Bill and Pete looked troubled. Bill spoke first. “The grip you are speaking of—was it the workload?”
“Or someone?” Pete interrupted.
Amanda paused, thinking about the words that were about to come from her lips. Yes, she would speak the truth. After all, she had nothing to lose. “It was someone.” Amanda suddenly felt a burst of relief erupting from so many years of holding those words inside.
“Can you tell us who this someone is?” Bill asked in a concerned tone. “We don’t want this person to think they can continue to taunt people this way. This firm was built on integrity and if we can’t treat our own right, then God help us when we expect the system to do us justice.”
Amanda slowly filled her lungs with air and then released it. Her words were deliberate. “Pam. Madison.”
Bill and Pete looked at each other and nodded as if they had known the name before she spoke it. She proceeded to tell them everything about her relationship with Pam and how Pam had treated her.
“Thank you, Amanda. This information you have given us is very serious. We will investigate this matter. As you know, Pam is one of the best attorneys we have in this firm,” Bill said, looking at her pensively. “I had no idea that you and Pam were classmates. This is so uncanny.”
“I realize that, sir, and that is why I didn’t feel comfortable telling you the truth when I quit.”
“But we’re glad you did,” Pete chimed in as he and Bill nodded in agreement.
“Amanda, we’re going to work diligently in our efforts to get this resolved. And when we do, would you consider coming back to work?”
“Yes. Yes, I would. Thank you.” Amanda was caught off guard by his question. She spoke before she could think about what he was asking.
“Good, then. We’ll be in touch.”
They both rose from their chairs in unison. “Thank you for stopping by Amanda,” Bill said.
“Yes, it was good to see you,” said Pete.
Bill opened the door and walked out with her to the elevator. “How’s Tracey doing?”
“She’s fine. She’s headed off to school in a few weeks, so I’m getting ready for one less space at the dinner table.”
“I know how that is. When our last one left for college, my wife and I didn’t know if we should cry or celebrate,” Bill laughed. “Here’s your elevator. You’ll be hearing from us in a few days. But in the meantime, enjoy the extra plate on the table while you still can. No matter how old they get, they always manage to come back to it.”
Amanda laughed as she stepped into the elevator. “Thank you, sir. Goodbye.”
Special Meal
Dee’s flight arrived at LaGuardia Airport right on time at 2:03 p.m. Steve, her latest boyfriend victim, had asked her if she could spend some time with him in New York while she had a break between her medical classes. And just as Steve had promised, a blue Lincoln Town Car was there to pick her up. The driver was holding a sign that said “Dr. Debra Mitchell.”
“Good afternoon, Dr. Mitchell. Welcome to New York. I’m Charles,” a portly, distinguished-looking man remarked as he took her luggage and placed it in the trunk. He was wearing dark blue trousers, a stark white shirt with a red tie, and a matching single-breasted jacket. His attire reminded her of a pilot without the cap and wings.
“Doctor?” Oh, yes…I almost forgot. “Why, thank you,” she said, shaking his hand. “But I’m not a doctor yet. I’m still in medical school. I take the boards in a few months. And then I’ll be Dr. Mitchell.” She smiled. Dee watched his hands open the car door for her and thought he had the most neatly manicured nails for someone with such stubby fingers. She got in the car and slid into the supple blue leather of the backseat.
Charles smiled at her through his rearview mirror. “Mr. Cushman asked that I take you directly to his office. He was not able to get off as planned to meet you, but he said that he would make up for that inconvenience later.”
“That’s fine.” Dee was preoccupied with the sight of all the cars that were starting to fill up the freeway. She thought about how she had cleverly maneuvered her way into an all-expense paid trip to New York thanks to the PR guru Steve Cushman. Since they’d met that afternoon in San Diego three months ago, their relationship had been an escapade that seemed to continue on autopilot. Her mind reeled back to their first meeting in her hotel lobby and their unforgettable first date. And today she was in New York, still seeing him under false pretenses.
Dee remembered her first date in San Diego with Steve as if it were yesterday. She felt a tinge of guilt as she reflected back in time.
She had already manipulated the first part of the evening in her head as she removed a newly purchased cell phone from her shopping bag. She carefully took the cell phone out of its packaging and programmed the number on speed dial into her old cell phone.
“Just a little added protection, Mr. Cushman,” she said, as she discreetly clipped the new phone underneath her jacket. She glanced once more in the full-length mirror and was glad she’d decided to pack her cream-colored pants and matching lace blouse. She wore an elegant single strand of pearl and diamond studded earrings with a small pearl at her lobe. She unpacked a small matching handbag and a pair of cream-colored mules. Feeling well dressed for just about anything in California, she headed out the door and into the elevator.
“Well, he-e-el-lo!” Steve said as the elevator door opened. Then he handed her a bouquet of white roses. He looked quite dapper and comfortable in his casual crew neck shirt and black jeans that fit his derriere quite nicely. His sweater was a nice complement to his beckoning azure eyes. Dee was elated by his thoughtfulness as she took the flowers and enjoyed the aroma of each one.
“The flowers match your outfit perfectly,” he said, impressed with himself at the coincidence.
