He lowered one dark brow n in consternation, and his gaze left her eyes and fell to the file in her hands. “Let’s have a look,” he spoke in an even tone.
She took the last few steps up to his desk and reached her hand out to him, giving him the file. He took it and flipped it open, looking through the pages as she explained.
“I went to visit the Hendersons today to get them to sign the settlement, but after talking with them, I believe there’s a good reason to look into this a lot more closely than we have. They said that their daughter was hurt in a bus accident just last year when she was riding on the same bus line and that that accident was caused by faulty brakes as well. They believe that New York Tech isn’t maintaining their buses and that it’s causing multiple accidents, and that it will continue.
“If that’s the case, I think we need to do more than just get a couple of signatures for this settlement; we need to make them take responsibility for what they’re doing.” She felt a surge of strength course through her as she spoke. She knew that the Hendersons were right. She knew that she was right in taking it on and bringing it to Kyle. She just prayed with everything in her that he could see the same things in it that she could and that he would want to do what was right just as much as she did.
He frowned as he studied the pages carefully. He looked back up at her and was just about to speak when another voice sounded from the back of the room, by Kyle’s door.
“I don’t care what they may or may not have done; we’re not going after New York Tech. Settle that case, get the last two signatures, and close it.”
She turned on her heel in surprise and saw Richard Peterson walking toward them. Her heart caught in her chest along with her breath. She hadn’t heard him come in, and she certainly wasn’t aware that he had been privy to her conversation with Kyle.
His words rang in her ears, ricocheting back and forth for an eternal second as Richard came to stop beside her, looking from her to Kyle. He was tall and almost portly, and his hair was combed over his head to one side, though it somehow still looked ruffled. He wore a thick beard, and his cheeks were always slightly pink, as if he had just come up a steep flight of stairs.
Aleisha stared at him silently, uncertain of what to say or do for a moment. She knew that she felt strongly enough about the case that she wanted to explore it further, but she also knew that she couldn’t go up against a named partner in the firm and counteract his clear instruction.
Kyle shook his head as he looked for a long moment from Aleisha to Richard. He could see by Aleisha’s expression that she felt strongly about the case and that she was trapped in her position.
“And why would we want to hold back on investigating New York Tech?” he asked in a calm voice. “If they’re at fault here and they’re not maintaining their bus line the way that they should, we have a moral obligation to look into it and find out what’s really going on.”
Richard shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “We don’t want to cause any problems with them because they’re talking with us about becoming one of our clients. It’s a huge account. It would bring a small fortune into this firm, and I don’t want to lose that opportunity over some small and insignificant settlement case.”
She couldn’t stand to remain silent as she heard what Richard said. He wanted to brush the case away simply because he wanted to bring New York Tech in as a client. It was all about money to him, and she had no respect for that whatsoever. The injustice of it seared at her mind and heart.
“It isn’t right to just turn our heads and look the other way simply for money or a new client! We have to investigate this, and if they’re at fault, we have a duty to make sure that they put it all right. We can’t just ignore this. We can’t insist that these last two parties sign the settlement just to make it go away.
“The fact is that this isn’t the first time one of their buses has been in an accident because of faulty brakes, and that’s enough of an irregularity that it should be looked into!” She lifted her chin and locked her eyes on Richard, until Kyle spoke and she turned to look at him.
Kyle stood up and met Richard’s gaze. “She’s right. We do have an obligation to look into this; not only from a legal, moral, and ethical standpoint, but also from a business perspective. Think about it. If they are neglecting to maintain their bus lines and their business, then they’re becoming a bigger liability risk to this firm if we take them on. Think about that. They’re going to keep getting sued, and they’re going to cause more injuries and deaths. I can see clearly that it would be wrong on so many levels to take them on as a new client just to pad the coffers here.”
Richard scoffed and was about to speak when Kyle kept going. “If it’s new business you’re looking for, then we can find it in other places. There’s another corporation that I’ve been courting and planning on bringing in here. Granger Corp has an outstanding public record, and they’re worth a hell of a lot more to this firm financially than New York Tech. There isn’t even a comparison between them. Bringing them in will more than make up for not getting New York Tech and all of their possible legal trouble.”
He stopped speaking then and watched Richard, waiting for his response. It was true, he had been talking to Granger Corp, but bringing them into the fold of the firm was still in the very early stages of discussion, and he wasn’t sure that they would come, but he was willing to work hard and do all that he could to make it happen.
He wasn’t going to admit that to Peterson if he didn’t have to, but Granger Corp was the only ace he had up his sleeve at that moment, and he had a gut feeling that Aleisha was onto something with her determination to dig into the deeper layers of New York Tech and investigate their business and bus line maintenance.
Richard drew in a long, slow breath, and both Aleisha and Kyle could see that he was thinking carefully about what he’d heard. He pursed his lips a moment and then looked directly at Kyle.
