“You don’t know that had anything to do with you.” As Carmen said it, Laurie and Graham both looked directly at Jack. The expression on Laurie’s face could’ve frozen water.
“Okay, that doesn’t look good, no.”
“Seriously, we have to stop meeting in this place. She’s seen us together twice now, and this time may be deadly.”
“Do you think she’s following you? Is this a stalker situation?”
Jack’s eyes rolled to the point of permanently lodging into the top of her cranium. “Please. I don’t think Miss High and Mighty would stoop to spying on me.”
“I’m not so sure. I hear she lost her mind after her wife died. She might not be stable. Seeing you with another woman might send her into a jealous rage.”
“We slept together once.” Jack held up her index finger.
“I would like to note that was one time too many considering your employment situation.”
Jack groaned, palming the top of her head. “Don’t remind me, but in my defense, the first time I didn’t know she was my boss. Doesn’t seem to change the probability I’m going to lose my job and end up living with my mother until I die.”
“Now, now. Don’t overreact. You aren’t the type. That’s my job.” Carmen reached over and gave Jack’s hand a squeeze. “In fact, I wasn’t sure if I should bring this up or not, but I have a lead on a job for you.”
“But I like where I am.”
“You’ll like this place, too.” Carmen crossed her arms in her I know best way.
“Where?”
“Bay State,” Carmen said with a grin. “I want you to come back and work in my department.”
As Carmen was speaking, Laurie abruptly rose and left the shop, with Andy and Alec right on her heels. Jack’s heart sank as she watched them go, the Three Musketeers, with her left out in the cold. Sleeping with Laurie had been the worst mistake of her career. No, strike that. She’d made an even bigger one in almost letting it happen again. As much as she loved her job at Emerson Management, getting to keep it might not be up to her.
“For real?” Inside Jack’s brain, excitement warred with suspicion. It would be a lifesaver to have a possible parachute, but what was the catch?
“Yep. My department had something open up that would be perfect for you. The requisition has already been approved by HR, so it would be a breeze to get you in ASAP since you’re coming back to the nest.”
As Jack searched her friend’s face, suspicion won out.
“You know, I asked you about job openings after my internship, and again recently before Laurie came back, and you said there was nothing. Why now?
“Why so suspicious?” The accompanying laugh was tinny and high-pitched.
“Because last time we talked, you implied that my most valuable asset was to be a snitch.” Jack’s jaw hardened. “You know that’s not on the table.”
“It’s only a coincidence in timing,” Carmen assured her.
“I would never expect you to betray your principles.”
“I don’t know.” Jack’s mind raced, trying to calculate the odds of being fired, and the danger of joining another financial firm on Laurie’s home turf.
She gave Jack’s hand a gentle pat, her expression radiating sincerity. “Think about it. You don’t need to let me know right away, but you need a backup plan, my dear.”
Jack hung her head. “Fine. I’ll keep it in mind.”
C H A P T E R T H I R T E E N
HER MEETING AT THE CAFÉ COMPLETED, LAURIE STORMED INTO HER
o ce, tossing her bag across the room. Despite the cold weather outside, she gasped for air, burning up. She struggled to get out of her coat, but though there was nothing complicated about its design, it was like freeing herself from a straightjacket.
“Marian!” This was a genuine cry for help as opposed to her usual bellowing of orders.
“Yes… oh, let me help you.” Marian bustled in, the worried mother hen, placing reassuring hands on each of Laurie’s shoulders. Despite the calming e ect, Laurie continued to squirm. “Stop that. You’re flopping around like a fish on a line. I’ll never get this jacket o you if you don’t hold still.”
“I can undress myself,” Laurie muttered after Marian had untangled everything and eased all but the last inch of her arms from the sleeves. Marian backed away, and Laurie took the garment o , holding it out for Marian to retrieve. “I’m not a child, you know.”
“Of course not,” Marian agreed, lining up the jacket’s shoulders with great precision before creasing it neatly over her arm. “You’ve been under a lot of stress.”
