The Next Best Thing

Chapter 18

As November rolled in, change was in the air, and for Emma, the breaking of good bad news, and vice versa, seemed to be a theme.

First, she received a court date for her custody hearing near the end of January. It felt both too soon and too far away. It wouldn't set her future in stone as Gabe's sole legal guardian, but it was a huge step in that potential direction. Everything in her life would have to fall in line and rally behind it. When she sat down with her boss at Belair Creative to explain that she'd have to give up her spot on the national sales team for good, the reaction was not what she expected.

"Ah, this is great! You're making my life so much easier today."

"How?" Emma asked with a curious, amused smile. She was sure she was about to be shown another video of her place-holder CeCe doing something amazing to usurp the position permanently anyway. Was she modelling for Versace now? Or dating Henry Cavill, or saving a baby from a burning building or what?

Her boss opened a desk drawer, took out a small brown envelope, shook out a car key fob and slid it over to Emma. "You're getting a car!"

"I am? Why?" Please don't give me Little Persia. Please don't give me Little Persia.

"We need you to step in as district manager. The whole Greater Toronto Area. Nathan is taking paternity leave so we need you to cover for now, but he's dropping hints he may want to be a stay-at-home dad so who knows? The company was worried you'd look at this as a demotion but under the circumstances..."

"Under the circumstances, it's terrific. Thank you," Emma said with a sigh for many reasons.

It really was terrific. It meant a raise again, this time for more office work than field work, not as glamorous as her old role, but it was what she needed to be there for Gabe. It meant no more stupid questions. She could decide whom to see when, and assemble the best teams for the day to day beat. Tops on her list of things to do would be to find a new partner for Ruby, but first, she had to break the news.

"I hate yoooouuuu." Ruby's long whine seemed to echo back from the stacked pallets of product at the far side of the warehouse. "How can you just abandon me?"

"You knew this was coming. I have to."

"Take me with you."

"I can't."

"Who's going to tell you when that one eyebrow hair starts acting crazy?"

"I'm still going to see you. I'm your boss for real now."

"Then give me a raise. Give me some bills to dry my motherless tears."

"How long have you been here?"

"Almost a year."

"You have not."

"Nine months."

"I'll see what I can do."

"Can I keep my route? Who are you going to stick me with?"

"I'm not sure yet. I thought I'd put you and Peta together."

"Orange hair, micro-bangs Peta?"

"Yeah, she's got a year on you, which is good, and you both have a similar vibe."

"That's cold."

Emma had to laugh at Ruby's look of disgust.

"Aesthetically at least. You look like a pair of magic markers. Why? You don't like her?"

"That girl talks so much shit."

"Which must be why her numbers are so good."

"Nah, like she's combative. She's contrary for the sake of it. I don't even think she believes half the shit she says just to start an argument."