“Fine. You can go forward with this investigation and see what’s really going on, but don’t go after New York Tech until you have Granger Corp signed. You get Granger Corp, and I’ll let New York Tech go, but if Granger isn’t on the books, New York Tech isn’t to be in your crosshairs.” His pointed look made it clear that he could not have been more serious.
Kyle gave him a shake of his head. “I’ll get Granger, but I’m telling you this now. If New York Tech really is neglecting their safety responsibilities, I’m going after them. That’s unconscionable, and I won’t let them get away with it.”
“Just get Granger,” Richard repeated solemnly and then turned and walked out of the room, sliding his hands into his pants pockets.
When he was gone, Aleisha breathed out all the air she had been holding in her lungs, and her shoulders sank a little in relief as she turned to look at Kyle. She smiled as she took in the light upturn of the corners of his mouth.
“Thank you so much. We’re both new here, and that was a brave move. You didn’t have to stand up for me or for this investigation that I want to do, but you did, and that means a great deal to me.” She almost felt as if she could have hugged his neck for what he had just done for her and for the Hendersons and for everyone else who would ever step foot onto a New York Tech bus.
He nodded subtly. “I did it because it was the right thing to do. This is something that does warrant looking into, and you’re going to do that, and you’re going to find out every single thing that’s going on with this. Don’t you leave anything to chance; no stone unturned. I want every detail out there about what’s really going on.”
He sat back down in his chair and let out his own long breath. “I have to work on getting Granger signed on. They’re talking to a few firms right now, and I am going to have to show them that we’re their best option.”
She reached for the New York Tech file that he held up to her. “I’m going to work hard on this. You won’t be disappointed.”
He smiled just a little at one side of his mouth t
hen as he looked up at her. He couldn’t help it. She was beautiful and smart, and she’d seen through the little details enough that she had picked out what could very well be the tip of an iceberg. He was surprised and pleased, and he didn’t mind telling her.
“You’re having a hell of a first day. I’m proud of you. You took a big risk coming in here with that, not knowing how I would handle it, and you didn’t back down when Richardson wanted to block you on it. I expect you to do your best with that file, and I have a feeling you will, but I do want you to know that this is a good start.
“We were a team today, and that’s exactly what we’re going to have to be if we’re both going to be successful in this new environment.” He studied her and saw that she seemed to glow with pride and happiness at hearing his words. It made him want to smile, but he didn’t. He only gave his head a slight tip toward the door.
“We’ve got work to do. Get busy,” he said it lightly.
“I’m on it,” she answered with a happy determination. She turned and left his office, and he found himself watching her walk away, his eyes on her form as it gently swayed with each step across the room and out of the door. When she was gone, he closed his eyes a moment, shook his head, and then turned his attention to the files on his desk.
Aleisha went into her office. Once she was inside, she closed her eyes and let herself revel in her success for a moment. It was a big deal. Her first day in his office, and she had uncovered what might be a pretty big case. She might be able to help a family who needed it, among many other people. She had stood up for what she knew was right, and it had made a difference.
He had stood up for her, backing her up when it looked like things might go badly. More than that, he was proud of her. He had been supportive and encouraging, and he was right; it felt like a team to her, and that was something she hadn’t been certain would happen. It was a relief, and it was something she was delighted to have develop between them.
As she sat down, she let her thoughts drift back over the meeting in his office minutes before, and she found herself grinning at the way that he had taken charge. It was an attractive quality in him. He wasn’t afraid of anything; he was willing to stand up for what was right and for what he believed in, and he was willing to stand up for her, and that had touched her heart. It touched her heart in a way that made it flutter just a little, thinking how gorgeous he was, and how strong, and her mind stopped her heart in its tracks.
He was her boss, and she needed to let go of any kind of thoughts that weren’t directly related to working with him. She needed to focus on her work – on the New York Tech case and the stack of other cases that had been beneath it that she still hadn’t gotten to yet. There was no room and no place in her head, her heart, or her life for any kind of sweet romantic thoughts about her boss, no matter how beautiful he was.
She worked long and hard for the rest of the day, and by the time she walked through the door of Rainy and Ella’s home, she was tired and happy and so glad to be there with her family. Her grandmother wiped her hands on her apron and took the babies while she went into the kitchen to help Rainy finish preparing their meal.
“Well, how was your first day of work for the new big boss?” her sister asked as Aleisha worked on making a salad.
Aleisha sliced cucumbers and smiled to herself. “It was a hell of a first day,” she said, quoting Kyle without mentioning it to Rainy.
“Yeah? What happened?” Rainy asked as she stirred hamburger and vegetables in a frying pan on the stove.
“Well, I got settled into my office, and my boss gave me a big stack of files to work on. They were supposed to be open and shut cases, just files that needed a few things to finish them up and then close them, but I found one that seemed a bit off to me, and I wanted to do more work on it. I talked to a family who is refusing to sign off on the case and found out that there might be a whole lot more to it than what’s on the surface.
