“I’ll need to review your work before it gets saved anyway. I learned that lesson during your internship,” he said bitterly. “This little stunt of your old boss’s added a bunch of work to my plate. So, tell me, which do you think is the bigger pain in my ass?” He tapped his pen on the table, actually looking at me as if he were expecting a response.
Dick.
“Are you calling me a pain in your ass?” I clutched my chest dramatically, “Zackary, I’m flattered, buddy!” A rock could have picked up on the sarcasm that drenched my voice, which would be needed, since Zac’s head was filled with them.
“What an honor, truly. You know, I really don’t care what anyone else here says. You are a fantastic boss, just so kind and supportive; an inspiration to me, really.” I shook my head, as if I couldn’t believe just how much I’d lucked out with him.
He wasn’t laughing.
“You are getting a Christmas card from me this year, guy, I tell ya.”
And with that, I left.
How the hell was I going to survive a full week in New York with this fool?
The first thing I did was submit the design orders we needed which would take around three days to get back. Then I ate lunch at my desk, reviewing the notes I had taken that morning and adding to them while the meeting was still fresh in my memory, before starting on the task list we needed to have completed by the end of the week. By the time I was finished with the work I wanted to get done, it was a quarter past 7:00 p.m. There was just one last thing I needed to do…
From: Amelia Bloom
To: Zackary Evans
* * *
Mr. Evans,
* * *
See attached for your review. I do hope the quality is up to par with your standards and expectations. Maybe even good enough to be saved in the ever so exclusive Emerson folder?
* * *
A girl can dream.
* * *
Warmest regards,
The Big Pain In Your Ass
Thoroughly satisfied with my own pettiness, I shut everything down and put on my coat. The response came through on my phone just as I got out the door.
From: Zackary Evans
To: Amelia Bloom
* * *
Miss Bloom,
* * *
Might I remind you that you’ll be reporting to me long enough that I will be in charge of your next performance review? I am sure you would agree that sassing your boss might not be the best way to earn a positive one.
* * *
Sincerely concerned about the future of your career,
Zac
From: Amelia Bloom
To: Zackary Evans
* * *
Mr. Evans,
* * *
I am genuinely touched by your concern. May I ask, simply out of curiosity, what exactly would I need to do to earn a positive review from you?
* * *
Please note that sacrificing my firstborn is simply out of the question as that promise has already been made to someone else. (Don’t ask).
* * *
Looking forward to all of your ideas,
Milly
It wasn’t until I had started to walk home that something clicked. I took out my phone and reread my last sent email.
Wait, had I come off as flirting? No, right?
No.
Yes?
Damn it.
I read it again.
No, it’s fine. You’re overthinking it.
I got to my apartment, opened a bottle of red, and called Kai to catch up. Within the last year, he had quit his 9-to-5 and was now a freelance graphic designer. He was doing extremely well, and I was so proud of him. But we were both so busy with work now that we barely had time to catch up anymore.
It was arguably one of the worst parts about growing up, but it made me appreciate it even more when we did get to talk or see each other. All of the stress I had accumulated throughout the day seemed to ease as soon as he picked up the phone. His voice was home.
It was a little past ten o’clock when we finally hung up. The wine had done its job, and I was blissfully sleepy. So I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and finally crawled into bed, my mind vaguely noting as I drifted off to sleep that I hadn’t received a response.
I spent the next two days buried in my work. It felt really good to be on a big project again, like being able to finally stretch your legs after a twelve-hour flight. My time at Yuval had been filled with larger accounts, thanks to David.
He had taken me under his wing after I’d been hired, and we ended up working exceptionally well together. I worked on all of his accounts with him, participated in his pitches and presentations, and eventually was trusted to take on some of his clients solo. I’d lost count of the number of influential industry contacts I’d gained thanks to him taking the time to invite me to client events and meetings.
It wasn’t always easy though. It was an aggressively competitive environment, and I was constantly expected to deliver; no exceptions. The days were long, and working evenings and weekends were common. But the experience had been invaluable.
Quitting and leaving all of that behind had not been easy. I could have worked with David for the entirety of my career and been happy, and there were times where I was tempted to stay and commit to Yuval. But I kept being pulled back to Toronto. I just couldn’t let go.
He was also unhappy with my decision to leave, going as far as to offer a fifty percent increase to my salary to get me to change my mind. We had spent three hours discussing my career path at Yuval and everything I was turning away from. To any rational third party, I was making a huge mistake to leave that for the uncertainty that was waiting for me at Bloom & Co. But by then I’d made up my mind.
Having learned to get my work done as quickly and efficiently as possible without letting the quality suffer, it only took me a little over two days to get through the week’s task list. By end of the workday on Wednesday, I had compiled all of it into an email sent off to Zac.
Maybe today I’ll actually have time to do an evening spin cl—
Zackary Evans
Did you also do the presentation?
That was quick.
Amelia Bloom
Oh why hello to you too. Yes, it’s in the attached compressed folder titled ‘Visuals’
* * *
Amelia Bloom
I have a physical backup for it as well. I was going to drop it off by your desk before leaving
He looked up from his computer and toward me through the shared glass wall. I pulled out the USB and dangled it in front of me to show him.
Zackary Evans
And the pamphlets?
* * *
Amelia Bloom
There are four design options for you to look at in the same folder. Two were drawn up by our design team, one was done by a third party vendor, and I had an extra done by a freelancer.
Experience had taught me that providing options was key; you just had to make sure they were each unique enough to stand out on their own. Getting your choices from different vendors or designers with varying styles was your best bet.