“Because you don’t understand people making the unambitious choice. Not even people you emulate, like Elena Bartell.”

Felicity surreptitiously wiped her hands down her pants, uncomfortable beyond measure.

“And then there’s you,” Cooper said, tone gentle. “Even with your beloved mentor’s example right under your nose, what are you doing? Chasing ambition. Only ambition. Even if it harms your relationships.” Cooper shook her head. “I can see we’re incompatible.”

She leaned in and kissed Felicity’s cheek. It felt like a mocking parody of the sweet kiss she’d received when Cooper arrived.

“I’m going now,” Cooper said.

Of course she is. Everyone leaves.

Cooper rose. “It’s probably better this way, working out we’d be a train wreck together before we begin,” Cooper said, eyes dark. “But call me if you discover there’s more to life than your career.” She turned to go, then paused. “Oh, and appoint Mrs. Brooks director as she deserves. It’ll save us all a lot of trouble.”

She straightened and was gone before Felicity had even registered her words.

Long after Cooper had closed the door with a soft click, Felicity stared at the bottle of champagne and wondered how everything had gone so very wrong.

CHAPTER 15

Alone

Felicity didn’t need anyone, thank you very much. Her fulfilling career was all she needed to be content, and she was quite sure to remind herself of that fact as the days slowly bled into weeks.

Elena finished training Felicity and completed her own transition work ahead of permanently shifting to Australia. She told Felicity she would be staying on in New York for a few more weeks to finalize things, but her office duties were over. This was her last day at work.

Elena called Felicity into her office and gave her a slow, warm smile.

“It’s all yours now,” she said. “Bartell Corp. I’d like to hang on to my office for whenever I’m back in town, though. If you’re okay staying in your own office?”

Oh, thank God. “Yes, of course.”

Elena smiled and patted the armrest on her designer executive chair. “I will, however, bequeath you my favorite chair. I’d thought about having it sent over to Sydney, but then I decided, why deprive you of the pleasure of enjoying one of the perks of your new position?”

“That’s very thoughtful,” Felicity said. She tried to muster a smile.

Elena frowned. “What is it? I thought this was the culmination of all your hopes and dreams. Shouldn’t you be giddy with glee or whatever the Felicity Simmons version of that looks like?”

Felicity attempted to improve on her smile. She probably looked constipated.

“Okay, what is it? Really.” Elena leaned in. “Is there some problem with the business somewhere?”

“No!” Felicity was dismayed that Elena would even ask. As if she’d allow that on her watch without addressing it immediately.

“Some new acquisition giving you heartburn? Or perhaps some lawyer being especially obnoxious? You have my full permission to terminate or accelerate any deal you like if they’re being bastards.” Elena sounded sincere.

“Nothing like that,” Felicity said quickly, although she warmed at the confidence Elena had in her.

“Is it…personal, then?” Elena asked delicately. One eyebrow slid up…slowly…as if she wasn’t quite sure whether this was a question she wanted to ask.

To Felicity’s horror, her cheeks reddened. “I— Not anymore.”

“Are you still pining for that Sydney lawyer? What was his name? Phillip?”

“You knew about him?”

“Haven’t you worked out by now that I have truly excellent hearing? There is little that I miss in the office.”

Felicity slumped. “He dumped me when he found out I was moving permanently back to New York. I don’t…miss him.”

“Ah.” Elena glanced down at her fingers and her mouth opened, but no words came out, as if she wasn’t sure whether to say something.

“I’m fine, really,” Felicity rushed in. “Give it no more thought. I promise I’ll never let my personal emotions interfere with business.”

Elena’s head snapped up. “Well, that’s a very disturbing thought. I want your head to rule most of the time. But listen to your heart, too, on occasion. I don’t want an unfeeling automaton running Bartell Corp.”

“I— No, of course not. That is…” Felicity had no clue what to say. She and Elena had never had the sort of relationship that involved sharing things. She paused. And that’s why she’d never been close to her, not in the way Maddie was. Maddie, who just blurted out things and shared her emotions with an open heart.

That was it, wasn’t it? Sharing anything, especially vulnerabilities that could be used against you later, was a foreign concept to Felicity. You had to keep up your walls or people could find your weaknesses. Except…Elena wasn’t looking for her weaknesses. In her own reserved, walls-up way, she was trying to help.

Felicity hesitated and then admitted, “I made a mistake.”

“Go on.”

“The vet I wanted to make director of Living Ruff didn’t want the promotion.”

Elena frowned. “Yes, I did wonder if that might be an issue. Vets tend to want to stay hands on, unless they’re particularly ambitious. But you don’t join a charity if you’re in any way ambitious, so…”

Well, that was a good point. Felicity sighed. “I thought she’d be pleased. Instead, she was very angry when I didn’t understand why she didn’t want the promotion. She wants nothing more to do with me, either.” Felicity looked away, cheeks flaming hot, beyond embarrassed by how pathetic she must look to someone she idolized.

The confusion on Elena’s face suddenly cleared, replaced with surprise. Then understanding. “Felicity,” she said carefully, “by any chance were you…romantically involved with this vet?”

“No… Well… Involved might be too strong a word.” Felicity could rent herself out as a space heater at this rate. “We were intimate, though. A few times.” She couldn’t bring herself to look up.

“And she…matters to you, this woman? I mean compared to Phillip, the lawyer you don’t miss.”

“She…” Felicity stopped again as she tried to process her thoughts. “She matters.”

God. The admission felt so baring. Felicity wanted to curl up in a tight ball and never look at her boss again. What must Elena think of her? How wretched must she sound? But it was a relief in a way, too. She had no friends to turn to who could help her make sense of this mess.

“Felicity.” Elena’s voice was low and kind.

She looked up. “Yes?”

“It’s okay.”

It was? How did she figure? Wait. What was okay?

“It’s okay to let someone in if they matter to you. And it’s not the end of the world if they don’t share your ambition. Differences can be the spice of life.” She smiled then.