm. It makes sense that they’d wanttheirdesigns front and center for Marco to choose from.”
Lydia stopped abruptly, feeling like she’d been jostled from a dream. “What?”
“Didn’t you know?” Kirsten slowed, clutching her sides.
“I had no idea.”
“They’re probably hoping one of them gets selected and Marco will take note of it when he makes his decision. It would give them a leg up as far as the partner race goes.”
“God, you really do hear everything at the front desk, don’t you?”
“Kind of my job,” Kirsten said. “Marco’s been hinting at bringing someone on as partner for a while. Honestly, Lyds, no matter how good your proposal was, it might not have made the cut for that reason alone.”
Dammit, Lydia thought. Was this why she was always struggling to have her work move up the ladder? Because the leadership team was there squashing anything that didn’t directly make themselves look good? How long had this jockeying game for partner been going on? Weeks? Months? “Is Jack going out for partner too?”
“He’s on the leadership team. It would be weird if he wasn’t.”
Lydia didn’t know what to say. If Jack had known all along that she had no chance, why didn’t he say something?Maybe he doesn’t realize, she thought. He wouldn’t have deliberately let her make a fool of herself, right? It wasn’t like he’d sabotaged her. He’d been just as surprised when she showed him her rejected proposal. He’d even had good things to say about it.
“Are you okay?” Kirsten asked.
Lydia didn’t want to be annoyed with Jack, but the fact that he was involved with the rest of the leadership team, who were all vying to impress Marco, made her feel even more defeated. If she’d understood this from the beginning, she never would have bothered entering. In fact, she’d hazard to guess most of her colleagues would have also saved themselves the trouble if they knew this was going to be a popularity contest between the leadership team. “I’m a little pissed off, actually...”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“No, I’m glad you did. It helps put everything in perspective.” They started jogging again, even slower than before. “I guess I just wish Jack would have given me a heads-up.”
“Why would he?”
Lydia shrugged. Because they’d been getting closer lately. Because they had a rapport. Because he called her hisrunning buddy.
“Ladies,” a familiar voice said, and they both looked up as Jack ran past them. He wore sleek shades and shook his head, dislodging the hair that stuck to the back of his neck. Every exposed muscle was coated in a thin sheen of sweat. As he coasted by them, Lydia’s eyes traced the fine definition of muscle in his calves. Jack was a regular runner. She could tell by his form. Luke would be impressed if she ever managed to stride that gracefully.
“Hot damn. He’s like a cover ofMen’s Health,” Kirsten said.
“Yeah,” Lydia sighed, cocking her head.
Kirsten nudged Lydia and they came to a stop. “What was that?”
“What was what?”
“You. Looking at Jack. All starry-eyed.”
“I’m not starry-eyed. You’re the one who pointed him out, talking aboutMen’s Health.”
“But I didn’tsighlike that.” Kirsten’s entire face shifted from confusion to glee in an instant. “You have a thing for him!”
“I absolutely do not.”