“I haven’t.” Laurie closed her eyes, as if that was the only way to curb her anger and to stop herself from taking it out on Marian. She was eternally grateful that in all these years, her faithful assistant had never taken one of her petulant tirades to heart.
“Would you like a cup of herbal tea?”
“No.” She spoke with more venom than necessary, but her anger was so palpable she could taste it. Mental note, have a vase of those yellow da odils delivered to Marian’s house this evening. The local florist was more than familiar with the order by now.
Marian left without saying a word, leaving Laurie to regret her peevish behavior. Yes, she was stressed, and an herbal tea sounded like heaven in a cup. What was it about her personality that made her so contrary? It was her need to stay in control at all costs that provoked it, but nine times out of ten, she was hurting herself for no reason.
Laurie sank into the chair behind her desk, tapping a pen against the wood. The meeting at the café had been a complete success, giving her everything she’d been looking for and then some. So why was she so agitated?
Because Jack had been there. With Carmen. Again.
Why, oh why, had the foolish pixie done it a second time?
One meet-up was a fluke, but two? Two was the beginning of a pattern. All that remained was for Laurie to figure out the meaning behind it. Any option she could think of fell squarely into the no-good column. Carmen represented the competition, and that spelled trouble, signaling disloyalty, which Laurie couldn’t tolerate. Plus, she could’ve sworn she’d heard something about a job o er on her way out of the co ee shop. She’d have to call her friend Derek Malone, who did some contract work with Bay State’s human resources department, to see if she could get the full scoop on that development.
But then there was the other thing. The attraction thing.
Anyone with eyeballs could see there was something between Jack and Carmen. If her portfolio manager was sleeping with an executive from another investment firm, well, that was—
None of my goddamn business.
With a sigh, Laurie tilted her head back, resting it against the back of her chair. To clarify, if it turned out Jack was engaging in corporate espionage, firing her would only be the starting point. And if she took a job at Bay State and tried to violate her nondisclosure agreement? By the time Laurie was done with her, Jack would wish she’d been fired. But the romantic aspect, in and of itself, was not Laurie’s concern.
She shouldn’t even care. It wasn’t like she had any of those types of feelings for Jack. Other than the physical stu , which really wasn’t an emotion, technically speaking. It was more like a biological function. It couldn’t be helped, but it held no more significance than a sneeze or an itchy toe. Or the desire for herbal tea.
Dammit, why had Marian not brought her tea yet? They’d worked together long enough for her assistant to know that when Laurie barked at her that she didn’t need something, it was in everyone’s best interest to deliver whatever that something happened to be immediately. She needed tea, and it looked like she’d have to get it herself. Laurie hoisted herself from her seated position, feeling every muscle and sinew popping as an unwelcome reminder of her age. Much too old for some whippersnapper twenty-nine-year-old, for damn sure.
So why did the thought of Jack making googly eyes at Carmen over that cappuccino—with its fucki
ng perfect heart of foam, no less, as Graham had reported—bother Laurie so much more than the possibility that her company secrets were for sale to the highest bidder?
Because you’re a moron.
Speaking of morons, as she’d emerged from the vestibule outside her o ce, Toby waltzed by on his way to the executive elevator. With all the grace of a pig on roller skates, he came within an inch of knocking Laurie to the floor.
“Watch it,” Laurie cautioned, glaring as her stepson turned around with a puzzled look on his face. “Hot date?”
Toby removed a pair of earbuds from his ears. “I was listening to one of those language lesson things.”
“Um, okay.” For possibly the first time in her life, Laurie had no idea what to say. Toby was learning a foreign language? That violated the entire world order.
“Yeah, I’m having dinner with the matador tomorrow night.”
“Well, good for you.” If anything, Laurie’s confusion was increasing exponentially with every word.
After pressing the elevator button, Toby leaned against the wall, folding his arms over his chest. “You know, you can quit right now. No need to embarrass yourself.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Dinner with the matador.”
“What matador?”
