The Boss of Her

by Julie Cannon

  Stephanie laughed. “I know it is, and hello to you, too.”

  “Sorry, you caught me off guard. What’s up?”

  “I need some advice,” Stephanie said before taking a sip of her room temperature coffee.

  “Please, please, please tell me this has something to do with your hot assistant.” Lee’s excitement shined in the high volume of her voice. A spirited Lee was a loud Lee.

  Stephanie tilted the phone away from her ear slightly. “It does, but it’s not—”

  “Yes.” Stephanie could hear Lee clapping over the phone. “I knew it, just ask Zoe. I called it the moment I saw you two giving each other the look.”

  Stephanie scoffed. “What look?”

  “You both had this ‘I can’t help that I find you attractive, but I’m going to hide it’ look. It was great. I told Zoe you’ll have your assistant in bed by the end of the month.”

  “I don’t know what Zoe sees in you.” Stephanie pinched the bridge of her nose. “Anyway, can you be serious for one minute?” Stephanie heard nothing but a faint buzz in the line and took that as a positive answer. “Luca’s grandmother died.”

  Lee sighed heavily into the phone. “No shit. That’s sad. Were they close?”

  “I have no idea. This is the first I’ve heard of her grandmother.”

  “Still not opening up to her?”

  “I am…a little.” Stephanie thought briefly of their day spent with Mitchell and how she’d opened up to Luca, only to close back up after. “I’m trying.” Lee laughed. “I really am. I came to work today with a whole speech prepared to tell Luca that I’m now completely dedicated to teaching and training her to be the best forensic accountant there is. After me, of course.”

  “Of course.”

  “And now she’s not here. And I’ve never directly been someone’s boss before. I have no clue how to handle the death of an employee’s family member. I know standard procedure, but that’s it. Should I do something more?”

  “If you care about Luca, you should,” Lee said. Stephanie was quiet, giving Lee an opportunity to pounce on her. “You totally care. Holy shit, mark this day on the calendar.”

  “Make sure you mark it as the day I started to care and the day I kicked your ass. Lee, please, help me. I didn’t call you for insults.”

  Lee was silent for a moment. “Why did you call me?”

  Stephanie almost snorted at the fair question. “Out of everyone I confide in, you’re the most levelheaded, believe it or not. In spite of your teasing and inability to focus on the severity of a situation, I know your advice will be sound whenever you decide to grace me with it.”

  “Imagine for a moment that you’re closer to Luca. Say, I don’t know, you actually opened up to her from day one, how would that affect the situation today?”

  Stephanie considered the question. If she had worked with Luca from the first day assigned to her, surely a personal connection would’ve been forged. Stephanie would’ve learned about Luca’s ill grandmother in the fashion she had learned of her bubbly niece and nephew. “She would’ve told me herself, not through some company-addressed email.”

  “And what would you do?”

  “Whatever she needed,” Stephanie said, answering without thought. “But the reality is that Luca has no idea that I’m a decent human being.”

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself, most people don’t know that you’re a decent human being.”

  “I hate you.”

  Lee laughed. “Email her back. Let her know she’s in your thoughts.”

  “That seems too simple.”

  “You underestimate the little things.”

  “Thank you for your help, I guess.” Stephanie glanced at her watch. “I’ve wasted enough time on this. I’ll email her and talk to you later.” Lee didn’t respond right away, no witty remark or farewell. Stephanie wondered if the call had been dropped. “Lee?”

  “There’s more to life than work, and I’m worried you don’t realize that.” Lee let out a breath into the phone. “We will talk later, but for now, try to be more human. Goodbye, Steph.”

  “Bye.” Stephanie disconnected the call and stared at her phone. The background picture was still the factory set image of a starry sky. Of course there was more to life than work, but what Lee failed to realize was that the risks Stephanie took for her clients were the only risks she felt comfortable taking.

  Stephanie stared at the email on her screen for a while, planning out a proper response. Keeping the email simple seemed smartest, but she dared to make it more personal.

