CLANDESTINE | HS |

NINE

Logan

It started when I got stuck in traffic.

For whatever reason, the day of a meeting that I'd been preparing for is the same day they decided to start construction.

Being on time was something I always prided myself on. Which made the fact that I had to call my boss and tell him I was going to be at least twenty minutes late should have been my first sign that nothing was going to go how I had planned.

By the time I pulled into my parking spot I was ready to turn back around, go home, and crawl in my bed and stay there.

I wasn't late to my meeting— the only positive part to my day.

Because as I carried my cup of coffee down the hallway and someone barreled around the corner, all of it spilled down the front of my shirt and pants.

It might even be pooled in the bottom of my heels.

"Oh my god, Miss Banks—" Eyes wide, the newest intern looks more panicked than I've ever seen someone look. "I'm so sorry! God, I'm so fucking—Shit—Fuck—"

Picking up my cup from the floor, I do my best to smile at him. "It's okay, Gabe. I promise."

"I'm going to get fired, aren't I?" His brown eyes are full of fear as he bites his bottom lip. "I'm so, so sorry."

"Hey, listen to me." Looking down at my ruined shirt, I muster up a smile. "You aren't going to get fired. I promise."

He blows out a long breath. "I'm still so sorry."

"I know you are." Glancing at the watch on my wrist, I secretly wish the world would swallow me whole. "Listen, just be careful coming around corners."

With a final nod, my legs carry me further down the hall to the boardroom.

A place I felt like I've always thrived.

Yeah, I love my personality and sometimes I think I'm funny... But most days?

Most days my favorite thing about myself was being intelligent and being able to hold my own in a setting that very rarely involved women.

Only, most of those days for me didn't involve being completely covered in coffee.

Fingers crossed this goes well.

I need at least one win today.

Just one.

_________

Deep breath in, deep breath out.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Sitting in the world's longest meeting usually isn't the worst thing that could happen to me. Truly, it's not.

However, sitting in a meeting where my clothes stick to my body and smell like mocha and someone looks at me and tells me they chose another museum to display their collection?

That is.

Tears sting my eyes as I sit there and listen to all the reasons why they chose someone else.

It's not personal, really it isn't.

But it's still so damn hard.

For me, I put so much work into everything for this museum that when something like this happens it's impossible not to take it personally.

At least losing the pieces doesn't happen often for me.

I've almost always been able to get anything I've wanted. That was one of the reasons I had the job that I did.