Heart of Ice

by T. B. Markinson

“I don’t care. Go to your own o ce and drink your co ee.

  When you’ve sobered up the rest of the way, we’ll discuss my

  plans for the Othonos pitch.”

  “There’s no way in hell I’m going to take your advice on this one, Lors.”

  “And there’s no way in hell I’m going to let you destroy Emerson’s shot at landing the biggest client in our company’s history.”

  “My company,” he spat. “You’re not even an Emerson, just some whore who didn’t mind shacking up with an old woman to get what should’ve been rightfully mine.”

  “I may only be an Emerson by marriage,” Laurie’s tone was cold and brittle as ice, “but I control fifty percent of this company, and I will never agree to whatever dimwitted bullshit you plan to pull out of your ass to impress your golf buddy.”

  “And I will never agree to be in the same room as you for a presentation.” He slurped his co ee, getting more on his shirt than in his mouth.

  “Fine.” Through her anger, Laurie felt a surge of triumph.

  “Challenge accepted.”

  Toby’s eyebrows scrunched. “What challenge?”

  “You want to do it your way, and I want to do it mine.

  We’ll each put together a team and prepare a presentation.

  Even if he’s agreed to give us an exclusive shot, which frankly, I doubt. Othonos is the type of man to appreciate choices. He can decide which plan he likes best, and we’ll see which one of us wins.”

  “That’s the w-worst idea ever,” Toby spluttered.

  “Scared?”

  Toby squared his shoulders. “Not a chance.”

  “You should be, because the winner not only gets the client but sole management of this company. No more fifty-fifty split.”

  “If he chooses me, you resign?”

  Laurie nodded. “And if he chooses me, you do likewise. Do you accept?”

  “Damn right.” Toby stood, a gleam of excitement in his slightly bloodshot eyes. “This means war!”

  C H A P T E R T W E L V E

  IT WAS A BLUSTERY FRIDAY AFTERNOON WHEN JACK ESCAPED ACROSS

  the street to the co ee shop. The window was covered in an explosion of pink hearts in honor of Valentine’s Day’s approach, but the rawness of the weather made it feel more like January. She cracked the door as little as possible, sliding through the opening with care so as not to blast the patrons inside with a sharp stab of icy wind. It was partially out of thoughtfulness, but mostly from a desire to avoid heads turning to see who the idiot was who didn’t know how to open a door properly in the dreary months when everyone was dying for warm summer days.

  The café was quiet and only about half full, the noise level barely above a whisper as people focused on tablets and laptops while they sipped their drinks. Carmen sat in the back corner, her head down, scanning something on her phone. As Jack approached her friend, she felt some of the spring return to her step. It had been almost two weeks since Toby’s return to the o ce, which had initiated a full-out feud between the two heads of the company. The atmosphere at Emerson Management seemed permanently altered, contributing to Jack being in a constant state of walking on egg shells, even more so than if she’d only had her complicated relationship with Laurie to maneuver. With

  another long night of work ahead of her, Jack was desperate for some ca eine.

  “Hey there. Do you need a refill?” Jack stopped beside Carmen’s table but didn’t sit down, instead motioning to her friend’s empty cup.

  Carmen slid the cup to the edge of the table, batting her eyelashes. “I’ll love you forever if you bring me another cappuccino.”

  “Just for you, I’ll make sure they get the heart in the foam perfect.”

  Jack winked at Carmen and got into line behind a man in a suit, a standard sight in the financial district, except everyone else was dressed in their casual Friday attire. His jacket and tie felt out of place in a sea of polo shirts and khakis, and Jack found herself staring until the man abruptly turned around. He gave her the once-over, clearly unimpressed by what he saw, judging by the derision etched into the lines around his dark eyes. Uneasiness prickling the back of her neck, Jack wondered what his deal was.

  After the man ordered, he took a seat facing Carmen. He watched her with an unrelenting gaze for several seconds and then switched his attention back to Jack, not attempting to disguise his stare. If his goal was to unnerve Jack, he’d succeeded. Jack, though, desired to know the reason behind his nefarious actions. She’d think corporate spy, but he lacked the suaveness of anyone trying to act covertly.

