by Marie Astor
“Hi.” Janet blushed. It seemed that every time she ran into Dean, she needed rescuing. “I’m fine, thank you. It was my own fault. I wasn’t looking where I was going.” She bent down to pick up the rest of the folders.
“That guy is a jerk for running you over like that and not even stopping to make sure you were all right.” Dean looked at her. They were both kneeling on the floor. Dean smiled and Janet felt her entire being tingle. It was not an alarming tingle like she got when Tom Wyman’s knee brushed past her thigh, but a pleasant one. She did not know much about Dean Snider, but she wanted to get to know him.
“These look important.” Dean peeked at the folders, as he handed them to Janet.
“They are.” Janet confirmed. “These are customer files – I was taking them back to my office to make sure everything is in order for the upcoming audit.”
“And are we in good shape?” Dean grinned.
“I think so,” Janet answered. “At least I hope so.”
“That doesn’t sound very promising,” Dean probed.
“I haven’t really looked through them yet, as I was interrupted,” Janet alluded to the embarrassing incident.
“Well, I hope that you find everything up to your satisfaction.”
A yell from one of the desks interrupted them. “Dean, over here, my computer email won’t open up!”
“I’ve got to get back to work.” Dean shrugged. “It was nice seeing you again, Janet.”
Janet smiled: it was nice seeing Dean as well. “You too. Thanks for your help.”
After showing a trader with the attention span of a three-year-old kid how to reset his email password for the umpteenth time, Dennis Walker settled behind his desk. A smile was playing on his lips. It seemed that circumstance had a way of bringing him and Janet Maple together. He found his encounters with Janet most entertaining, but now Dennis realized that Janet Maple could be a lot more than a flirtation. While Dennis was certain that he could gain access to Bostoff’s customer files, navigating Bostoff’s systems on his own was a lot like trying to find his way in the dark. Turning on the light would make things so much easier, and Janet Maple could be the light switch he needed. Dennis had spotted a very important detail while helping Janet to gather folders off the floor: one of the customer files was entitled Emperial. The Treasury Investigations unit had been trying to get its hands on the Emperial hedge fund for a long time. While Bostoff Securities had enough violations to build a solid case, Bostoff’s clients were the main reason why Dennis had jumped on the assignment. For the past two years, the Treasury Investigations division had been tracking several notorious hedge funds that were suspected in a number of infractions, including tax evasion and insider trading. Getting access to the hedge funds had proven to be next to impossible: all attempts at turning former or current employees into informants had failed, and getting Treasury investigators inside as undercover employees had proved impossible as well. Bostoff Securities had appeared on the radar as the executing broker for Emperial and other shady hedge funds, which larger brokerage houses were beginning to shun as clients. With Janet’s help, Dennis could bring the Bostoff investigation to closure much more quickly. His boss’s recognition aside, the added bonus of this achievement would be retirement of Dean Snider’s persona. For as much as Dennis loved his job, he was getting tired of wearing ill-fitted clothes and being snapped fingers at as though he were a maid.
Now that Dennis had a valid reason to get close to Janet, he had to devise his plan, which would not be too difficult given the fact that Janet and he were located on the same floor. There were a number of places where they could run into each other – the kitchen, the employee cafeteria, the copy room… Of course, Dennis would have to tread lightly lest he risk compromising his cover. He would become Janet’s office buddy, and gradually, he would become her confidant. For any other man, these plans might have sounded overly ambitious, but not for Dennis Walker. He had tested his powers of persuasion on many occasions. Granted, the persona of Dean Snider was not the most advantageous one when it came to the art of female seduction, but Dennis was not planning on seducing Janet Maple – at least not while he was on the assignment. Instead, he planned to become her friend, and Dean Snider was just the sort of man women tended to trust.
