Page 17 of The Work Wife

“Yes. It was nice to catch up.” He handed over her lunch.

She opened the container holding her club sandwich and squealed in delight. “An extra pickle.”

“You’re so easy to please.” This was true. It was fun to see how excited she got over the simplest things. Things his mother wouldn’t even notice, let alone get excited about.

“Yes, speaking of that. Your brother.”

“I gave him your number before he left.” He figured she would want him to do so with the way the two of them had been flirting. Wes wasn’t sure it was a good idea to facilitate a match, but neither Ben nor Jamie was the type to care whether he thought it was a good idea.

“Thank you. He’s adorable.”

“He looks like me,” Wes pointed out. Everybody mentioned how much they looked alike. They’d even been mistaken for twins.

Jamie tilted her head to the side as she inspected him like a bird watching a worm. Then she shook her head. “I don’t see it.” She turned back to her task. “Wouldn’t it be cool if I ended up being your sister someday?”

Wes just hoped no one got hurt.

* * * *

Jamie winced as she walked into the conference room the following Wednesday morning, knowing what was coming. At least Wes was there to soften the blow.

“Congratulations, Duane and Neil!” Everyone cheered as Rob continued. “The figures are back from finance and you’ve officially been named Design Team One for the sixth year in a row!”

Everyone clapped. Jamie clapped too as she leaned over to whisper to Wes.

“Next year it will be us.” She and Wes were a great team. They just needed a chance to do a bigger job so everyone could see it. They could do anything together.

If too many of her ideas got in the project, it came off weak. If too many of Weston’s ideas got in, it looked like an institution. But together it was a perfect blend.

* * * *

“Okay, that concludes the regular team meeting. I need the people who are going on next month’s trip to stay a couple of extra minutes. I want to go over the itinerary quickly.”

“I wonder what they would do if I insisted on going. Would they tell me I can’t go?” Jamie said as she and Wes walked back to their office.

Maybe she was being ridiculous. After all, she’d heard the saying, marriage is work. She had no experience with it herself, but maybe this trip was not going to be nearly as much fun as she thought.

Maybe it would be like the time the firm sent her to Houston and she spent the entire trip in a hotel conference room that looked like every other hotel conference room anywhere in the world.

But whether or not it was ridiculous, she couldn’t shake the feeling she was missing out on a great opportunity to get the McCafferty job. Her father had told her six million times that life was not fair. As an adult she’d realized quickly it was one of the many things he’d been right about.

However, that didn’t mean she should just sit back and accept this injustice. For single women everywhere, she felt like she needed to speak out. Even if it was just to her partner.

“You could always ask and see,” he suggested diplomatically.

“But what if they said no, and then I lost my shit and told off my boss and got fired. I mean, getting fired won’t help with my goal to get to Team One.”

“This is true.”

“But it would be nice to spend a week in Jamaica.”

“You make money. Why don’t you take some time and go?”

That was a good question. And only because it was Wes, did she answer. “I feel like I should spend my vacations with my dad. After his cancer scare I realized he’s not going to be around forever, you know? I wouldn’t be able to have a good time in Jamaica if I went on my own time. I would feel like I was wasting a chance to hang out with him. I’m sure it sounds stupid.”

“It doesn’t. It makes sense. I’m sorry.”

“If I was going on the trip as a function of my job, and didn’t have to give up any of my vacation days, I would be able to have fun.”