  Jack placed her order and stood to the side, still trying to figure out what was up with mister super spy. Was he someone she knew? It was so hard to say for certain. With their perfectly styled hair and clean-cut appearance, most of the men in the financial district tended to blend together as far as Jack was concerned, forming a composite picture in her brain that was simply labeled Ivy League Guy. He hadn’t been one of the portfolio managers on her previous team,

  but other than that, she couldn’t say for sure whether or not she should recognize him.

  A barista called out the man’s order. He approached the counter brusquely, brushing hard against Jack’s shoulder as he passed. He didn’t bother apologizing. Jack gave the guy’s back a fuck you glare, which she was still indulging in when the barista set Carmen’s drink on the counter.

  “That is the perfect heart for your girl,” the man sco ed, leaving the counter and reclaiming his seat before a dumbfounded Jack found the voice to reply. After the barista set her drink beside Carmen’s, Jack returned to the table, selecting a seat that blocked the guy from her direct line of sight.

  “Maybe next time we should meet further away from the o ce.” Jack scowled at her co ee before taking a sip.

  Carmen removed the cup from her mouth, white foam clinging to her upper lip. “What happened?”

  “That guy has a screw loose.” Jack flicked her head in the man’s direction. “I’m still not sure if he’s a homophobic ass or… something else.”

  Carmen slyly checked out the stranger at the other table.

  “That’s Alec Graham.”

  “Graham?” Jack pressed, her heart picking up speed like she was being chased by an axe murderer. “I know that name.”

  “I should think so.” Carmen leaned forward, lowering her voice. “He’s a real muckety-muck at your firm.”

  “Oh, of course,” Jack muttered more to herself, trying to slot the details into her head in a way to make sense of everything. “He was on the golf trip with Toby.”

  Carmen’s eyes lit up with the joy of a woman about to dig into some juicy gossip. “Is he resentful of your promotion to Laurie’s team, do you think?”

  “Nah,” Jack responded dismissively. She couldn’t narrow in on a reason why one of Toby’s guys had gone out of his way to antagonize her, but jealousy seemed unlikely.

  “Honestly, considering I’m still parked at the admin desk, everyone assumes I’m Laurie’s new assistant. Toby refers to me as the co ee wench.”

  “You haven’t corrected him?” Carmen looked shocked as Jack shook her head. “Why hasn’t Laurie? It’s her job as your manager to stick up for you.”

  “Relax. Our team’s kind of keeping what we’re doing on the down low as much as possible.” Jack quickly brought the co ee back to her lips to avoid saying more. Considering Laurie didn’t want their own people to know what they were up to, there was no way she’d take kindly to Jack spilling secrets to the competition. “That’s probably the way all of Toby’s team treats women in the o ce. I’ve had my fill of arrogant pricks.”

  Carmen seemed about to jump on this but swallowed whatever she’d been about to say at the last minute. She paused a moment, composing her expression into one of nothing more than idle curiosity. “Speaking of Toby, what’s the truth behind the rumor I’m hearing?”

  “Depends on the rumor.” Jack crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow playful
ly. “If it’s the one about him hanging out with Tom and Giselle, all I can say is that while he does have a signed Brady jersey framed in his o ce, I’m pretty sure he bought it at a charity auction and paid a pretty penny to get it signed to my best buddy.”

  “Everybody knows Toby’s full of it when it comes to his so-called celebrity friends,” Carmen said with a roll of the eyes. “No, I was talking about the whispers I’ve heard involving your mom’s future husband.”

  Jack’s body sti ened, though she struggled to maintain a neutral expression. No matter how hard they had tried to

  keep the news about a possible deal with Othonos under wraps, Jack had known it would only be a matter of time before word got out. Now that it had, her mind raced, trying to formulate a plan for finding out what Carmen had heard without giving anything away herself. “What’ve you heard?”

