A week. Just one week...
“Ethan!”
I turned and saw Claire walking toward my desk.
“Where were you just now? I tried calling and you didn’t pick up.”
“Are you still sulking about the proposal? The promotion review is next week — don’t cause trouble at a critical moment like this, okay?”
“Sulking?”
I repeated the word, my tone calm. “Claire, I spent an entire month of overtime building that proposal.”
“You erased my name without even telling me, replaced it with Jason’s, and now you’re telling me I’m being childish?”
“Yes, I know the proposal was originally yours. But don’t you understand the idea of expediency?”
Claire frowned, as if I was the unreasonable one.
“Jason just needs one strong project to nail this promotion. He needs this more than you do.”
“You’re always more capable than him. Can’t you just find another project and whip up a new proposal? The review meeting isn’t until next week — maybe you still have time!”
I almost laughed at the casual way she said it.
“Claire, do you think creating a proposal good enough for a promotion review is like going to the grocery store to pick out vegetables? A month of my work — and you just take it, and tell me to magically make another one?”