Nine

The morning alarm on her phone went off. An annoying sound in any case, and more so because it was a Saturday morning, jerking her right out of a very pleasant dream. In the dim light, one blue eye appeared as she glared at the device. Then a hand shot out from the covers and slapped at the phone screen, sending the device tumbling off the bedside table.

"Ow," Jade said, cursing as she grabbed her injured hand, rolling up to her other elbow and wincing as she examined her knuckles. The entire back of her hand was swollen and discolored. She dropped back down onto the pillows, recalling how it got that way.

"I forgot about that," she mumbled, closing her eyes again.

She'd forgotten how hard the human skull was, and how much it hurt if you hit it head-on without protection. Not that she would have chosen any differently if she had remembered that fact. The solid crack had felt satisfying, at least before the pain had hit. And she didn't regret the damage she'd done to the man. Or the rest of Tori's attackers, for that matter. She used kicks for the rest of them though… definitely easier on the body.

But now she could barely close her fist and she knew it was going to be a couple of days before it changed. "Hey look, Dad… aren't you proud of me?" she whispered into the ether, hoping that maybe her father could hear her. Tori had been damn lucky that Jade had been on her way back to the office, because she had forgotten to do something there, and she was on the 101 just a few exits away when the Latina called.

Instead of ice cream, she'd gotten trouble, a sore hand, a last-minute financial brainstorm, and - her mind conjured up a picture of Tori's slim form swaddled in her Navy sweatshirt, standing at her car window as she dropped her off - maybe a new friend.

"I'll bring the shirt back to you on Monday. Thanks for letting me borrow it," Tori had said, giving Jade a tentative squeeze on the arm.

Jade had waved her off. "Keep it, I have dozens, believe me." She glanced around, seeing the convertible parked nearby, its window neatly taped. "You going to be alright with that?"

The brown eyes had followed hers, and Tori had sighed. "Yeah… one of the guys that work in an auto body shop. He's a pretty good friend of mine." Then she'd taken a breath. "Thanks for coming to my rescue, and I'm glad the whole thing worked out okay."

Jade had smiled. "Me too," she'd patted Tori's shoulder awkwardly. "Get some rest… Talk to you on Monday."

And that had been that. She'd driven away, checking her rearview mirror just to make sure the Latina had gotten inside okay and put herself on the long rainy drive home.

Now she listened and heard the patter of rain outside still. It had been unusually rainy in California this fall. And they probably couldn't take much more rain. She turned, tucking an arm under a pillow with a satisfied grunt. No running today. Today she was just going to snuggle into the warmth of her king-size bed. She pulled the covers up to catch up on some much-needed sleep.

She was just drifting off again when her phone rang.

She sighed. "No one's home."

It continued ringing, and she finally reached over and put the phone on speaker.

"Good morning, Jade," the voice sounded complacent, pleased.

"What do you want at six am, Robbie?" Jade muttered. "I sent the updates last night."

"Oh, I know…" Robbie said. "I just wanted to let you know I looked over what you did, and it was a perfect maneuver."

"At six am on a Saturday?" Jade sighed. "You could have sent me an email."

"Actually, that's why I'm calling… the word's out you're hiring an assistant," Rob stated. "Cat has gotten four inquiries already. When you do um… wake up, would you please send her over exactly what you are looking for before she gets swamped?"

Jade let her eyes open sleepily. "Rob… it's only been posted for six hours. And I know I'm not that popular."

The VP of finance chuckled merrily. "I hate to break this to you, my friend, but everyone is convinced you are getting ready to retire early and are handing over the reins. And they want first dibs."

"You're joking?" Jade groaned, "Jesus, Rob, I just asked for a little help, that's all. I want an assistant not a replacement."

A small silence. "Jade just asking for help- That's unheard of," Rob replied slowly. "You have anyone in particular in mind?"

Now it was Jade's turn to be silent. "I don't know," She finally said. "Maybe."

"Mm." The accountant acknowledged the unspoken information. "Be careful, Jade… That could be a dangerous position for you. Pick someone who's not going to immediately stab you in the back." He cleared his throat. "It doesn't pay to let people get on the inside, you know, please remember what happened to you last time."

Jade gazed at her dresser, shadowy in the pre-dawn gloom. "I know," She replied softly. "Thanks for the warning, Robbie." There was a click as he hung up. She rolled over and regarded the ceiling soberly. Complications already. She'd used her momentary leverage to open the position, not really thinking about the consequences. Or how it would look.

She hadn't really even considered… No, she can't lie to herself. She'd been thinking exactly for Tori when she'd asked for it… and that had seemed like such an ingenious solution at the time. The woman had talent and potential, she was sharp… she'd be a good addition to the team.

But what about Tori? She'd been hurt by the entire situation with her company. Did Jade want to expose her to the many times more vicious environment inside the upper levels of this company? Was that fair to someone as nice as Tori?

Was she even really interested? She'd seemed like she was last night, but that would have been overtiredness and a reaction to the day. The morning surely would bring a more sensible attitude, and Jade quietly hoped Tori would at least reconsider and remain with the Buzz account.

She didn't like to see talent leave the company. Right?

Jade pulled the covers up over her head and sighed. Oh Jade, lie to anyone but yourself remember? You like the chick. She reminds you of what you used to be like when you started. But now you're jaded, is that what you want for her? Let her stay where she is… or let her go and do something else… a small company where she doesn't have to be exposed to people like... you. A heaviness settled over Jade's chest unexpectedly. Like the person you've become.

