In Over Her Head (Corporate Chaos Series Book 1)

by Leighann Dobbs

  "Marly? Finance called me and told me the funding fell through. I’m so sorry, dear." It was Dr. Pratt's voice.

  "I tried." Tears burned her eyes.

  "I know you did. You've done everything possible for your mother. I know that. You're a wonderful daughter, Marly. I'm so sorry. There is nothing else we can do." Dr. Pratt's words unleashed a flood of tears.

  "I have to go," Marly sputtered, turning away from him and walking down the hall with her head down. She wanted to die. She wished for the thousandth time that she could trade places with her mother. How could Tanner have done this to her?

  Outside the hospital, she realized she had no idea how she would go on. She couldn't get the money to save her mother's life. She'd screwed up everything with Jasper. And if he ever found out what she'd done, even though she'd given Tanner fake designs, she figured she'd be out of a job, too. A job that she loved.

  She hated Tanner for screwing her over and realized he could screw her again if he leaked the information that she had given him designs. Worry gnawed at her gut. Would he do that? If he did, she'd be fired, and not only would she be without her mother, but she'd be without a job. She'd lose the townhouse, too.

  Despite all that worry, the real thing that tugged at her heart was how she'd screwed up with Jasper. She'd lied, and no relationship could go forward with a lie at its base. What if she told him the truth? Would it set things right?

  Her head was filled with too many "what ifs" as she headed toward Draconia. In her heart, she knew she had to come clean with Jasper. Tell him everything. She fumbled around in her purse for her phone and then called Sarah.

  "Hey, it's Marly. Can you see if Jasper can meet with me in about half an hour? I decided I am just going to tell him everything."

  "What?" Sarah exclaimed. "Are you sure? And how is your mom doing?"

  "She's the same. The emergency wasn't about her. It was about the check. It bounced. Tanner screwed me over." Marly could barely say the words out loud. "So I'm just going to tell Jasper everything."

  "What? That bastard. Oh, Marly, I'm so sorry! But you can't tell Jasper everything. You don't need to. Your designs for Draconia are excellent. Why would you tell Jasper about Tanner? Just tell him about your mom, Marly. That's all he needs to know."

  Marly's head was filled with so many things she wasn't thinking straight. Maybe Sarah was right. Why did she have to tell Jasper about Tanner and giving him fake designs? She should just tell him about her mother being sick. But she didn't want his pity. And that was what would happen if she told him. He would get that look on his face that everyone else did when they heard that her mom was dying. And then he would treat her differently and ask, "How is she?" every ten minutes. Ugh. But she did owe him an explanation about why she had run out on him. Maybe she should follow Sarah's advice.

  "Yeah, maybe you're right," Marly said dejectedly. "I'll see you in a few."

  What would she say to Jasper? Sticking to the truth seemed to be the best thing, not just telling him about her mother being sick. Not that that was a lie, either. She knew she could make the plus line a huge success for Draconia if Jasper still wanted her to.

  Because she'd rushed out of the meeting, she hadn't had a chance to hear what he thought about her designs, but the fact the other managers liked them was a huge positive. As far as their personal relationship—well, she assumed that was over as fast as it had started. If it had even started. Maybe that was for the best. Why would someone like him ever want to be with someone like her, anyway?

  She entered the lobby, still mulling over what exactly to say to Jasper as she made her way upstream against the onslaught of employees going home for the day. She walked right by Veronica without saying a word, noticing that Veronica had popped what seemed to be a handful of candy into her mouth discreetly. Maybe Veronica was the one who had eaten the entire row of M&M's from the vending machine. Marly smiled at the thought of twiggy Veronica hoovering M&M's.

  Heading up to Jasper's floor, she texted Sarah so the elevator door could be opened.

  Sarah met her at the elevator, hugging her.

  "I'm so sorry. I can't believe that shitbag Tanner did that to you," Sarah said angrily.