  “Interesting.” Carmen’s eyes narrowed, and she ran a finger around the rim of her drink. “You didn’t deny it, which means you do know something. I’ll admit bringing it up was a long shot. I didn’t actually think you did, but I know you well enough to see your walls going up. Do you guys have a lock on the deal?”

  Jack inhaled a deep breath. “How would I know? I only get co ee for Laurie.”

  “Please. Nice cover story, but you know I would never be foolish enough to mistake you for a co ee wench.” Carmen’s eyes crinkled at the edges, and her voice took on a syrupy sweet quality. “I’ve always known you’re worth more than that. You can talk to me.”

  “Not about company secrets, I can’t.” Jack fidgeted with her co ee cup, her leg tapping under the table and making Carmen’s spoon rattle against its saucer. Jack had already said more than was wise, given her boss’s reputation for firing people on the spot for minor infractions.

  “You look worried.” Carmen reached out, stilling Jack’s hand. “Is she working you too hard?”

  Jack’s shoulders softened, but her eyes darted everywhere, unsure where she’d find a safe landing. “It’s just… I’m worried about losing my job.”

  “Because of this Othonos thing that you can’t talk about?

  She has to understand you’re doing the best you can.”

  “How do you know that?” Jack chuckled. “I haven’t even confirmed or denied that there is an Othonos thing, let alone told you what I’m doing on it.”

  “No matter what you’re doing, you always give it everything you’ve got.”

  “Yeah, that might be my problem. I don’t know when to let something drop.” Jack sighed. “It’s possible I accidentally almost slept with her again.”

  Carmen stared, openmouthed. “Hold on. Accidentally, almost. Let me parse that sentence for a minute.”

  Jack squirmed in her seat. “It’s better if you don’t.”

  “How do you almost accidentally sleep with your boss?

  Did all of your clothing fall o , and then you, like, tripped on top of her?”

  Jack groaned. “It was not as much of an accident as that.”

  “She already almost fired you for that very reason.”

  Carmen sighed but managed to o er an encouraging smile.

  “Talk me through this so I can help.”

  Jack hesitated. She had no doubt Carmen was her friend and did, on some level, want to help her. It was how many other levels were at play that had her concerned. Still, who else could she confide in? “We were working late in the o ce.”

  “When was this?”

  “Not last weekend but the weekend before. We got Chinese food. One thing led to another, and—”

  “Hold up a minute. What the hell kind of Chinese food did you order?”

  “All of it. You know me and Chinese food.”

  “You are impressive when you let your appetite do the ordering, but I have to say, you’ve got to be the only person I’ve ever met who has had such romantic Chinese takeout that you ended up getting laid.”

  “Almost got laid,” Jack hastily corrected. “Laurie put the brakes on fast, and nothing happened. But then in the morning, Toby arrived in the o ce really early and nearly found us sleeping together.”

  “Whoa there, sister. You said that didn’t happen.”

  Jack waved a hand. “No, not like that. It was, I don’t know, three in the morning or something. Too late to go home. We fell asleep on separate couches, both in her o ce.”

  “And he walked in and saw you?”

  “Nearly.”

  “Almost, accidentally, and now nearly,” Carmen teased.

  “You’re saying you’d already left her o ce when he got there?”

  “No, I hid behind a chair and then slipped out through the door on the conference room side when he wasn’t looking.”

  “Clever.” Carmen gazed over Jack’s head in the direction of Toby’s right-hand man. “Okay, so bottom line is you didn’t get caught, but you almost fucked your boss.”

  Though Carmen had lowered her voice to a bit over a whisper, it was still way too loud to go announcing something like that. Jack cupped her ear to remind Carmen there were people who could hear them.

  Carmen mouthed sorry. “Do you… like her?”

  “She’s a great mentor,” Jack replied with caution.

  Carmen tilted her head to the side and shot her an exasperated look. “Not what I meant and you know that. Do you like her, like her?”

  “Like her, like her? Is this junior high?” Jack forced a laugh.

  “This is important, honey. How am I supposed to tell you what you should do if I don’t know how you feel about her?”

