Simply Mad (Girls of Wonder Lane Book 1)

by Christina Coryell

  “Dina speaking.”

  Wow, I didn’t expect her to answer so fast.

  “Hi, Dina, this is Madeline Heard. We met yesterday, remember?”

  “Yes, I remember,” she replies in her husky voice. “The chef salad girl.”

  I manage a small chuckle. “Yes, that was me. The thing is, I have sort of a strange question, and I’m hoping you can help me. I’m calling about some shoes.”

  “Yes, size seven. Is there a problem with the fit?”

  Good! She knows about the shoes!

  “Oh, I don’t know, I didn’t try them on. The thing is, I simply can’t afford them, and I was wondering how I should go about returning them. Maybe if you tell me what store they came from, I can just pop by and—”

  “The shoes were from Mr. Cooper.”

  Okay, don’t just point out the obvious. Help me out here!

  “Yes, I suspected that was the case. He did recommend the shoes to me yesterday, but perhaps he isn’t fully aware of my financial situation.”

  “The shoes are a gift, Miss Heard, and I certainly don’t need to hear about your financial situation.”

  I see she’s still sporting the charming personality she greeted me with yesterday.

  “A gift? I’m a little uncomfortable accepting such a costly gift.”

  “Well, then I suggest you call Mr. Cooper yourself and explain the problem, because I don’t intend to go into his office and tell him you refused his gift.”

  “Okay, thanks for your help,” I say sarcastically.

  She hangs up, which is just as well. I decided yesterday she wasn’t very nice, but this really puts the icing on the cake. Now what am I going to do with these shoes? I definitely don’t feel comfortable calling Cooper and complaining about them. This is a real dilemma.

  Suddenly, a hand grabs my upper arm and yanks me behind a filing cabinet. I turn to see Katie, wild eyed and clawing at me.

  “Good grief, Katie. You could have dislocated my shoulder!”

  “Keep your voice down,” she whispers. “I can’t believe you were just standing there, calmly talking on the phone, on this, the worst day of our lives.”

  “Seriously, Katie, what is wrong with you? Are you on something?”

  “You didn’t see him? Oh my gosh, you didn’t see him! Maddie, what are we going to do? This is the mother of all nightmares.”

  “Would you calm yourself and just tell me what’s going on?”

  Katie backs away a little bit, looks at the floor, and takes a deep breath as I peer past the file cabinet to make sure no one is watching this unbelievable display. She must be out of her mind.

  “He…of whom…we do not…speak,” she explains, punctuating her words as she stands there crazy-eyed and waiting for reassurance.

  “What about him, Katie? What did he do to…” I stop short, because I happen to glance around the file cabinet and see what caused Katie’s reaction. There he is, bigger than life, standing right there in front of me, hanging up an ugly motivational print in the office—my office. Bill Davies? No, no, no.

  No!

  “What is he doing here?” I mutter, not taking my eyes off him.

  “Oh, Maddie, I don’t know. When I walked in this morning, there he was.” Katie’s eyes well up with tears as she gazes into my face.

  “But he moved to the third floor. He has nothing to do with us anymore. There’s no reason for him to be in there unless…”

  No, they wouldn’t dare. There is no way Cooper could have made such a mockery of my interview yesterday and then given the job to Bill Davies! What a patronizing, condescending, utterly demeaning, cowardly way to behave! I should go up there and give that crackpot a piece of my mind!

  “Maddie? Are you okay? You’re scaring me.”

  “I’m going to Hamilton.”

  “Hamilton? What are you going to do, Maddie? There’s nothing we can do.”

  “I can tell him what I think about this.”

  “Don’t do that,” she begs, grabbing my arm. “What if you get fired?”

  “He’ll just save me the trouble of quitting, because I’m not working for that joker again.”

  I move away from the cabinet and head down the hall, leaving Katie practically crying in the corner.