“Yes, they do. You PR people don’t have hidden cameras placed in the rooms, do you?”
“No, but I like the thought.” Steve put his arm around her waist and escorted her to the concierge, who stood at attention like the Royal Guard in England.
“Yes, sir. May I help you?”
“Can we get a vase for these flowers? We’re having dinner this evening in the hotel restaurant. We’ll be back to pick them up later this evening.”
“I’d be delighted, sir. Would you like for us to just deliver them back to the room?” he asked moving his eyes toward Dee.
“Oh, yes. That is very nice of you. Is it possible to get them wrapped again so I can take them back on the plane with me?”
Steve slipped him a fifty-dollar bill and winked. “Of course,” the concierge agreed. “Ma’am what’s your room number?”
“675. Thank you.”
“You are very welcome. Enjoy your dinner,” he said as he placed the crisp new bill in his uniform vest.
Steve opened the double doors for Dee to walk into the restaurant, where the maitre d’ greeted them.
“Good evening, Mr. Cushman.”
“Hello, Shelly. This is my friend Debra.”
Shelly shook her hand and turned to smile at Steve. “Nice meeting you, Debra. We have your table waiting for you, Mr. Cushman.”
“Thank you.”
Dee felt like a celebrity walking the red carpet. All eyes focused on them, and it was obvious Steve knew many of the people who nodded and smiled at him as they made their way over to a secluded corner table overlooking the ocean.
“So, Mr. Cushman, are you some type of VIP? I don’t know many people who walk into a restaurant and get a private table while the whole room is watching.”
Steve grinned. “Are you sure it’s me they’re watching and not you?” he said, raising his eyes at her alluringly. His eyes were so glued on her that she felt as if he were trying to put her into a cataleptic state.
Dee winked. “Well, you know, I hadn’t thought about that. It probably is me,” she teased back as the waitress came over and filled their water glasses.
“Would you and your guest like to hear
about our specials this evening, Mr. Cushman?”
“I’ll pass and have my usual, but Debra would probably like to hear them. Right?”
“But of course,” Dee said, nodding for the waitress to begin her descriptions.
“Tonight we have a delicious salmon almandine, fresh asparagus, and delectable new potatoes. Or we have a succulent duck served with a vegetable medley and creamed potatoes.”
“Mmmm, they both sound delicious! What does Mr. Cushman usually get?” she asked, eyeing Steve.
“I’m a lobster man. And, believe me, it’s the biggest and tastiest you’ve ever seen on this side of the ocean.”
“Well, that’s what I’m having, then,” Dee affirmed as she handed the waitress the menu.
“Okay, then, two Maine lobsters coming right up,” the waitress said.
Dee looked out of the window at the vast body of water massaging the sandy shore. The moon had just touched down, its light serving as a backdrop against the Pacific Ocean’s turquoise canvas.
“The view is breathtaking,” Dee said as she kept her eyes focused out the window.
“Do you want to walk out there a little later and get a closer glance?”
“That would be nice. I think I’d like that.”
He smiled and rubbed her hand gently. “You know, Debra, I like your spirit. You seem like a very intriguing woman.”
“Not as intriguing as you, I’m sure,” Dee teased as she gazed around the room at his entourage of associates.
Steve squeezed her hand, then brought it up to his lips and kissed it tenderly. His flirtation was subtle, but Dee felt his fiery heat through her body as he gently squeezed her fingers and stroked each one separately.
“I travel quite a bit to California. We have quite a few clients across the country, but I find myself in San Diego more often.”
“Well, that makes sense.” She watched his hands move from hers to the inside of his jacket pocket. His hand fumbled around until he pulled out a pack of Marlboro cigarettes. He took one out and prepared to light it.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Debra. Do you mind?”
Dee looked at him with astonishment and revulsion. “I’m afraid I do.”
Steve immediately put the cigarette back in the box and pushed it over to the far end of the table. “Oh, I am really sorry. I need to give up this nasty habit anyway,” he laughed. “And of course you’re becoming a doctor. I can see how that would be quite a contradiction and insult to your field if you did not mind me smoking.”
“Yes, it would,” Dee said quietly, momentarily forgetting that she was sitting there with him under false pretenses.
“So, that brings me to the obvious question. What made you go into medicine?”
There it was. The $64,000 question. Okay, Dee what made you decide to go into medicine? You haven’t thought that quite far yet, now, have you? As she thought about her answer, she turned to look out the window that faced the hotel lobby. Two members from her crew were getting off the escalator. She pried her purse open carefully, just wide enough to press the automatic program on her cell phone. And just as she had planned, her other cell phone started buzzing.
“I’m sorry,” she said, looking at the phone’s screen.
“Is everything all right?”
“I’m so embarrassed, but it looks like I have to return this call.”
“Okay, I’ll tell the waitress to hold your food until you get back so it won’t get cold.”
“Thank you,” she said as she walked briskly out of the restaurant and caught up with her crew, Shaun and Lorraine, before they entered the restaurant.
“Hey, Dee. Wow, you look stunning. Where are you off to?” Lorraine asked.
