by JM Dragon
Gene smiled and again the built-up stress of the current circumstances simply disappeared for a few moments. “Yes, I’m sorry I left abruptly. I should have—”
“That’s okay, I understand. Though I have to say I would rather have had you take me home than Charlie.”
“Oh…” Gene sucked in a silent breath, her smile must have waged war and won with a lighthouse. Her cheeks were warming up.
“Hey, what I meant to say was that it would have been quicker since you had a car.” Gene’s heart contracted.
“Ah, yes, and I almost came back so you could tell me where you’d parked the car. I didn’t.” The words were hollow even to her. “Anyway, goodnight, Dee. I shall see you tomorrow.” She was about to push end when she thought there was a reply from the other end. “I’m sorry, I didn’t quite get that?”
“I’m sorry.”
Gene’s heart hurt. How much more could she stand and still want to go on?
“Sorry, Gene, can we talk tomorrow. Someone is at my door.”
“Do you usually have visitors at this time of night?”
Dee laughed.
Gene rolled her eyes. God, I sound like a jealous—
“Okay, I’ll answer while we are connected, then if it’s anything nefarious you can call the cops.”
About to reply, she heard the door open and Dee speak. “Aunt Alice, Max, what are you doing here at this time?”
Gene didn’t hear the reply but heard Dee say, “This is all good I promise, Gene. See you tomorrow at the same time.”
“Yes, good night.”
Gene ended the call and stared at her phone.
†
“Aunt Alice, Max, what the hell, it’s almost eleven?” Dee placed her phone on the nearest flat surface and hugged them both.
“Kiddo, sorry it’s late but you know your aunt, she won’t sleep if she has something on her mind and, frankly, when you get up at four in a morning, the earlier we can resolve this the better.” Max shrugged.
“Anytime you want to come over you are welcome. What’s the problem?” Dee focused her attention on her aunt.
Alice didn’t say anything.
“Aunt, if you need to share, hey, we’re family and we both love you.”
“Oh, it isn’t like that. We need to get Desrosiers more involved to gain community support. Let’s face it, she makes Howard Hughes look like a tame recluse.
“Is that what people think of Gene?” Dee frowned.
“I think that’s a bit harsh, darling, she did come to the café today.”
“Yes, and it was the first ever,” Alice growled. “Max, be realistic, how much public support can we get if people think—”
“If people think like you do, Alice, that she doesn’t care about the company and the implications to Grady, it’s game over. I disagree. She’s a very private person and I think she’s been duped and, frankly, doesn’t know that the ten-wheeler hit her full on,” Dee responded.
Max walked over to the kitchen counter. “Hmm that chicken smells so divine it’s making me hungry. I can make omelets…any takers?”
Dee sucked in a deep breath. She loved her aunt for lots of reasons, the most obvious was that she was family. Max she loved because she was simply Max.
“I’m stuffed after a dinner this evening with Desrosiers as you call her.” She glared at Alice.
“Wow, never saw that coming.” Max winked at Dee then headed for the pot drawer.
“Well that’s a start if she’s talking to us.” Alice frowned.
“What do you mean us?”
“The workers, people who rely on people like her to keep us in work. The town.”
“What the hell happens when things go awry for people who do that? I can tell you she has the bank going after everything she owns, and more besides, I’m betting. She might end up bankrupt and what do we lose? Oh yeah, a job. You can’t rely on just one person, Alice, and make them responsible for the town. I bet Gene feels like that though.”
Max laughed. “My, you Lawrence’s certainly know how to pitch into each other. For the record, Alice, if Dee is right about all that other stuff, I wouldn’t want to be in Gene’s shoes.” She turned back to her omelet making.
“Is this what was worrying you, Alice?” Dee frowned. Her aunt was a lovely woman, but she could be your worst nightmare if she had a bee in her bonnet about something.
“I’m sorry, Dee, I know you like her, which is why I’m here. I thought you could persuade her to be more public. I’ve got the mayor involved but if she attended the Saturday meeting, it would help enormously. And you had dinner together so that means she likes you.” Alice sighed.
Dee wrapped her arms around her middle, contemplating the request.
“Me and two others. For your information it was a business meeting about saving the company. I’m not sure I can do what you want, Aunt Alice. Gene is quite fragile at the moment.” The fragile part is true. The next question is do I have that kind of influence…doubtful.
“Fragile, who isn’t right now? Look, Dee, I don’t want you to kiss her ass or anything, just ask her to participate at the town meeting, that would be a start.”
“Hey, my love, that’s an interesting way of putting it.” Max chuckled and tossed a large omelet.
“What do you mean?” Alice swung her gaze to Max and frowned.
“Well I’d rather kiss her lips than her ass but each to their own,” Max flippantly replied.
“I’m not sure who the adult in the room is at the moment.” Dee rolled her eyes. The two behaved like teenagers sometimes.
“Look, whatever, will you at least try?”
“Yes, I will try. Now will that make you sleep?” She was engulfed in a bear hug.
“Definitely. Right, Max, we can go and leave Dee to sleep.”
“What about the omelet…it’s ready?” Max pouted as she slipped the creation on a plate.