  It was nothing but a big game—the questions about the hobbies, the raw eggs, the vitamins. He was only toying with me, because he had no intention of giving me the job. That’s why he didn’t ask me any serious questions! And Hamilton…that weasel let him do it. He didn’t stand up for me, after all I’ve done the last few weeks. Did Cooper really think those stupid tree frog shoes were going to appease me after this? I don’t think so!

  Hamilton is sitting at his desk when I walk in and slam the door shut behind me. He jerks and looks up, his chair moving back a few inches.

  “Good grief, Heard, you startled me.”

  “You want to tell me what’s going on?” I demand. He sighs and leans back in his chair, his hands spread on the desk in front of him.

  “Okay, now, before you jump to conclusions, just let me—”

  “Why is Bill Davies on this floor? Why is he in my department, hanging his ugly prints in the office that should belong to me?”

  Hamilton pauses for a moment and takes a deep breath. “Cooper gave him the job.”

  “And you just sat back and let that happen, knowing the kind of supervisor Davies has been in the past? How could you think for one moment that we would ever agree to work for—”

  “Now hold on a second, Heard. If you’ll just let me explain things, I’m sure you’ll understand.”

  “Understand a blatant, gross injustice? Try your best to explain that.”

  I stand resolutely in front of the door, silently drilling him with my eyes, daring him to give me a lame excuse. He clears his throat and tugs at his tie.

  “I was all set to go with you. I mean, there’s no doubt you earned the job, and I had every intention of giving it to you. The interview was just going to be a formality.” He clears his throat again, which makes me slightly concerned that he’s not being honest. “Yesterday, at about 1:00, Cooper called me and told me he was really pleased with the way we turned things around. He asked who was responsible for that, and I told him you had a lot to do with it. When I told him I was getting ready to give you the job, he said that he would like to interview you himself, since he had never met you. Naturally, I assumed he would agree with my decision.”

  “And then he made a mockery of my interview. I still don’t understand.”

  Hamilton looks confused as he pushes around some papers on his desk, searching for something.

  “Your interview? Sorry, I don’t know about that. Cooper had his secretary bring me a note yesterday afternoon…aha, here it is. It says this: Madeline Heard is an impressive young woman, and I think she can be better utilized in some other facet of the company. Please return Bill Davies to his former job duties for the time being.” He stops and drops the paper on his desk. “That’s all I know.”

  “So what am I supposed to do, just sit around and wait to see what that cryptic note means?”

  “Look, I’m not happy about this either. You know what it means, that you can be better utilized somewhere else? It means you won’t be working for me anymore, and you’re one of the best employees I have. You would have been great in that position, and instead I’m going to lose you altogether.”

  Pulling up a chair, I slump down and put my head in my hands. “I’m not working for Bill Davies,” I murmur.

  “I don’t blame you for feeling that way, but what am I to do?”

  What can he do? Nothing. That was my job, I deserved it, and now I have to sit around waiting for Cooper to tell me in which “facet” he wants me to be involved. What if it’s cleaning toilets or washing cars? What if he wants me to write his dating memoirs?

  “I want the day off,” I verbalize without thinking it through.

  “Okay.”

  “With pay.�
�

  Sigh. “With pay.”

  “Katie, too.”

  “Come on, Heard, that’s a little—”

  “Katie, too, or I ask for a week.”

  “Okay, okay. Katie, too.”

  Standing up, I head for the door.

  “You know, Heard, you’re a lot fiercer than I would have imagined. You’re like a little bulldog.”

  Woof.

  “Thanks for wanting to give me the job. It’s nice to know that you think I deserve it.”

  He nods and smiles sadly as I turn the knob and pull the door open.

  “What am I supposed to tell Cooper, if he calls looking for you?”

  “Just tell him that I’m running in tree frogs and eating raw eggs.”

  “Sorry?”

  “Tell him I took the day off.”

