Let the Games Begin
-- 2 years ago --
“Okay boss, let me have it, what do I need to do to make partner?”
Ava walked into Suzanne’s office with a flourish.
“Ava, child, I mentored you when you first came in and brought you up. You do not talk to me in this manner.”
Ava waggled her eyebrows at her. Suzanne broke character and laughed.
“You are such a terrible influence.”
“I know. And you love me for it.”
Ava said as she leaned in for a hug. Suzanne shook her head at Ava’s antics.
“Back to your question. I know that Lilith and Camila are also on track to becoming partners too. I’m sure you know from Beatrice what is it that you need to do to make partner and as head of the firm, you know that I have to be fair to everyone so there cannot be any shortcuts to getting there.”
“I know I know I know. You really never change do you. Just as long winded as you were when I first joined.”
“You drove me crazy then and you still do now. So payback is fair play. I have mentored quite a few people before you and you have managed to exceed all of them in terms of being a pain my ass. You don’t know how happy I was to pawn you off to Shannon at the end of the mentorship.”
“Suzanne! You break my heart.”
Ava mock gasped with her hand on her hear, face all dramatic.
“Aww you poor child.”
Suzanne laughed and patted Ava on her head sarcastically.
“Just between you and me, the three of you are now neck and neck, vying for first. At the end of this financial year, the person who brings in the most amount of revenue for the year will be made partner. All the candidates up for partnership this year are very good. This race is shaping up to be one of the most competitive one I have seen in the last couple of years. I have a feeling the rest of the partners would vote to promote the top few next year and do away with the revenue competition. Assuming they are not promoted this time around.”
“So what you are saying is that I need to land a whale before the year is out to come out the winner?”
“I said nothing of that sort, child. Now shoo and go back to work.”
Suzanne winked before shooing Ava out of her office.
“Booboo!”
Ava breezed into Beatrice’s office after leaving Suzanne’s.
“Is this what being a partner feels like? The view on the 50 th floor is definitely wayy better than the one I have out of my very sad senior associate room on the 45 th .”
“Darling, not that I don’t enjoy you dropping in but don’t you have to meet with Suzanne? Your calendar is blocked for the next 2 hours for that meeting with her.”
“I think Mama S did it on purpose because she knows that I would drop in on you right after the meeting with her and she wanted to make sure I get the chance to digest and decompress before I’m being sucked back into work.”
“That woman loves you like her own, babe. You better win this race and not let her down. There had been talks among the other partners about how she might be favoring you for this race. Do her proud okay love?”
“Is it Duretti? I bet it is Duretti. That asshole. He is just annoyed that his pick is that tragic shit Vincent who is shady as fuck.”
“Darling”
Beatrice looked at Ava warningly.
“I know, I know. Language.”
Ava sighed and spin around on the chain she had plonked herself on while Beatrice continued reading the email in front of her.
“Mama S said that me, Lil and Cam are neck and neck, vying for first. I bet that Lilith knows this too. I saw her trying to close Lego the other day.”
“If Lilith did managed to get Lego as a client, it could very well be the push she needs to break the tie. Are you sure you are going to give up just like that?”
“Pft! Who said I am just going to roll over and let Lilith win this race. I have this in the bag booboo, Don’t worry about me. I’ll blow everyone out of the water.”
Ava grinned evilly.
“Really? You have a plan?”
“Yup! And before you ask, it is a surprise and a secret. But I can tell you, if you and I were in this race, I would probably beat you too.”
“Now I find that hard to believe.”
Beatrice’s natural competitiveness taking over.
“Oh yeah babe. You better believe it. I guess, we will just have to wait till the end of the year for Mama S to announce the results of the race and the revenue the candidates brought in individually. Be prepared to be knocked off your socks booboo!”
Ava bobbed Beatrice on the nose before leaning in for a kiss.
“I feel better now that I have figured out my plans. Thanks for helping babe, love you.”
Ava blew Beatrice a kiss on her way out of her office. Beatrice stared at her girlfriend’s retreating shadow puzzled.
Glad to be of help, I guess? There really is never a dull moment with her.