  "Yeah, me, too. I just want to get this over with. Tell Jasper, I mean. I'm just so mentally exhausted." Marly wanted to curl up in a ball, but she knew she had to talk to Jasper now. Maybe if she did, she could at least salvage her job.

  "Are you telling him everything? I mean, about Tanner and the drawings?" Sarah asked, looking worried.

  "Honestly, I don't even know what I'm going to tell him. But I promise you your name will never be mentioned."

  "I'm not worried about that at all. I understand you need to do what you need to do. He's in his office waiting for you. I have to leave soon to get his kitchen stocked, so text me later and let me know how it goes, okay?" Sarah gave Marly another hug and turned to go to her desk.

  Marly headed toward Jasper's office. She paused outside then took a deep breath, walked in, and closed the door behind her. For once, she wasn't concerned with how she looked or if her clothes were too tight and showing off a fat roll. Jasper was at his desk, and he didn't look up.

  "Hi," she said softly, taking a seat. "Thanks for meeting with me."

  Jasper continued to type on his keyboard and then looked up after several uncomfortable minutes of silence.

  "How's your mother? I didn't realize she was in the hospital. Not that you are required to tell me that type of thing," Jasper said quietly.

  "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about." How was she going to get this all out without bursting into tears?

  Jasper pushed his chair away from his desk, leaned back, and looked at her earnestly. "Okay, go ahead." He stared at her with those piercing blue eyes, and Marly squirmed in her chair. She took a deep breath.

  But before she could formulate a sentence, Jasper cut in. "Actually, before you begin, I want to say something. The designs you presented today were excellent. Some of the best I have ever seen. I knew you had it in you from day one, and I am glad I was right. You really pulled it off. The entire company is going to be focusing on your line the next few weeks, and I honestly think it is what will get us out of the red."

  A flash of pride heated her cheeks.

  She had come a long way from the girl who always kept her head down and tried not to be noticed, and now she'd been instrumental in helping the company. Maybe she could save her job.

  But Jasper still hadn't mentioned the emergency that ripped her out of the meeting. Was he just politely trying not to be nosey, or did he really not give a crap about anything that happened to her? He probably just didn't give a crap. Maybe the whole idea that they'd had some kind of connection was just an illusion. And if that were the case, maybe she could just accept his compliments and leave. Come back to work tomorrow and focus on her job as if nothing else had happened.

  But she'd come here to tell Jasper the truth, and that was what she intended to do.

  "Thank you. But there's a few things I need to tell you." She shifted in her seat. Should she tell him about giving Tanner the designs now? Or just tell him about her mother? What was Tanner planning on doing with those designs? Why had he cancelled the check? Maybe he was going to try and blackmail her.

  It was probably smarter just to tell Jasper everything, especially if Tanner was going to try to hold it over her head. With everything going on with her mother, she couldn't deal with the stress of lying anymore. Maybe he would understand. And if she got fired, then so be it. She could spend the free time at the hospital with her mom.

  Marly gnawed on her bottom lip as Jasper looked at her curiously. Where in the world should she start?

  23

  Jasper's stomach sank as he watched the emotions play over Marly's face. What was she going to tell him? That the kiss had been a mistake? Was it something he'd done? Not done?

  This was stupid. He barely knew her. And he'd never felt insecure aroun
d women before, not that what they had could even be called a relationship. Not yet, anyway. So why was he feeling so insecure now?

  Probably because this woman mattered. That was why her brush-off in the hallway had made him act so stupid. She probably had a good reason to run off, maybe something to do with her mom. And if it was, Jasper could hardly blame her—when his mom was still alive, he'd have brushed anyone off if she'd needed him.

  Jasper glanced at his mother's photograph. Forget about his budding feelings for Marly—the company needed her. He hadn't sneezed once during her presentation of the plus-size line, and if what his mother had always told him was true, that meant his acceptance of the line was the right thing.

