CHAPTER THREE

Keira had no choice but to return to the office the next morning. Heartbreak wasn’t a valid reason to miss work in the first place, and two days in a row seemed to be really taking liberties. Besides, she didn’t want to spend another day moping in coffee shops, and she definitely didn’t want to get cajoled into another one of Bryn’s stupid harebrained schemes! The last one, the date at Gino’s, had left a very sour taste in Keira’s mouth.

Despite feeling like she had a dark gray rain cloud hovering above her head, Keira managed to get herself dressed and ready for the day. Usually she felt empowered dressing for work, but today she felt like a phony, even though she’d opted for one of the more casual outfits from her business wardrobe options.

As she left Bryn’s apartment, Keira saw that Nina had sent her a supportive text.

Everyone’s looking forward to your return.

Keira smiled. She was glad she had such a good friend in Nina. Despite the age difference between them, they seemed very in tune with one another. And Nina had had such a glittering career within the world of writing that she was also an excellent mentor to Keira.

As Keira walked into the Viatorum head office she was surprised by the immediately different atmosphere inside. Before, there had always been an air of panic in the office, a sort of invisible stress that permeated the whole place. In the past, no matter how good a mood she’d been in when she entered the place, there was no chance that when she left she wouldn’t feel tired, stressed, and anxious.

But of course the difference now was that Joshua no longer worked at the magazine. Thanks to Keira, he’d been fired by Elliot. It was amazing what a difference it had made to the place. It even looked more comfortable, though the tiles were the same clinical, pristine white they’d been before, the open-plan style just as echoing. There was only one real visible difference, Keira noted; all the doors to the meeting rooms and offices that lined the office were open. She could see Heather, Elliot’s assistant, typing away at a computer in her office. Inside the conference room several staff members were engaged in a meeting that seemed joyous rather than stilted and awkward. In Joshua’s day those doors were always shut fast, acting as a physical barrier between the senior staff and junior staff.

“It’s Keira!” someone said, and suddenly heads were turning to look at her.

To Keira’s complete surprise, someone started to clap.

She felt a blush rise into her cheeks as more and more people stood from their desks and began joining in the applause. Was this what Dorothy felt like after killing the Wicked Witch? A man had lost his livelihood after all, even if he did deserve it!

Nina came over from her desk and hugged Keira.

“You made it,” she said, gently. “I told you everyone was happy to see you!”

Denise, one of the junior writers that Keira hadn’t exchanged more than two words with in the past, rushed over and hugged her. Keira was surprised.

“Oh. Um, hey,” she said, awkwardly.

“I just wanted to say thank you,” Denise gushed. “I was so close to quitting because of Joshua. He made me think I was useless, that I couldn’t write and had no talent. I was going to give up on journalism altogether. But thanks to you I’m still here and everything is a million times better than before.”

“You’re welcome,” Keira said, feeling a little surge of pride. Standing up to Joshua hadn’t been easy, but it had paid off, and it had helped more people than she’d realized. Any residual guilt she felt over her actions dissipated as she saw what an impact it had made on everyone here. Josh was a grown man, responsible for his own actions. No one had made him act like a jerk to everyone around him. He’d gotten himself fired, really; Keira had just been the catalyst.

Feeling a surge of confidence for the first time since Shane had shattered her heart, Keira went over to her desk, ready to throw herself back into her work. It was where she excelled, after all. Even if her love life was currently in tatters her career was blossoming and she was going to make the most of it.

But when she reached her desk she saw that none of her things were there. Her framed photo of her mom and Bryn was gone, along with her miniature cactus, the polka dot mouse mat she’d been given as a graduation present from her friend Shelby, and the cat-shaped mug her other bestie, Maxine, had gifted her last year. She hoped desperately they hadn’t been thrown out by accident. Small trinkets, essentially worthless, but they meant a lot to her.

She looked about her, worried. It was then that she noticed Elliot striding toward her.

He stopped, his large six-foot frame towering above her, and shook Keira’s hand. “Welcome back. I’ve had you moved to the corner office. I hope that’s okay.”

The relief that Keira’s belongings were safe took center stage in her mind. Then she realized what Elliot had actually just said.

