Edible Arrangements (The Hollens Book 6)

Chapter 19: A Sabotage Or Mistake?

Zenobia's POV

"There' something about your new assistant I don't like," Tiffany said to me as we sat down to have lunch at the small restaurant opposite Hollen Tower.

"Tiff, she's efficient and she has been professional so far. She has only been employed for two days with the company," I spoke.

"I'm aware but it's a gut feeling. The way she looks at you to the face and then the look that takes over when you turn away from her. It's somewhat disturbing."

"What are you talking about really?"

"Well, her very first day on the job, I overheard you asking her to fax the documents to your dad's office. She smiled all sweetly to yiur face but the moment you turned your back, she looked as if you had stole her man from her."

I couldn't help but laugh. Leave it to my best friend to be dramatic and over-protective of me.

"You're sure it's not that best friend jealousy type of thing that's going on here, Tiff?"

A petite waitress approaches our table and took our orders. Then I spotted Lina entering the restaurant by herself. She found a table near the exit.

"There's Lina. I should ask her to join us," I offered and obviously Tiffany objected to that.

"Oh hell no. She can eat by herself."

"Don't be that way towards a fellow employee. You should know better." I used the 'employee' card and I knew it was going to cease her antics at least for the day. When she didn't protest another word, I invited Lina over to our table.

"Thanks so much. I thought I would have to eat lunch alone as if I was still in middle school," Lina said as she sat down across from Tiffany and I.

"Why, you didn't have much friends in middle school?" Tiff asked her.

"Unfortunately, not exactly."

"Why is that, you showed them you were a snake too early?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard..."

"Tiff, that's enough." I cut in, ending the building tensions between the two women who weren't on the path of becoming friends anytime soon.

"I'm confuse. Did I offend you in anyway or form?" Lina asked, a look of confusion on her face.

"I call it exactly how I see it. There's something about you I don't like."

Lina laughed lightly. The waitress served our meals before leaving our table again.

"Tiff, right?" Lina asked.

"Only my friends call me Tiff."

"I'm sorry. Tiffany, I'm not here to steal your best friend. I can see the two of you are very close and I completely understand that so if I gave off the wrong impression, I'm truly sorry. I had a close friend once. In college. I know what it's like to have someone leave you out for someone else."

"Let's get something in the clear here. I'm not bothered by you stealing my best friend," Tiff told her. She dug into her salad afterwards.

"Okay. Then it's settled," I chimed in and ate off my plate. Our cutleries against the plates seem to have taken over the conversation. Lunch was awkward.

*

*

"Your friend doesn't like me, huh?" Lina asked as we got the papers ready for the afternoon meeting I had with my father, uncle and cousin.

"It was obvious. I apologize for her behavior," I answered and ensured the marketing materials plan spreadsheets were in the folder I would be presenting. Turning to my water fountain, I had a quick glass then got up, took my folder and went into the meeting.

*

"I believe we have a strong web and mobile site but there's always room for improvement but thanks to our brilliant marketing and product manager, she would assure us on that and even bring new ideas to the table," my cousin said with a smile. I rose and presented the first phrase of information on the proctor.

"And lastly, I would present my marketing plans I have in store to blow any and all competitions out of the water. I've been working on it for over several weeks because we strive for excellence and nothing short of that," I finished and handed my uncle the folder. He opened it and his eyes narrowed in.

"Zenobia, what is this?" he asked.

"That's the marketing ..."

"This isn't the marketing spreadsheet we were looking forward to, Zenobia," he said firmly.

My father looked at the document and the folder. "Is this a joke, Zen?"

"Dad, of course not," I answered in a panic as I retrieved the folder and try to figure out what went wrong. The spreadsheets were gone.

"I swear, I had the sheets here."

"Maybe you thought you did. If they were there, they would be there," Jevan spoke and I felt like an injured shark who was getting attacked by the much mightier sharks.

"Can I please have a moment to fix this?' I asked my uncle.

"Zen, we're running on a deadline here. You're the marketing manager. Let that sink in for a minute. Marketing Manager," he repeated and I knew I was in trouble the moment he repeated himself.

"That means you're responsible for the face and branding of HT. Is that what you really want to bring to us?" Jevan asked.

"This is only one slight hiccup. I've never screwed up before," I said.

"Don't even think about getting defensive, Zenobia. There's no excuses for this. What you need to do is get back into your office, get the spreadsheets and get back here before this meeting is over," my father ordered.

I nodded and left the room. I was flabbergasted all the way back to my office where I found the spreadsheets in another folder on my desk. This couldn't be right. I was certain I had them in the folder I took to the meeting with me.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Lina said as she poked her head in.

"Yeah, I can't believe I forgot the spreadsheets."

"Oh, you picked up the wrong folder. This one is actually mine and the one on your desk is yours," she said.

"Silly me," I thought.