It was a quiet depression that she'd been experiencing more and more often lately, making her question what the point was in doing what she did, in going the places she went - a feeling of hopelessness that made her want to just curl up in a ball here in the dark and never leave. Her solution so far had been to throw herself into yet more work, which usually distracted her enough to make the feeling go away for a while.

With a sigh, she pulled her covers back and slid out of bed, trudging across to the bathroom and flipping the lights on. She used the facilities, then splashed a few handfuls of water over her face, accented by dark shadows that added years to her age.

Depressed, she turned and flipped the light off, moving out into the living room to where she had left her laptop and booted it up. Then she went into the kitchen and stared at the espresso machine, then feeling too depressed for coffee she bypassed it and went directly to the fridge and grabbed the ice cream in the freezer.

Returning to her living room couch, she connected to her workstation, taking spoonfuls of ice cream as she worked. She flipped through television channels, turned on her Paramount+ account, and turned on Hey Arnold. Then she sat cross-legged and watched some mind-numbing TV as her mail scrolled on to her laptop screen.

She leaned back against the cushions, then decided to lay down and balance the laptop on her stomach. She scanned down the listings and one little piece of correspondence lifted her spirits tremendously. She clicked on the email right away.

Tori Vega - sent 1:01 a.m.

Hi.

I know you're thinking, "What is this crazy woman doing sending mail at 1 a.m. after a day like today?" Well, I didn't start out to do that. I took a shower and got changed and fluffed up my pillows and answered the two frantic messages in my voicemail because people saw my car towed here. And then I was just lying there figuring this sleep thing wasn't going to be a problem.

But I kind of got to thinking that there was something I hadn't done, and I know you're probably sitting there reading this thinking I've flipped my lid, but… I haven't.

I decided that if you were serious about posting that position you were talking about, I'm going to apply for it. I know there are probably ten thousand other people more qualified, but I have this crazy idea that maybe I can find better ways for people to do things so that it's not so brutal and it doesn't hurt people just to do business.

That's pretty naive-sounding. I sound like some ingenue just out of certification school, don't I? Yikes.

So anyway, what I did was log on, and I found that posting and I submitted a formal request for consideration for it. I also attached my resume, like it said - though figuring out where to click in that CAS application is a real pain in the neck, you know? I feel better now and I think I'll be able to sleep.

I know I don't have much of a chance at it - it's so weird to think that I was cursing your name before dinnertime and hoping I get to work for you at midnight.

If you can squeeze me back into my old job, though, that would be fantastic. Monday is going to be really crazy and there is one thing I forgot to thank you for - and that was the severance packages. It changes firing someone from a hateful sentence to what I can present as a chance for change so that these people can find something else without having the pressure of bills hanging over their heads. You don't know how much that means… especially since four of the people have school-age children who are just entering the influence.

Thank you, Jade. I really mean that.

Have a great weekend.

Tori.

Jade felt a grin coming on, and she let it as she read the email twice over, surprised at how a simple little email could make her feel. Then she very deliberately logged into her CAS session and reviewed her worklist. An eyebrow went up when she saw the thirty or so responses, and she scanned the names.

All qualified, pretty much. Most junior, but a few senior account managers with lots of experience in the gaming field. Several candidates, in fact, were already assistants to other senior execs. Good, solid employees, with stable backgrounds, and excellent references.

She clicked on Tori's submission and reviewed it. Absolutely no experience in any facet of what she did. Absolutely no experience in multiple markets, no experience overseas, experience in corporate takeovers.

But there was solid potential there - a drive and gutsiness that meant more to Jade than any amount of previous experience. None of the other applicants would have told her off. None of the other applicants would have stood up to her and challenged her every move. If they wouldn't do it to her, then they also wouldn't do it to protect the company from someone else.

A reckless, piratical gleam entered Jade's blue eyes.

It was so easy. Two clicks and an F3 submit key. "Oh look." Jade did it before she could think better of anything. "I just hired an assistant." She took a deep breath. "Isn't technology wonderful?"

Cat was going to kill her. Company regulations stipulated that she had to interview and evaluate each candidate and produce written documentation to back up her choice. Oh well - it wasn't like she'd never done it the short way before. She clicked over to mail.

Kitten-

Just hired Tori Vega from the Buzz account as my assistant. Please process her paperwork. I figured it would be easier on you since she is technically an outside candidate. You can hire and transition her all at once.

Bring her in as a 10, standard package, the works - I'll send her over to fill out forms sometime next week.

I know everyone will bitch - just tell them the manager's discretion, and they can see me personally if they have a problem.

Jade

A loophole. Jade loved loopholes. Bringing Tori in as an outside posting would circumvent most of the hysteria. And she could just ignore the rest. Cat was used to that anyway. Manager's discretion was a watchword in the company. A lot of the rules were left deliberately vague, and you had to take responsibility for what you decided.

Jade always accepted that responsibility, even when decisions had turned out wrong. She refused to hide behind anyone, taking the brunt of the blame on her own shoulders instead. It was one thing that everyone respected her for, even those who hated her - and there were a lot of those. When Jade West made a decision, she stood behind it 100 percent.

With a grin, she rubbed her hands together, then took a big bite of her ice cream before she started typing.

Tori,

Got your note. You're hired.

Attached to this email, you will find corporate policies and procedures. I estimate it should take about a week to get the paperwork completed, and that will give you a chance to settle your current assignment. Call me if you have any questions.

Jade

With a sense of inevitability, she hit send. She still had some questions as to whether she was doing the right thing for Tori, but it was done. Time would tell if this was a good decision. Or one of the ones she lived to regret.

She let her head drop back to the couch arm as the mail finished transmitting and turned her eyes back to Hey Arnold, watching the animated figures scamper over the huge screen as her mind wandered idly into the future.