  Chapter Ten

  It’s been a rough week, more because I feel sorry for Katie than anything else. Even though I’m not sure where I’m going or what I’ll be doing, at least I know I’m getting out. All Katie has to look forward to is an undetermined amount of time with Bill Davies. Oh, the horror.

  Bill has been really quiet since he came back, barely speaking to any of us. He’s probably just biding his time until I’m gone, thinking no one will try to stand up to him when he revamps the department. He will strip Shelly of all her duties, so she can fully devote her attention to beautifying herself and writing out grocery lists. Before the month is out, he’ll probably have Katie shining Shelly’s shoes and picking up her dry cleaning. Poor Katie—I should do something to help her.

  Well, I would if I could.

  The phone rings, pulling me away from my thoughts.

  “Madeline Heard.”

  “Hi, Madeline, this is Max Kimball from the Big Cedar Tennis Club, calling to schedule your tennis instruction.”

  Tennis instruction? I didn’t order any…

  Oh, good grief!

  “I’m sorry, but there’s been a mistake. I didn’t order any lessons–besides, tennis instruction isn’t in my budget right now.”

  “No need to worry, ma’am, the cost of the instruction has already been covered. What day of the week would you prefer?”

  Why do I get the feeling lately that I’m not in charge of my own life?

  “Actually, I work Monday through Friday, so there’s really no time to—”

  “You’re in luck, because we also have instruction on Saturday. Do you prefer morning or afternoon? Morning is sometimes more tolerable in the heat of the summer.”

  This guy has an answer for everything.

  “That sounds great,” I offer. “The thing is, I’m pretty much booked every Saturday for the next month. Maybe I should just call you when I’m ready to schedule something.”

  “No need for that, ma’am. I’ll just schedule you for the first Saturday in September.”

  “Oh, that won’t work. I’m having a family get-together that day, so I wouldn’t be able to make it.”

  That at least is true—Mom’s Labor Day picnic.

  “Okay, then the second Saturday in September. I’ll put you down for 10:00.”

  Surely I can come up with a reason to cancel. I could probably come up with a good reason within the next five minutes if I thought hard enough.

  “See you then!” he states cheerfully, right before the line goes dead.

  I cannot believe this! What exactly is it that Cooper wants me to do at this company, begin a fitness program? First the running shoes, and now the tennis instruction. If I walk in next Monday and find a glass full of raw eggs, I’m going to scream.

  I immediately contacted Josh on the day I left work early, indignant about the job and hoping he would validate my feelings. When he called me back later, he was sympathetic until I happened to bring up the shoes, and then he laughed. He told me I should give them a try, so I acquiesced and they actually did feel more comfortable than the air-walking shoes I purchased earlier. I didn’t admit that to Josh, though. I e-mailed him later and told him it was like running with bricks strapped to my feet. He didn’t believe me.

  “We’ve got to do something, Katie,” I whisper, turning to her.

  She looks up from her paperwork. “What, run away?”

  Wow, I’ve never seen her so depressed. “Maybe we can stage a coup.”

  “That’s not funny,” she replies with a sigh, looking back down at her desk. She is definitely not her usual, cheerful self.

  “Tell me how to help, Katie. I’ll do anything.”

  Katie glances over at Bill Davies, who is typing away at his computer. She closes her eyes for a moment and then shakes her head in disgust.

  “You can’t do anything. I just have to get used to the fact that I am going to be working for him again, and hope that things get better. What else can I do? I need this job.”

  It’s so unfair. If Cooper would have given me the promotion, Katie would have been happy and things would have continued on the way they were. Instead, he made a big mistake, and we all have to live with the consequences.

  Why did Cooper even have to get involved at all? If he would have left things up to Hamilton like he should have, I would be sitting in that office right now, not Bill Davies.

  This is all Cooper’s fault.

  “I’m going to Cooper.”

  I am vaguely concerned that the voice that just blurted that sounded like mine, and I am quite certain that is not something I want to do under any circumstance.

  Katie’s eyes grow a little larger as she leans forward across her desk. “Are you insane?”

