“There. You’ll get them later today.” Erica grinned. “Again, I’m sorry.”
“Thanks. I wanted to be able to talk to you outside of the board meeting, in a more informal setting.” Sheila hoped Erica would focus less on the performative and be more forthcoming without her cheerleading squad around her.
“Oh, absolutely.”
Sheila said, “I’m curious. Why didn’t you recruit any women to be on your board?”
Erica looked momentarily uncomfortable, but it was fleeting look. In a flash she set her expression to neutral, and then she looked away from Sheila into the middle distance.
“Oh, I couldn’t think of anyone who could add value. I was looking for certain attributes.”
“Such as? And what about—” Sheila named a couple prominent female Valley denizens.
Erica smirked, derisively. “Sure, Sheila. You know the Valley. I had to be taken seriously right from the get-go. The people around you are who give you credibility.”
Sheila wasn’t sure what bothered her more—the fact that Erica couldn’t believe women could enhance her bona fides or that Erica thought she needed prominent men who could. It was all distasteful. She decided to drop the subject though. She had other questions.
She shrugged noncommittally. “Okay. I was just curious.”
Then she asked, “How do you feel things are going in the company?” As Sheila was aware, open-ended questions often elicited the more revealing answers.
“My gosh. They couldn’t be better. We launch in forty Graff stores this week. That’s just the start. We’ll have Leonardos in six hundred stores all over the West Coast by next year. In another year, we’ll be able to place them in people’s homes. I don’t need to tell you what that means.”
Erica stared at Sheila and fell silent. Sheila knew what she was implying: gigantic sums of money. Profit for investors. Rate of return. Sheila didn’t know if it was more a reflection on Erica’s focus or upon her perception of Sheila that she was homing in on the profit aspect. She usually talked about patients and the amazing transformation of blood-testing. In Silicon Valley terms, “disruption.” GHS, Erica often said during her media interviews, would disrupt the blood-testing industry.
“Are you quite sure your Leonardo is able to do what is advertised it can do?” This was a risky shot, but Sheila wanted to put a dent in Erica’s self-assured manner. What she’d heard from Tony was in her mind.
Anger flashed in Erica’s black eyes, and then it was gone.
“Oh, yes. I’m sure. I’ve got amazing people. Brilliant scientists and engineers. I thought you knew that. Your…what is her name?”
“Tony.”
“Yes, Tony. I remember. Her manager is one of them. He’s a top pathologist.”
Sheila nodded, pretending to take this information in as she thought rapidly. I hope this works. I hope Tony doesn’t get into trouble, and she sure doesn’t have much respect for his expertise.
“Tony tells me Leonardo isn’t as efficient, I guess is the word, as she thinks it should be.”
“Sheila. I don’t want love to blind you or muddle your instincts. I want to be straightforward about this point. Tony is a very good worker, but she’s not a PhD or an MD. She isn’t that caliber, and she doesn’t necessarily know what she’s talking about. I don’t mean to be offensive. If you want, I can talk to her, try to answer her questions.” Sheila was offended at Erica’s condescension. Erica managed to be dismissive of Tony and of Sheila’s concerns at the same time. But Sheila didn’t react.
All she said was, “That might help. She’s just worried.”
“She ought not to worry. I’ll take care of it.” Erica’s expression was serious and sincere.
And they went on to more innocuous subjects. If it wasn’t for her misgivings, Sheila would like Erica much more. She was articulate and fascinating. The self-absorption, well, that could be excused. She was evasive though. As evasive in a one-on-one talk as she was at the board meeting.
Erica said brightly, “Thanks for lunch. I enjoyed talking to you. Let’s do it again sometime.”
On her way back to the office, Sheila thought hard about her next step. She was offended that Erica assumed or seemed to assume that she cared only about the money she and Pacific Partners stood to make.