“I have an office?” she repeated, her tone one of disbelief.

“Of course,” Elliot replied. “You’re a senior now. All seniors get offices.”

He beckoned her to follow. As Keira walked across the office, she caught Nina’s eye. Her friend winked. She must have known all along.

They stopped at the open door to the small corner office. Keira’s name had been etched onto a gold plaque screwed onto it. Her favorite items were positioned on the desk in much the same way they had been before but whereas before they’d made her work space feel crowded, now they were dwarfed by the rest of the empty room.

Keira felt elated, like she was walking on air. She’d never had her own office, or a plaque on the door.

“Is it okay?” Elliot asked.

“It’s amazing!” Keira replied, walking inside and twirling. The room wasn’t quite big enough for arabesques but that hardly mattered to Keira!

“We’ve adopted a doors open policy,” Elliot said. “Unless you’re having a meeting or on a call. There was a vote while you were on leave.”

Keira looked at him with a surprised but pleased expression.

She couldn’t even begin to imagine what a voting system at Viatorum would look like! In Joshua’s day he just barked orders and everyone followed. If he called you into the office on a public holiday – be it Christmas, Hanukkah, Eid, or whatever you celebrated – you had to be there or be fired. It made Keira so happy to know that the junior writing staff were getting their voices heard now.

“Have you been introduced to Lance yet?” Elliot continued.

“Lance?” Keira asked. “No, is he a new junior writer?”

Elliot laughed. “He’s your new boss,” he said.

“Oh,” Keira replied, frowning. “I thought you were going to be my new boss.”

The thought of another person being in control worried Keira. What if he turned into another Joshua? What if their creative visions didn’t fully align?

Elliot shook his head. “I can’t be here twenty-four-seven. For all his foibles, Joshua was dedicated. I needed someone on the ground for when I couldn’t be, hence appointing Lance. But don’t worry, you’ll love him. He’s the opposite of Joshua, I promise.”

She followed Elliot out of her office and into the conference room, where the aforementioned Lance was already waiting. Elliot was right, he was the opposite of Joshua, at least to look at. He was a short, stocky man in an old, ill-fitting suit with unkempt hair. When he saw Keira enter he grinned widely – something Keira suspected Joshua didn’t even have the correct facial muscles to achieve – and held out a hand to her. She shook it.

“You must be the star of Viatorum,” Lance began. “The heroine, Keira Swanson.”

Keira giggled a little awkwardly. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

“I would,” Lance said, taking his seat again, and gesturing for Keira and Elliot to do the same. “I’ve read all your prior pieces and I must say, you have quite the talent.”

“Thanks,” Keira said, blushing.

She wasn’t used to receiving compliments. Elliot gave them sparingly, Joshua never. She still didn’t know how to take them, how to respond appropriately without seeming arrogant.

She looked over at Elliot as she sat down beside him and he gave her a knowing look, as if to say I told you he was the opposite.

“So, let’s just jump straight into assignments,” Lance said, clapping his hands. “Elliot’s arranged for the most plum one yet.” He rubbed his hands together, smiling with excited glee. “Competition is going to be fierce!” Just then, he leapt up and hurried to the door. In the most chipper voice imaginable he called out, “Assignment time, boys and girls!”

There was a flurry of activity as people rushed toward the conference room. Keira felt very out of her depth all of a sudden. Things were so different here, but the pace was just as speedy, it seemed. And the buzz of competitiveness was still there, it was just completely different from when Joshua had been in control.

As the rest of the writers filed inside, Keira could palpably feel their thirst and eagerness for a challenge. It had always been there but it had been shrouded in self-doubt. Clearly without Joshua to drag them all down, coupled with Lance’s friendly and encouraging approach, the other writers at Viatorum had begun to flourish, to come into their own. Keira realized with surprise that the competition at the magazine was fiercer than ever.

“One of you lucky people is about to get the best assignment we’ve ever had,” Lance said, grinning widely. “Three weeks touring Italy. I’m talking Florence, Tuscany, Verona, Capri.”

There was a tittering of excitement, a buzz throughout the meeting room.

Keira shifted in her seat, itching for the assignment. She couldn’t stop herself from imagining how amazing it would be to actually visit Italy, to eat real Italian pizza, pasta, and gelato, rather than the knock-off version offered by Gino’s.