She pulled open the drawer of her desk and took out the black velvet box sitting in the middle. A gleaming 3 carat passion cut diamond sitting on a platinum band stared back at her.
I really hope Ava knows what she is doing and wins this.
“Booboo?”
Ava blew back into the office like a gust of wind.
Beatrice sat up right and shut the drawer with a snap.
“What’s up with that? You okay babe?”
Ava looked at her all concerned.
“I’m fine, don’t worry. Was just looking for something. What can I do for you babe?”
“Today’s Friday, dinner and drinks with Lilith and Cam, don’t forget. Love ya.”
With that, Ava whirled her way of out Beatrice’s office and headed to the elevators.
-- later that night --
“Come on Lilith, tell us your game plan. I know you have one that will help you win the partnership competition this year.”
Ava tried to wheedle information out of Lilith.
“Nah-uh Silva. Go figure it out on your own. I really hate to break it to you but I’m gonna win this year. Maybe they will name three people partners and you can be like, third. After Cam.”
Ava gasped, her hand on her heart.
“You wound me. What makes you think I would lose to you AND Cam? Well, I don’t mind losing to Cam but you, pft, I’ll deliver a smack down so hard you won’t see it coming.”
Beatrice and Camila looked on exasperated by their respective girlfriends as Ava and Lilith trash talked each other across the table.
“Why are we with them again?”
Camila lamented to Beatrice.
“Because we are idiots? And also maybe because they do things like that even when they are very preoccupied trash talking each other. But you still have a chance to run, I mean, even though we all know and considered the two of you to be together but Lilith has yet to make a move. So unlike her though.”
Ava had taken over the mains that arrived and began picking the peas out from Beatrice’s dish and transferring to her own plate, without missing a beat in her trash talk with Lilith.
“Yeah, this is probably the reason why we keep them around. It is too late for me Bea, I’m in so deep. I think I was in this not long after you and Ava got together. To think I thought watching you and her dance around each other was painful. This, waiting for Lilith after dropping a million and one hints, is worse.”
Camila watched as Lilith’s hands automatically went to her own drink and began transferring the ice from her own glass into Camila’s.
“She is so sweet and I know I could have made the move but her pride would never let her live it down. Yet at times I just want to shake her and say ‘sack up bro, just ask me out officially already. Stop waffling and use work as an excuse or use Beatrice and Ava as a shield.’”
Beatrice laughed at Camila’s assessment of the situation causing Ava to look over with an eyebrow raised quizzically. Beatrice shook her head a little, indicating that she would tell her about it later and Ava returned to the conversation she was having with Lilith.
“She used me and Ava as a shield? How?”
“Lilith would come over asking me if I wanted to go to lunch with just her by justifying that you and Ava are being gross again. Or that she don’t need a side of PDA to go with her lunch. Or, and this is my favorite, anymore PDA from you and Ava again today would make her throw herself out of her office on the 44th.”
“And she wondered why we say she is dramatic. At least when Ava is being dramatic, she owns it. Such clueless dramatics is a first.”
“Oh god, we need to stop the both of them now.”
Camila looked on in alarm as what began as trash talking had somehow devolved into a drinking competition with Lilith waving down a waiter and ordering 10 shots of tequila each for her and Ava as Ava looked on smirking.
Beatrice looked over just in time to see Ava bouncing in her seats, both hands splaying on the table and smirking.
Nothing good ever comes out of that look. She is planning something or has planned something and is now executing it.
“Babe?”
“Yes?”
Ava replied all innocent.
“What are you planning?”
“Nothing?”
“Lil, do you want to tell me what you are doing ordering 10 shots of tequila? This isn’t an occasion to be drinking shots?”
“Cam…. I… “
“Wow, you are a wuss when it comes to Cam.”
“Shut it Silva, like I said, 10 in a go and the person still standing wins.”
“Bring it on de Almeida, 10 is a cakewalk.”
“Ava… why?”
Beatrice sighed at Ava’s taunting of Lilith, resigning herself to the fact that she would have to carry Ava home again tonight.