Chapter One
Aubrey
“You’ve got to be joking!”
Shannon met Aubrey’s eyes and grinned as though she knew this would be the best news Aubrey would hear all year. “I’m very serious, Aubrey. I can’t think of anyone else I’d want to take on as CFO. You’re the only candidate I’m considering of hiring internally.”
Aubrey brushed through her long red hair with a shaking hand and slowly melted into the chair. Her heart thrummed in her chest like a drum, making her lightheaded. She had been working so hard to get to this position, and now her work was paying off. It had been two years since she’d joined Glamour Girl. In that time, sales had tripled. Aubrey liked to think it was because of her idea, which made them go viral on social media, but she couldn’t take all the credit. She had a great sales team she’d been managing over the last two years, too.
Shannon perked up in her computer chair and brought her hands together on the desk in front of her. As the CEO of Glamour Girl, Shannon always had an indirect way of asserting dominance in a room. People paid attention whenever she sat up confidently. Aubrey inadvertently corrected her posture as butterflies whirled in her stomach.
“There’s a catch.”
There it was. Aubrey sighed and stared out of the window that overlooked New York City. It was a grey day, and those words made it seem even bleaker. There was always a catch. She should have expected as much.
“I put in your name for the CFO position, but it seems that our shareholders want you to prove yourself before having you take on the job. I’m sure you understand,” she said, sounding genuinely sympathetic. “You have the credentials to run our sales team and lead us into an online marketing campaign. However, being the CFO of this company will take a lot more than what you’re doing now. It’s a lot of responsibility.”
Aubrey breathed in deeply. Her career was everything to her, and she needed to get that job. Just knowing that it was a possibility was enough to make her want to work even harder for it. “I’m ready to take it on. I know it’s a gamble on your end, but I promise you won’t regret it.”
“I know I won’t,” Shannon said flatly and moved closer. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t agree with the shareholders. What I mean is, I want you to be able to prove yourself. I know your work ethic, Aubrey, so I know what you’re capable of.”
Aubrey was silent as the tension rose in the space between them.
“There’s a new ad campaign starting for next year’s boxes. As you know, we’ve already signed with several new, up-and-coming brands,” Shannon said, maintaining eye contact. “I want you to prove that you can get this going online and garner some buzz before the release. We’re pairing with an agency for this season, and it’s imperative that we raise awareness about our new collaborations.”
“What’s the agency called?”
“You’ve heard of them. They’re called Spectrum.”
Aubrey considered the name for a moment and tapped her foot. Where would she have heard of them before? Spectrum? Shannon wasn’t wrong. They definitely sounded familiar. Spectrum advertising. Wait, it couldn’t be. “Do you mean the Spectrum? The same one that’s owned by that super-rich family?”
“That same one. You’ll be working alongside their advertising team to come up with a launch for our new subscription boxes. We’re looking to make it more personal for our customers. I’m sure you remember.”
“Of course! And I’m all for the idea,” Aubrey said, her heart leaping. It would look amazing on her resume to work with such a prestigious advertising agency. Everything that Shannon was saying seemed surreal. “I definitely won’t let you down.”
Shannon leaned forward and tapped a number into the silver phone on her desk. “Martina? Hello?”
“This is she,” Aubrey heard Martina say through the other end of the call.
“Have you received my email?” Shannon asked Martina and smiled at Aubrey, as though to let her know to wait. It was strange for Shannon to call Martina in front of her.
There was a shuffling on the end that filled the silence of the room, then Martina said. “Yes, I have. I just read it about ten minutes ago.”
“Perfect! You’ll be attending the advertising company with Aubrey, who’s just agreed to take on the project. Isn’t that wonderful?”
Aubrey could hear Martina clear her throat on the other end and felt sorry for the poor girl. Martina was Aubrey’s assistant, and Aubrey should’ve been the one to break the news and ask Martina to go, after all. Shannon, however, was a bit of a control freak. “Yes, that’s awesome news. I’d be happy to join her over there.”
“Great,” Shannon said and leaned closer to the phone. “I’ll send you the address for the advertising company, and you can get started with the information that I’ll be forwarding to you both tonight. You start tomorrow morning.”
“Wait. What? Tomorrow?”
Martina reflected Aubrey’s surprise at the news. Aubrey’s mouth dropped open as she gestured with her hands towards the phone. Tomorrow was too soon. That barely gave her enough time to prepare. She was meticulous about her work and always wanted to be informed. Enough preparation time and information were essential for Aubrey to meet her own standards of near perfection.
“Yes. Tomorrow,” Shannon told her and brought her finger to the phone. “Bye, Martina.”
The silence was culpable as Aubrey’s hands began to shake. She could always acclimate herself to high-stress situations, but she preferred not to be thrust into those high-stress situations so instantaneously. She should have known this would happen, though, because Shannon liked things done promptly and with little to no errors.
Shannon hung up and brought her eyes to meet Aubrey’s. “You’d best grab whatever you need from your desk now. Be sure to bring any resume, CVs, or even your degree with you tomorrow,” she said, as though she’d done nothing out of the ordinary. “I’ll send you the information tonight. And, Aubrey, be sure to be on your best behavior. The supervisor you’ll be working with over at Spectrum expects nothing but the best.”
Aubrey could feel her heart racing in her chest. She knew there would be a catch. This, however, seemed utterly ridiculous. Sure, she was good under pressure. This amount of pressure, though? She wasn’t sure she could take such a surprise. Not only was this a test to determine her future at the company, but it started tomorrow, and the boss was supposed to be intense.
“I’ll do my best. Don’t hire a new CFO while I’m gone,” Aubrey said and clasped her hands together at her chest. “Please.”
Shannon laughed and let her boss-like demeanor dissipate. “You don’t need to worry about that. As I said, you’re the only person I have in mind right now. Just be sure to deliver and work well with the agency. The supervisor over there will be sending me frequent updates on your progress. I expect a daily email from you, as well.”
Despite the frustration she felt about having to work elsewhere, she pushed out of her chair and rose to her feet excitedly. She refused to let the fact that she was a little flustered get in the way of her work. The phone rang just as she was about to speak and, instead of lingering, which Shannon hated, Aubrey waved lightly and mouthed the words thank you as she headed towards the door.