Breaking Bro Code (The Line Up #4) - Misti Murphy Page 0,78
the text I’m writing. Is he going to tell Hud about us? Is he ready to brave my brother? I snort under my breath. Delete the text.
“Are you okay?” Kiki asks.
“Sure.” I drop my phone into my bag. I don’t want to rain on her parade. Linking my arm through hers I guide us toward the elevator. “Let’s go celebrate.”
We’re about to step into the lift when Carlan’s door opens and he steps out. “Lily, can I see you in my office?”
“Now?” I glance at Kiki and telepathically postpone our lunch celebration as I stride toward my boss. “Yes. Of course.”
Carlan’s office is huge. It takes up one entire corner of our floor. There’s the usual desk and tech. A full bar. A loveseat and two arm chairs balanced on a rug from Carlan’s own range. I love his style.
“Sorry, I’ve been so busy since you came back from L.A.” He gestures for me to sit in one of the chairs while he moves to the bar. “It feels like a champagne lunch kind of day. Would you like one, Lily?”
“Yes, thank you.” He’s ready to offer me the promotion. That’s what this is, right? My heart rate kicks up a notch. It must be. Otherwise there’d be no need for celebratory bubbles.
He uncorks a small bottle and pours the contents into two flutes before joining me. Handing me one, he takes a seat on the small sofa and crosses his long, slender legs. “Gentry Gladstone gushed about you,” he says. “Not something I expected from him, do you understand?”
My hand shakes as I cradle my glass. “I just gave them what they wanted.”
“You brought their vision to life.” He smiles. “I’ve known you were the one to watch since you first showed up in our New York office.”
“Thank you,” I say. It’s nice to have my work acknowledged. “You’re such an inspiration to me.”
“Well, that’s kind of you to say, but we’re here to celebrate you.” He lifts his glass. “Congratulations on a fantastic job.”
“Thank you.” I drink when he drinks.
“So we need to talk about your promotion,” he says.
“I’m pumped about having my own office and client list,” I tell him. My nerves are fluttering. I’ve worked my ass off for this promotion, and it’s finally happening.
“Good.” He stands and moves to his desk. “But I think we can do better than any old office, don’t you?”
“Sorry?” My heart skips a beat.
“I want to make you a partner, Lily.” He puts down his glasses and picks up a few stapled pages from his desk.
“That’s… wow… everything I’ve wanted since I started here.”
“Great.” He hands me the papers as he sits back down. “I need you to head up a new branch in L.A. The Gladstone Group wants you handling all their hotels and offices, starting with their California locations. I’ve wanted to expand out that way for a while. This is the perfect opportunity.”
“This is unexpected.” I rifle through the salary package he’s offering me. The office space he’s considering renting. The client list from the West Coast.
“We’d want you relocated in a month. Of course we’ll have to hire staff before then, but that would give you time to find a place to live.”
“What about Kiki and Lewis? They were integral to the Gladstone project.”
“If they’re amenable to it, we can consider transferring them out there.”
“I…” I shake my head and drain my glass. “I don’t know what to say. It’s a lot.” I thought I was getting promoted here, in Chicago. I’ll be away from Hud and Jane and the twins. And Vale.
“Think it over,” he says. “Take some time. Come back to me.”
“I-I’ll do that.”
“Now go celebrate with your colleague. You deserve a long lunch.”
My knees are wobbly and my hands are shaky as I stand and leave his office.
“What happened?” Kiki pounces as soon as I shut the door.
“He formally offered me a promotion.” I hurry into the elevator.
“Now we really do have to celebrate.” She jumps up and down as the box descends, then slows to a bounce as she finally realizes I’m not as excited as she is. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s in L.A. Carlan wants me to head up an office there.”
“Oh wow…” And then it dawns on her. “Oh boy. So you won’t be here. We won’t be working together.”
I shake my head. “Not unless you want to move to L.A.”
“I can’t,” she says as we hit the pavement. “There’s Dal. And my dad’s here.”