Chapter Twenty-Eight: Promotion

"Kimber handed in her two-week notice, Jessica." Nate's statement from earlier in the week echoed in Angela's mind. The staff hadn't even been notified of the associate director's impending departure yet, but Jess was about to meet with the Assistant Superintendent of Business Services to secure the Acting AD role. The recruitment process for a permanent replacement was expected to take three months. If Angela proved herself in the first few weeks, her appointment would be a foregone conclusion.

Nate had recommended her on the strength of her work on the professional fees project, which was converted to the Litigation Prevention campaign. After meeting with the Head of Personnel and outside counsel, she had secured an audience with the Superintendent to present her proposal for the development of a new training and communications strategy. Instead of requiring employees to sign a form attesting that they had read a pile of rules and regulations, onboarding and in-service trainings would include workshops highlighting commonly violated standards. In addition, frequent bite-sized communications were planned for message reinforcement. Angela was already working with a graphic designer and training developer, though Nate was still the official point person.

If Angela got the acting role, she could bring in a temporary budget analyst to fulfill her current duties. She would also acquire responsibility for payroll and payables, grant administration, asset management, and the like. A promotion would allow her to develop relationships with other departments, expanding her impact at the district. Even if Executive Director was the highest opportunity available without an education background, the experience was transferrable.

At five minutes before the hour, Nate swung by her cubicle. "I'll walk you over, Jessica," he said. "Don't be nervous. You look great in that suit," he added. The man had managed to comment on every single aspect of her current appearance at some point. Sheila had helped her dye her hair a medium brown the weekend before. Sam had given her a French manicure. Her mother had let her borrow earrings that had apparently belonged to one of her boyfriend's late wives.

Angela picked up a folder with several copies of her mostly fabricated resume, the job description, and note paper. She put on her glasses and grabbed a good pen, then followed her boss down a long hallway to an out-of-the-way conference room. The Assistant Superintendent was waiting inside. Nate opened the door for her and guided her in with his hand on her lower back, then joined him across the table from her.

The most difficult part of the interview was scaling down and masking Angela's real experiences with names and places from Jess' false biography. She managed to sound confident and not stumble over any words. The two men excused her so they could speak privately, but ten minutes later, Nate was back at her cubicle. "Come into my office," he told her.

Instead of going around his desk, Nate stood with Angela in the small open area. She looked up expectantly. "So? Are you going to take a chance on me?" she asked with a chuckle. He smiled and shook his head slowly.

"Of course you got the job, Jessica," he said. She threw her arms around him in excitement, but immediately tried to pull away. Unfortunately, his arms were now around her. She'd been so cautious around him, but there was an undeniable chemistry between them, stoked by frequent interaction. He held her loosely until his senses returned to him, then gave a quick squeeze and released her. Clearing his throat, he said formally, "You'll start at an effective annual salary of twenty-nine thousand, five hundred dollars. I'll circulate a memo Monday morning."

"Thank you, Nate. I'll see you Monday." It was quitting time, and she had an important date: her first Valentine's Day with Tony. She stopped by her desk and picked up the vase full of pink roses he had sent on her way out. As she approached her car, she reread the note:

"My dearest Jess, I must confess, you're my princess. Who are these from? You'll never guess."

It was probably the worst attempt at poetry she'd ever seen, and she loved it.

x

"Thank you so much, Linda," Angela said sincerely. Sam was among a gang of girls gossiping in Natalie's bedroom, and the neighbor had agreed to watch over her other child, as well.

"It's no problem, Jess. I kind of miss having a little boy around," she said. "He'll help me keep my mind off things." Jonathan was in the living room, setting up for a game of chess. Apparently, Patrick was out with his girlfriend. As for Danny, he had been shacked up at Tiffani's all week.

Angela smiled sadly and squeezed Linda's hand before she hurried back to change for her date. She curled her hair and applied eyeliner and a few coats of mascara. Then she put on a long-sleeved red dress with a short skirt and black leather heels. Tony came in just as she was about to apply red lipstick in a shade she never could have worn when she was blonde. "Stop!" he shouted.

"What's wrong?" she asked, putting down the tube and striding toward him. He smiled crookedly.

"I just wanted to kiss you first," he told her, putting his arms around her and squeezing her rear. She encircled his neck, angled her face toward his and waited. He loved looking up at her when she was in heels.

"I know exactly what you're thinking, and you're going to rub my feet later," she said. He took her lower lip between his teeth briefly, converting the love bite to a passionate kiss.

"Are you sure you wanna go out?" he joked, raising his eyebrows, then winking playfully.

"Linda has the kids all night and Mom's probably going to be out late, if she even comes home," she reminded him, smoothing her hands along his shoulders and chest. "Besides, we should celebrate my promotion," she smirked.

"You got it?" he cried in delight, grabbing her biceps. "Of course you did," he corrected. "I just didn't think you'd find out so quickly. Congratulations, baby."

"Thanks, sweetheart. I'm really excited about leading a team again," she said.

x

It was their first fancy dinner out together, Tony realized, taking a ticket from the valet and handing over a tip. They had shared a pasta and tiramisu at an Italian restaurant a few weeks earlier, breaking their string of no-cost outings. Mona's part-time hostess job afforded them a coveted reservation and a discount. They were seated at a round table and served bread and butter and the mineral water they had requested.

"I'm glad you came, Jess," Tony said with an intense gaze. He knew, looking into her brown eyes, that she understood. She had been the one to insist they stay together as a family, even if it meant pretending to be married. That gamble was paying off for both of them.