“Do you want it, Dee?” Alice asked.
“As I said I’m stuffed. Sorry, Max.”
Max shrugged. “Best put it in a doggy bag and eat it on the way home.”
Dee laughed. “You live five minutes away.” She walked into the kitchen, found a plastic container, and handed it to Max.
“Ah, it’s amazing what can happen in five minutes, isn’t that right, my love?” Max winked at Alice who flushed.
“She doesn’t want to know those kinds of details, Max, behave. Good night, Dee, and I know you will work something out.” She was engulfed in another hug and then they headed for the door. “See you Saturday at the café, if not before.”
Dee smiled, nodding, and held the door open as they left. Just as she was about to shut the door, she heard Max say, “Did you hear that, Ali, she calls the boss Gene. Wonder if something is going on.”
“Don’t be foolish, Max, if she was on our side of the fence we would know for sure. Anyway, Desrosiers is way too old for Dee. She deserves a younger chickee.”
“You mean like I was to you?”
Dee shut the door hearing their giggles as they headed up the drive. With her back to the door she closed her eyes. Crap. Tears welled, and she rubbed them away. Then she allowed Gene’s phone call to check up on her to invade her senses, lifting her spirits, and suddenly things looked doable.
“We’ll make this happen and save you and the town, Gene, so help me. I know we can. Alice is right though, we have to all do it together.” She switched off the porch light and returned to the kitchen. There she placed the dirty dishes and pan in the dishwasher. At least tomorrow I’ll have dinner all prepared. Switching off the light she headed for bed. Tomorrow was probably going to be as hard as today.
Chapter Sixteen
An incessant shrill echoed in the room. Even though Quinn pulled the pillow over her head it did nothing to drown out the noise and she knew it wasn’t going away anytime soon. Lifting her head, she groaned at the knife-jab to her temple. Her hand fumbled around and eventually it punched the alarm clock. The ringi
ng continued. Then she saw her the lit screen of her phone.
“Oh no, I hope it isn’t Sheila.” Quinn picked up the slim device and pressed answer.
“Quinn, you took your time.”
The ambivalent tones of Tim Andrews had her wanting to throw the phone at the wall. “Go to hell, liar.”
“Hey, I think that’s the pot calling the kettle black. Give me a break, Quinn. Driscol’s is the main player for us in that marketplace. What they want they get, and I guess you won’t have a job if you don’t make it happen. Right?”
Quinn curled her upper lip. Wait until I get back. He’s going to have the runs for a week when I spike his coffee. “Really, well I won’t be the only one. You sold them on the product line, right? What do you want anyway?”
“Samantha Driscol wants to meet the perfume maker at Desrosiers. She has a huge following on Twitter. Apparently, what she says can influence hundreds of thousands of young people, particularly women. Can you arrange it?”
“When?” Quinn shot up out of bed and her mind cleared of the alcohol-infected mist from the previous evening.
“Oh, that got your attention. I’ll have to check but she was talking Friday afternoon or Saturday morning.”
Quinn closed her eyes and tried to gather the scrambled numerous conversations she’d had in the past forty-eight hours.
“Make it Saturday morning. Desrosiers won’t be working at the factory. If she wants the whole experience tell her to stay over Friday evening and that I can promise her that she will have a great time…the natives are friendly.”
“Right. I’ll call or text you her answer. Are you back today?”
“No, Sheila wants me to remain until I have the required result. Tell Claudia I miss her and the wonderful morning caffeine fix and donuts.”
“Yeah whatever. We don’t miss you here, Quinn. I heard Sheila say yesterday that she doesn’t know what you do around the place. I’d be looking for another job…just a heads up.”
Before she could give the weasel a scathing reply he ended the call. “Coward.” Yet, he had provided another lifeline potential for Desrosiers.
She speed dialed Tay. “Tay, what do you know about a Samantha Driscol?”
“Well, good morning to you too.”
“Sorry, Tay, I’m partially hung over. Please, if you don’t know who this person is, can you check?”
“Well I should have known that…what’s new? Not intimate with this particular Driscol but I know the family name. Can you give me more to go on?”
“She’s a Twitter person, and according to one of my associates she has a ‘huge following’ were his words. If that’s right, Tay, she might be the tide that turns in our favor.” There was silence. “Are you still there, Tay?”
“In our favor, hmm, have you finally found something to attach your life to?”
“Don’t be silly, Tay, this is business. I’m trying to keep my job.”
“Okay, but I’m not convinced. I’ll check it out. If she’s a social media icon it won’t take long. Quinn?”
“Taylor?”
“Is there more to this than business because—”
“Business, it’s all business. Thanks, Tay. I must go. I promised to be at Desrosiers early and I think I’m already late. Kiss Ruby for me. Love you, Tay, bye.”
Gazing at the phone, Quinn wondered how she could explain her current circumstance and not be thought of as crazy, but crazy she was.
“Damn you, Grady, I think you’ve smitten me and…maybe a certain person is becoming important as well.”
