‘Thanks for letting me in on what’s happening. I’ll try to call him and see if I can help in any way.”
“Good luck. Something tells me you might need it.”
I hung up the phone and immediately dialed Peter’s number. I called him several times over the next few hours, and sent texts, but he didn’t answer any of my phone calls.
Glancing at the clock, I realized that he might still be at home so I drove over to his apartment just to find out he wasn’t there either. I was starting to grow worried. Where the hell was he?
I drove by his office on my way home, hoping that I’d catch him there, but he wasn’t there, and neither was his vehicle. His secretary Sally informed me she hadn’t seen or heard from him since he had left the office agitated after his fight with Jim Johnson yesterday afternoon.
We spoke for a few more minutes and I prepared to leave just as an angry, red-faced man stepped into the office.
“Where is he?” the man demanded.
“Sir, Mr. Shaw is not in right at the moment. Can I have him call you as soon as he returns?”
I watched as the secretary attempted to defuse the situation, but the man was having none of it. “Don’t bother. Just give him the message that he’s done working for me. In fact, he’ll never work for us again. I’m going to find someone else to finish up what he should have done several weeks ago and make no mistake; I’ll be spreading the word about the way I’ve been treated by this company!”
Suddenly it became clear to me that this must be the same client Robert had witnessed Peter shouting at yesterday. I recognized him as the owner of an important nationwide department store chain. Oh my goodness! A few weeks ago I’d read an article about him and his company in the Forbes Magazine. That man had a lot of pull in the business community, and if he started bad-mouthing Peter’s company, they’d be ruined. I remembered a few comments Peter had made that this client was very important to the company since Mr. Bishop had pulled his work.
Because Peter had been ill such a long time with his temporary memory loss, his partner Steve, needed to hire a substitute. Unfortunately this promising employee didn’t performed as well as was expected and the company had suffered because of that. They had to take on fewer projects than usually and as a result were financially in bad shape. Especially now, since Lara’s father had withdrawn his contracts. They cannot afford to lose another influential client.
“Excuse me,” I interjected, meeting the secretary’s startled glance as the client turned and took several menacing steps towards me.
An attack of nerves, part fear and part lack of confidence, assailed me. To put it simply – I was afraid to death. Sure, I have learned a lot since I started working a few months ago, but I am still shy and have never dealt with a client on my own. Much less an infuriated one!
Thinking about Peter and the severe situation his company was in, I pushed those doubts aside. The threat that Peter might lose everything he had worked so hard to build gave me strength and determination to do whatever I could to help prevent that outcome. His company depended on this client. I let that statement replay itself over and over in my head as I met the man’s steady gaze. Now that I have his attention, what should I do?
I decided to take my fears by the horns; and took a step towards the client with an outstretched hand, “Mr.?”
"Johnson. My name is Jim Johnson. Who are you?"
Good question. Who am I? I cannot say ‘Oh I’m Peter's girlfriend. I came here searching for him because he's not answering my phone calls’. Frantically, I searched for a better answer. After what seemed like an eternity, but probably was just a few seconds, I finally found a way to gain some time, “My name is Rachel Baker."
I shook his hand and gave him a small smile. Suddenly, I have a maybe not so brilliant idea, but I forged ahead anyway, "I am the new project manager and have been assigned exclusively to manage your project. I'm here to see that things are done to your entire satisfaction from now on.”
He shook my hand, quickly closing his mouth as it hung open in shock. I saw that he wanted to say something, but apparently was searching for words. This change in his behavior gave me enough self-confidence to look at him with an encouraging smile and a slight nod. He closed his mouth and swallowed, giving me an incredulous look before saying, “You’re what?!”
"Yes, Mr. Johnson, it’s true. I'm here to take care of your project and make sure that it gets back on track. My number one goal is to ensure that everything is done according to your liking."
He looked pleased when he listened to my little speech, and gave me a nod of his head and a smile. His anger seemed to have dissolved, and he began talking to me excitedly about how this upgrade was going to increase his bottom line.
I put on a happy face, striving for a confident air and invited him into Peter's office. As I sat down behind Peter’s desk, taking over his position, I felt like the worst impostor in the world. I kept reciting to myself that I was only doing this for Peter. Thinking of him reminded me that he was currently MIA! Where in the hell is he? But I didn’t have the time to concentrate on him and our problems right now. Mr. Johnson was talking to me and I needed all my brain cells to process his words.
After speaking for more than thirty minutes about Mr. Johnson’s software upgrade and the consequences for his company, he provided me with a huge list of problems that needed my immediate attention. I thanked him and assured him that I would be looking into each and every one of them. He took his leave after we agreed to speak on the phone the next morning so that I would give him a progress update.
I looked at the list and started trembling. The list was long. Very long. What can I do? What did I get myself into? Where is Peter?
I was still sitting in Peter’s chair some twenty minutes later when his secretary walked in. I had spiraled down into a sea of doubt and fear as the list loomed in front of me. I looked up at her entry and asked, “Did he call in yet?”