"I'm glad I came, too, Bobby," she told him, reaching both hands across the table. "If we were back in Ohio, I don't think we'd be out at a fancy dinner together right now," she mused.

"How can you be so sure?" he asked with a dopey smile. It felt inevitable, even if he couldn't imagine it happening any other way.

"I guess I can't be sure, but you have to admit, it would be unlikely," she said gently.

"More unlikely things have happened between us," he said, reminding her of Makeout Rock. There had to be a higher power, a grand plan for them to be together.

A server cleared her throat. She didn't have a hope in the world of turning this table in less than two hours. Thankfully, most of her diners were less wrapped up in each other and more interested in the steak. "Have you had a chance to look at the menu?"

"Oh, no, could we have a few more minutes, please?" Angela replied.

"Of course. I'll come back around," the server told them, trying to sound unbothered.

After they ordered, Tony asked about the interview. She relayed the highlights enthusiastically and then told him how Nate had given her the good news almost immediately.

"I guess you'll continue working with him after the campaign is launched?" he said, concentrating on applying butter to a piece of bread.

"He is my boss, Bobby," she said defensively, taking a sip of mineral water.

"I know," he replied. He didn't really have any more to say about the situation. They had fought about it that day in the parking lot and had several tense discussions around it in the weeks since. He couldn't help but think back to when he first met Angela, and then Grant. Despite his warning, she did end up sleeping with the man who had sponsored her appointment to President of Wallace and McQuade. Of course, she wasn't in a relationship at the time, just married.

"Here you go, miss," the server announced. "And for you, sir," she said. "Anything else I can get for you?"

"No, thank you," Tony replied.

"Bon appetit!" she said, ready to move on from the weird vibes the couple was giving off.

After enjoying a few bites, Angela decided on a new topic. "Did you talk to Meredith about our Grand Canyon trip?"

"Yeah, she thinks she can round up some camping equipment from some of her close friends for us." Tony's coworker wasn't exactly outdoorsy, but she knew several couples who liked to hike and camp.

"That's great. I'm really looking forward to it," she said bravely. They were planning a long weekend with car camping and short hikes around the South Rim. She was a little worried about sleeping in a tent, but if nothing else, the four of them could cram into the station wagon overnight.

"It's going to be something the kids remember for the rest of their lives," he added. They had acquired a nice second-hand camera and processed one roll of film so far. Nothing extraordinary, just pictures of their family at home, school, and church. A second roll had pictures of Sam's first couple of softball games, as well as Jonathan in front of a computer in his programming lab. They needed to start putting together a family album.

Tony ordered a slice of flourless chocolate cake for dessert, intending to let Angela eat most of it. He had put on a few pounds since moving, and it wasn't muscle. The warehouse job involved a lot of time on his feet and occasional lifting, but it wasn't as physical as cleaning all day, coaching kids, and getting in an actual daily workout. He was too tired to do more than twenty pushups and fifty sit-ups most days now. If it wasn't work getting in the way, it was the fact that he wanted to spend time with his children and keep the house and yard looking nice.

Angela, on the other hand, had lost a few pounds. She went nonstop from 6am until the kids were in bed at 9pm every weekday, then continued with laundry, tidying, and preparing lunches. She still enjoyed sweets but struggled to eat enough of the balanced meals she prepared for her family.

"This is delicious," she said, licking sticky chocolate off a fork. Tony just admired her from across the table. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she laughed.

"Because I love you," he said easily. He wished he had their camera to capture her dazzling smile.

x

"How was your Valentine's Day?" Mona asked, fussing with the arrangement of roses as her daughter poured a cup of coffee. Tony had already left for work, and the kids hadn't come back from next door.

"Wonderful," Angela exhaled. They had come home to a note informing them that Cassie was spending the night with Ricky. After a bottle of wine and some dirty dancing in the kitchen, Tony had shown his girl a good time right there on the couch, then taken her upstairs for an encore. "How was yours?"

"Ricky asked me to visit him up North," she said. "He usually leaves Arizona in March, but he's already extended his stay to April."

"It sounds like you're getting serious," Angela observed.

"I've never had a long-distance relationship before. I don't know if I can do it," Mona worried.

"Did you share your concerns with him?" she asked.

"I don't want to remind him that I'm still seeing other people when I know for a fact that he isn't."

"Ah. And you don't want to stop seeing those guys when you know your visits with Ricky will be few and far between?"

"Right. I'm not like you. I can't just turn off my libido," Mona remarked. "I need to get it on the regular." Angela scrunched her face, feeling somewhere between insulted and disgusted.

"I don't know what to tell you, Mom," she said. There was a commotion at the front door, and both children burst in with their bags.

"How was the slumber party?" Mona asked Sam.

"Great! Dinah called the boy she likes, and they're going to go to the movies together." The rest of the girls were living vicariously through the eighth grader.

"They were screaming and giggling half the night, Mom," Jonathan said, leaning against Angela. "Can I go back to bed?"

"Sure, honey," Angela said, rubbing her hand over his crew cut.

"I could use a nap, too," Sam admitted.

"I'll make brunch today," Angela announced. "Go back to bed and we'll eat around eleven."

After the kids went upstairs, Mona poured her own cup of coffee and watched her daughter work in the kitchen. "Are you happy?" she asked out of nowhere.

Angela stopped and turned. "What did you ask?"

"Are you happy? Here. With this life." she clarified.

"Yeah, I am," she said sincerely. "I'm happier than I've been in a long time," she told her mother. The truth was that she couldn't ever remember being happier than she was here.

"That's what worries me," Mona said flatly, taking her mug to her suite.