“I went back to the office and talked to my boss about it and one of the other partners. The other partner tried to stop me from looking any further into it, but Kyle stood up for me and backed me up, and the other partner withdrew, and they’re letting me investigate it. If what I’m thinking is right, then this is going to wind up being a much bigger deal than just getting a couple of signatures on a few forms and handing over some money to the family I met with today.” She felt pride well up in her as she talked about it.
“It’s a really big deal, actually. There was a girl who lost her life because of an accident, but it turns out it might not have been an accident. It might very well have been negligence, and I might be the one to get that resolved for her family. It could bring them some peace of mind. That’s pretty amazing.” She reached for the tomatoes and began slicing them. “So, yeah… it was a hell of a first day.”
Rainy turned and looked over her shoulder at Aleisha. “My goodness… that is pretty incredible.” She smiled and shook her head. “I have to tell you; I’m pretty proud of you, sis. You’re making a difference, and that’s what you wanted to do all along in law school. It’s why you got into this law business to begin with. Good job.”
“I’m proud of you, too!” Ella said with a smile as she gave some hard toddler cookies to the twins, who were both hanging onto her dress, babbling and squealing happily. “You have worked so hard to get where you are, and it’s clear that you’re just not going to stop working hard. You’re going to keep at it, and you’re going to find a lot of success doing that. I love to see these good things happen for you. You’ve earned them.”
Aleisha swallowed hard as she began slicing mushrooms. “It means a great deal to me to hear you say that, grandma, and you too, Rainy. Thank you both. I never could have done it without you both. Certainly not with these kids, that’s for sure.”
She laughed as she watched her grandmother putting Harry and Hailey into their high chairs and fastening their bibs on them.
“We’re glad to do it, honey. You’ve always made me so proud, and I’m honored to do all that I can to help you achieve your goals. Both of you… Rainy… both of you have made me so proud. I know your parents would be proud of you now too, if they were here. I have no doubt that they’re smiling down on you from heaven, just beaming with joy at all that you’ve both done.” Ella often spoke about Rainy and Aleisha’s parents in such a way. They were still very much a part of their family, though they weren’t there in person. It made no difference to the three ladies.
They sat down to dinner and were partway through their main course when the conversation, which had flowed over several topics like a river running free over land, came to a momentary pause. Rainy looked at Ella and grinned.
“We have some news,” she said to her sister with a look that was half-sympathy and half-excitement.
Aleisha raised her brows in interest. “Yeah? What’s going on?”
“We’re going on a cruise to Mexico,” Ella said plainly. Aleisha stared at her.
“You’re what?” She blinked in amazement.
“We’re going on a cruise to Mexico. I found a sale online for two people, and I decided that I wanted to go do it. You just started your new job, so I didn’t ask you to come with me. I’m taking Rainy, but on the next cruise, no matter where it is, you can go if you want to, and Rainy can watch the babies while we’re gone.” Ella chuckled a little bit and took a bite of her dinner.
Aleisha and Rainy both laughed. “Well, you’re right about the job, grandma. I do have to get settled in there before I think about taking off anywhere like that. I know you’ll have a good time. When are you going?”
Rainy’s dark brown eyes grew big as she shook her head a little. “Tomorrow, actually. If you can believe that. It was a last-minute thing. Grandma found it and just couldn’t pass it up. The price was too good. I guess maybe the shipping line was trying to fill empty cabins or something, but we fly out in the morning. I still can’t believe it.”
“My god!” Aleisha stared at the
m both. “Just like that, you’re both going to fly out in the morning to some cruise to Mexico?” She couldn’t believe it.
“That’s the plan,” Ella said as she took a long drink of her water. “I realize that it’s short notice, but honey, it was almost free. I’m getting to be an old lady. If I want to go out and have some fun in the world, I need to do it now while I can still get around and I’m young enough to enjoy it. Life is short, and you have to grab the sweet moments when you can.
“You have to grab the good things when you can get them, and you can’t let them pass you by. Otherwise, you’re left with nothing but a handful of regrets, and that’s nothing to hold on to in time to come. Trust me, I learned that the hard way, but I did learn it. I know it’s sudden, but we’re going to go, and we’re going to have a great time.”
Aleisha was stunned, but she could only laugh lightly as she shook her head and gazed at them both. “You know what, grandma? You’re right. We only get one shot at this trip around the sun, and you are one-hundred percent right. We have to grab on and hold tight to everything good that comes our way. I’m happy for you both. Really happy. I think you’re going to have a fantastic time, and I’m so glad that you’re doing it. Bring me back some of that real vanilla from Mexico. I’ll make some chocolate chip cookies for us.”
The Billionaire's Twin Fever (MANHATTAN BACHELORS Book 1) Page 4