Back in her office, Janet placed the customer files on her desk. She was too rattled to look at their contents. But even if she had been spared the embarrassment of Dean Snider witnessing her being knocked off her feet, Janet would not be anxious to open the files. For having glimpsed inside, she was afraid of the additional information, or lack thereof, that she might discover. Perhaps she should have heeded Lisa’s instructions and limited her assignment to reviewing the template forms rather than making sure that the items the forms requested were actually in the customer files. There was a chance that Emperial’s file Janet had picked was an exception; it was quite possible that the rest of the files would have all the required information. It could even be that Rosemarie would have an explanation why Emperial’s file was incomplete: the documentation could have gotten misplaced, or maybe it was stored electronically. There could be a number of reasonable explanations. In a minute, Janet would force herself to look for one, but right now she needed to take a moment to think about Dean Snider.
There was no denying the fact that she found him attractive, but Janet also knew first-hand that an office romance could be a disaster. She had learned that fact only too well through her failed relationship with Alex: the sneaking around, the awkwardness, and the disappointment. Even though the office policy at the DA’s office did allow dating, Alex had asked her to keep their seeing each other a secret, explaining that making their involvement public would hamper their promotion chances, and Janet had agreed. His decision to conceal their relationship had felt wrong from the start, but Alex knew how to be persuasive: after all, he planned to make attorney general one day. Alex had promised that their secrecy would not last long. Once they had a year or so on the job, they would come clean. At first, the sneaking around had been fun: it had felt exciting and thrilling, like stealing a lollipop from a candy store, but then it got tiresome and exhausting. A year went by and then three more, but Alex did not do a thing about revealing their involvement to their boss, or even clarifying the nature of their relationship between themselves. Four years was a long time: long enough to get engaged and to get married, but despite his numerous promising hints, Alex had never committed, adding insult to injury when, instead of popping the question, he offered to remain friends.
It hurt to admit it, but the truth was that Janet was as much to blame as Alex. Alex might have been a lying snake, but she had been a naïve fool for trusting him, and fools got their hearts broken. If she were to take a chance on Dean Snider, or on any man for that matter, she would run the risk of getting her heart broken again, and she simply could not stomach the possibility.
Chapter 12
It was Monday morning, and Jon Bostoff had already breached his irritation quota for the week. He tried to restrain himself from throwing irate glances at his father, who sat opposite from him with an absurdly cheerful expression on his face.
“Well, I think that it’s wonderful news about Paul and Lisa getting engaged.” Hank Bostoff smiled. “It was about time Paul settled down, and I for one am glad that he’s not marrying an actress.”
A clueless bimbo would be better than a money hungry schemer, Jon thought, but restrained his impulse to vent. Until Hank Bostoff retired, he was still the boss.
“Between you and me…” Hank leaned across the table, his face growing serious. “I was worried about Paul for a while – that whole acting shtick… The odds of making it in that business are so remote, I feared that Paul might become a perpetual drifter, a shirker… But the kid has turned out real good; you both have.” Hank patted Jon’s hand. “I am especially proud of you, Jon, for taking Paul under your wing. Paul’s got real potential, don’t you think?”
Jon just stared
blankly at his father as he tried to come up with a diplomatic remark, but he need not have worried: Hank was on a roll.
“Paul really proved himself in marketing, and I think he’ll be really good in the COO role once he becomes better-rounded in his knowledge of the company operations. And that’s where I need your help, Jon. I need you to train Paul to become your right arm. I built this company to pass it on to my children. Once I know that I can leave the company safely in the hands of my two sons, I will finally be able to retire.”
Jon wondered if this was the beginning of Hank’s descent into senility. Paul had about as much business acumen as a monkey. He might have been great at fussing with press releases and advertisements, but when it came to running a business operation, Paul hadn’t a clue, and no amount of on-the-job training was going to change that.
“That’s something your mother would have wanted as well,” Hank added. “She always worried that you and your brother were not close enough. She blamed it on the age difference between you when you were growing up, but I always told her that in time it would not matter. Nine years seems like a lot when you’re a kid, but as you get older, the difference vanishes.”