  She'd always said he sneezed at the perfect thing that was right under his nose until he accepted it. He knew his mom's explanation of his oversensitive nose was silly. But his gut instinct after years in the business told him that the designs would help save the company. Marly was talented, and he needed her on board to continue the line even if his personal reasons didn't pan out.

  He wished he hadn't acted like such a jerk to her at the meeting. He wasn't being fair to Marly, and he'd better start before he screwed up big time. Something was going on with her mother, and how could he fault her for wanting to keep that private? She'd tell him when she was ready. He wasn't going to pressure her about her mother or the mysterious hospital phone call Sarah had burst into the meeting about.

  Right now, though, she looked as if she was really upset and needed some compassion. Jasper's heart melted. Marly probably felt as though she had to explain why she'd brushed him off and why she had been late to the meeting and about the call about her mother. She might even feel that her job was in jeopardy. And he had made her feel that way by his actions.

  Was he no better than his father, always thinking about the bottom line and not about the people that made the company run?

  He was going to remedy that right now. No one should have to explain themselves. Whatever was going on with her mother was her business, and he wasn't going to force her to tell him. It was obvious by the look on her face she didn't want to.

  She opened her mouth to speak, but he held his palms out to stop her.

  "Marly, you don't have to explain anything to me. You've done a great job, and that's what's important." Then, on impulse, he held his hand out to her. "What do you say we have an early dinner to celebrate? I'm starving."

  The look of relief on her face told him he'd done the right thing. She gave his hand a hesitant look, and his heart skipped. Would she say no? Did she have other plans? A boyfriend? Then that dazzling smile lit her face, and she slipped her hand into his.

  "Thanks. I'm starving too, and I'd love to."

  24

  Marly's determination to tell Jasper everything wavered over dinner. She wasn't even sure why she'd accepted. She guessed it was because it allowed her to put off telling him the truth. And she liked eating.

  It had been a great dinner. Good food. They'd talked nonstop like old friends, but with the excitement of getting to know someone new. A fun time, even though that fun had been dimmed with thoughts of how her mother wouldn't be getting a life-saving operation. Not to mention how she was going to have to confess how she'd snuck around behind his back for the designs.

  She'd discovered a lot about him. How his father had been a dominant but somewhat absentee influence on him. How his mother had died when he was in his early twenties. She could tell he still missed her, and it made Marly's eyes burn as she realized that she might not be far from losing her own mother.

  He'd also told her about his ex-girlfriends. Flattering her by telling her how shallow they'd all been, not smart or engaging like her. She didn't know if that was true or just a line, but she liked hearing it, anyway. He hadn't said it in so many words, but she got the impression that most of his exes had been more interested in his money than anything else.

  And that was why she'd hesitated in telling him about her mother. She knew he was curious as to the emergency, but he didn't pressure her. He mentioned fleetingly that she could tell him anything, but how could she tell him her mother needed an expensive operation to save her life when all the other women he'd gotten involved with had only been after his money? If she did, he'd just think that Marly was only after his money too. And she wasn't. Over dinner, she'd realized that she wanted much more from him.

  After he paid the bill and they were strolling down the sidewalk, she scolded herself for not telling him everything. How could she even expect to have a relationship with him if she didn't tell him about her mom? Or Tanner? But she didn't want to spoil the night. It had been too perfect. Tomorrow, after the managers' meeting. That was it. That was when she would tell him. No more excuses.

  Maybe she was just fooling herself that Jasper would understand. That she'd get to keep her job. That there could be something between them. But what the heck, let her be foolish for one more night. Tomorrow, it would all come out.

  "Thank you, Jasper. I'm glad we did this. I had a nice time," she said to him as they approached the crosswalk.

  "You're welcome. Let's walk this way, and I'll grab my car to take you home." He started toward Draconia.

  "No. No, that's okay. I feel like I need a walk right now." Marly wanted the exercise and to clear her head. She was dead tired but had promised herself she would fit exercise in as much as she could.

