By the tenth call in two hours, Sherry had her speech down pat. When the phone rang, she answered, ready to spew out her greeting. “Good afternoon, you’ve reached Mr. Mitchell’s office. Can I please take a message and have him return your call as soon as possible?” she said, taking pride in her efforts.
“Sherry Henderson, is that you?”
“Yes,” she uttered, surprised anyone would be calling her there.
“It’s me, Madeline Mitchell. Welcome aboard.”
Sherry was in a chipper mood. She’d liked Madeline the moment they met in the interview, being intrigued by her knowledge and personality. “Mrs. Mitchell, I want you to know how grateful I am for you and Mr. Mitchell hiring me.”
“You have a great attitude and that made the decision easy for us. How’s it going so far?”
“It’s very busy here, but I’m doing okay I think.”
“I’m sure you are. Like I said, we’re certainly glad to have you on board, especially me. My husband tends to take on a lot without asking for help.”
“I plan to do my very best with as much as I possibly can. You won’t be sorry.”
“I’m sure I won’t.” They spoke for a few more minutes and Sherry could hear yelling in the background. “I better go,” Mrs. Mitchell said abruptly.
The noise was so loud and unsettling that Sherry couldn’t ignore it. Without filtering her reaction, Sherry asked, “Is everything okay?”
“Have Dave call me back as soon as he can,” Mrs. Mitchell said and got off the phone.
Sherry was left pondering what could possibly be going on. The mound of work that Dave had heaped on her throughout the day quickly ushered her back into the DMI world. The short conversation with Mrs. Mitchell floated away.
Chapter 16
“Andre, you’re going to school. We don’t get a choice. It’s the law,” Madeline said, pleading with him. She stood in the doorway, speaking, but her words weren’t getting over the threshold. She’d tried getting close to him and providing some type of comfort, but he didn’t let her enter the room without a ruckus. She was ready to give up.
“Ahhhhhhh, ahhhhhh,” Andre wailed as Madeline went to the top of the staircase and sat down with her hands completely covering her earlobes. Count to ten, to twenty, to a hundred. If that was the answer to getting Andre calmed, she’d count to a trillion with no complaints. Reality had set in early in the day. She didn’t have the answer. Handling irate clients was a cinch. Controlling an emotional ten-year-old was out of her league. She felt beaten. Madeline had called Dave many times, unable to catch up with him. She needed him. He had to come home if for no other reason than to give her a sanity check. The family was suffering. Don was sequestered downstairs with the nanny. Tamara and Sam were in school, but they’d be home in a few hours and Madeline couldn’t have Andre still acting out without impacting the other children.
Andre continued wailing. He wouldn’t stop.
She slowly rubbed the palms of her hands across her eyebrows with her eyelids shut tightly.
“Andre, I’d like for you to come downstairs with me,” she said, returning to his doorway after claiming a twenty-minute hiatus. She wouldn’t dare pretend to be fully rejuvenated, no way. But she had restored enough gumption to try reaching out to him again. The thought of Dave dashed in. Jealously brushed against her. She knocked it away and shifted her waning conviction to Andre again. His actions demanded all that she could offer and more. Since she couldn’t get a hold of Dave, Madeline didn’t know where the “more” was going to come from. She’d gotten herself into a mess.
“I figured you might be hungry.” He hadn’t eaten breakfast or lunch, which was disturbing. She couldn’t let him wither away in her care. Something had to be done and fast if this arrangement was going to work. “Would you like a snack before the children get home from school?”
He was despondent. The boy sat in the corner playing with a miniature basketball that Dave had bought him on their way from Arizona. He’d clung to the ball for several days, refusing to put it down. Madeline didn’t want to push him. They’d gotten through the past ten minutes without him acting out. She wasn’t about to disrupt the unfamiliar sound of quiet. She went downstairs to prepare for her other children, leaving Andre for Dave. After all, bringing the boy into their home was his decision too, which meant he had to share the load.
Chapter 17
Sherry was pleased with her day. She was quickly learning that keeping busy wasn’t difficult to do at DMI. Dave emerged from his office ten minutes shy of three o’clock.
“Miss Henderson, can you do this filing for me?”
“Of course I can.”
“You’ll have to get the key from the secretary in legal. She’ll show you where we keep critical documents and acquaint you with our filing system.” He set the stack of files on top of her desk. “Let me know if you have any questions.”
He said that every time, but there hadn’t been a single free minute for her questions. She didn’t bother asking.
Dave glanced at his watch and rested his fist on the stack of files. “I’m going to grab lunch. Please hold my calls for me.” He was about to walk away, then turned and asked, “How has your first day gone?”
“Very busy, but I like that.”
“Well, if work makes you happy, you’ll be extremely satisfied here every day,” he said with humor. “As you can see, there is plenty of work to go around.”
Sherry wasn’t fully at ease talking to Dave with him being an executive. She appreciated his humor, conscious of not crossing the unspoken set of boss-and-employee rules.
“Are you finding your way around pretty easily?”
