The-Spanish-Love-Deception-www.indianpdf

expression. “You know what happened. What he said.”
My friend sighed. “That was a long time ago, Lina.”
“It was,” I admitted, averting my gaze. “But that doesn’t mean I’ve
forgotten. It doesn’t mean that just because it happened a handful of months
ago, it’s now somehow been written off.”
“It happened over a year ago.”
“Twenty months,” I corrected her far too quickly to hide that I had
somehow kept count. “That’s closer to two years,” I muttered, looking down
at the crumpled paper sheet that had wrapped my lunch.
“That’s my point, Lina,” Rosie remarked softly. “I have seen you give
second, third, and fourth chances to people who have messed up far more.
Some even repeatedly.”
She was right, but I was my mother’s daughter and therefore stubborn as
a mule. “It’s not the same.”
“Why not?”
“Because.”
Her green eyes turned harder; she was not letting this go. So, she was
going to make me say it. We were going to talk about it.
Fine.
“How about because he told our boss that he would rather work with
anyone else in InTech? On his second day of work.” I felt my blood rushing
to my face at the memory. “Key on anyone. Even Gerald for crying out
loud.” I hadn’t overheard Aaron mention Gerald in particular, but I was sure I
had heard everything else.
“Anyone but her, Jeff. Just not her. I don’t think I could take it. Is she
even capable of taking on this project? She looks young and inexperienced.”
Aaron had told that to our boss on the phone. I had happened to walk past
his office. I had accidentally overheard, and I hadn’t forgotten. It was all
etched in my memory.
“He had known me for two days, Rosie. Two.” I gestured with my index
and middle fingers. “And he was new. He came here and discredited me to
our boss, indirectly kicked me out of a project, and put in question my
professionalism, and for what? Because he didn’t like me after the two
minutes we talked? Because I looked young? Because I smile and laugh and
I’m not a cyborg? I’ve worked hard. I’ve worked my ass off, getting to where
I am. You know what comments like that can do.” I felt my voice pitch high.
Same went for the pressure of my blood now pumping into my temples.