Chapter 5: Harlow

Chapter Five

HARLOW

" C an you stay for a moment?" Mavis asks. Her tone isn't the congratulatory-praise one she used with Stacy who has already left. Instead, it's a little cold. The remaining members of the team send me sympathetic glances. My stomach sinks to somewhere around my knees.

I fold my sweaty hands in front of me and stare at Mavis' left shoulder. She's wearing a shirt with puffy sleeves and on the top of one of the puffs, there's a trace of what looks like bird poop or some other white substance.

"I'm surprised that your name wasn't on this project. When I checked in with you two weeks ago, you said it was going well."

How do I bring up that Stacy stole this project? That it was my work? Would Mavis even believe me? I'm barely out of my probation period, and Stacy has been here for three years. Do I go to HR? "It was going well," I say because I'm at a loss of how to proceed.

"What happened then? Was it too hard? Too much? You worked so hard during the trial period and so this is a surprise to me."

"I did work on this. I stayed up all night to put this report together."

Mavis' mouth thins. "Honesty is really valued here, even over productivity."

That stings. "But, I did do it. I really did. I can show you on my computer."

"Stacy did say that you would try to take credit for this but I didn't believe her. Just because you are a full-time employee doesn't mean we can't fire you. I'm not going that far today because I still think you have promise, but this will be noted in your permanent file. Another strike and I'll have to let you go. Do better, Harlow." Mavis says those crushing words and then leaves.

I start crying because being criticized for something I didn't do, being told to do better when I did my very best is just so demoralizing. My phone beeps, and through a watery veil, I make out that my bestie, Ariel, sent me a text.

Lunch today?

It is about that time. I'm on the verge of being fired anyway.

Yes

Ariel is already at the restaurant when I arrive. As soon as I plop down on my side of the booth, Ariel narrows her eyes. "Were you crying?"

I cover my face. "Is it that noticeable?"

"Have you not looked in the mirror? Your eyes are completely red."

"I have allergies."

"It's not hay fever red. It's ‘I cried for ten minutes' red."

"It was only a couple of minutes." I proceed to tell Ariel all that happened at the meeting.

"She took credit for the whole project?" Ariel practically shouts.

I nod. "I went back to look at the metadata of the file, and my name wasn't even there. It was like I hadn't worked on it at all. Mavis accused me of lying, said I had a permanent mark in my record and that I should ‘do better.'"

"That witch."

My sense of fair play pushes me to say otherwise. "Usually she's decent."

Ariel harrumphs. "So decent that she would buy someone else's lies and put a permanent mark in your personnel file without an investigation? Sounds like she's the one that should do better."

"You have a point. I like my job, though, and the market sucks, so what can I do except power forward and hope I get promoted so I don't have to deal with Stacy, at least?"

"You won't get promoted if Stacy keeps stealing your shit."

I hate that Ariel is right. "Suggestions, then?"

My friend slumps. "I have none. Just criticisms." She waves a hand. "Don't pay any attention to my advice." She perks up. "What about opening your own agency?"

"With what clients and what money?"

"You only need a few at first, and when you blow people away with your first campaign, there will be a line out the door. You'll be turning them away. As for money, there's your grandma's condo."

"I can't sell that." Even the thought makes my tummy hurt.

"But how are you going to convince the association that you can stay? Didn't you say that they have to approve your ownership or they can force a sale?"

"Yeah, but I have a plan for that." Ariel's going to call me stupid if I tell her the truth, so for the first time in my life, I lie to my best friend. "I met someone. Online. And we like each other, so we're getting married."

Her jaw drops. She mouths something, but no sound comes out. I've truly shocked her. "You'll like him. He's gorgeous." Too gorgeous to be going along with this crazy plan, which means he's got an ulterior motive. I can't figure out what it could be. "And smart." There was something about how watchful he was, how he could take in the whole room in one glance and sum it up, that made him intimidating. Telling Ariel that I think his aura is good would make her think I had lost my mind. She already looks skeptical

"You've met someone. Online. And you ‘like' each other"—she makes the scare quotes with her fingers—"enough to get married. I'm not going to say you're lying because you're my best friend, so I'm going to give you one opportunity to come clean."

I spill my guts. "I messaged some guy named Rick about being my fake husband. He agreed to pretend to be my fiancé long enough for me to close on the condo. I'm paying him a grand."

"A grand?" she shouts. Half the place turns to look at us. Ariel lowers her face and gestures for me to come close.

I shake my head. She'll slap me if I get within arm's length of her. "The condo is worth two million. This is a good investment."