Chapter 59 Ember & Ink
ALICE
Two Months Later...
My phone rang nonstop and I already knew it was Mom. If there was one thing she couldn't understand, it was that, sometimes, I genuinely didn't have time to speak with her on the phone, especially at this new job.
I had so much to do all the damn time.
I was up and down the city nonstop.
Positioning the phone between my ear and my shoulder, I said with as much enthusiasm as I could muster, "Hey, Mom."
"Alice! Honey, we haven't had a proper conversation in so long!"
"Yeah, I know, Mom." The cup holder tray in my hands nearly fell and I was forced to either sacrifice my phone or the steaming cups of coffee I was carrying back to the office. The phone dropped and I let out a low curse.
I was forced to stop in the middle of the sidewalk and put the tray on the ground. Thankfully, my screen hadn't cracked. "Uh, Mom? I really have to go. We'll talk later, okay? I promise I'll call when I get home. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything's fine here. Rory's been missing you. It's just that your father and I have been wondering about Theo. You haven't brought him up in so long and...I don't know. Is everything okay between the two of you?"
The name hit me like a stab to the heart. For the last several weeks, I'd been trying to push him to the back of my mind even though every little thing reminded me of him.
My mind...I'd acquired some sort of illness. There was no way around it. Why was I thinking about him so much when I didn't work for him anymore and we had finally parted ways just like I wanted? What sense did that make?
He probably had another executive assistant parading around the office and his attention was most likely solely on her. He was making her life hell because, allegedly, he wanted her, and they would play a cat-and-mouse game with no end until she finally decided she'd had enough.
Yeah, he wasn't thinking about me anymore. Definitely not.
I was the one wasting precious time on something that didn't even make sense to begin with. On feelings that should never have existed.
I was a total mess.
At some point, I would have to tell my parents that my engagement was over, but it felt a little too soon. I had time to break the news to them.
This just wasn't the right moment.
"Yeah, everything's fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course."
"Rory asked about him last night, you know? We were all so pleasantly surprised. Okay, then. We'll talk later. Tell Theo we all say hello. I love you!"
"Bye."
I shoved my phone inside my purse, picked up the tray, and continued to the office. I was pensive the whole way there. Forcing Theodore Linden-Hawthorne out of my mind was the only way I could return to my usual self.
This was why I never thought about him. The feelings I had attached to his memory were too complicated for me to sort through.
At last, I reached the office. It was just ten minutes away from the coffee shop I got breakfast from.
The company, Ember & Ink, was pretty small—there were only 20 of us including the owner, who I hadn't met before because she lived abroad. It was a marketing-slash-PR agency, and when I first got the job, I had a lot to learn. Getting the position was the first good thing that happened to me in a long time. I applied because I was trying my luck. Plus, their advert was everywhere. I couldn't open a job-hunting site without seeing one.
I didn't think I'd ever get a position as Director of Client Relations. I always spent time looking for EA positions because that was what I was good at. But I applied and was immediately called for an interview, and three days later, they told me I got the job.
I cried so hard afterward. Finally, things were working out for me. At the time, I remembered feeling unstoppable.
Ember & Ink did the whole package: branding, PR, digital marketing, and even event strategy. So, a client would come in wanting to refresh their image or increase market visibility, and we'd build them a campaign including a new logo, press strategy, social media overhaul, maybe even a launch event.
My job? It was making sure those clients actually stayed happy once the contracts were signed.
At first, it seemed impossible to do, but over time, I got the hang of it and everything got really simple in no time. This job genuinely just felt like a small upgrade from being an executive assistant. The only difference was that I had to make sure more CEOs were happy, not just one, and we didn't work together all the time.
Eleanor, the front desk administrator, smiled at me gratefully as I handed her a Frappuccino over. "You're a saint, Alice. Oh, Freddie was looking for you when he came in. Something about your launch event tonight."
"Got it. Thanks."
Freddie was the Director of Business Development, and we worked together closely. When I first met him, I thought he'd be pushy. The office manager, Marlene, warned me about him when she was introducing me to everyone. "Don't mind Freddie. He can be...demanding."
I was used to assholes, so I thought I'd handle him. The truth was that Freddie was nothing like she described, and it made me wonder, even now, why she told me that about him.
I knocked on his door after giving my other two coworkers their coffee, and he raised his light brown eyes to mine. They were so light they were almost yellow. "Morning, Alice. Come in, would you?"
"Is everything okay?" I asked as I closed the door.
"Oh, yeah. Everything's just great. I actually wanted to talk to you about tonight's launch."
"Yeah, Eleanor told me."
It was a pretty big deal because our biggest client, an established tech company, was launching a new service tonight, so we both needed to be there.
"Did you confirm with the venue about the press list?"
I nodded. "Done. I'll also be taking some photos. Annie asked me to get her a few good ones for social media."
He arched a thick, dark brow. "You? Taking photos?"
"It's not exactly hard."
Freddie sat back in his chair, watching me. "Miss O asked me to tag along because of a potential client. Can't let you have all the relationship-building fun."
I rolled my eyes but smiled. "It's a date, then."
"She'll be in the city next week," he claimed. "I guess you'll have your chance to meet her. She's been asking me a lot about you."
Miss O was the company's owner. I'd never met her before, but we had a Zoom meeting when I first started. Her camera was off, but she sounded pretty nice and made me feel welcome right away.
"Nervous?"
I turned my attention back to him and realized that I'd gotten distracted for a moment there. I admitted, "Yeah. A little."
"Don't be. She's amazing and fair, and if she likes your work so far, you have nothing to worry about."
"Great. I'll bear that in mind."
I walked out of his office and headed toward mine, which was right next to his. The building was once a warehouse, so it was more of an open concept with some private spaces, which was why there were only four small offices with glass walls. Everyone else had a cubicle decorated in any way they wished. There were plants and mood boards everywhere. The whole space had a chaotic feel to it, but it felt stimulating, especially because of what we did.
It was safe to say that I felt at home here, and I was grateful for this job. I finally had peace and quiet, zero drama, and I was convinced that nothing would ruin this.
I spoke too soon.