She shook her head, “No! I’m starting to get worried. He’s never just disappeared like this before.”
We both looked at each other, the reality of the situation sinking in. God, Peter, of all times to pull a Houdini act! Your timing sucks!
Chapter 8
I left Peter’s office shortly after the incident with Mr. Johnson, arriving home to find Karen already there. She took one look at my face and immediately guessed something drastic had happened.
“Did you find him?” she asked.
I shook my head, collapsing on the couch, “No. But … you remember that client that Robert saw Peter yell at yesterday?” When she nodded, I continued, “He came into the office while I was there and was threatening to pull his business from the company and to blackball him around town. He was really upset.”
“What did you do?” she asked, narrowing her gaze at me.
I let my shoulder drop and spilled it, “Something really stupid and impetuous.”
“Tell me,” she demanded, sitting on the opposite end of the couch and staring at me.
“I kind of pretended to be the new project manager for the guy’s contract.” I could see the shock on her face as my words sank in.
“You did what? Did he buy it?”
I nodded my head, “Yeah, and he gave me this huge list of problems that need to be addressed and he’s expecting me to give him an update tomorrow morning.” I covered my eyes with my hands and banged my head against the back cushion of the couch several times in despair. How could I even have such a crazy idea?
“Stop that! I’m calling Robert,” Karen grabbed the phone and briefly filled Robert in on the situation. He was only a few minutes from our apartment and came right over.
Robert let himself into the apartment and immediately took control of the situation, “Show me the list.”
I handed over the client’s list, hoping that Karen’s trust in him wasn’t misplaced. I didn’t know Robert very well, but I was out of options and didn’t know anyone else who could possibly
help.
“Wouldn’t it be easier to just find Peter and get him back here to deal with this mess?” I asked.
Robert looked at me with a raised eyebrow, “Really? You think he’d be any help even if we found him?”
I shook my head, “No, probably not. He’s totally spiraled out of control lately. So what do we do?”
“Well, short of dragging his ass back here and making him perform, it looks like you’re the one to fix the problem. Congratulations!” He said this last part tongue in cheek and I gave him a scowl in return.
“Where do you think he is? You don’t think he’d do anything stupid or dangerous, do you?” The idea of dragging him back began to have some merit in my mind.
“He’s probably at his uncle’s cabin near Yosemite Park. For as long as I’ve known Peter, that’s where he goes when he needs refuge or to regroup. That is where he used to go when he needed to figure out some problems. At least that's what he did when we were in high school and college.”
I remembered how he had once told me that he liked to go there when his life had become too stressful. If he was at the cabin, he was probably safe. So, even though I was worried about him, Robert convinced me that I should stay in town and take care of business.
Robert was also an entrepreneur in the IT sector and offered his assistance with all of my business questions. “I wish I’d be able to do more, but my company is extremely busy right now and I can’t afford to take any time off.” He asked for my cell phone and then programmed all of his numbers into it, saying, “Don’t hesitate to call me when you have a question. Even if you think it’s something you should already know. If you’re going to do this, I want to help you do it with excellence.”
Just knowing that Robert was willing to help me be successful in this endeavor took a huge weight off my shoulders.
My first order of business was to call my own bosses. They both knew Peter personally and were aware that I was in a relationship with him. They were also very aware of the situation between Peter and Lara and her most recent actions. Probably everyone in Silicon Valley was aware of Lara’s actions. It had made the front page of every tabloid in California and perhaps even the rest of North America. Those rags loved bad news!
I had been working lots of extra hours in the past several weeks. We had just finished up a huge project, and I had finally been able to leave at a decent hour the last week. My bosses were very understanding, and agreed to give me the next four days off. They were both fond of Peter and were supportive of me pitching in to take care of him and our relationship. I took four days’ vacation time and told them I’d see them bright and early on Monday morning.
I didn't tell them that I was trying to save Peter's company; after all, they were one of Peter’s main competitors. As I hung up the phone, I felt bad for not telling them the whole truth. I hated being deceptive, but I was afraid that they wouldn’t like the fact that I was helping to save the competition.
Chapter 9
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday passed in a flurry of activity. Plenty of phone calls for help to Robert, meetings with Mr. Johnson and some of his team, and me trying to stave off more than one panic attack.
Friday morning, I hung up from my daily phone call with Jim Johnson and leaned back in Peter’s chair with a smile upon my face.
The last four days had been the most trying of my adult life. I had been at the verge of giving up at least one hundred times, but each time, someone stepped in and pulled me back. Karen was my go to person for moral support, giving me a pep talk each morning before I left for Peter’s office and then cheering me up each night.
Robert was there every time I needed business advice, and several times, I would have made major mistakes if I hadn’t spoken to him first. Throughout the week I had come to see a different side to both Karen and Robert. They made a really nice couple and complemented each other perfectly. Without them, I would have been completely lost.
