Greenwood

 

Anya Evren

 

It was finally Friday. The Friday she had been waiting for. This was the day she would put the final parts of her plan into motion. It had been more than a month in the making. Today was the day of the office party to celebrate Vince Radley’s promotion to Vice President for Strategic Acquisitions.

 

The plan had been hatched six weeks ago. Lili had phoned her in tears, and Sophie had arranged to meet her at a quiet little Café on Church Lane, where they could talk as long as they wanted in peace. Between coffee, cake, and Kleenex, Lili had told her story, and Sophie had been outraged.

 

Sophie had met Lili in college, where they both attended the same psychology classes together. The two girls had come from completely different worlds. Sophie had been born into wealth, but despite her upper-class upbringing, carried herself with genuine humility. Life had always been easy on the happy-go-lucky girl, helped by her parents’ fortune.

 

Lili, on the other hand, was the daughter of hardworking immigrants, whose meagre earnings from the Mongolian barbecue they ran helped finance Lili’s tuition. Lili had also worked two jobs to pay her rent and living expenses. For Sophie, getting her degree in business management had been an option. For Lili, her degree visual marketing had been the ticket to a better life – not just for her, but also for her parents.

 

The two girls from opposite sides of life had been drawn together ever since they had sat at lectures together by chance, and Lili had offered Sophie her meticulous notes to copy from, after noting that Sophie had hardly written anything down. After the lecture, Sophie had found out that the demure Asian girl was from the same city as her, and that they both shared the same birthday. Their friendship had been instantaneous – an unlikely connection, yet forged in a heartbeat.

 

Within a month, Sophie had persuaded Lili to move into the comfortable apartment her parents had rented for her. Lili had declined initially, her pride getting in the way of what she perceived as a handout. Sophie had persisted, and Lili couldn’t turn down the opportunity to give up one job and focus the time on studying. Sophie’s parents approved, seeing Lili as a good influence on their daughter.

 

Sophie had been the party girl, never missing out on the booze, sex, and mollies. Lili was the exact opposite. Yet, neither judged the other, nor tried to change them. Sophie had a string of boyfriends, and Lili was home every Saturday, her nose buried in books. When Sophie had come home crying from the latest, inevitable break-up, Lili had always been there for her, a shoulder to cry on. When she came home stinking drunk, Lili had held her hair while she puked into the toilet, and cleaned her up afterwards. That’s why, when Lili had told her what had happened, Sophie had known she had to put things right.

 

After graduation, both had returned to their city. Sophie had started assisting her father at their family winery, Spring Valley Vinyards, filling in while her mom took time off to undergo breast cancer treatment. Lili had started her job search. Sophie had been so proud when Lili had landed her first job, a very attractive position for a newly minted graduate. Then, six weeks ago, it had all changed.

 

A couple of weeks after that tearful meeting, Sophie was sitting outside the corporate office, where she had been accepted to fill a position that had become vacant. The position that Lili had held.

 

“Miss Montgomery, you may go in now,” the cute young thing in the tight blue skirt announced. “Mr Radley is ready for you.” What had she said her name was? Trisha? No, Tricia. Sophie had nodded to Tricia and walked into the office.

 

The man behind the desk glanced up as she walked in, his practiced gaze assessing her instantly. His lips curled into a subtle, confident smile, the kind that’s both charming and slightly mischievous, hinting of the power he knew he had over her. Vince rose, adjusting his impeccably tailored grey suit. “Ah, you must be Sophie. Welcome to the Greenwood Associates team. I hope you had a good on-boarding?”

 

Vince Radley looked like an older, more mature version of the lacrosse players Sophie used to date in college. His dark brown hair, greying at the temples, was brushed back with effortless precision, with a carefully arranged strand here and there in a carefree style.

 

He offered his hand, the grip firm and confident. There was a lingering moment when his fingers brushed against hers, his touch just a bit longer than necessary, like he was savouring the interaction. There was a playful glint in his eyes, the kind that conveyed both intrigue and confidence in his ability to charm her, if he chose to. The man was a player.

 

Over the next few days, Sophie pretended to work. She emailed all her assignments to Lili, who completed them and sent back. Sophie presented that work as her own. She also made sure to wear tight blouses and skirts, and strut around on her high heels, looking like the innocent, bright-eyed newbie around Vince. Not that he needed much nudging to notice.

 

On the first week he had been cautious, complimenting her on her work, in a very professional manner. Then finally, he asked the question that had been bothering him. “Are you related to the Spring Valley Montgomerys, by the way?”

 

Sophie had been prepared for this question. “Oh wow. I don’t know why you would think that. Would one of them ever need to work her ass off in an office to pay rent?” she had asked with a laugh. Not a lie.

 

Reassured, Vince switched to player mode almost immediately. Picking up one of the printed copies of a new campaign, he remarked, “You really have an eye for beauty, Sophie. Matches your own.” It was followed by a smile and a wink.

 

Over the next week, Vince would walk over when she was hunched over her laptop, and ask her about deadlines, while his hand rested on her shoulder, lightly massaging. He would call her into his office and guide her to the chair with his hand on the small of her back. He would lean close, his Creed Aventus cologne filling the air. His compliments became ever personal, moving from the quality of her (Lili’s actually) work, to her clothing choices, to the shape of her butt, until one day he leaned close, smelled her hair and asked whether she used a different shampoo that day.

 

One evening, as the office was emptying and the city lights flickered on outside the windows, he cornered her at her desk, and asked her to join him in his office. His office was dimly lit by the ambient lighting. He guided her in, with his hand on her lower back as usual, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

 

"Sophie, you're talented," he said, his voice low and smooth, like aged whiskey. He stepped closer behind her, his hand brushing her arm, lingering too long, his fingers tracing a light path up to her shoulder. "But talent alone doesn't get you to the top. You need... connections."

 

“Is my work not satisfactory, Mr Radley?” asked Sophie innocently, a note of concern in her voice.

 

“No, no… Quite the opposite. It’s just that… To climb the corporate ladder, you need to get noticed. You need someone powerful to bring you to the spotlight. I can see a bright future for you. You could even make it to management one day. That would help you… help your parents perhaps?”