  “There’s nothing to do.” Jack rubbed her eyes. “How I feel about her is neither here nor there. You know I’m not looking for a relationship, and given the fact she’s my boss, it’s not a possibility even if I wanted it to be.”

  “So you do want it to be,” Carmen gloated.

  “I categorically did not say that. You know why? Because I don’t want to lose my job.”

  “This was two weeks ago?”

  Jack nodded.

  “And how has it been between the two of you since then?”

  “Fine, really. We’re still working closely together. In fact, I’m spending most of my time at the conference table in her o ce instead of the admin desk, so we can collaborate.”

  “Ooh, la la. Working in the shark tank.” Carmen punched Jack in the arm. “Such a big shot, now.”

  Jack narrowed her eyes. She didn’t like Carmen’s sarcastic tone and whatever it was she was insinuating. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Everyone knows that o ce is where she and Bonnie worked. If you’ve moved in, it looks like you’re the new baby shark.” Carmen started to sing a horribly repetitive song whose lyrics seemed to consist only of the words baby shark, while bopping her head from side to side.

  “What the hell are you doing?”

  “Singing.”

  “That is not a song. You’re making that up.”

  “I wish. I’d be able to retire with my millions by now.”

  Carmen gave Jack a sly look. “You know, tiger sharks mate for life.”

  “It’s not like that.”

  “Are you sure it isn’t?”

  “Of course not. It’s merely business. We have a business relationship.”

  Carmen shook her head slowly, as if refraining from outright telling Jack she was an idiot, but hoping she’d figure it out from her body language. “We have a business relationship. You’ve seen Laurie naked. That makes it something else.”

  “It’s not something else because I’m not going to let it be,” Jack argued, aware that it was probably as much to convince herself as to persuade Carmen. “I don’t believe in workplace romances.”

  “Goodness knows you never tried to sleep with me.”

  Carmen muttered it under her breath, and Jack couldn’t tell whether it was a joke or if there might have been something else going on under the surface. Jealousy?

  Gobsmacked, Jack could only blow a raspberry which too
k the place of a clever retort as her brain short-circuited.

  Carmen hadn’t ever wanted to be with her like that, had she?

  Jack’s heart raced. Maybe it was time to pack it all in and retreat to a mountaintop monastery. She was not cut out for so much dyke drama in the o ce.

  “Kidding.” Carmen held up a hand, gently letting Jack o the hook. “I should know better. You’re right. You’re not the type to have an o ce fling. Or, at least that’s how you were when you worked for me.”

  There it was again, that flippant tone masking something else. Jack froze. “I’m having a really hard time processing this. Besides, you’re married.”

  “I wasn’t then, but I’m not talking about me. I’m floored about the Laurie situation. I can see how it happened, the first time, but the second? She’s your boss, Jack. Not to mention a notoriously cold and heartless bitch.”

  “People say that because they’re intimidated,” Jack countered, overcome by the need to defend a woman she herself had sometimes found as icy and inscrutable as Carmen had described. “Laurie Emerson is an impressive woman who does what needs to be done. Sometimes what can come across as heartless is really genius in disguise.”

  There was a commotion, and Carmen’s face clouded.

  “Speak of the devil.”

  Jack turned her head, spying Laurie and Andy making their way to Alec Graham’s table. He rose to greet them, and when they sat down, to Jack’s relief, none of them seemed to have a direct view of her. Maybe Laurie wouldn’t notice she was there. Still, Jack’s brain was whirring. Why were Laurie and Andy meeting with Toby’s guy, and why had she been left out of the loop?

  “Oh God,” Jack whispered behind her hand, the answer suddenly crystal clear. “I’m getting replaced.”

  “Why do you think that? Don’t start imagining things.”

  Both turned to the other table in time to see Alec lean over and whisper something in Laurie’s ear. Her expression morphed from poker face to pure hatred, only to be replaced with forced calm. They still hadn’t looked in Jack’s direction, but she was certain they were talking about her.

  “I’m not imagining that, now am I?” Jack lifted her co ee but set it back down, her hand shaking.