Not sure if he wanted the real answer, she grappled with what to say. Sherry had plenty of questions, but if she asked them, would he see her as a dependent secretary who couldn’t figure out what had to be done without his constant input? She couldn’t take the chance. She told him, “Yes.”
“If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask,” he said, tapping on the stack. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. By the way, what did they have in the cafeteria today?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t gone to lunch yet.”
“What, are you kidding me?”
“I have too much to do.”
“Nonsense, you have to eat. Let’s go,” he told her in a “don’t bother refusing” kind of tone. So she didn’t resist. “This works out well,” he said. “It gives me a chance to welcome you aboard properly.” She followed along, grateful. “I hope the cafeteria is okay for you. They’ll only have snacks left this late in the day, but I can’t take the time to go out for a decent lunch today. With the Church of God in Christ coming in later this week and the Georgia Evangelical deal closing, I’m up to my ears in meetings and contracts, as you can see. I’ll owe you a rain check for a nicer venue.”
“The cafeteria is fine with me,” she said, not planning to eat much regardless of where they went. He could eat. She’d spend the opportunity getting questions answered. That was more important.
Sherry was beaming, walking several steps behind Dave.
“Am I walking too fast for you?” he asked, causing her cheeks to blush.
She couldn’t figure out what to say or do around him. Being his secretary, Sherry realized she had to boost her comfort level quickly. She didn’t want him to question his decision on hiring her. She would muster the courage and act as if going to lunch with him was commonplace.
Dave grabbed an apple and a couple of leftover tuna sandwiches. She opted for a cup of coffee and a pack of cheese and crackers.
“This is awful,” he said. “This isn’t a meal. This is a survival kit,” he said, slicing at chunks of her shyness. “Be sure and put a lunch date on my calendar. I can certainly do better than this.”
“I don’t mind, really I don’t.”
Dave must have accepted her answer, because he didn’t mention the food again. The conversation carried on for nearly for
ty minutes, which translated into hours for him based on the tightness of his schedule. He stayed and answered most of her questions, which she thought was pretty incredible. She concentrated on looking at every object in the room that took her focus off Mr. Mitchell. It was difficult not to be swept up in his presence, given his way with words, engaging disposition, and knowledge. She especially liked how down-to-earth he acted, not superior or condescending. Sherry couldn’t wait to see Edward and tell him about her first day. Finally there was something wonderful worth celebrating. Edward would be pleased.
Chapter 18
Madeline was irritated. It was well after three o’clock in the afternoon and Dave hadn’t returned her call yet. Andre had calmed, allowing her to breathe. After a period of drama-free thinking, she was able to put the chaos into perspective. How should they expect a little boy to act after losing his last parent, moving across the country, and then being dropped into the middle of a strange family? Being overwhelmed was natural. It was difficult for her to deal with his outbursts and withdrawn attitude. That was true, but she couldn’t be mad at him. Instead, she’d concentrate on increasing her patience.
“Mommy, can I get a snack?” Don asked, tugging at her.
“Sure, tell Sam and Tamara they can have one too.”
“Andre too?”
“No, honey, don’t bother him, okay? Go to the kitchen and have Ms. Jenkins help you. Mommy has to make another call,” she said, hiding her aggravation with their father.
Madeline went into Dave’s office and closed the door. She was practically boiling with anger by the third ring. When Sherry answered the phone, Madeline harnessed her attitude, intent on not publicizing their personal business. “Hi, Sherry, does Dave happen to be free?”
“He should be. Let me check, Mrs. Mitchell. I know he just got back from lunch.”
What in the heck was he doing at lunch when she was ducking and dodging chaos being hurled from every direction at home? Enjoying lunch would have been a dream for her today, yesterday, or the day before. After a brief wait, Sherry returned to the line. “He told me to tell you that he’ll call you back in a few minutes.”
Madeline wanted to tell him to get on the phone, but again she refrained from letting Sherry get a glimpse of their discord. Personal matters had to stay private. “Okay, well tell him I’ll be waiting,” she said in the cheeriest voice she could muster. It was so convincing, she impressed herself. Dave had better call, was what her thoughts were really saying.
Several minutes later the phone rang and she snatched it up. Better be Dave. She answered and it was. “Where have you been? Didn’t you get the message earlier that I called? I needed your help with Andre.”
“Hold on, let me close my door,” Dave said.
She didn’t want to offer any courtesies. Madeline was mad mainly because she felt alone in the battle. But she kept a tight grip on her anger. “I guess the only way to get a call in to you is to get on your calendar. I can’t seem to catch you any other way.”
“I’m sorry. There’s a lot going on here, but you know that better than anyone.”
Madeline cut him off. She didn’t want to squander precious time talking about DMI. It would just make her day worse. “I’ve been trying to get in touch with you all day about Andre.”
“What’s wrong, is he okay?”
“No, he’s not okay. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. He’s a mess and as a result I’m a mess too.”
“What’s going on with him?”
The fact that Dave didn’t know made her want to stretch her arm through the phone, pull his face into their house, and let him see what she’d been wrestling with for days, but she didn’t want to pursue that line of discussion either. She settled with saying, “Andre isn’t ready to start school, not yet.” Each morning she’d approached Andre about going to school, and it had lit a firestorm. The house was in constant uproar. He just wasn’t ready, simple as that.