This assignment was made for her, clearly. She was the only person there with prior experience. But everyone would want it! She’d let herself get lulled into a false sense of security, what with all the applause and the new corner office. But it looked like things were the same underneath it all, with just a different facade. She geared herself up for a fight.

“So,” Lance said, steepling his hands in front of him. “Who’s putting themselves in the running?”

Keira’s hand immediately rose.

Her days of waiting for opportunities to fall into her lap were well and truly behind her. She had a hunger for success now and she wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip from her fingers. Besides, she really needed this trip to shake Shane from her mind.

But to her surprise, she realized no one else had raised their hand. Confused, Keira looked from one face to the next, realizing everyone had turned to face her. And they were all smiling.

“What’s going on?” she asked, bringing her hand back down beside her.

Lance laughed warmly. “It’s yours!” he exclaimed. “Obviously. We were just pranking you.”

Everyone began to chuckle. Keira looked around, completely shocked. Since when had Viatorum been a place for office pranks?

“You mean you were always going to give it to me?” she asked.

“Yes!” Lance replied, still laughing heartily.

And to Keira’s great surprise, everyone else was light-hearted about it. They seemed happy for her. There was no envy anymore, no ruthlessness.

“They’ve all got great assignments too,” Lance explained. “Don’t you worry about that. I don’t like in-fighting, can’t stand it. Everyone has strengths. And yours is to travel abroad and write those amazing pieces.”

Keira wanted to pinch herself. Was this a dream? Was she still asleep on Bryn’s lumpy couch fantasizing about what she wanted her first day back at work to be like?

But no, it was real. Without Joshua, Viatorum had transformed into her dream job. And she had just landed her dream assignment.

“It’s our way of saying thank you,” Denise piped up. “For getting rid of Josh.”

Keira laughed, delighted. She was so excited about the new assignment. But she was also very nervous. Whether it was something that Joshua had instilled in her or whether it was just a part of her personality, a new assignment always brought anxiety and self-doubt with it. Deep down she wasn’t sure if she was up for it, especially since she was still reeling from Shane. But she also knew she couldn’t say no. Everyone was looking at her so eagerly. She had to get back onto the horse, so to speak.

“What’s the title of the piece?” she asked, trying to focus on the task at hand in order to keep her mind off of Shane.

“The Country of Love,” Lance said, spreading his hands in front of him theatrically.

“Another love piece?” Keira asked, shocked.

“Of course!” Lance cried. “It’s your talent, Keira. Your last piece was remarkable.”

“Only because I fell in love…” she said.

Lance nodded eagerly. “Exactly. It was beautiful. I want to see that again. So I’m sending you to the most romantic places. I want you to speak to the locals, discover their secrets. Do the Italians really know about true love? Why is it considered the most romantic place on earth? What secrets do they hold about romance?”

He was grinning widely, encouragingly. But for Keira, panic was starting to set in.

How could she write about love when her heart had been shattered into a thousand pieces? In Ireland she’d struggled with the assignment because she was naive, foolish, and inexperienced. This time she was going in bitter and jaded. It would never work.

“Is there any flexibility on the title?” Keira stuttered. “Any scope to change the angle? I don’t want to get typecast as the love writer.”

Lance looked bemused. “But you are the love writer, Keira. The romance guru. It’s what people want to read from you. Your unique selling point. Your USP.”

She couldn’t quite believe it.

But what choice did she have? Lance had gone above and beyond for her, making sure she had the best assignment. There was no choice, she had to take the piece. Everyone wanted her to, and her career depended on it. She’d just have to fake it.

Or, perhaps, she wouldn’t have to fake it. Perhaps she’d meet a new guy. Not another Shane, not someone she could fall head over heels in love with, but a passionate Italian man she could have a whirlwind affair with. No strings, no love, just lust.

She smiled to herself. Perhaps this was the cure to her broken heart! Love might be the last thing on her mind right now, but perhaps a fling with a hot Italian guy could be just the antidote she needed to get over Shane.

She looked at Lance and quirked an eyebrow.

“Thank you,” she said. “When do I leave?”