“Silvio Othonos. Duh. Actually, he’s the bull, and I’m the matador.” Toby pantomimed flapping a cape and going in for the kill.
“You are aware bullfighters are from Spain, right?”
“Details.” Toby waved a hand dismissively. “I’m all about the big picture, which is I’m going to murder this deal and finally get rid of you.”
Laurie didn’t allow herself to flinch as Toby pointed his index fingers at her like a pair of pistols. “Don’t go into this dinner half-cocked. Othonos has carefully constructed his wealth over decades by making wise moves with the
precision of a brain surgeon. We’re only going to get one shot at this. Don’t fuck up before we even get to the starting gate.”
“Oh, please. I already got us to the gate.” Toby flipped his gun fingers up so he could point both thumbs into his chest.
“Me. Not you.”
Laurie wanted the insu erable man to disappear and had never been so grateful for the arrival of the elevator. As Toby stepped inside, he gave her a mocking salute. All at once, a preposterous possibility occurred to her. He couldn’t be that dumb, could he?
“Hey, Toby. That language lesson you’re doing.” She pointed to her ears as if listening to a set of headphones.
“That’s Greek, right?”
The door started to slide closed, but he reached out and pressed the open button. “What?”
“I was just making sure that, even though you insist on calling him the matador, which we’ve already established comes from Spain, you do actually know that Othonos speaks Greek.”
“Uh, yeah.” He made a coughing noise, which was probably meant to be derisive laugh but, given the sudden flicker of panic in his eyes, was more likely the sound of him choking on his pride. As the doors slid shut, Laurie saw him chuck the earbuds angrily onto the elevator floor and crush them beneath the sole of one immaculately polished Italian leather loafer.
Chuckling to herself, Laurie searched her memory for what she’d been doing before Toby had interrupted her. Oh, right. Tea. No sooner did she think it than Marian approached, holding a steaming mug in each hand. Thank God Marian still loved her, though she had no idea why.
Marian proceeded through the o ce door, set the tea on the co ee table, and, seemingly out of nowhere, procured a
plate of shortbread cookies. She didn’t come right out and say that Laurie should join her for a chat, but the message was clear. Given the messy state of her inner thoughts, Laurie decided not to argue. There was only one person in the building, possibly the world, whom Laurie respected enough to confide in, and that was Marian. The woman was well past typical retirement age but sharp as a tack and had been with Emerson long before Laurie had met Bonnie. In fact, Marian had been so trusted by Bonnie that Laurie was absolutely certain if Marian hadn’t approved of Laurie, Bonnie wouldn’t have married her.
On her way to the couch, Laurie shut the o ce door. Then she sat on her preferred seat, and Marian took the spot opposite her.
“How’d it go with Alec?” Marian dipped a shortbread into her tea. “Did you get what you were looking for?”
“I did. Thank you,” Laurie added, “for bringing him to my attention. He was every bit as unhappy on Toby’s team as you suspected. Two halfcocked matadors on one team is a recipe for bloodshed, but I’m willing to profit from it.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Marian responded with typical understatement. She wasn’t the type to brag. “Not for Alec, poor kid, being trapped on Toby’s team. Alec’s not as bad as you think. I’m glad he came through.”
“I wish I could recruit him without provoking Toby. It’s clear Alec isn’t a fan of Toby, which does speak well of his character. Apparently, on their golf trip, Toby missed a shot, broke his club in two, and tossed both pieces in the lake. He nearly hit a swan. Who does that? Thank God Othonos wasn’t with them at the time.”
Marian gasped. “Did anyone say anything?”
“Of course not, but Alec was horrified at his boss’s juvenile behavior.”
“I’ve known Toby since he was a baby, and he hasn’t outgrown the spoiled brat phase yet, I’m sorry to say.”
“Some people have no idea how to act in the workplace.
No sense of propriety.”
There was a teasing look in Marian’s eyes. “That reminds me…” She left the o ce briefly and came back with a brown shipping envelope. “Earlier, I was tidying up in here and found something behind the Chinese vase.”
