Part Eight

His words still ring in her ears.

I'm so glad we've reconnected too. It's been really fun chatting with you these last couple of months.

Her honesty, fueled by a gallon of beer, had actually worked. He is happy to be in her life and now she knows it. The doubt that always lingers in the back of her mind is gone, and she feels like they might actually have a chance. After a hungover Saturday afternoon spent writing back and forth Cat wonders when Nick will ask to see her. He only lives a few hours away in Boston, and getting together is totally the next step, she thinks multiple times on Sunday as she circles her computer hoping for another fun afternoon spent with him. She waits for a while until abandoning the computer for a walk outside. She wastes the afternoon walking through the city, stopping at her favorite stores and ending up at a cafe to drink coffee and read the paper alone. She isn't alone, they cafe is packed, and she's only slightly sorry she didn't bring her laptop. A cool breeze kicks up at her back as she walks home and she knows rain is coming. She can smell the metallic water in the air. She's grateful, as she sinks into the sofa and she hears the wet drops pelt her windows, that she's at home.

In the morning her commute is painful. The rain washed over the city leaving a damp fog behind that rises from the streets and pushes hidden smells into the air. Ripe garbage and gasoline surround her as she rushes through the blocks between her apartment and the office. By the time she sits down at her desk she is crabby and her hair is so frizzy Mark does not hesitate to make a comment.

"Did you forget your product this morning," he lifts a lock of hair to examine it more closely.

"Ha, ha, this weather is killing me. It feels like a sauna outside." She turns on her computer.

"I know. But seriously, did you forget to use something in your hair this morning? It looks like you stuck your finger in the electrical socket."

She turns to face him.

"Is it really that bad?" Cat asks as she pats the palms of her hands on the top of her head.

Mark scrunches his mouth and holds it until she gets up from her chair. In the bathroom the air is cool and Cat takes a deep breath before turning to face her reflection.

"Ugh," she says as she turns on the faucet and begins dabbing cold water on her disobedient hair. She pulls an elastic band from her pocket and silently laments the time she wasted blow drying her hair earlier in the morning. Bobby pins struggle against the will of her curls but she fastens them tightly finally taming the most wild pieces into submission. She looks at herself in the mirror and straightens the lines of her pencil skirt before walking back to her cube. Mark is standing where she left him minutes earlier.

"Much better, dear, now you look adorable." He smiles.

Cat rolls her eyes, "don't you have someone else to bother?"

"Moi," Mark lifts his arm and points at his chest, "oh no, no, I don't."

The phone rings. Mark and Cat look wait for the Caller ID to light up.

SAMANTHA DAVIS flashes in green lights.

"Ut oh," Mark says as Cats heart begins to race. Mary's assistant.

"What could she want," Cat says as the phone rings again.

"Answer it!" Mark says.

Cat takes deep breath.

"Hi Samantha," she says pressing the receiver tightly to her ear. "Um hmm, ok, sure, ok, no problem. Ok bye." Cat puts the phone back in the cradle and waits one second to look up at Mark.

"Mary wants to see me in five minutes." She says, the color quickly dripping from her face.

"Well get going. You know you can't be late." Mark ushers her to the elevator with a pen and note pad in her hand. "Good luck, honey," he says as the copper doors slowly close between them.

I'm going to get fired, Cat thinks as the floors slowly ding past until she reaches the 54th floor. The doors open into a completely different atmosphere than the office she left behind. Slow, quiet orchestral music plays and not another sound is heard as she walks out of the elevator toward Samantha's desk. Samantha sits in the middle of a large open space, light files in through partially drawn shades. It is so soothing Cat can hardly believe Samantha isn't asleep. Although she knows this is just a facade, that this floor is more stressful and busy than her own.

"Hi Ms. Green," Samantha says as one of her many assistants silently picks color coordinated files from her desk and whisks away behind a hidden door. "Please have a seat," she motions toward the leather waiting chairs," and Mary will be with you in a minute. May I offer you something to drink?"

Cat surveys the room. She's never been up here before. She's always seem Mary in a conference room on a different floor. She's going to get fired, she knows it.

"No, no thank you." she smiles at Samantha thinking she might be able to toss her a life preserver once Mary sinks her career ship. Cat thinks over the last five years and is suddenly so sad to lose her job, that damn Oz, she feels angry and sad at the same time. Her hands are shaking.

"Ms. Green, Mary will see you now," Samantha rises from her seat and Cat follows her into an even larger room. Mary is seated at a long desk with nothing on it. Not a drink, a pencil, a computer or even a tissue in sight. Cat sits across the empty desk and places her pen and note pad in her lap. She is aware of her every move, the brush of her hand across the arm of the chair, the swish of her silk skirt against the soft leather, her rapid breathing.

"Hello Ms. Green," Mary says as if she is going to enjoy being rid of Cat.

"Hello, how are you?" Cat answers surprised by the calm firmness of her voice.

"Do you know why I asked you up here this morning," Mary pushes the tips of her fingers together into a pyramid.

"I think I have an idea," Cat breathes in through her nose. The warm scent of flowers floated in the air. Where the flowers were she had no idea. This room was so minimalist it could be mistaken for a prison, maybe this was the environment Mary wanted for these types of meetings.

"Good," Mary looked Cat in the eye, "I think you've been doing a great job and I'm going to take you out from under Ozzie's thumb. He doesn't have the slightest idea what you are trying to do, and what we want to do with you."

Cat blinked, waiting for someone to jump out and yell April Fools!. She was speechless.

"You thought you we're going to get fired, didn't you," Mary turned her thin leather chair to face the northern windows. She smiled. "That is something we're going to have to work on, Ms. Green."

"Yes, I was worried I was going to be let go. With the way Oz has been treating me..." Mary held up her hand.

"Oz is not in charge here, Ms. Green, I am. And you know you've got a great product, a great tool for our, my, company. Don't doubt yourself."

Cat took a deep breath. "Thank you, thank you so much for this opportunity."

"May I speak frankly, Ms. Green," Mary asked.

"Yes, please."

"You need to grow up a little bit, it is time for you to stop worrying so much what other people think of you and to have confidence in your obvious abilities. I'm making you director of our new "Young Marys" division because I believe in you, but in order for you to be successful you need to believe in yourself."

Cat was stunned. She was right, Cat knew she was right, but it stung to be complimented and criticized in the same sentence.

"Is that the final name, "Young Marys," she paused, "because I think we can come up with something better."

A smirk slowly crept across Mary's perfectly made-up face, "Now that's what I'm talking about," she said.

"One more thing," Cat said, "please call me Cat."

"And you call me Mary," Mary reached her hand across the wide wood desk to shake Cat's hand.