Chapter one
Cori
PRESENT DAY
Curious eyes would be on me tonight, but I deserved it. I’d surprised the hell out of everyone.
The email had gone out to all JBC employees at eight o’clock this morning. I knew my choice would be unexpected, but I hadn’t anticipated the level of shock that immediately began filling my inbox.Was I absolutely sure? Was this a joke, Jason and Brad playing one last prank before settling into new roles at a big boy company?I dodged the questions by working from home most of the day, but this party was unavoidable.
An evening breeze came in from the sound as I hurried across the intersection on First Ave. RIP blowout. My pencil skirt strangled my legs, but I did my best to power walk in heels.Reaching the lobby of our office building, I stopped to smooth myself out, then used my phone camera to touch up my lipstick.
As I stepped off the elevator into the open space of JBC’s third-floor suite, one of our senior account managers approached me.
“Hey Cori, you made it,” Leon boomed, shaking my hand. “I was hoping to run into you.” His features tightened as his arm dropped. “I have to admit, the email this morning caught me off guard.”
There was a question in his statement. My neck heated, and I sent up a silent thank-you for the top-of-the-line AC system we’d installed last year. It combated Seattle’s early September weather. And Leon’s inquisitive stare.
I smiled and looked him in the eye.
“It’s the right move for me,” I said firmly. “And of course I’d never miss the party. I would have gotten here earlier, but I had a lot of loose ends to tie up, as you can imagine.”
“Well, we will certainly miss the ‘C’ in JBC,” Leon said. “You did a great job ironing out the guys’ rough edges.”
I couldn’t help my small chuckle. We both knew “rough edges” was code foroccasionally acting like overgrown frat boys. I had a reputation for being the grown-up in the room at JBC. Professional and consistent.
I peered over near the bar, catching my former partners’ eyes. They tipped their glasses at me. It was strange that we’d started the business together, but I doubted we’d be more than passing acquaintances after today. Still, I was fond of them and said as much to Leon. “I think being part of a larger operation will be good for Jason and Brad.”
“But not for you?”
“No.”
He directed another probing glance at me, but I didn’t elaborate. A server passed by with a tray and I grabbed a Merlot.Taking a sip, I darted my eyes around. Having skipped lunch in favor of Pilates, food was my objective.
“So what’s next, Cori, since you’re not making the transition to TremMark?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. I’m taking my time to decide.”
I’d been contemplating leaving JBC for more than a year. Six months ago, we’d agreed to sell to another large biotech firm. TremMark made me a great offer—chief organizational operations director—to stay on once the acquisition was complete. Instead, I’d taken my seven-figure portion of the sale and walked away.
I stepped aside before Leon could ask more questions.
The menu displays promised tacos somewhere. On one side of the room, I found plates with shot glasses in the center, resting on whole basil leaves, filled with what looked like chunky tomato soup and stale breadsticks. Was this supposed to be the bruschetta? Gross. Another table held crackers with dollops of raw hamburger meat on top. Tartare—hard pass. I never understood the mental gymnastics people went through to convince themselves raw ground beef was somehow elegant and not completely revolting.
The food at these events was always so bougie and pretentious. I wouldn’t miss that.
The last table had to be the tacos. I kept my chin down so no one would try to engage with me, even as I felt their eyes on my back.
More than one hundred people crammed into the open lobby. Their voices echoed off the exposed brick walls and wood flooring. At least I’d talked Jason and Brad out of hiring a DJ. With limited space and an open bar, I didn’t need my last memory of the company to be watching my coworkers get sloppy and grind on one another.
I wondered how those staying on would do. Even though Jason and Brad could occasionally be mistaken for douchey tech bros, with their jeans-and-hoodie uniforms and cringeworthy habit of referring to themselves as “disruptors,” they were decent people and brilliant scientists at heart. I joined them five years ago because I honestly thought they could help cure cancer. Hopefully, working at TremMark didn’t stop them.
But I couldn’t worry about that now. I’d made my decision. I headed toward the third table.
Aubrey from HR stepped into my path.
I attempted to shuffle around her, but she matched my movements and stayed in front of me. “Cori, you got all the docs I sent, right?” Like Leon, she looked at me like she wanted to ask if I’d fallen and hit my head.
Aubrey was exactly my age at twenty-nine, but I doubted anyone would guess that. Most of the TremMark folks in attendance wore suits and dresses, while only a few JBC employees had changed into party attire. She remained in her office clothes of baggy jeans and a Grand Teton National Park T-shirt. I was also in my work attire—long, fitted gray sheath dress under a tailored black blazer. Sensible yet sophisticated Louboutin Sab pumps.
