Chapter 33
Nick
Scotty just left, and I was left standing on the street, just watching her leave. I had this awful feeling in the pit of my stomach.
But, as I walked back into the building and got the elevator, I tried to shake it off.
I was going to have to show no fear. That was the only way that I could stay in the game. Show no fear. As corny as it sounded, I felt like I had to have the eye of the tiger.
By the time I got to the firm’s corridors, I was feeling more confident and in control. I just had to psyche myself up. I couldn’t feel that I already had lost, because then I certainly would.
I got behind my desk and called Callie. “I need you to line up some people for some private meetings.”
“Yes, sir,” she said.
And I gave her a list of names. “Find any of these people who might have some time to meet with me and send them in,” I said.
“Yes, sir,” she said.
So, for the rest of the day, I met with one person after another. All them were undecided, and all of them knew what was going on. All of them heard the stories from Portia about me, but they all, to a person, were willing to hear me out.
Unfortunately, I got very few positive reassurances. A lot of “maybes,” very few “nos,” and, to my dismay, even fewer “yeses.”
By the time the meeting rolled around, I had a handful of men that I knew were in my pocket. One of whom was Neil. There were two other guys who gave me their word, Frank and Alex. But that was really it.
Which meant that I was going to have to give the closing argument of my life. I watched my father do it from the time that I was a young boy. I used to go to court and watch him in action. He was mesmerizing, really. Methodical, yet folksy. He understood juries better than anybody I had ever seen before or since. He won a great majority of his cases, even the ones that didn’t seem winnable, and his closing arguments were a major reason why.
I was going to have to summon all of what I had learned in watching my father in the courtroom and use this knowledge to give the performance of my life.
∞
Finally, it was time. All of the partners gathered in the conference room. Portia was one end of the enormous table. I was on the other.
No fear. I straightened my spine, literally, and looked her right in the eye.
She narrowed her eyes and stared back. The fear that I had seen in her eyes, earlier in the day, was gone. She looked like somebody who knew that she was going to win.
No fear.
After all the partners had assembled in the conference room, I stood up and cleared my throat.
“Okay, I guess that most of you, if not all of you, know why we are all here,” I began. “So, I’m not going to beat around the bush. As you all know, I have decided that I won’t work another day with Portia. I feel that she is a danger to me, and a danger to Scotty James. She drugged me in her office, and then lied to all of you about what had happened. She made all of you believe that I deliberately got terribly drunk and passed out on my own. As I have discussed with many of you, this story is absolutely false. Her actions directly led to Scotty James being hit by a car, because Portia not only drugged me, but she also stripped me naked and she also got naked. Then she made Scotty believe that we had sex. I brought all of you here to see what questions any of you might have, because your concerns should be a matter of public record. As you all know, this move will no doubt lead to litigation, so this meeting will be recorded. So, now is a chance to air any grievances or ask any questions before we take an official vote.”
Richard was the first one to ask a question. Of course. Portia’s henchman would be the first one to lead the charge. “Nick, your story is preposterous. I think that you’ve been watching too many movies. Portia would never do something like what you are charging that she did.”
“And your question is?” I asked.
“What proof do you have that she did this?”
That, of course, was my major weakness. I kicked myself for not checking myself into the ER when I had the chance. They would have done some tests and they would have found the toxic substance that was in my system. That would be proof of what she did. But, I didn’t do that. I had other things that I had to deal with at the time. So, admittedly, I had no proof of anything.
No fear.
“I don’t have proof, except that I woke up with the worst headache of my life and I found out that I was carried out of the building. I had one sip of scotch, so I knew that there was something very wrong.”
“And that’s it?” Richard said dismissively. “You’re going to end a woman’s career on the basis of the fact that you had a headache?” He snorted. “Nice try, O’Hara, but my vote is no. As is probably everyone’s here.”
“I think I’ll let the others speak for themselves, thank you very much,” I said.
Pete surprised me and spoke next. “I believe Nick’s story about Portia. Why would Nick put his own career on the line unless it was something serious?”
“Because he’s railroading her,” Gregory said. “Sorry you can’t see that.”
I was losing control of the narrative. Time to get it back. “Now, listen everybody. Pete makes a good point. I love this firm. I’ve only been here for a few months, but I’ve already raised my profile beyond my wildest dreams. Not to sound crass, but, with the projects that I’m getting here, there’s a good chance that I can be influential to many generations of architects to come. I wouldn’t force this showdown, and I wouldn’t walk away from this firm, unless there is a damned good reason. So, that should be proof enough.”
William spoke next. Also Portia’s acolyte. “We’ve all heard the slander. You’ve been telling people that Portia is some kind of freak who stripped you naked and made Scotty James think that you had sex with her. Aside from hearsay, what proof do you have of that?”
I was at a loss. Hearsay was literally all I had to prove this. I wasn’t conscious at the time that it happened, of course, so I couldn’t prove it any other way.
William was still looking at me expectantly. “Well, O’Hara? You do know that you’re heading for a lawsuit, don’t you?”