Jon nodded. If he were to succeed in getting his father to agree with his point of view, candidness was not an option. He’d think of a way to open his father’s eyes to Paul’s faults as a businessman later, but right now there was another matter he wanted to address.
“Oh, Dad, I meant to ask you: did you know about Mother’s ring?” Before Jon finished the sentence Hank cut in.
“I wanted Paul to have it; I think your mother would have agreed.”
“But I thought she wanted the ring to remain in the family,” Jon retorted.
Hank frowned. “As your brother’s future wife, Lisa is now part of this family.”
Jon was too rattled up to hold back. “Yes, Dad. I only meant to say that family heirlooms should be passed on to children and grandchildren, but obviously you know best. Suppose Lisa calls off the engagement, then what?” The sapphire ring that now adorned Lisa’s ring finger had been a present from Hank to his wife on their twentieth wedding anniversary. It was a custom design, consisting of a flawless sapphire, framed by highest clarity diamonds in a platinum setting. The trouble was that Jon’s mother had passed away without a chance to leave a will. At the time, his father had been too overwrought by grief for Jon to approach the sensitive subject, and now it was obvious that he had waited too long.
“When Paul told me about his plans, I was too overjoyed to think about something like that… Look, son, I understand your concern, but I think that Lisa is a decent enough woman to return the engagement ring should she wish to call off the engagement, and I, for one, sincerely hope that it will not come to that. And as for my grandchildren, there will be plenty to go around for everyone.” Hank winked. “Right now I just want to bask in the joy of seeing my sons succeed – both personally and professionally.”
“You’re right, Dad; it was a heartfelt gesture. I’m sorry I over-reacted.” Jon shrugged. There was no way of convincing the old man, so he might as well make the best of it.
“I’m glad we’re in agreement, Jon. I wanted your mother’s memory, the memory of our marriage…” Hank broke off. “to be passed on while I was still around to see it. Who knows how many days I have left on this earth, and to tell you the truth, without your mother, I wish there would not be that many.”
“Dad…” Jon felt his throat tightening with guilt. He’d been so preoccupied with his own affairs that it never even crossed his mind to think about how his father was coping with his wife’s death. “Dad, you know that you are loved very much by your family; you are very important to us.” Jon stopped short; he was a pro when it came to peddling corporate speeches in boardrooms, but when it came to speaking from his heart, he choked.
“I know, son.” Hank patted Jon’s hand. “Well, I’d better get out of your way. You’ve got a company to run.”
“Okay, Dad. But you know that I’m always there for you, should you need to talk or anything…” Jon offered awkwardly.
“I know, son. I know.” Hank turned toward the door. “And Jon…”
“Yes?”
“Remember what I said about your brother: he’s got the potential to run the company as your partner. Help him realize it.”
Jon nodded. “I will, Dad.”
Once the door behind his father closed, Jon pressed his fists against his temples. He had enough worries keeping him up at night. Now, he also had to devise a way to involve his younger brother in the business while keeping him out of the loop on any matters of substance. God forbid Paul, with his Boy Scout mentality, should ever find out about the changes that Jon had implemented at the firm. His naïve, prudish brother would be the first in line to self-report to the SEC and the Feds. Still, Jon had to admit that the old man did have a point. Rather than trying to keep Paul away, Jon should embrace his younger brother. This way, Paul would begin to trust him and consult with Jon on his decisions. In fact, if Jon had done just that, he could have anticipated Paul’s stupid move of hiring that DA lawyer…
Speak of the devil, Jon thought, looking through the glass wall of his office. There was a reason why he had remodeled his office with glass walls. He had his eye on the trading floor at all times, and now he saw the pesky new lawyer carrying a stack of folders under her arm. Jon squinted: the girl was heading from the Operations area and the folders had to be the new account folders. Jon recognized them because he had personally made a visit to the Operations area a few months back. He had given that woman Rosemarie a nice raise, and in return, she was to apply relaxed paperwork standards for certain accounts. When Jon had intuited the new process to Rosemarie, he saw understanding flash in her eyes: she had an unemployed husband and three children to feed. Jon knew how to pick his employees. Of course, there was always a risk of the regulators snooping around, but Tom Wyman would take care of that. His law firm had excellent rapport with the SEC and the Feds. Jon Bostoff had followed enough white collar crime cases to know that the only time the regulators ever caught on to anything was when things were leaked from inside, so he had made sure to pay the key people properly. And now, thanks to his brother, a former DA attorney was snooping around his customer files…
Jon picked up his phone and dialed Tom Wyman’s number.
