Chapter 8
The return
"Are you ready?" Camilla asked. She was sitting in the seat next to Jane, waiting for their plane to take off.
After a deep breath, Jane replied, "I think so." She was excited to see some of her old friends, but she didn't know how she would react if she ran into Veronica.
"We'll only be there for a few days," Camilla pointed out. "It's not a packed schedule like we usually have. We have a few events to attend, and I have some meetings."
Jane nodded her head and gulped. There was an aura of anxiety surrounding the normally strong woman.
"Are you sure about your decision?"
"I'm sure."
--
"Veronica has a meeting this morning," Maria explained, sitting in her office with the young assistant. "I need you to organize a few things for her before she gets back."
"I can do that..." After achieving such heights in her relationship with her boss, she had a new confidence at work. However, deep down inside, there was a feeling that she would never be as good as Jane.
"Is everything okay, Carmen?" Maria could tell there was something on her employee's mind.
"Yeah... Sorry!"
"You're doing a great job, okay? There's no need to doubt yourself any longer."
"Thanks!" Carmen said, forcing a smile onto her face. Despite her ongoing insecurities, there was one thing that always cheered her up. "Are we still on for this, Saturday?"
"Yes," Maria said with a blush. "Do you mind coming over a little late? I have several things I need to take care of."
"I don't mind," the cute little assistant responded, raising an eyebrow. "What exactly do you have to do?"
"Don't worry about it, Carmen. I'll let you know if I need anything from you."
"Okay..."
Suddenly, the office phone rang, startling the quiet air. "Do you mind stepping out while I take this?"
"Oh... Yes, Maria." Carmen slowly made her way out and walked back to her desk, still confused. However, she was cut off by Ashley, who innocently wanted to meddle in their relationship.
"So, what did Maria want?"
"She gave me a couple of assignments," Carmen answered. "But have you noticed she's been on the phone a lot, lately?"
Ashley didn't seem too concerned. "She's always on the phone. She's the Branch Director."
Unfortunately, the brown-haired Latina's response didn't provide Carmen the comfort she needed. "She seems more secretive than normal. I just have no idea what's going on."
Ashley placed her hand on her younger coworker's shoulder. "I'm sure everything's fine."
Carmen tried not to think about it but her insecurities wouldn't allow her to let it go. I hope this doesn't have something to do with me, she thought as she got to her desk.
Suddenly, the new assistant noticed a young Asian woman quietly entering through the door. She was wearing a black peacoat with tight pants and long boots. Her long hair was tied up in a loose bun, leaving her adorable face uncovered.
"Hello, can I help you?" Carmen asked, confused by the visitor's presence. There weren't any meetings planned for the day.
"Hi," the young woman said with a friendly smile. "Is Maria here?"
"Yes..."
"Is it okay if I see her?"
"Ummm, sure..." Carmen was still confused. She didn't know who this woman was or how she knew Maria. However, woman looked friendly enough, so she allowed her in.
She watched her walk towards Maria's office until she was startled by screams coming from Ashley and Monica. Her coworkers then ran up the mystery woman before engaging in a big group hug.
"Both of the Latin women screamed and asked, "What are you doing here?!"
"I'm here on a work trip," the cute Asian responded. "I wanted to surprise you guys."
"Oh my God! We're so happy to see you!" Monica squealed. "We missed you so much!"
"I miss you guys too," she replied with that cute smile they remembered so fondly. "I'll catch up with you in a minute. I need to see Maria."
As the former employee broke off and went to the supervisor's office, Carmen decided to approach Ashley and Monica. "So, what's going on?" she asked, still looking puzzled.
"That's Jane!" Monica answered.
Suddenly, Carmen felt more insecure about replacing the famous woman than ever. She was in awe of the former employee. Everything about her was perfect; her hair, her style, her confidence, and most importantly, the way the other women reacted to her.
There's no way I could fill her shoes, she thought to herself as she sat in silence. Look at her and look at me! I didn't expect her to be so cute.
All the confidence she gained in her own work was slowly escaping her now that she could put a face on the woman she was trying to replace.
...
Slowly and quietly, the former employee stepped into Maria's office, noticing she was still on the phone. Her previous supervisor reacted silently, not wanting to scream with someone on the line.
"I'll call you right back," Maria said with a contagious smile on her face. "Somebody very important just walked into my office."
She hung up the phone and ran around the table before giving Jane the biggest hug she had ever given anyone. "Oh, my God! I didn't know you were coming today!"
"Surprise!" Jane yelled cheerfully, presenting herself as a gift.
Maria held her former employee by her sides and took a step back to look her up and down. "You look amazing!"
"Thanks. So do you!" Jane responded. Then with a giggle she looked out to the rest of the office "So, is that your new employee?"
A red hue came over the supervisor's face. "Yes, that's Carmen."
"She's so pretty!" Jane said in a teasing voice.
"Yes... Yes, she is!"
"Is she still dominating you in bed?"
Maria almost choked on her spit, caught off guard by Jane's direct questioning. "Erm... sorry. Yes, kind of... But we talked about it and she was very understanding."