On the other hand, expertise still counted for something. It could very well be that Tony didn’t know everything that Sanjay, the pathologist, knew, and Tony had told her she held her tongue partly because she had only a master’s degree and a medical technologist’s license, and he had a doctorate and an MD. The biggest question in Sheila’s mind was what possible benefit would it be for Erica to mislead all the investors, all the reporters, and all the potential customers she could attract? For her to do that would be stupid. Yes, she was grandiose and arrogant, but that was hardly uncommon for Silicon Valley executives.
Sheila didn’t want to think her opinion of Erica was filtered through her own unconscious sexism. She didn’t want to believe she thought like that. She’d sat through countless seminars on the subject and read tons of books. But she was still a child of the culture and Roy Garrison’s daughter. Roy’s view of and treatment of women was much improved in recent years, but she had still grown up around him. She couldn’t say for sure, but she didn’t think her view of Erica was biased, yet who knew what she’d unconsciously absorbed. Sheila hated to think she’d do anything unconsciously. Erica was annoying, but so what? She was well on her way to unimaginable success. Erica’s own sense of self-preservation would have to dictate she wouldn’t do anything to sabotage it. That would be insane. On the other hand, Tony was deeply troubled, and she wasn’t the sort of person who wouldn’t pull the fire alarm if there wasn’t a fire.
Sheila hoped Erica could talk Tony off the metaphorical ledge she was on.
* * *
Tony was sure she was going to be fired. That was her first thought when she received the message to meet with Erica. Well. It was something if Erica was going to fire her in person instead of having Huey do it. As she walked up the stairs from the laboratory to carpet land, she could scarcely breathe from all the dread flooding her mind
Erica was smiling as she opened her office door and ushered Tony inside. Smiling? What does that mean?
Tony took a seat and attempted to calm herself. Erica took her time settling in her big leather executive chair.
“How are you?”
“All right. How are you?” Tony stuttered a bit,
Erica beamed. “I’m fabulous, but I’d even be more fabulous if I was assured that you were fine. I hear you’re not. I asked you to come up here and talk to me. I want you tell me what’s going on and how I can help.”
Tony struggled to form her thoughts into coherent sentences. How did Erica know she was upset? Sanjay? Huey? Sheila?
Tony shifted in her chair and cleared her throat, thinking furiously how she could be honest without getting into trouble.
“I’ve put you on the spot. I’m sorry. That’s not very nice.” Erica looked remorseful. “Let me tell you what I’ve heard, and you can say if it’s accurate.”
“Okay,” Tony said, barely able to articulate the word.
Erica leaned back and looked at the ceiling. “I understand you don’t approve of how we are testing Leonardos for the Graff rollout.”
“Ye-yes. Well, it’s contrary to my experience and what I understand as standard lab practice. That’s why I questioned it.”
“I see. I understand. That’s what I thought. Let me try to put your mind at rest.” Erica leaned forward, elbows on her desk, and stared right at Tony.
“We have created something unique, something unprecedented. It’s nothing like any similar device that’s preceded it. You, I’m certain, are well aware of that from your long experience in clinical laboratories.”
“Yes. I am,” Tony said.
“Right. We have to treat the Leonardo in a totally new way. I’ve consulted the FDA and have sent them our
validation plan. They signed off on it. That’s one thing. The other is, Graff is aware this is an experimental device, and they’re notifying the patients and getting their informed consent. That’s why we don’t have to have the Leonardos fully vetted and approved. You have nothing to worry about, Tony. You’re a great worker, and your past experience tells you that things have to be done a certain way. I get that. But I want you to understand that this is an unprecedented situation. GHS is a radically different sort of company We’re changing the world, and in doing that we have to find unique ways forward.”
She paused and stared at Tony until Tony belatedly realized she was expected to speak.
“I thought you were going to fire me.”
Erica laughed. “Oh, is that it? Well, I have no patience with people who can’t give one hundred and ten percent, who aren’t team players. But I don’t sense that about you. You were worried, and you voiced your concern. That’s acceptable, as long as you’re telling the right people. I wanted to address those worries. Are you okay?”
