Today's Reading
"In a simulator," Cole said. "Insurance requires it."
I shifted to a poker face. "Cool."
I decided not to ask any more questions.
"Anyway," Cole went on, refocusing. "Just making sure you're fine with water."
"Yes." I nodded definitively. That wasn't a lie, right? I mean, who isn't fine with water?
"Great," Cole said. "Because I'm trying to help you out here."
He was? "You are?"
"Yes," he said, impatient. "Jaden's out, but I could've gone with Dylan. Or Arjun. Or Mila." Other recent hires who were now also on the chopping block.
"Why me, then?" I asked, surprised I was on his radar.
"Because Sullivan's about to lay off fifty percent of the company."
"Fifty?" I said. "I heard it was thirty-three."
"It's fifty. It's going to be a bloodbath. She's restructuring everything. She's hired consultants. You heard about her divorce, right?"
I nodded.
"Did you hear he cheated on her with his Pilates instructor?"
Oof. That was rough. I shook my head.
"And he did some kind of sneaky shit with the lawyers where he walked away with most of their money."
Now I frowned protectively for Sullivan. Who I had never talked to.
"That's what I'm saying. She's got some rage to burn. And she's channeling every ounce of it into turning this company into a profit machine. And that means getting rid of people like you."
"People like me?"
"But I want you to stay. Because if she fires all the talented people, that makes my life harder. And I don't need my life to be any harder."
"You think I'm one of the talented people?"
"I do." Cole shrugged.
This was news to me. "Since when?"
"Since the other night. When you told me about your dreams."
Oh, god. Had I done that?
I thought back. We'd had a company dinner. I might have had a little too much to drink. Cole and I were the last two people in the rideshare heading home, and okay, to be honest... I might have gotten a little weepy about my long list of recent disappointments. And—ugh, yes—possibly overshared a few things.
Dammit, Katie! I scolded. Don't tell people about your dreams!
"Sorry about that," I said, wincing.
"It was strangely endearing," Cole said. "I normally don't notice junior employees too much. How long have you been here? Six months?"
I wasn't that junior. "Twelve."
He nodded. "The tears got my attention. You also told me about getting jilted—and I've been jilted myself."
Was he sharing? Did he want me to commiserate? Were we about to bond?
But then he went on. "You just seemed so... what's a nicer word for pathetic?"
"Pitiable?" I offered.
"Exactly. Pitiable. Do you remember when you blew your nose straight into your blouse like a Kleenex?"
I did now.
"You also told me about the videos you've done for your 'Day in the Life' project," Cole went on. "And I went home and watched one. And it was surprisingly good."
This conversation was like a Ping-Pong game. "It was?"
"Your cinematography is strong. Your camera angles are unexpected. And you get fantastic emotion out of your interviewees."
That was a specialty of mine, for better or worse: making people cry.
...