†
Larry Davis locked his bike in the designated area in the parking lot. He faced the building that he’d worked in for the seven years since leaving college with a second degree in chemistry and physics. He’d seen an ad in the college newspaper for the role of lab technician at Desrosiers. He didn’t think that he had a chance in hell of getting the job when he applied. He figured there were so many others equally or better qualified and he wasn’t the most social person in the world. His interview on Skype had been surreal. Genevieve Desrosiers by some miracle had managed to have him talking all about his life, ambitions, and hobbies. She had offered him the job at the end of the call. Now there was a chance he was going to lose a job he loved and the town he now called home, more so than where he was born and brought up in Fayetteville.
The most important person he knew was Fiona Brown. He had fallen for her the first moment he had seen her as a bank teller when he opened an account at the local bank branch. He hadn’t had the courage to ask her out on a date yet, always feeling like there would be time. They did cycle at the same club, and last night she had actually asked his opinion about what was happening at work. Not that he could tell her much—she seemed to know more than he did. He gathered his knapsack and walked toward the side entrance, but he frowned when he saw a dark figure pushing at the door. When the gravel crunched under his feet, the person turned and ran off toward the perimeter fence. He was too far away to see his face other than it was a man in dark clothing with a hoodie. After arriving at the door, he looked at the digital lock and saw several marks etched into the metal. Punching in the pass code, he entered and ensured the door was locked behind him. Instead of going straight to the lab, he headed for Felix’s office.
“Felix.” He shouted to the stout man talking to Stan.
“Is it important, Larry?” The reply sounded stressed and it was only seven-thirty in the morning.
“I saw someone trying to break in by the side entrance. The man ran when I walked toward him.” Larry was shocked when Felix walked hurriedly toward him.
“What…what did you see?” Felix virtually coughed up the words, his face ruddy at the exertion.
“Should you have walked so fast, Felix? You’ll give yourself a heart attack.” Larry wished his words away at the look of censure he received. “Sorry. I don’t know who it was, he wore a hoodie, but he definitely didn’t want me to see him. He ran to the fence line and by the time I got to the door he was gone. There are some marks on the lock. I thought you’d want to know. Strange though, we’ve never had anything like that happen here before that I know of.”
“Definitely didn’t see a face?”
Larry shook his head.
“Thanks, Larry. Don’t tell anyone, please, until I check it out.”
“What about Ms. Desrosiers, shouldn’t she know?” Larry thought the request odd. “I mean I’ll be seeing her in—”
“No,” Felix growled. “She has enough on her plate. I’ll handle it.” He grabbed Larry’s arm. “Are you absolutely sure you didn’t see anything significant?”
“Sorry, Felix, but if I remember anything more, I will let you know. I’d better get to work.” Felix removed his hand.
“Larry, it was right to tell me. Thank you.” Felix turned away and headed toward the exit.
Larry walked up the mezzanine steps to the first floor and headed toward the lab, wondering why no one else should know. Did Felix know who the person was? Entering the room, he placed his knapsack in the cubby on the wall and then looked over the area. He loved this space, it was his environment, and the thought of losing it was abhorrent on so many levels.
†
Gene’s stomach reminded her of a jelly that had been disturbed—wobbly was a great description. The thing was that everything around her was familiar. The building. The people. Her office. The main laboratory overlooking the parking lot. She saw everything except Dee. She glanced at her watch, it was seven forty. Dee was usually there by now. She had watched Dee arrive at work, park her compact vehicle in pretty much the same space for the last … Oh god only knows how many years. Then she remembered…
“I passed, Ms. Desrosiers. It’s all because of you,” Dee gushed, waving a piece of paper in the air.
Gene smiled at her nineteen-year-old protégé. “You did this, Dee, not me. I was just there as a sounding board. I think it’s wonderful.”
“It is. I’ve always
wanted to see more of the area. Dad isn’t much for Sunday drives out and my mom, well she’s a homebody.” She clapped a hand over her mouth and a bubble of laughter escaped and she grinned. “Sorry, too much information. Anyway, now I have my own transport, nothing can stop me.”
“Then perhaps you might venture over one Sunday and have lunch with me and I will show you the greenhouse. You will love it—” Gene stopped suddenly. I’m being presumptuous. Dee will have a raft load of friends and I must look like an ancient to her. “What I meant was that you and your friends, but of course I’d need notice.”
There was a pregnant pause and then the phone rang, and Gene eagerly answered effectively ending the conversation.
Dee had never come by and why would she when they were only ever work colleagues. She had to face the fact that she was eleven years older and right now probably looked every single one of those years. She even had the stray gray hair to prove it. The door opened, and she looked up in eager anticipation. Her smile dissipated as Larry Davis entered.
“Morning, Ms. Desrosiers, do you have a few minutes?”
“Yes, what can I do for you, Larry?”
Larry frowned. “Can we speak in your office, it’s important.”
Gene exhaled slowly. Damn now it is something else. What did I do to have a target on my back? “Sure.” She picked up her keys, gave the parking lot one more look and then shepherded Larry to her office.
†
Kicking the tire won’t fix it, idiot. Dee scowled at the flat.
“I’m going to be late. Damn and I wanted to see Gene before she becomes embroiled in all the negative stuff.” She looked around noting that the only thing in earshot was her inanimate vehicle. “Where are the people who I see every day when I need them?”