“Hi there, Jon,” Wyman’s voice boomed in the receiver. “Business going well? But then after the last deal you got going with Emperial, that’s really a rhetorical question,” Wyman smirked.
“Hello, Tom.” Jon forced himself to ignore Wyman’s cockiness. The man was a genius when it came to setting up schemes, but that did not give him the right to be so damn arrogant. “Thing are going well indeed.”
“So, what can I do for you today, Jon?”
“You can help me keep an eye on that new hire my brother brought in. Have you met her yet?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact I gave her a brief orientation on Bostoff’s corporate structure. Between you and me, I’d like to give her a lot more than that, but she seemed pretty uptight.”
“You what?” Jon exploded.
“Hey, Jon, I was just kidding. Rest assured, Janet Maple’s honor is safe from me.”
“That’s not what I meant, Tom. For all I care, you can fuck her brains out. What was that you said about the orientation?”
“Well, I ah… I showed her the entities owned by Bostoff Securities. Paul said he wanted me to train her. I thought you knew. I thought you wanted to start doing some of the work in-house to save on legal fees.”
“Tom, you know me better than that. I’m never cheap when it comes to matters like that. Do you know that Janet Maple used to work for the DA’s office?”
“I know, but she got laid off. I checked her out – they kicked her out in the middle of an investigation. Seems she meddled in affairs that were above her pay grade. She was unemployed for several months before she landed here. After an ordeal like that, I
doubt she has any affinity to her previous occupation. But in any case, I don’t think she understood much of what I told her – she seemed completely overwhelmed.”
“Once a snitch, always a snitch.” Jon pressed his lips together grimly.
“And besides, the employment non-disclosure agreement she had to sign would prevent her from blabbing, anyway.”
Jon made a mental note to obtain a copy of Janet Maple’s signed employment agreement. “That’s a good point. Makes me feel a whole lot better. Those NDAs are bona fide gags. Do me a favor, Tom – keep close to her, okay? I just saw her poking around in new accounts files. I don’t need a snitch in my house. And next time my brother comes to you with any new ideas, you be sure to let me know about it.”
“I will, Jon. And don’t you worry about Janet – it will be my pleasure to keep an eye on her.”
After hanging up the phone, Jon Bostoff leaned back in his chair. He was feeling calmer now. If Tom said that Janet did not have a clue what Tom was talking about when he trained her, he had to be right - unless Tom was covering his tracks for having blabbed about matters he was not supposed to blab about, but then Tom was not one to be blamed for that lapse. Jon’s brother was, which reminded Jon of his earlier resolution. If he wanted to keep Paul under control, he had to keep him close.
With a grunt, Jon rose from his chair. He could have his secretary schedule a meeting with Paul, but a personal visit would set the mood Jon was aiming for.
As Jon walked down the hall to Paul’s office, he tried to conjure up a cordial and brotherly demeanor. Getting close to Paul was a matter of business importance, and when it came to money, Jon was willing to put his personal feelings aside.
Through the open door of Paul’s office, Jon could see his brother peering at the computer screen with intense concentration.
Jon rapped his fingers on the office door, forcing hearty cheer into his voice.