  Luca,

  I’m very sorry to hear about your grandmother. Share my deepest condolences with your family, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re in need of anything over the next few days. Take as much time off as you need. I’d like the details of the planned services to share with the staff, as it’s come to my attention that you’re well liked.

  With sympathy,

  Stephanie Austin

  Stephanie looked at her name and the blinking cursor that danced beside it. She made a quick edit, signing it simply but with meaning: Stephanie.

  Chapter Eight

  Luca fingered the lily’s leaves gently. Her coworkers had sent such an elegant arrangement to the funeral home and the gesture touched Luca deeply. Truth be told, the flowers that lined the room offered her the perfect distraction, a short getaway from the constant stream of people. Even her own family was overwhelming her. Luca had spent most of Thursday night crying until she fell into a fitful sleep. Her heart had never known such mourning. Losing her granny was the first major loss she had experienced as an adult. Luca would have preferred to grieve alone, bask in her sadness solitarily, and show a strong face to those outside her own little world. But she couldn’t, so she went around and read each card attached to the flower arrangements. The full vase from LGR was by far her favorite, and she knew her grandmother would appreciate the simple elegance of lilies as well.

  Once Luca was out of flowers, she began pacing in front of the doorway to their private room of the funeral home. She hated being around dead bodies, especially when the one on display belonged to a woman who helped raise her. She was uncomfortable with the idea of a viewing before a funeral and just wanted the evening to be over. Almost every person that had approached with condolences was a stranger, save for a few close family friends. Luca was about to slip outside for some fresh air when she heard her name being called. She turned around to find her sister-in-law, Alice, waving her over. Her short ebony hair bounced with the motion.

  Alice stood beside a gorgeous redheaded woman and someone Luca recognized immediately, even if her relaxed demeanor didn’t match Luca’s memories of her. “Catherine,” Luca greeted Alice’s best friend with a warm hug. “I haven’t seen you in forever.”

  “Not since you were in college. I’m so sorry about your grandmother. Bethany was such a wonderful woman.” Luca simply nodded, no longer able to come up with words of gratitude for people’s sympathy. “How have you been otherwise?”

  “Pretty good,” Luca said, looking from Catherine to the woman fidgeting beside her. “I heard you’ve been doing pretty well for yourself.”

  Catherine shot the woman at her side a smile dripping with affection. “Luca, I’d like you to meet my fiancée, Imogene. Imogene, this is Chris’s sister you’ve heard so much about but have yet to meet.”

  Imogene reached for Luca’s hands. “I lost my grandfather a couple of years ago. I know everyone’s words start to sound the same after a while, but I am truly sorry for your loss.” She held Luca’s hands gently and looked into her eyes as she spoke. Luca would’ve found it alarming, if Imogene’s eyes weren’t such a calming blue.

  “Thank you.”

  “I’ve heard so much about you from Chris and Alice, I feel like we’ve already met. The Valentine’s Day fundraising banquet is my favorite night of the year thanks to you.” Luca looked at Catherine, who was blushing, then eyed Imogene curiously. Imogen
e giggled. “It’s a long story.”

  Alice cleared her throat. “We should have dinner soon,” she said directly to Catherine and Imogene, and then to Luca. “I hope the three of you can make it. Mackenzie has been asking for you, Cat.” Catherine beamed with a million-watt smile. “And Daniel is missing his aunt.”

  “I’m missing Daniel, too. I was just talking about him last week. My boss’s nephew—”

  “Stephanie Austin?” Catherine asked abruptly.

  “Yeah,” Luca said with a small smile at the mention of Stephanie’s name. She looked at Catherine and tilted her head. “How did you know?”

  Catherine pointed to the entrance. “Stephanie Austin is here.”

  “What?” Luca spun around and the sight of Stephanie made her teeter on her feet. After gaining her physical and mental balance, Luca stared for a moment, taking in Stephanie’s fidgeting form. Stephanie’s usual confident air eluded her.

  “That was nice of her to stop by.” Alice broke Luca’s trance. “Go say hi, we’ll hang back.” Alice nudged Luca.

  Luca took a deep breath and approached Stephanie, who appeared to visibly relax once Luca was in front of her. “You didn’t have to come,” Luca said quietly.

