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Mr Brandt made a noise in his throat “You used to take on a lotdown, dear”

“I believefor them is both tiht not be taking as ht in so many accounts to this firm, and ones with such deep pockets, I think that it’s tih you really want my hands on your best accounts anyway”

“You are taking things very personally,” he said with a shake of his head “This is business, Laine, pure and simple”

Laine felt her face groar Aziz had once told her

“Everything is personal, Mr Brandt Americans love to cut our lives into pieces and pretend that we are impartial and infallible, but it’s just a lie that makes it easier to do anted to do in the first place” She shrugged “It’s intensely personal that you don’t give me credit for the work I’ve done, and it is incredibly irrational of you to turn down the a you if I had proper support”

Mr Brandt started to turn red “Miss McConnell—”

“I’raduated at the top of her class at Parsons and was hand-selected by a sheikh of Bahrain to decorate his palatial home”

“Yes, and I have heard of how you were ‘hand-selected,’” Mr Brandt said, almost pleased at the turn of phrase

Laine paused She pursed her lips, giving hi stare, and his amusement turned to discomfort

“You have known h to know that a dance and a few rumors have little to do with how I conduct ly “Even now, I expected better of you than to participate in petty gossip Honestly, I wouldn’t have arded me if I hadn’t had so er than I should have, that working hard here would get ood work and to have a life”

“If you want to continue to do any work here, you can’t expect to shirk your duties!” Mr Brandt slapped the table angrily

“You expect me to do ten times the work of everyone else, with none of the credit and half of the pay! And you expectin my heart, or I have somehow failed” Laine stood and put her hands on her hips “I once saorking here as a stepping stone, but now I see that you have sirateful for it!”

“You cannot speak to your boss like that!”