Laurie took the package and studied the outside, but she’d never seen it before. “No idea what this is. You said it was behind the vase?”
“In a matter of speaking,” Marian told her. “Look inside.”
Frowning, Laurie opened the flap. Inside the envelope she spied a bubble-gum pink bra. Laurie closed her eyes, trying not to relive the night in her o ce when she’d almost seduced Jack. She still remembered stripping it o , the moment of triumph when the hooks came undone and she’d tossed it aside without a care in the world where it landed. In all the confusion the next morning, they’d both forgotten to look for it.
Well, there it is.
Her hand flew to her mouth. “Where did this—?”
“Like I said, I was straightening up this morning, and when I came across that”—Marian made a delicate hand gesture toward the envelope—“I had a feeling it wasn’t yours.”
“Not my style?” Laurie asked wryly. Now that the initial embarrassment had subsided slightly, at least she could crack a joke.
“A little junior for your tastes.”
Laurie sti ened. “Like its owner,” she muttered, not intending for Marian to hear.
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Marian said gently. “I like her a lot.”
“Who’s that?” Laurie hid her growing panic beneath a particularly icy tone. “I really have no idea what that was doing in here or who it might belong to.”
“Don’t play innocent with me,” came Marian’s stern response. “I’ve seen you two together. There’s more than business chemistry at work.”
“I swear, it’s not as bad as it looks. I mean, it’s not like we…” Laurie slumped. “Never mind. It was a total lack of judgment on my part, regardless. When it comes to being unprofessional, I don’t know who’s worse. Me or Toby.”
“It was perfectly understandable, unlike Toby attacking an innocent swan in a tantrum.”
“Really, though?” Doubt washed over Laurie’s insides, making everything feel dark. “Because I’m not sure Bonnie would agree.”
“Don’t you ever think like that. You hear me. Not ever.”
Marian reached across the co ee table, patting Laurie’s hand. “Bonnie would want you t
o be happy again.”
Laurie shook her head, fighting back tears. “Not like this.
Not if it meant jeopardizing everything by seducing an employee.”
“Bonnie always trusted your judgement.”
“I don’t think so.” The words came out strangled and raw. “Not when she banished me to an island for a year after her death and put Toby in charge. She clearly didn’t trust me to run Emerson on my own. I think she hoped I’d take to island life and decide not to return.”
Marian set down her tea cup. “Oh, honey. You’ve got that wrong. So very wrong. Bonnie wanted you to step into her place, but she knew you needed time. The last thing she wanted was to name Toby as co-CEO, let alone have him take over permanently.”
“Then why did she do it, Marian?” A hot tear streaked down Laurie’s cheek, followed by two more. The feelings of self-doubt and abandonment she’d worked so hard to bury after Bonnie’s death clawed their way to the surface of her heart. “She loved Toby as her son, of course. No matter how much he disappointed her, she always loved him and was a great mother. But she also knew he was nothing more than a man-child—much like his father, she used to say. So why in the end did she trust him over me?”
“Because she didn’t want to break you. Losing a spouse you loved with all your heart in every aspect of your life… not many would recover.”
“Toby lost his mother,” Laurie interjected, a fact she didn’t spend much time contemplating but was nonetheless true.
“He did, and of course, he’s sad about it. He’s not a monster. But he didn’t depend on her the way you did. She knew if you had to take the reins of the company within moments of her last breath to appease the board, you’d drive yourself into an early grave.”
“Sometimes I wonder if that would’ve been such a bad thing.”
“Don’t say that,” Marian scolded gently. “Bonnie loved always being by your side, but she didn’t want you lying next to her in Mount Auburn Cemetery so soon. She’d want you to have a long career. A happy life. She’d like Jack.”
“How can you say that?” Laurie recoiled on the couch, the thought of her late wife having an opinion of any kind on a woman she’d recently slept with proving too overwhelming for her to process.
Heart of Ice Page 16