Tony knew the correct answer. “Yes. I’m fine. Thanks for talking to me.”
“Good. One more thing, though. I had lunch with Sheila the other day, and she was concerned about our technical progress. I’m not pointing any fingers, but she heard things from you. I hope you’re not violating your NDA.”
Tony’s cheeks heated, and she was embarrassed and dismayed.
Erica stood up, and Tony followed her. She reached across her desk.
“Now you can get back to the lab with a clear mind.” She shook Tony’s hand and grinned at her benignly. She was dismissed.
Tony walked slowly back down the stairs, vastly relieved she still had a job, but uneasy that Sheila had said something to Erica. Sheila was right, as usual; Tony didn’t know everything. She needed to back off her ingrained training and have faith in her company.
Erica’s words had soothed her, brought her back into the fold. She was vaguely conscious of being manipulated, but it seemed like just normal boss behavior. Worse, she realized Sheila must have talked to Erica. She still wanted to believe—in Erica, in the GHS mission. Mentally she reviewed what Erica had said and didn’t think the FDA would be as cavalier about the Leonardo as Erica had described. Erica was doing something underhanded. But, as Sheila would ask, why would Erica be doing something to harm her own business? There had to be another explanation, and Tony had to keep her eyes open and wait and see.
* * *
“I’m somewhat better, I guess. I can get wound up so tight, it’s like I have blinders on. I can’t see beyond my own nose. I think sometimes I’m my own worst enemy.” Tony paused. “Did you say something about me to Erica?”
Tony and Sheila were lying in bed, and Tony was tense and worried. The talk with Erica had mollified her only a bit. She was relieved she wasn’t being fired, but that was all.
“I said I was concerned because I heard about the Leonardos and how they weren’t functioning well from you.”
“Well. Yeah. She reminded me of my NDA in not too subtle terms. Don’t talk to her again, please, Sheila.”
Sheila had her arms around Tony, and Tony felt her stiffen.
“I’m not trying to get you into trouble, but I have a duty as a board member. No one else is doing it. I had to have something to back up my speculation.”
“But Erica is probably going to be spying on me from now on.”
“Tony, baby, you tend to spiral yourself into a bad place when you feel under fire. You haven’t done anything wrong. I’m sorry to cause trouble for you. I won’t do it again.”
“I need you on my side,” Tony said.
Sheila patted her cheek. “Always.”
They fell quiet for a few moments.
“Is it time yet for us to contemplate that Big Sur trip? Are you off the hook for working weekends for a while?”
Tony said sleepily, “Uh-huh. Yeah. Let’s do it.” Sheila had reassured her, and yes, they needed some time to themselves away from their routine lives. Away from GHS craziness. Some away time where they could renew their connection.
* * *
They took their time driving south on Highway One. That, Tony observed, was a function not only of needing to drive safely on the windy coast highway, but so they could truly enjoy the trip. She allowed Sheila to plan the entire thing from beginning to end, except for one thing. Tony said “no” to a bike ride. The Big Sur area seemed too daunting in terms of difficulty. She didn’t have the chops to handle the hills, she said. Sheila acquiesced, though somewhat reluctantly.
“I wanted us to do the Seventeen Mile route near Carmel. We’ll just drive it, I guess.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t want to be a drag for you, which is what would happen, literally,” Tony said.
“Well, I’m fine with it. This is supposed to be fun for both of us. You definitely need some recreation. I’m thrilled you could take Friday off.”
“I pointed out to Sanjay that I hadn’t taken a single day off in more than six months. He agreed and ran interference with Huey.”
“That’s appropriate. You don’t report to Huey, and he needn’t have a say in everything you do.”
They left in the morning, and their first stop was for lunch in Santa Cruz. Tony was familiar with it from her college days as a weekend destination. She didn’t surf and didn’t like roller coasters, but a pleasant al fresco meal with Sheila seemed just right.
