“Yep, hands off, but I don’t guarantee I won’t look.”
“Yeah, well, we all look.” Martin sighed and turned his attention to his meal once more.
Back on the eighth floor, Sarah received an email from Eamon with instructions to send flowers to a woman. She went into his address book and pulled up her name. There alongside the picture of a gorgeous girl was a complete dossier: Name, date of birth, horoscope sign, marital status, home address, work address, phones, Facebook, Twitter, favorite color, favorite perfume, favorite flowers, etc. etc. She was shocked and disappointed to see that the woman was married. You see? You don’t know him at all! Sarah sent the flowers. Curious, she looked her own name up in the database. She wasn’t even listed.
Just before five, Eamon asked her to step into his office. He looked up from his work when she got about half way into the room. “Did you send those flowers to Danielle?”
“Yes. White lilies and pink roses. The card read as you instructed.” Sarah kept her voice level and revealing nothing of what she felt.
Eamon let her stand there a moment to see if her demeanor would change. It did not. She was the perfect professional. “Thank you. Have a good evening, Miss Adams.”
“You too, sir.” Sarah left the room.
Sarah went back to her desk and sent out emails to the Rainwhite employees. They would be allowed back into their building in the morning to move to Gryphon World, Inc. Sarah set up a meeting schedule for each employee to take place over the next two weeks, and then she went home.
Chapter 9
The next morning, Sarah dressed in boot cut jeans, a dark green wool sweater and sensible boots and toned down the hair and makeup for the interviews. She put on coffee and set out the donuts and bagels she’d picked on her way into the office, and then packed her own things for the move.
At their scheduled times, Sarah escorted each employee to the conference room. Before the meeting, Sarah requested that each of the writers and artists bring in samples of their work for her to evaluate. She had the programmers bring in numbered samples for someone from Gryphon World to review anonymously. With each and every person she interviewed that day, she did her best to get an understanding of what they did, how they did it and how they liked their jobs. A few people told her that they had accepted other jobs and were giving notice, but most either were too frightened to tell her or were undecided. Some were suspicious or even a little hostile; others were willing to give Sarah a chance.
Sarah remained at Rainwhite until five thirty, She was about to leave when an email from Eamon popped up requesting that she return to Gryphon. Sarah headed back to the office. Nicole was gone, so Sarah announced herself and Eamon told her to come in.
He was sitting at his conference table with take-out Chinese. “Hey, you want some? I have plenty and it’s only going to go to waste.”
Sarah was hungry. “Where do I find a plate?”
Eamon pointed to the wall. Knowing that there were hidden latches, she found the cabinets without asking for help. She grabbed a plate and some silverware. When she turned around her heart did a flip-flop. Eamon was lounging in his chair reading something. He was dressed in jeans and pullover. The shirt clung to his shoulders, his chest and framed his well kept physique. She remembered sitting next to him on his sofa and how good it felt. She also remembered that it was a lie.
Sensing her gaze, Eamon looked up. Sarah looked away. She walked to the table and helped herself to some food.
“So how did it go?” Eamon asked her.
Sarah looked down at her food. “It went well. I should need about three weeks to interview everyone. And I’ll need someone to look over the programming samples. I know nothing about that.”
Eamon lay his paperwork down and leaned forward with his elbows on the table. “Can you squeeze your interviews into a two week time period? We have a video game convention to go to in the third week. I’d like to have the data by then.”
Sarah grew tense. He hadn’t mentioned this before. “Could you clarify? Am I supposed to go with you?”
“Yeah, you are. Assistant project manager and all that.”
“The company pays for the trip, is that correct?”
Eamon’s blue eyes turned cold. “You can’t be that dense. Do you really think I’d expect a low level employee to pay their own way to a video game convention?”
Sarah’s cheeks grew hot. “That must have sounded really stupid.” She rose quickly and went to the hidden sink. “Excuse me, I need some water.”
Eamon got up and came over. He started to reach for her shoulder but dropped his hand. “Hey, did that hurt your feelings? Sorry, but you’re going to have to grow a thicker skin. The guys are going to give you grief from time to time. Better learn to handle it.”
