The proposal was subpar. Em knew the proposal was subpar. She had walked into the big conference room knowing she would have to make excuses, promise results by rollout. Then she saw Quentin Blake, and threw that plan out the window.
Quentien Blake was the ice prince of Nova Tech. He was exceedingly competent, perpetually unemotional, a serial perfectionist, and a massive dick. He was rather popular among the male-attracted population of their workforce, though Em found the whole tsundere thing incredibly annoying. She cracked a smile imagining calling him a tsundere to his face. It was probably inappropriate to smile while she was getting lectured by the CFO.
"If this is the best you can produce, the entire marketing department needs an overhaul. The presentation was sloppy and repetitive. The content was even worse. Everything you suggested has been done a million times before, which would be fine if we were some second-rate company selling knockoff tech out of the Philippines. Nova Tech is supposed to be the up-and-coming tech company, selling exclusively high quality products. Every other department is giving everything they have to this, and you disrespect their hard work by trying to market our products like this."
This was honestly easier for Em. Quentin didn't care to hear excuses, so she didn't have to make any. She sat peacefully and pretended to give a shit about the rest of the meeting. They were finally dismissed at fifteen to five. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, having heard it vibrate forty minutes ago. She'd gotten an email saying her package was delivered to the front door.
Well, fuck. In her neighborhood, it would be a miracle if it was still there when she got home. Nobody in this meeting had anything to say to her, so she grabbed her stuff and left.
Em liked her job well enough. She didn't mind the work and she loved her team. They made the presence of people like Quentin bearable. Not that Quentin was unbearable, per say. She quickly said goodbye to her coworkers and bolted. If she ran, she could catch the 5:05.
On her way home, she received a text from her favorite neighbor.
Marco: Saw a package and used the spare to put it inside. Grabbed a shake.
So in the end, she ran for no reason. Still, she sent seven hearts as a reply. He responded with twelve. She and Marco had both lived in Gadsden complex for six years now. They were both on the second floor with one unit between them. Em didn't mind the stairs, usually. She used the climb to sort through any stray thoughts she hadn't had time for during the day.
She'd have to go grocery shopping soon. She hated shopping. She felt more tired than usual, too. Maybe getting scolded as an adult bothered her more than she thought. Or maybe it was because she skipped lunch. One of the two.
Em crashed on her bed almost as soon as she was in the door. That was one of the benefits of living in a studio. She closed her eyes, though she knew she shouldn't sleep. She needed to eat, and take a quick shower. Her phone vibrated, and she half-heartedly lifted it to see the message.
FB: R u at home?
Em smiled. Sex was one thing that could always get her out of bed. Especially this particular hookup.
Em: Yeah. don't come too late though.
There were benefits to having a reliable fuckbuddy. Communicating was easy, and boundaries were made clear. It was hard to meet someone for the first time and tell them you don't want to stay over. An established partner already knows that. It was easy. Em thought most people overcomplicated sex.
She rolled out of bed and dragged herself over to the closet. Another good thing about a fuckbuddy; you don't have to dress up. She put on some shorts and an old t-shirt. She made herself a bowl of ramen, with a side of a protein shake. Her eating habits were a frequent point of contention among her friends.
She washed her face and used a little dry shampoo. She would want to shower after, and she couldn't afford to shower twice. Then, with very little to do, she watched youtube videos on her phone.
At 8:30 on the dot, there was a knock at the door. She opened it, and there he was. Quentin Blake.