“You’re with him all day. You know what’s best. I support your decision.”
She was primed to argue with him, but he didn’t give her a chance. He was too agreeable, which irritated her. “Fine,” she snapped. “I’ll call the school.” Another week at home. Now that Andre was registered, the principal wouldn’t like it, but tough. She had to do what was best for Andre even if it was unconventional.
One topic could be checked off her list. There were several more items she planned on discussing with Dave. She was content in her seat, gearing up for a long conversation.
“Excuse me, Madeline. Someone’s knocking on my door. Give me a minute and I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere, hold on.” He didn’t have to worry. She wasn’t going anywhere. Dave returned and said, “I’m sorry, but negotiations with Georgia Evangelical have broken down. Frank needs to run the new numbers by me and then get the package sent out this evening. It may be another late night for me.”
“We’ve been on the phone five minutes and you have to go already? You had time for a lunch break but you didn’t have time to call me? What’s gotten into you? We used to talk constantly.”
“And I miss that, but I honestly need to get down to finance and get this issue resolved or the account will be in jeopardy.”
“Go, bye,” she said with a sting. Madeline remained sitting as the phone buzzed, indicating that she should place the receiver on the base. She didn’t. The call was over. Dave was gone. She was upset and empty. He hadn’t provided the sounding board she craved. Forget the promise she’d made to him before they got married about accepting the demands of his job no matter how intense it got. That promise was made during her naïve years. That was then and this was now. Resentment festered.
Chapter 19
Sherry stared at the inch-thick packet of notes that had to be typed. She peered at the clock flashing four-fifty and then back at the copies that had to be done in preparation for Mr. Mitchell’s big presentation tomorrow. She toyed with the time and amount of work left to do. There was no way she could finish by five. Her zeal was squashed. This was her first day on the job. Sherry couldn’t conceive of telling Mr. Mitchell that she needed to leave early. Well it wasn’t really early. Five o’clock would be leaving on time, but tell that to the typing, filing, and scheduling left to do. She felt like the wife who’d been busy all morning and looked up at three o’clock to realize she still needed to cook, clean, and wash before her family walked in the door. Sherry was dazed in the moment and didn’t know what to do.
She slumped in her seat. Getting off late was going to be a problem this evening. Her countenance lit up thinking about Edward and their date tonight, although she didn’t view their moments together as dates any longer. They were a true couple, planning to be married soon. Sherry sat up in her seat again, rejuvenated. The mounting stack of papers didn’t scare her. She’d work as fast as she could to get done and get to Edward. The thought of telling him about her day sparked her batteries and boosted her speed. She couldn’t wait to tell him about the conversation she had with Mr. Mitchell. Her delight was bursting and must have shown when Mr. Mitchell walked past her desk.
“Oh, Mr. Mitchell, I have a few papers that need your signature.”
“Are these the ones for the Georgia Evangelical deal?”
“Yes, and a few for the Eastern Lutheran Group,” she said, scrambling through the stack, trying to find the paper and appear organized. It didn’t pop up right away. “I know it’s here,” she said, starting to panic.
He put his hand on top of the stack. “Don’t worry. I’m headed to a meeting with the CFO, so I’ll be here late. When you find the paper, please set it on my desk and I’ll sign it.”
“But it has to go out in the packet that’s getting shipped this evening,” she blurted out, not sure if she should have said it. She was hoping to get off at least by six or six-thirty. If she had to wait for Mr. Mitchell’s meeting to end, then her evening was over. The perfect time for her and Edward to discuss wedding plans would be crus
hed. She couldn’t let that happen. Not now, not when she had money coming in and they could reconfirm the date. The wedding had been on hold for several months, since Edward was laid off. That’s why her employment was so important.
Sherry kept digging feverishly as Mr. Mitchell stood, but she could tell he was preparing to leave. There it was, finally, that pesky paper. “Found it,” she said. Sherry plucked it from the pile, practically out of breath, and glided it to the edge of the desk with one hand while whipping out a pen in the other. Poof, she’d saved the day, or more like the evening. Her galloping heart slowed to a controlled trot with her anticipation rising. The wedding plans were on again, thanks to Mr. Mitchell. Sherry had to acknowledge Mrs. Mitchell too, maybe more, because she was the one who brought her to DMI. Sherry had to find a special way to repay the kindness one day, but tonight, she was too busy. The work wasn’t going to get done by itself.
Chapter 20
Madeline didn’t wait for Dave’s alarm to sound off at four-thirty. She was wide awake by four, having drifted off to sleep shortly after putting the children to bed last night around nine. The plan had been to wait up for Dave, but her depleted body rebelled. With seven hours of sleep, Madeline was rested and ready to tackle the day. Her first order of business was Dave. He had to be told about the tenuous situation at home. She’d tried her best to manage the household, but with Andre’s fragile condition, there was no hope of doing it alone. Madeline called out to Dave softly so as not to startle him from his sleep. He didn’t respond. That’s when she rubbed across his shoulder and continued calling his name until he woke up.
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