I stretched my arms above my head and then turned to look out the window. Somehow I had managed to get the project back on track. I still can’t fathom how I did it, but it worked and the client was very pleased. The project was now only a few weeks out from being completely finished.
Smiling, I recalled the new work orders Mr. Johnson had promised at the end of our conversation a few minutes ago. Then I sobered. I was due back at my own job Monday morning. How was I going to keep up the charade?
Nonetheless I was very proud of myself. Over the last four days, I had learned how to manage conflicts. I had been strong in the face of major problems, and made decisions when the need arose. I had definitely stepped outside my comfort zone and survived it. I even came out stronger on the other side.
One year ago, I would have laughed if someone had told me that I would command a project team of several persons, talk eye-to-eye with the manager of a mid-sized company, and successfully salvage a flailing project.
This situation had given me an opportunity to grow in ways that only a true test can. I had matured so much, that it would forever change the way I conducted business from here on out.
I had even taken the time to go to the hairdresser and get a more sophisticated haircut, rather than allowing my natural curls to run free. I now looked the part of a grown up; a woman in charge of her destiny and able to handle whatever life threw her way. I had started wearing business suits instead of jeans and t-shirts. Karen had delighted in going shopping with me Wednesday afternoon and helping me pick out a few new items.
Very satisfied with my performance I stood up and walked to the small bathroom off Peter’s office. I looked at myself critically in the mirror above the small sink and then smiled. Peter would be proud of the way I looked. He had often remarked that at some point in my career I would have to abandon my comfortable jeans in exchange for more appropriate business attire. According to him, that was the only way I would ever get people to take me serious. He was so right!
I sighed as I returned to his desk. Every second of every day, my thoughts turned to him. Was he doing okay? The nights were the worst though. I missed him so much. My whole body ached to enjoy his touch once again. The weeks prior to his disappearance hadn’t been our best, and we hadn’t slept together since the morning Lara tried to kill herself. God, I hate her! I just wanted to be close to him again.
Peter's secretary, Sally, and I had become friends and allies over the last several days. I was so grateful for her support and the fact that she had jumped on board with my rash move. She had been irreplaceable, and I made a mental note to make sure Peter was aware what a gem he had in her. She knew the ins and outs of the company. Sally made arrangements for all the meetings, making sure there were not only adequate refreshments available, but that every person attending received their own copy of whatever documents were to be discussed.
One day she confided to me that she had always thought of me as being “nice, but not cut out to make it in the business world.” I was slightly taken aback until she admitted that her initial assessment of me was dead wrong. She congratulated me on handling the problems and told me how much she now admired the changes in me.
The compliment was very nice, but had only made me want to work even harder to excel. I thought back to how scared I was after leaving the office Monday, and then what a change a few days could make. I was starting to like the things I had pulled off. My fear had changed to confidence, and I felt ready to take on the World. World I can, and will, conquer you!
Perhaps I'm not that bad after all. I was pleased with myself, and longed to share my success with Peter. If he would only walk through that door, my happiness would be complete. But, it was now Friday, and I still hadn’t heard from him. No one had.
Chapter 10
Meanwhile in Yosemite...
Peter lowered himself down into the high mountain lake, groaning as the warm water started to soothe his sore muscles. An underground thermal spring, which ran next to a lava tube, fed the lake. It created a natural ho
t spring with just the right temperature for relieving sore muscles and the like.
He had pushed himself the last two days with strenuous hikes, attempting to rid himself of the constant memories that his uncle’s cabin brought forth. He had hiked several of the paths up the mountain that led to the highest points, hoping the exercise would keep his mind quiet. It hadn’t worked.
Instead of childhood memories, his thoughts were consumed by visions of both Rachel and Lara. How in hell did things get so messed up?
He leaned back against the large boulder at the side of the lake and closed his eyes, letting his mind drift back to months earlier.
When he first met Rachel as he and some friends hiked in Yosemite National Park, her beauty and cheerfulness instantly attracted him. But he wasn’t willing to admit that fact to himself or anyone else.
He recalled what a jackass he had been to her. After having just recently called it quits with Lara, tired of having his emotions played with, the last thing he needed was a new relationship. Furthermore, she traveled with a surly guy he instantly assumed to be her boyfriend. Only much later he’d found out this wasn’t true.
When he watched Rachel flirt and party with the others in the group, oblivious to the reaction of the guy she’d been with, he was turned off immediately. When she spent the next few days with his friends, he secretly watched her every step, relegating her to ‘party girl’. In her the behavior he seemed to recognize all the patterns he’d so much hated in Lara. He now shook his head at how wrong he’d been.
The next day, Rachel had discovered that her companion had dumped her belongings inside a tent and abandoned her in the wilderness. When he envisioned this event, he grew angry with Michael. What kind of guy dumps a girl in the middle of nowhere?! He’d give him a few words about how to treat a woman, if they’d ever meet.
Falling for Him 3 (Rachel and Peter in Love) Page 4