“Thanks. I was meeting a friend in the restaurant, but the service is so slow. I was just coming out to call my girlfriend and tell her not to even bother coming here. We’re going to find someplace else to eat.”
“Really?” Shaun said, surprised as she looked at Lorraine. “I heard their service was the best in town.”
“I’m sure that it usually is, but they have a new chef in training and things got unusually behind,” Dee insisted.
Lorraine glanced at her watch. “Well, I’m glad you told us. We were just about to go in there and grab what we thought would be a quick bite. But we still have time to walk over to that little café down the block.”
“The movie doesn’t start for another hour, so we should be okay,” Shaun interjected. “Glad we ran into you, Dee. I hope you catch your girlfriend in time.”
“Thanks. I’m sure I will. She’s never on time anyway,” Dee laughed. She took out her cell phone and pretended to dial the number. She waited until Shaun and Lorraine were clearly out of sight before returning to the restaurant where a lobster feast was awaiting her.
“I saw you walking back, so I told the waitress to go ahead and bring it out. Doesn’t it look too good to eat?”
“No,” Dee laughed as she dug in with her fork. She cut a small morsel and chewed.
Steve laughed. “You are merciless!”
“And hungry!” Dee said as she placed another portion in her mouth.
“Bon Appetit!”
“Yes, it is,” Dee said, delving into her baked potatoes and carefully wiping her mouth with her linen napkin. She looked up and Steve was smiling at her adoringly.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Steve said, shaking his head in delight as he continued to chew. He was enjoying watching her enjoy her food. He loved women who were not caught up in getting small portions because they were watching their figure. Debra had a gorgeous figure, and he could watch it all night.
“Did you take care of that call?”
“Uh huh,” she said, nodding between swallows. “Where were we before I had to leave?”
“I was asking you about how you decided to—”
“Oh, yeah, get into medicine.” Her brief encounter with her crew had given her some buying time to think about that question. “I’ve got a really good friend who kind of talked me into it when we were in undergrad. I took a few biology courses and have always been pretty good with math and science. I did some summer internships in the medical field when I was in college, and I just liked the field and wanted to pursue it.” Now, that was pretty smooth girl, if I have to say so, myself!
“Where’d you go for undergrad?”
“Spelman.”
“Ahhh…” Steve nodded approvingly. “Excellent school.”
Dee smiled. “So what about you? Did you major in public relations when you were in college?”
“No, ironically I started off as a premed-slash-biology major also. And then I got really bored with college altogether. I started working part-time in the summer with my dad’s friend who had an event planning company. I really enjoyed the variety and mix of putting on events and talking to people. When I returned back to school in the fall, I would assist with putting campus parties together. I wrote a few articles for the campus paper and then eventually moved up to writing press releases for the local city paper and then BOOM! Just like that, before I knew it, I dropped out of Yale my junior year and took a chance on starting my own company. Now, 15 years later, I’m a PR icon,” he chuckled, as he squeezed some lemon onto his lobster.
Only a white boy could pull that off with no degree, Dee thought, reflecting on how she was sitting across from him with two degrees, and a career path that was leading nowhere fast!
“That’s a great story,” Dee said, barely above a whisper.
“Hey, it’s no big deal—really,” he said, sensing Dee’s uneasiness. “Hey, let’s finish up here and take a walk on that beach. I want to see that pretty face of yours in the moonlight.” Steve motioned for the waitress to bring the check.
As they headed toward the beach, Dee took off her mules and rolled her pants up to her thighs. Steve watched each curve of her leg as she slowly worked her pants up the other thigh. A breeze wisped through her hair so she pulled it off of her face and br
aided it.
Steve had already taken his shoes off and rolled his pants to just above the ankles where Dee could see the curly strands of hair wrapped around his legs. The same locks of curls could be seen through his partially unbuttoned shirt.
“All set?” he said, waiting for Dee’s nod of approval. “So, let’s run!” He grabbed her purse and pulled her hand like a little boy on his first day at the beach. The wind felt good blowing across her face. She laughed at how playful he was as he jumped through the small waves and lifted her up and down, swinging her until the waves were large enough to fall over them and drench them completely.
“Oh, no!” Dee screamed and laughed. She was enjoying the cool wetness more than she thought she would. The salty water trickled into her mouth as a sudden gush of rain droplets broke from the sky, rinsing the ocean’s salt from her lips.
Steve stood back and looked at her like she was a rainbow that had just appeared. He stroked the wet locks out of her face. Her face looked as if it had just been sketched by an angel. Dee watched his eyes focus intensely on her wet clothes that were now showing a silhouette of her lace undergarments. She looked so sexy and radiant that he reached toward her and sealed her moist lips with a fateful kiss.
“So, what field of medicine are you studying?” Charles, the driver, said, breaking Dee’s reverie. She immediately brought her thoughts back to her present day in New York while she uncomfortably witnessed Charles maneuver and loop his way through the sluggish traffic. The Midtown Tunnel looked like a cabby’s convention with the yellow cabs lined tightly up against the walls with everyone moving nowhere.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“I said what field of medicine are you studying?”
“Oh, pediatrics.” The sound of her voice was so assertive that she amazed herself.
Destination D Page 17