  "What? It's getting late, Marly. Let me drive you," Jasper said.

  "No. Really. I had a great time. I just want to walk and get some fresh air. It's been a long day. I will be fine. I walk all the time... and I'll see you tomorrow." She stood on her tiptoes, kissed him lightly on the lips, then turned around to walk home.

  25

  Jasper sat on the patio outside of his office, looking out at the dark sky. The stars were shining brightly. He took a sip of the scotch he had poured himself and thought about Marly.

  He couldn't figure her out, no matter how hard he tried. He had always had a problem getting rid of women, and with Marly it was as if he couldn't keep her. She was always running away from him, it seemed.

  Dinner had been nice, and the conversation flowed, but he felt as though he had told her all about himself and she really hadn't told him much about her. She'd seemed distant and vague, as if there was something lying under the surface that she didn't want exposed. Then she'd practically run off. Maybe she didn't have the same feelings for him that he had for her. That would be a first.

  He walked back inside to his office to look at emails. Nothing but problems. Sales were thirty percent lower this quarter than last quarter. He knew all the fashion houses were having problems, but he didn't know if they were as bad as his. For the first time since he became CEO, he was struggling to run the company.

  "Still here?" Edward's voice pulled Jasper out of his thoughts.

  "Hey, Dad. Yes, I'm still here. Looking at these less-than-stellar revenue figures."

  "I've heard." Edward's voice was laced with disappointment. Jasper hated it when the finance department shared information with Edward. He was entitled to the same information as anyone else on the board of directors, which didn't include the daily sales figures. But since Edward had hired most of the staff, it wasn't realistic for them to not give him what he wanted.

  "It's still early in the quarter. The fall lines are coming out, and that should increase sales," Jasper said, trying to sound confident but not really feeling it.

  "Well, I hope so, son. I hope you've been focusing on the company and not other things. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

  Jasper wondered what Edward meant as he watched him leave. Maybe Edward didn't approve of Jasper being human. Of him having empathy for the employees. To Edward, it was all about the numbers.

  Jasper's gut tightened. If he didn't change, he would end up just like Edward. But he was changing. Working with Marly had made him see that employees weren't just numbers on a badge. They had ideas and intelligence and lives outside of
work that had to be considered.

  His nose started to itch. During dinner, he'd tried not to get too close to Marly. He knew her lemony-vanilla scent might start a sneezing fit. When she'd kissed him, it had almost started, but he'd taken a deep breath and said "grapefruit" three times to himself as he'd watched her walk away.

  The thing was, watching her walk away like that had given him a sinking feeling. As if she wasn't coming back, despite the great dinner they'd had. His nose started again, an incessant tingle that grew stronger and stronger…

  Hachoo!

  That was weird. He didn't have the plans in front of him, and Marly was nowhere in sight. There was no citrus in the room. So why was he sneezing?

  26

  Marly threw herself on her bed and clutched her tear-stained pillow. She hadn't gone home after her meal with Jasper—she'd gone straight to the hospital. Remarkably, her mother was holding her own, but Dr. Pratt had said there wasn't much hope of a full remission without the procedure.

  How could one part of her life be so great and the other be so crappy?

  Then again, the great part—her job and Jasper—might turn crappy after she confessed what she had done. She hoped Jasper would understand and not hate her. Her small consolation was that she hadn't really betrayed the company. She'd given Tanner those fake designs so that Draconia wouldn't be hurt.

  Speaking of which, she wondered why she hadn't heard from Tanner. She'd assumed he had cancelled the check because he'd found out the designs were fakes, but then again, knowing him, he'd probably planned to screw her all along.

  But what could she do about that? Complain to the police? Tell them she'd stolen designs for Tanner and he hadn't paid up? She had no recourse. She couldn't believe she'd been stupid enough to fall for it in the first place.