Page 36 of Miss Manage

Chapter Twenty

CHARLOTTE

Fall in San Diego didn’t mean beautifully colored trees or scarves with boots. It meant the mornings with a touch of crispness. It meant swapping lemon for pumpkin spice creamer in my tea and convincing myself it was seasonal. It meant a subtle shift marking the change of year even as the palm trees and beaches contradicted the typical image of the season.

I walked into the office Monday morning still replaying Saturday afternoon in my head. Time with Samantha at the baseball game hadn’t merely been fun; it had steadied me in a way I hadn’t expected. Watching her curiosity spark to life and the way she scribbled notes in her pink notebook with such seriousness reminded me of exactly why I fought so hard for this seat at the table.

I wanted more than just to prove to my ex I could successfully balance a career and motherhood. I wanted to prove that every battle I’d fought to be taken seriously mattered. I hoped to clear the path of obstacles for girls like her, so one day they’d walk into boardrooms without anyone ever questioning whether they belonged.

My thoughts shifted from Samantha to Gabriel. I’d discovered yet another side to him. In his father’s box, he’d casually sipped a beer while chatting with Austin, but all the while kept an eye on Samantha like she was his number one priority. Seeing him in his role as a father had only amplified this growing attraction.

He was still competitive, still sharp-edged in the office, but with his daughter he’d been gentle, patient, and funny. Austin had laughed with him like they’d known each other for years. Now I found myself eager to learn what other layers comprised Gabriel Chambers.

It was getting tougher to remind myself he was my rival. But I needed emotional distance, especially when my first-round interview loomed on the calendar today.

No more distractions, I thought, pushing through Arrow’s glass doors, the weight of the day settling firmly into place. Time to focus on my interview.

My focus stayed intact until Gabriel strolled into my office for our morning stand-up meeting. Everything went blank. Because this morning, aside from looking handsome in a gray suit, my newest direct report was sporting a new accessory.

A smile.

“Good morning, Charlotte. How was the rest of your weekend?” He shut the door behind him. This was the same motion he’d made over the last few weeks, but today it felt different.

“It was good, thanks.” I averted my eyes, suddenly finding my calendar the most interesting thing in the room. “Yours?”

“It was great. My brother has turned a corner and is doing much better.”

Given how freely he shared the information, I found myself smiling, too. “I’m happy to hear it.”

I was about to launch into my agenda, but he clearly wasn’t done blazing new trails.

“Samantha couldn’t stop talking about you after Saturday’s game.” His gaze was steady on mine. “She lit up the whole way home. Honestly…it’s the most I’ve heard her talk to me in months. I can’t thank you enough.”

Vulnerability and Gabriel Chambers were a lethal combination. And quickly becoming my catnip if I wasn’t careful. “It was a pleasure. Samantha is incredibly smart and thoughtful.”

“Thank you. Austin’s a great kid, too. Polite, funny, and easy to talk to.”

“He had a wonderful time. Thank you for arranging it.”

“We should do it again sometime.”

It was probably a throwaway comment, but for one second, warmth rushed to my cheeks. His good mood was so infectious that part of me was tempted to throw caution to the wind and agree on another outing.

But then the realization hit, cold and sobering. Of course, today of all days, he was in good spirits. Of course he was suddenly disarmingly personable today. Because today wasn’t just my interview. It was his, too. The very day that could strip the word “interim” from the title and hand it thus, neatly wrapped, to him instead.

The flutter in my chest hardened into something else entirely. Determination. Caution. A reminder that no matter how tempting the smile, I couldn’t forget the stakes.

“Yeah, maybe. I um have a couple of work items to go over.” I needed to desperately get back on task.

His smile dropped. “Of course.”

“I finalized the list of layoffs and will email it to you for review. HR has signed off on your idea of incentivizing retirement, and I think we have what we need, numbers-wise.”

“I’ll have it reviewed and back to you later this afternoon.”

“Good.” As soon as the layoffs were behind us, the better. My stomach was in knots every time I read the names on the list, but I knew the move was both necessary and that we were giving fair packages to those being let go.

“Wanted to let you know John is in town this week. I’m leaning into having him integrate with this office. That way I can ensure he won’t continue to be a problem.”