I opened my mouth to try to divert William and all the other partners away from my lack of proof when Scotty appeared at the door of the conference room.
Every partner turned and looked at her, as she hobbled on crutches to the front of the room.
I was shocked myself, but, as I saw her and her determined face, I decided to have a seat. Scotty had a look on her face that said that she meant business.
“Well, gentleman. And Portia. The story of what happened is no longer hearsay. Because I’m here to let you know exactly what I saw.”
George stood up, and pulled up a chair for her. “Please, Scotty, have a seat. And tell the partners your story.”
“I’m on these crutches because of Portia. She called me into her office, and I got there and saw her and Nick naked on the couch. This upset me so much that I ran into the street without looking, and the car hit me. It wasn’t until several days later that I found out the truth. That she drugged Nick and made it look like they had slept together. I think that Portia is a dangerous woman who is capable of anything. Any one of you might be next. Think of that.”
Richard stood up to address Scotty. “Ms. James, how do you know that Nick was drugged? I have no doubt that you saw what you saw, but there is no proof, whatsoever, that drugs were what caused this.”
I looked at Scotty. It seemed that she was put into the same box that I was- it was all circumstantial. After all, she believed that Portia and I had sex until Jack convinced her otherwise. So, now, what was she going to say about how she knows that I was drugged? Because I said so?
“I believe Nick,” she said. “He’s a good, honest man, and if he says that’s what happened, then that is what happened. You can take that to the bank.”
Richard chuckled. “Says the woman who’s sleeping with Nick. Of course you can take h
er word for what happened, everybody. Sure, let’s end the career of our biggest rainmaker because Nick told Scotty just what happened.” He shook his head. “This is a kangaroo court, or at least they’re trying to make it that way.”
I groaned. The pitchforks and the torches were out. Things were getting out of control.
And then, out of the blue, the most improbable thing imaginable happened.
Fred stood up and took the floor.
And what he was about to say was something that nobody could have ever foreseen.
Chapter 34
Fred stood up to address the mob, I mean, group. I was watching him, totally prepared for him to lay the hammer down on me like everybody else seemed to want to do. I looked around the room and saw more lackeys just itching to have their say and roast me over the coals.
I looked at George, too, hoping that he would change his mind about voting against me. But, he wasn’t looking me in the eye, so I figured that he was still a lost cause.
“Um, I, um, have something to say to the group,” Fred said.
I felt kinda sorry for him. He looked like such the stereotypical dweeb, with his slicked-back black hair and trousers that were always slightly too short. I mean, they weren’t too short when he was standing up, but, once he sat down, you could see his socks. It was if he was never told what length to get his pants tailored. Assuming that he even had them tailored. His thick black-rimmed glasses, which looked cool on Elvis Costello and Buddy Holly, somehow didn’t look so cool on him. They made him look like even more of a nerd.
And his personality was generally that of a geek as well. The best description for the poor guy would be socially awkward. He laughed at things that nobody else laughed at, and he often put non-sequiturs into conversation. Like somebody would be talking about last night’s episode of Mad Men, and he would start talking about Rock Hudson movies. I mean, I can see the connection – Don Draper was kinda like a Rock Hudson - but it was still off the subject, and everybody would look at him and then start talking about Mad Men again. As if he hadn’t spoken at all.
And that was how the people in the office generally treated him. As if he were invisible. He was annoying to many of the partners there, so they acted as if he didn’t exist.
But it wasn’t as if the guy was without talent. He had talent in spades. Which was why he was with the firm in the first place, and why he was a senior partner like the rest of us. Just goes to show that one doesn’t necessarily have to play well with others to get ahead. If one has talent, one can go far. And Fred certainly did go far, considering his lack of social graces. He just wasn’t invited to many parties.
I actually always kinda liked the guy. I tried to invite him to lunch as often as I could. He usually begged off, but sometimes he would come with me, and he would always act like he was in awe of me somehow. He would be fawning and stammering a lot, which he doesn’t usually do, when we had our lunches. He even admitted to me once that he never hung out with anybody who “looked like me,” and then got embarrassed for saying that.
As for Portia – he did her bidding, no matter what. She acted sweetly to him because she expected him to be at her beck and call at all times, and he usually was. Then she would talk behind his back. She would call him “the wuss,” or “the worm,” and do mean imitations of him. To my knowledge, however, Fred didn’t know about her cruelty behind his back. At least I assumed he didn’t know, considering how up her ass he always was. It was as if the geekiest geek in school got a chance to breathe the same air as the homecoming queen, and Fred seemed star struck by Portia.
So, when Fred asked for permission to take the floor, Portia looked smugly on. She caught my eye, and the look on her face said pack your bags, O’Hara. You’re going down.
For my part, I had the sinking feeling that she was right.
Fred got up and addressed the group from the front of the room. He didn’t just stand up from where he was at the table as did the other guys. I looked at him and he was visibly shaking. He had a piece of paper in his hand, and his hands were trembling.
