Flirting with the HR Girl

Chapter 56

"Hey," Jennifer said finding her friend in the cosmetic stockroom. "Are you ready to come up and talk to Cynthia now?"

"I'm a little busy down here," Selena said putting product on the shelves. "Maybe later."

"We have time in our schedule to see you now," Jennifer said, noting how she sounded more like Cynthia. She wasn't asking. She was explaining it was time to come upstairs.

"You tell the Dragon Lady that I'm busy," Selena said but she at least glanced up from the free cosmetic gifts she was organizing. She looked terrible. Tired, exhausted, and beaten down. Her hair was flatter than usual, and her makeup was barely existent. She was nothing like Jennifer's vibrant friend from only a week ago. "If she cares so much about hearing what I have to say, she can wait."

"Selena, she does care about you," Jennifer said pulling a stool out from under a shelf to sit on. "I asked her about a couple of years ago when you were trying to get away from your ex. And you said she wouldn't help you go to another store?"

"Yes, she didn't care about that bastard harassing me and she doesn't care now," Selena said glaring at Jennifer.

"Cynthia said that she offered to transfer you to another store, but you didn't take her up on it," Jennifer said.

"Yeah, it wouldn't have been a promotion. It would have been a lateral move and I would have had to do Clinique when I'd been doing Lancôme, and I wouldn't have known what to do," Selena said holding up her hands in frustration.

"Yes, but it would've been what you needed to get away from your ex-husband," Jennifer said indicating the stool next to her. "Cynthia told me that she was worried if she helped you get into a cosmetic manager position and you weren't able to keep up with it, that you would lose your job altogether and your boys."

"Well, that wouldn't have happened," Selena said defensively but she sat down on the stool. She was quiet for a moment as if contemplating what Jennifer had said. "I guess in her own way, Cynthia thought she was helping me."

"Yes." Jennifer reached out and patted her friend's hand. "Say what you will, I really do think Cynthia is here for the right reasons and wants to help. Now, will you help her help?"

"Let's go." Selena stood up abruptly.

Jennifer had to slide off the stool to keep up with her. They walked out onto the cosmetic floor where Selena smiled and waved and checked on all her girls as if nothing was wrong and then went to the escalator.

Jennifer saw Austin out of the corner of her eye, working in the back of men's. He didn't see her, and she enjoyed seeing how relaxed he was, happily chatting with a customer. She couldn't wait for the day when this was all over and, even though she might not see him in her new store, she would see him on the nights and the weekends they had off. They could go to the movies or the golf course again or anywhere else they wanted out in public and be a normal couple. She turned her attention back to her friend and resisted the urge to hold her hand as they walked off the escalator and made their way through women's underwear and into the office.

Jennifer could hear Todd's loud southern voice as they went down the narrow office hall but assumed that he was in his own office on the phone. She was startled to see him standing in the HR office right across from Cynthia, who was looking up at him with a confused look on her face. Todd smiled when he saw Jennifer and Selena in the doorway.

"I'm not dealing with this," Selena said and abruptly turned to leave.

"Selena, wait," Jennifer said taking a step down the hall after her friend but not catching her before Selena was gone.