  Stephanie stared at Luca, cool blue eyes scanning her face slowly. “Of course I did.” Stephanie’s face was void of any outward emotion. “Your email sounded sad, and although I don’t doubt you have a strong support system, I felt it was important that you know I’m here—”

  Luca was struck by the unexpected act of kindness. She threw her arms around Stephanie and held her tightly. Not one person that night had managed to shake her emotional strength, but one small, warm admittance from Stephanie severed every tether holding her control in place. Luca shed her first tears of the evening on Stephanie’s shoulder.

  “I’m sorry.” Luca started to pull back, but Stephanie’s arms wrapped around her waist to hold her in place.

  “Don’t be,” she whispered into Luca’s ear. “Sometimes we all need a moment of weakness to remind us of how strong we really are.”

  Luca sank further into Stephanie’s hold. The softness of the moment was unusual. She took a deep breath to calm herself but focused on Stephanie’s floral scent instead. Her perfume was neither sweet nor musky, but instead light and fresh. Stephanie smelled the way sunshine would during an afternoon spent in a garden. Luca stepped back, realizing an embrace could only go on for so long before Stephanie would deem it inappropriate. She was afraid to look into Stephanie’s eyes, fearful the warmth she saw earlier had slipped away. Surprisingly, Stephanie was smiling at her.

  “Tell me something about your grandmother.” Stephanie looked around the crowded room and added, “She was obviously very loved.”

  “She was,” Luca said proudly. “She was a member of every church group within a ten-mile radius and never missed mass. She also loved romance novels and buying jewelry from QVC.” Luca laughed and dabbed carefully beneath her eyes with a tissue.

  Stephanie’s small smile had yet to fade. “Tell me more.” Her request sounded soft, smooth, and personal. “What’s your favorite memory of her?”

  “Baking Christmas cookies. Every year we’d spend an entire day baking batch after batch of Italian cookies and chocolate chip. And then she taught me how to wrap a gift perfectly, crisp corners and everything. It’s an art, you know.”

  “I do know because I’m terrible at it, but that’s for lack of trying. I love the ease of gift bags.” Stephanie shrugged.

  The topic, nostalgia, and Stephanie’s personal confession lifted Luca’s spirits slightly. She felt her sadness fade to manageable grief once more. She squared her shoulders and looked Stephanie in the eye. “One day, I’ll blow your mind with my wrapping skills, and you’ll be begging me to teach you.” Stephanie didn’t respond, but the challenging glint in her eye spoke for her. Luca laughed and gripped her elbow. “Come on, let me introduce you to some of my family. My parents disappeared, but my brother and his wife are right over here.” Luca led Stephanie to where she had left Alice earlier. “They’ve heard a lot about you.” Stephanie pulled away and Luca looked back to find her with a panicked look on her face. “Stephanie?” The use of her first name came naturally during such a personal moment.

  “I’m sorry. I’m sure they’re not my biggest fans after how I’ve been treating you at the office. This is about celebrating your grandmother’s life and I don’t want to distract anyone from that.” Stephanie looked past Luca to the flowers at the far wall. Luca was stricken by Stephanie’s change of face. The worry lines between her brows deepened, and her lips thinned out into a near grimace. Luca felt something shift within herself. Never had she expected to see Stephanie Austin worry so much about other people’s thoughts.

  “You have nothing to worry about.” Luca grabbed Stephanie’s hand. “I’ve said all good things.”

  “How is that even possible?”

  Instead of answering, Luca tugged at Stephanie’s hand and walked her over to Chris and Alice. “Everyone, this is my boss, Stephanie Austin.” Alice looked at their joined hands and back to Luca curiously. Luca dropped Stephanie’s hand and cleared her throat. “This is my sister-in-law, Alice, and my brother Chris.”

  “Thank you for coming,” Chris said. Stephanie shook their hands and offered her condolences before turning to Catherine and Imogene.

  “Catherine Carter, as I live and breathe.” Stephanie gave Catherine a professional hug before pulling back to stand beside Luca.

  “It’s nice to see you again, Stephanie,” Catherine said with a kind smile. “I just wish it were under better circumstances.”