Tony could sense a letting go in her mind and her body. She sat across from a smiling, Rayban-wearing Sheila at the Crow’s Nest with an iced tea in front of her. Her perception of how relaxed she was at that moment made her aware of what a toll stress and overwork had been taking on her.
“I’m in the lab for such long periods, I feel like a mole. We have windows, but it doesn’t help a lot. I forgot what sunshine and fresh air feel like.”
“Touché. You will expire without light and fresh air, my dear.”
She looked out over the wharf and then back at Sheila. “You always have the best ideas,” she said fondly.
“I try.”
“Tell me more about where we’re going.”
“Ah, yes. This place, Vedanta, has been around since the seventies. Hippieish, earthy-crunchy, but upscale.” Sheila laughed. “I like it because of the views. Spectacular. Also, yoga and meditation classes.”
“I don’t have to do that, right?”
Sheila laughed. “No. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. This trip is for both of us, but a lot is for you.”
“But you still won’t tell me what it costs.”
“Negative. I’ll take care of it. The only thing I want you to do is not talk about work, think about work, or dream about work. This is about relaxation and sensual pleasures…of all sorts.” Sheila raised her eyebrows rakishly, which made Tony laugh.
After they finished their sandwiches and salads, Sheila asked, “Ready to hit the road?”
“I am.”
* * *
When she planned the trip to Big Sur, Sheila was aware she was taking a risk. Tony tended to refuse to do anything she wasn’t prepared to pay half of, and Ventana Inn would most certainly fall into that category.
Sheila pitched it carefully. “I want this to be a gift from me to you. Will you accept that?”
“I will, this time, because I’m ready to get out of town, and I’m too tired to quibble with you. It’s a special occasion,” Tony said.
“Good. This is for us. We need some downtime together.”
That was true, but Sheila had even more in mind. They would have space to talk about their relationship and where it was going. Sheila wanted above all for Tony to agree to move in with her in her Menlo Park condo. They weren’t in a second-date, U-Haul situation, to say the least. They’d been dating for over a year. It had been a difficult and busy time for Tony, and Sheila didn’t like to press her on topics that made her uncomfortable while she was trying to cope with everything at GHS. But the pressure on Tony
never let up, and they would never discuss anything if Sheila waited for the magical perfect time. If Sheila’s questions could be answered, she would need to time them carefully and use a delicate approach.
Sheila had her own issues to deal with, especially in regard to her father. He was doing much better and was eager to get back to work. Sheila wanted to stay in his place on the GHS board of directors and keep a close eye on their progress and on Erica. Roy was very much the same as the other board members: worshipful of Erica and all too ready to accept whatever she said or did without question.
Sheila had private discussions with Roy’s doctors, and they agreed he wasn’t ready to return to full-time. She counted on them to be allies when Roy started agitating to be more active. She didn’t know how long she could keep him benched, though. If he got into his stubborn mode, he could choose to ignore professional advice. She really hoped that didn’t happen.
Meanwhile, it was time to put her own concerns about GHS and her dad aside and turn her full attention to ensuring that Tony was having a good time and creating the space where they could have the discussion about their future.
Fortunately for them, Ventana was a notably self-contained facility, with a fine restaurant and a spa and walking trails galore. They could easily stay there all the time if they chose, but the Big Sur area offered a lot to see. Sheila decided to delay a trip to Hearst Castle for another time, since it was a bit of a drive. Instead, they explored the nearby state park and then went to Nepenthe for lunch.
One of Sheila’s friends had introduced her to Nepenthe and its storied past. Sheila wasn’t particularly enamored of old movies, but The Night of the Iguana’s use of its Big Sur locations was engaging. Nepenthe surely had one of the all-time great views of Big Sur scenery from its deck. Sheila had made a reservation to ensure they’d have a good table.
Fresh from a lovely morning’s hike at the park and hungry for lunch, they sat down and opened their menus. Tony’s face darkened, which alarmed Sheila. Tony had so far seemed carefree and cheerful.
Trade Secrets Page 19