  Am I insane? No, Cooper is insane, and going back up to his office is insane, but I am not insane. I have to help my friend.

  “What are you going to do, Maddie, beg him for the job? You already said he’s a little crazy. What if he fires you on the spot?”

  “Then that means everything Hamilton told me was a lie, in which case I wouldn’t want to stay here anyway.”

  “Don’t do it,” she pleads as I push my chair away from my desk resolutely. I know in that instant I’ve sealed my fate, and I have no choice.

  Stepping toward the elevator, I pause to push the up button, completely regretting my move. Sensing Katie’s eyes boring into my back, I’m painfully aware that I can’t chicken out. My palms start to get sweaty as the elevator doors open and I step inside.

  The knowledge that I can’t just go up to Cooper’s office unannounced and demand that he makes things right for Katie engulfs me. I wouldn’t even know how to begin. She’s staring at me as the doors close, though, and I attempt to smile.

  Oh, why am I so impulsive? I should have just sat there and kept my trap shut.

  Maybe he’s not in the office. Why would he be, on a Friday afternoon? I’m sure none of those executives on the top floor even bother to come in on Fridays. I’ll just go up, see that all the lights for the top floor are shut off, and come straight back down. At least Katie will know that I made an attempt.

  The elevator doors open to the top floor. All the lights are on, unfortunately, and Dina is sitting at a desk in the hall. To my dismay, she saw me and is glaring at me over those red glasses.

  Wait a minute, Dina’s sitting in the hall?

  Never mind that now. How am I going to get out of this? I can’t just turn around and head back down in the elevator—she’s watching me. Oh, dear God, what do I do?

  “Can I help you?” Dina responds with a scowl.

  Someone must not have told her it’s Friday, and it’s okay to be happy on Fridays. Maybe Cooper is tired of her attitude and sat her in the hall as a time-out.

  “I would like to see Mr. Cooper,” I manage, voice cracking.

  “Of course you would,” she snaps, snatching up her receiver and continuing to squint at me over those red frames. “Mr. Cooper, Miss Heard is here to see you.”

  She places her phone back on her desk and begins writing on a notepad in front of her. After a moment, she glances up at me.

  “Well, don�
��t just stand here staring at me. Go in, if you’re going.”

  No, that’s okay. I changed my mind. You can just tell him it was a mistake. Katie won’t be too awfully disappointed.

  Oh, drat.

  Opening the door gingerly, I peek inside.

  “Madeline Heard, if this isn’t a surprise!” Wow, I forgot how loud he is. He stands up as I shut the door behind me, and I can’t help but notice his bright pink polo shirt. I’m not certain that’s a great color for a lot of men—especially not him. “I don’t have things quite ready yet, but I’m glad you came up.”

  Don’t have things ready? What is he talking about?

  “I’m glad…that you’re glad, I mean. I actually want to talk to you about something, sir, that’s been—”

  “I thought we settled all this ‘sir’ business the other day. Just call me Kent.”

  I can see nothing has changed. I’m never going to get anywhere with this conversation.

  “Well, what I want to talk to you about is—”

  “I’m sure it can wait,” he interrupts. “Let me show you what I’ve been doing.”

  There is no denying that I’m filled with dread, half afraid he’s going to show me his bicep and go into another fitness monologue. Instead, he walks to the far side of his office and opens a door.

  “Come on, come on,” he instructs as I walk toward him. The door opens to join Dina’s office, which has been newly remodeled with fresh carpeting, new furniture, and window dressings.

  “Well, what do you think?” he asks, grinning at me.

  “I’m sure Dina will love it,” I reply, listening as he chuckles.

  “Oh, no. This isn’t for Dina. This is your office.”

  Come again?

  “My office?”

  “Yes, absolutely. You’re going to have to be close by so we can really collaborate on all my ideas.”

  “I’m sorry, I guess I don’t know what you’re talking about. Exactly what is it that you want me to do?”