When I look up from my phone, Eric is standing in front of me. I look around him and luckily The Brunette isn’t in sight. “Hey,” he says. “So I need to get back to work, but I just wanted to say, great job today! Gabriela’s a great kid.”
“Yes, she is. Thank you so much for coming out.” My eyes continue to dart around to see if The Brunette is approaching.
“So, hey,” Eric says, putting his hands on my shoulders and looking me in the eye trying to get my full attention. “What are you doing tonight? Would you be up for a celebratory dinner?”
“Uh, that’s so nice, but I have plans tonight.”
“No worries. How about another time?”
“Sure that sounds great and thank you again for coming and you should really get back Saturdays are busy,” I say this hurriedly in one breath.
Eric looks at me strangely, probably wondering why I’m trying to give him the brush-off, which I am because I really don’t want to meet his girlfriend, or whoever that brunette is.
“Okay. Congratulations, again,” he says.
We wave goodbye and I try to shake off the icky feelings of the last twenty minutes and rejoin the Girls Run It after-party.
WHEN I WALK into The Allis, I spot Kate at the bar with a champagne glass in front of her. I can feel my pulse quickening in fight or flight mode, so I pause to take a deep breath and repeat in my head, Forgive and let go. Forgive and let go.
She notices me, and I walk over. When I approach, she removes her purse from the other bar stool. “I was saving this for you.”
“Thanks,” I say. She doesn’t get up, and we don’t hug; but then Kate’s never been a hugger.
“I got a glass, but should we get a bottle?” she asks.
“Sure. You pick.”
We awkwardly confer over the menu and order a Brut Rosé.
“So a consulting business? How’s that going?” Kate says, starting the conversation.
Considering she’s the reason I had to start a consulting practice in the first place, I feel a vein start to twitch in my neck.
“It’s going well,” I say coolly. I don’t offer anything more because who knows how she could use it against me.
“And Neil?” she asks, with a raised eyebrow.
“Over it.” Good lord, where is that champagne?
“Glad to hear it. So I guess everything fell into place for you?”
“I guess,” I say tartly. Forgive and let go. Forgive and let go.
Luckily, the bottle appears and I have a moment to collect myself.
When both of our glasses are filled and the server leaves, Kate holds up her glass in a toast. “Here’s to you,” she says, “and your charmed life.”
I do not clink glasses with hers, but instead pull mine away from her and say, “Excuse me?”
“Anyone else who lost their job and their fiancé would be a mess. But here you are running a 5K, running a business, and a new Prince Charming. I saw you talking to that cute blond guy at the race.”
I narrow my eyes at her and take a gulp of my champagne. Kate, sensing the mood is not celebratory, abandons her toast and takes a gulp of hers as well.
“I was a mess. If you had bothered to call me afterwards, you’d know that.”
“I’m sure you were, but you landed on your feet anyway,” she replies, not looking as remorseful as I think she should.
I know this is the moment for confrontation (with love, of course), but I need more alcohol in me before getting into it.
“So what have you been up to?” I ask, and then take another large gulp of champagne.
“Buried. Working my ass off. I didn’t want to be at the race early on a Saturday morning, but it was for the clients. Who are driving me crazy, by the way.”
This is the person in charge of community relations? “Well, if you don’t like your clients, why’d you steal them from me and get me fired?” Oops. Not exactly the “place of love” confrontation I was aiming for.
Kate looks at me shocked. “I didn’t steal your clients!”
I roll my eyes. “O-kay. Well, then, I’m sorry you’ve suffered so terribly from my misfortune,” I say this with a sarcastic angry edge, “but maybe if you didn’t get me fired—”
“Whoa!” Kate puts her hands up. “How would I have gotten you fired?”
“By badmouthing me. Spreading rumors that I couldn’t handle the work. Saying I was too distracted with the wedding. That I planned to leave right after I got married to pop out babies.”
“Are you kidding? That wasn’t me! That was Paige! Paige wanted you gone, and she was on the warpath.” She narrows her eyes. “Why in the world would you think that was me?”
“I heard it from a trusted source.”
She now rolls her eyes. “Was your trusted source Darren? Paige’s whipping boy? That guy is sweet but so innocent.”
“Why would Paige want to start a rumor like that?” I still don’t believe Kate, and I’m not going to throw Darren under the bus.
“Uh, hello?” She waves her hands about. “Why would I? I didn’t want more work!” She takes a deep breath. “So, let’s see. Cause Paige had been screwing up a lot, and you were next in line for her job?”
I sit stunned as Kate drinks her glass of sparkling and lets her revelation sink in.
Paige? I never in a million years would have thought, but now I remember Paige’s near constant insistence on that terrible day that my termination wasn’t her idea. (The lady doth protest too much.) Also, if Paige had actually been giving me good recommendations, then the recruiters wouldn’t have even heard the rumor and would have found me a new job. And if I had a new job at another firm, then there was the possibility that my clients would follow me. Suddenly, everything clicks in place—of course, Paige was the source all along!
“But Paige was my mentor? How could she do that to her mentee?” I say.
“I don’t know, but my mentor just accused me of spreading rumors about her.”
I ponder that for a couple silent seconds before saying, “Touché.”
“Let’s just call it even, okay? I didn’t call when I should’ve, and you accused me of getting you fired.” She holds up her glass. “Truce?”
This time I clink my glass with hers. “Truce.”
“So what was that earlier about how lucky I am?” I ask.
“Maybe you don’t realize it, but your life is charmed. No matter what happens, you’ll land on your feet. The rest of us, not so much. Am I jealous about this fact? Totally. But at the same time, I know you have a good heart and I wanted to be there for you when everything fell apart.” She pauses to take a sip of champagne. “But, honestly, I had my suspicions about Neil and Stacey, and you were my boss. Then when you were fired, I was scared about losing my job too. Circumstances being what they were, I just felt caught between a rock and a hard place and withdrew. I’m sorry I wasn’t the friend you needed, and it sucks that all this has hurt our friendship.”
“This might be the weirdest, but most honest, conversation I’ve had with anyone since my ‘charming’ life fell apart.”