Sarah kept her eyes down so that he couldn’t see that she was upset. God, she hated the idea that he would see that he got to her. “Is there anything I need to do to set up the trip?” She managed to ask.
Eamon leaned back against the counter, arms folded across his chest. He could tell from the way her shoulders were tensed that Sarah was still troubled. “No. This one’s all ready to go. But Nicole will show you how to set up the next one.”
Sarah took a deep breath and straightened her spine. She walked over to the table and cleaned up her mess. “Are you finished?” She asked him from across the room.
“Yes.”
Sarah cleaned up his mess as well. “Is there anything else, sir? If not, I need to get home. It’s been a long day.”
Eamon thought about stopping her and then thought better of it. “Good night.”
“Good night.” Sarah made it all the way home without shedding a tear. There was a burning in the pit of her stomach and a lump in her throat but she did not cry. Instead, she stood under a hot shower until the water began to grow cold.
You cannot let him get to you. He wasn’t interested in you; he just hoped you’d give him information. You were stupid to think that he was interested in you. You’re nothing special. You know that. You’ve never been anything special.
That voice went on and on in her head. Sarah tried to shut it off, but it was too familiar a tune. She’d spent her entire life with a solid gold sibling held up as a shining example of what she should achieve. She loved David. He was good to her and that made it impossible to resent him. He couldn’t help being fantastic. But she could never live up to him in her parents’ eyes.
Sarah shook herself. She wasn’t a kid any longer, and her brother wasn’t here. So this time, damn it, she was going to make something work. She was going to save as many Rainwhite jobs as she could. If she could do that, if she could stick it out, no matter how humiliating it was, no matter how hard it was, then perhaps she wasn’t so hopeless as she’d always felt.
Determined, Sarah went directly to Rainwhite the next morning and pressed forward on the interviews. By Friday afternoon, Sarah was only one third of the way through the process, but she had learned from one of the writers who the individuals on the Wickerworld team were. That wasn’t good enough. She needed to know who wrote the good quest lines, and she needed to know who had written dialogue. Because she was running out of time, she called Aaron.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Aaron, it’s Sarah. How are you?”
“I’m fine. What can I do for you?”
“Aaron, can you tell me who the programmers were who were working on companions for Wickerworld?”
“Sure. John Billis and Brad O’Neil. And before you ask, they are excellent at what they do.”
“How about the writers? Who were the folks who wrote the Ghost Wedding quest and the Mystic Riders quest?”
“Tammy Reid and James Pratchett.”
“Didn’t you have a lot to do with the dialogue?” Sarah asked.
“Yeah, but I’m not planning to come back to Rainwhite,” Aaron told her.
“You don’t sound so good, Aaron. You okay?”
There was a long pause.
“The shock is beginning to wear off, so…” Aaron’s voice trailed away.
“Anything I can do?”
“Keep your fingers crossed for me. I’m meeting with some people out on the coast next week.”
“I take it there may be an offer?”
“More like a possible new partnership.”
“Aaron, that sounds exciting. I hope it works out.”
“Me too.”
“Listen, I’ll let you go. Thanks for the info.”
“You’re welcome, Sarah.”
Sarah had no sooner hung up the phone than it rang again.
“Sarah? I mean, Miss Adams?”
Sarah recognized Eamon’s voice. “This is she. How may I help you, sir?”
“Danielle was going to go to a charity event with me tonight, but she’s come down with a bug. Do you have an evening dress? It’s black tie.”
“Excuse me?”
“Do you have an evening—”
Sarah didn’t let him get any farther. “I know what you said, sir. I just don’t understand why you are asking me to go. Surely there’s someone else who can attend with you.”
“Nicole already has an engagement, so it’s you.”
Sarah took a moment to keep her temper in check. “That’s not a part of my job description, sir.”
Eamon got the picture at last. His voice grew sharp. “Well, it is now, Miss Adams. You will be ready by eight o’clock tonight. I will send a car. If you don’t have a gown, get one and the company will reimburse you. Goodbye.”