  “Me too, but this gives me a chance to tell you how right you were about Luca,” Stephanie said. Luca looked at Catherine, whose eyes went wide. “She’s as brilliant as you said and I’m fortunate you requested I take her on.”

  “You had me placed with Ms. Austin?” Luca asked. Stephanie shifted uncomfortably beside Luca, mirroring Catherine’s stance. “You called in a favor, didn’t you?”

  “I knew where you were working and I wanted to make sure you worked with the best.” Catherine’s explanation was awkward.

  Luca pinched the bridge of her nose. She felt Stephanie’s hand rest on her shoulder. “I thought you knew.”

  “No, I didn’t.” Luca took a deep breath. Did this mean that she hadn’t earned her position? “I did think it was a little weird for an intern to be assigned to you, Ms. Austin. That was a first and I couldn’t figure out why it was me.” Luca stared at Stephanie, hoping to hear anything that’d make her feel a little better.

  Stephanie opened her mouth to speak, but Catherine spoke first. “Because you deserve an opportunity to thrive in this business, and that’ll never happen if you’re not taught by the right people.”

  “Catherine’s right.” Stephanie nodded. “You could’ve been placed with a male fossil who’d treat you like another woman trying to make it in a man’s world. You’re smarter than that, you’re better than that, and you deserve a fair shot to show off how successful you can be.” Luca’s heart sank, as if it were trying to meet with her flip-flopping stomach. “I’ve caused a commotion at a very inappropriate time and I’m sorry.” Stephanie clutched her purse tighter against her side and looked to Chris. “Again, my condolences to you and your family.” Stephanie took off for the door. Luca was frozen as Stephanie walked out.

  * * *

  Stephanie rushed across the parking lot of the funeral home. “Stupid, stupid, stupid,” she said to herself as she fumbled through her overstuffed purse for her phone. She wanted to tell Lee just how terrible her advice was, that this funeral and Luca’s personal life were no place for her, but deep down she knew blaming her friend was unfair. She dug herself into this rut. If she had been more open from the beginning, Catherine’s input wouldn’t have been a secret and Stephanie’s own presence tonight wouldn’t have been so awkward. Stephanie let her head fall back and she stared up at the night sky. She breath
ed deeply, letting the fresh air cleanse the scent of roses and lilies from her nose.

  “Why did you say those things?” At the sound of Luca’s voice, Stephanie jumped. She turned to find Luca right behind her. “Were you just trying to appease Catherine? If that’s the case, I can tell you right now she’s not that kind of person. You don’t have to lie to her.”

  “I wasn’t lying,” Stephanie said with a shake of her head. She looked back to the sky, far from Luca’s dark eyes that were no less intense in the shadows. But Luca’s eyes and the stars sparkled like one and the same. Stephanie spoke to the heavens. “Every single accountant you worked with last year wrote glowing recommendations for you. When I spoke to each of them, they all jumped at the chance to add to their praises. You were rated top of your class, have the top statistics of your intern group, and are not at all cocky about it.” Stephanie looked at Luca, whose mouth formed a small O, and laughed. Stephanie was tired of holding her head high, so she let her rigid, professional façade fall away. “You’re incredible.”

  Luca stared back at Stephanie, expressionless, until she shook herself back into the moment. “You read up on me,” she said with a hint of wonder.

  Stephanie nodded. “While I was away I had a lot of time to think about all the ways I’ve been doing wrong by you. It wouldn’t benefit either of us if I didn’t take the time to help you grow.” Luca stood motionless. Stephanie couldn’t blame her skepticism. “Can you keep a secret?”

  “Of course.”

  “Witlin is opening another office in Chicago, and he’s going to ask me to head it.” Luca looked at her for longer than a moment without a response, forcing Stephanie to explain further. “Once I’m gone, you could be transferred to one of the aforementioned fossils or someone without the kind of experience you’d truly benefit from. We need to make the most of the time we have left together.”

  “Wow, um.” Luca looked away and Stephanie followed her eyes to watch a couple walk from the funeral home hand in hand. “That’s really great for you, congratulations.”