It seemed odd that he would be so nervous. After all, he was no doubt up there to add to the pile-on. I was mentally preparing myself to leave my office that day for good, and was seeing in my mind all of the packing I was going to have to do. It was going to take several moving men to get me out of there. I always hated moving, too.
Fred cleared his throat several different times. He didn’t look at anybody in the room, but, rather, was staring at his piece of paper. His pale face was getting beet red, and he was sweating, even though the room was very temperate.
Finally, after what seemed like hours up there, Fred cleared his throat again and spoke. “Um, I wanted to tell the group what it was that I heard today coming from Portia’s office.”
My ears perked up. This is getting interesting after all.
“Uh, I was in her office this morning when Nick came in to talk to her.” He took a deep breath. “I’m very embarrassed to admit that I was right outside the door when she was talking to him, and I could hear what she was saying. I, uh, had my ear pressed to the door.”
I looked over at Portia. She no longer had her smug look on her face. If I didn’t know her better, I would say that she looked like she was just a teensy bit concerned.
William stood up. “And why would you invade Portia’s privacy like that? If she had the door shut when she was talking to Nick, then that would mean that it was a private conversation.”
“I, I, I was curious. I saw Scotty the day that she was hit by the car. She looked pretty devastated. And there was something brewing with Nick this morning. I had never seen him so angry. And, I was, uh, curious about what was going on. I had a feeling that the Nick was angry about something regarding Scotty. I also never believed that he would get that drunk at work, because that just isn’t like him. He’s more professional than that. So, I was curious.”
He looked down at the ground. Poor guy was only human, listening in. Many, many people would do the same under the circumstances. They just wouldn’t admit to it, let alone admit to it to a crowd full of angry men.
He cleared his throat again, and looked at the piece of paper.
I looked at Portia, and her look changed again. Now she looked pissed. She was giving poor Fred the look of death, but he refused to look at her, so he wasn’t aware of this.
“And um, what I heard her say, um, and I wrote it down, um was ‘if I thought that she would have gone that ballistic, I never would have drugged you like that.”
I blinked my eyes rapidly. It barely registered, what he was saying, it was such a surprise. Everybody in the room started buzzing amongst themselves, and William and Richard were getting angry. They rose to their feet.
“That’s hearsay!” William shouted. “Hearsay is no evidence at all.”
And then Pete, who actually finished law school before he decided to become an architect, stood up and said “actually, that’s not hearsay. It came straight from the horse’s mouth. And it’s an admission, so would be valid evidence in court.”
Neil stood up. “Now, everybody be quiet. Fred looks like he has more to say.”
Fred was really shaking now, and Portia was looking like she wanted to burn the poor guy at the stake. But Fred bravely continued. “I also heard her say that ‘Scotty obviously cares more than other people do in this office. So, that’s why I did it to her. To get more of a rise out of her.’ And, later on, she said ‘even if you have proof of what happened…my doing that to you would hardly be considered to be high misconduct.’”
He took a deep breath. “And that’s all. I wrote it all down. So my vote, uh, on ousting Portia, uh, would be a yes. For that reason alone.”
He then took a seat, avoiding everybody’s eyes, including mine. Which was too bad, because I desperately tried to make eye contact with him so that I could silently say thank you. What he just did was incredibly brave and risky. He was already a social pariah in the office. If Portia
still stayed on, then he would be run out of there, or shunned even more. It took real courage to do what he did, and I would be forever grateful to that guy.
I caught Scotty’s eye, and she looked thrilled. She obviously thought that Fred’s speech was a slam dunk, and that Portia would be through.
I admitted to myself that Fred doing what he did increased my odds, but they were still long.
But, as I looked around the room, it did seem that a corner was turned. Fred’s speech definitely changed the atmosphere- guys who were not meeting my eye before, suddenly were. And then Manuel, who was generally a quiet sort, stood up and said “actually, something that Fred said struck me. Because I’ve thought it as well. Nick is too professional to get stinking drunk at work. I never really believed that story, and this alternative explanation seems to make more sense to me, knowing both Nick and Portia. So, my vote to oust Portia is also a yes.”
That seemed to do it. One guy after another stood up and said that the whole story of my being drunk at work didn’t seem probable. Most of them said that they were ashamed to have believed the gossip in the first place, and that, come to think of it, drugging me was something that was not out of character for Portia.
I caught Scotty’s eye again, and she was beaming. Glowing.
I still felt worried, though. It seemed like things were going our way, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up.
Finally, after everybody had their say, the partners took a vote.
George, as usual, was the one who called the vote. “Okay, now, all of those in favor of rescinding Portia’s partnership, which, according to the guidelines of this firm’s constitution, would entail a buyout of her interest, raise your hand.”
I held my breath and raised my hand. There were many others who did so as well. Are there 42?
To my surprise, George’s hand was raised too. He looked at me and shrugged and smiled. I smiled back. George isn’t so chicken shit after all.
George counted each hand, and announced “45 are in favor of Nick’s motion to rescind Portia’s partnership. The ayes have it.”
Saving Scotty Page 18
