Hello Adventure

Chapter 34

I touched down in Boston Logan Airport at dawn.

"Hey Amina," I texted when put my SIM into my personal phone and picked up a signal again. "Home a week early. Are you around?"

There were no missed calls, but I didn't think there'd be. No one back in Europe had my personal phone number or my personal email address.

"Everything okay?" Amina texted back, and I felt good to have her at least, even though I knew I didn't deserve her friendship. I'd be a better friend, I vowed then. I'd go out with her and spend more time with her. I wasn't going to let the change that started in me while I was abroad stop now.

"Caught some flights and caught some feelings... Lots of changes, but honestly? I am okay."

"Missed you around here," she told me.

Even though it was still early, I decided to go directly to the Swish office and drop off the computer with the security guard, so that Ryder didn't sick the K-9 unit on me. But when I arrived at Swish, there was Stasia Dimonico. I handed her the laptop and company phone.

She didn't speak.

"I let you down," I told her, smoothing back my hair, giving my fidgety hands something to do. "I'm sorry."

Stasia gestured for me to sit and she did as well. Because it was so early, no one was in the office yet, so we could talk right out in the open.

"Do you know how you let me down, though? Specifically?" Her voice echoed through the empty office.

"The abridge version? Because I'm a fuck up."

"Sloane, you needed to learn to let people help you. You needed to let me help you. I asked you on day one if you needed help. I could have stepped in right then and there. Screw your pride—you need to do what's best for the team, for the company." She paused, frowning. "I know you didn't reach out because of bad intentions. You just thought you could be perfect. Even though I told you from the start it wasn't an option."

I nodded. "I understand that now."

Stasia kept frowning. "Even without all of that, which is actually forgivable, you missed a shoot. And that's unacceptable. I told you that I had a one strike and you're out policy. You didn't do the job you were supposed to do."

I kept nodded my head.

Then, she slid over an envelope.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Brooke called me yesterday when you left unexpectedly. She had the whole crew on the phone—except Samuel. They told me that Samuel hadn't been a team player and that he was making things hard for you, and I intend on following up on that. But also, everyone vouched for you. Every single one of them asked me to send you back right away. In fact, Brooke demanded that I send you back immediately and even threatened to quit."

Choked with emotions, I croaked, "She did?"

"Well, I'm not going to send you back," she said, and I cleared my throat. "But I am going to give you this." Stasia gestured to the envelope. "That's a letter of recommendation from me."

I wrinkled my forehead. "But why?"

"Because I want you to go out an get a job for a year."

Lifting the envelope, I turned it over in my hands.

"After you get a bit more experience, I want you to come back and apply here again. I was very impressed with the strategy work you did—though no one asked you for it. However, I did read all of your decks and pitches and they show you really grew to understand the brand. Also, you got the team behind you, and that speaks highly of what you're able to do. I thought one of your greatest flaws was going to be a superiority complex that would result in an inability to play well with others—and you proved me wrong there. So, Sloane Valens, let's talk in a year, deal?"

I was speechless. "Deal." I finally said. "Stasia: If you talk to Brooke, can you tell her I say thank you?" I blurted. "For everything. You were right about her. She's incredible."

Stasia nodded. "Inside that envelope, you'll also find the name of a new firm that a colleague of mine just opened. I think you may be a good fit there. They're expecting to receive your resume. They're based out of New York, but you've never been scared of a little adventure, have you, Sloane?"

New York?

My heart tingled with the same fire as when Stasia had first mentioned Lake Como. A thrill of sensation bolted through me from my head to my feet. This wasn't at the end at all, was it?

Of course, New York also made me think of Dale.

Everything made me think of him. The whole way home I thought about him. I couldn't stop thinking about him.

"Thank you, Stasia." I took the envelope and my leave, making sure to say goodbye to Ryder who had just arrived just as Stasia and I finished talking.

"See you later," I told him, my own private joke. You haven't seen the last of me yet, douche canoe.