Sarah looked at the clock on her phone. It was already three-thirty in the afternoon. Making her apologies, she rescheduled her last two interviews and headed home to shower and change. Once there she went to her spare closet and removed a garment bag unzipped it and laid a gown on the bed.
It was a deep purple gown in silk chiffon over a stiff taffeta and organza skirt. The gown was strapless with a sweetheart neckline and a full skirt. The style was very retro. A necklace and earrings of opals set in silver looked right with the dress along with white silk gloves that reached her upper arm. Slipping on the satin pumps dyed to match the dress, she selected a small silver evening purse and velvet cloak to complete the ensemble.
With the help of some serious chemicals, Sarah tortured her hair into a striking evening coiffure and finished off her makeup with a powder that had just a touch of sparkle in it. Her nails were buffed and shiny, but she wore no polish.
Sarah’s doorbell rang precisely at eight, and a chauffeur was waiting to escort her to the car and help her inside.
“Mr. Byrne will meet you at the event, Miss Adams,” the man informed her.
“Thank you.”
Soon enough, the limo arrived in front of a very expensive hotel and the door was being opened. Sarah took a deep breath and stepped out into the night.
Eamon watched as Sarah got out of the car. Her evening cape covered her gown, but she looked very nice despite that. He walked down the steps to escort her up to the doors.
“Miss Adams thanks for coming,” Eamon said as he offered his arm.
“Why thank me? You make it sound like I had a choice to be here.”
Eamon saw that spark in her eyes, but he’d won this round. “Well, you didn’t, but thanks anyway. I hate going to these things alone.” He waited patiently until she threaded her arm through his and then walked her up the stairs into the hotel. Eamon removed Sarah’s coat and turned toward the coat counter so that he could get the token. When he turned back and saw her, his breath caught in his throat.
Sarah was standing about five feet away from him, underneath one of the large chandeliers that graced the lobby of the hotel. The light streamed down on her as though she were the star in some personal variety show. Her short hair, swept back and fluffed up, exposed the elegant line of her neck and her pale skin. The dress! The dress was a killer! Sarah’s shoulders were completely bare except for the necklace she wore. The neckline was low enough to hint at the shadow between her breasts and the tight bodice showed off her slender waistline. The style of the gown was vintage 1950s, but the deep purple color gave it a more modern look. She wore long white gloves as well, something few women bothered to do, but with that gown the effect was perfect.
Eamon recognized at last a quality in Sarah that he hadn’t identified until now. She was like Sandra Dee, an actress from the past that never failed to grab his attention. Sarah had that same ability to be completely innocent and entirely delectable all in the same moment. She was like a Christmas package under the tree, all sparkle and glitter, a present that promised to contain some fantastic gift inside the beautiful box.
Eamon pushed those thoughts down and approached her, offering his arm once more. “It’s a beautiful dress, Miss Adams. Come on, let’s go in.”
Sarah heard the sincerity in Eamon’s voice and smiled at him. Eamon looked fantastic. His tuxedo was custom made and fit him perfectly. With his hair combed and the dark shadow that framed his jaw, he looked elegant and dangerous all at the same time. She wanted to tell him, but Sarah figured he didn’t care what she thought.
They walked up the stairs and down the hall to the main ballroom of the hotel. It was filling up quickly with men and women who gave off the aura of money. Sarah wasn’t new to this world; there were many galas and balls in her past. Her father and mother attended events regularly to raise money for charities. The Doctors without Borders program was one of her father’s personal favorites, and her mother always supported the gala that provided money for nursing scholarships. Then there were also the balls to raise money for the symphony and the ballet, dances to raise money for various disasters. By the time she and David were in high school, they were expected to attend and were expected to work for charities from time to time. As Sarah moved into the room, she was entirely at ease.
Eamon had paid for two tables at the gala. Among his guests were board members from some of his corporate subsidiaries along with their wives or girlfriends. Martin Ellesworth was there. Sarah was delighted to see a familiar face, but she was equally comfortable meeting everyone else.
“…And you know Martin. This is his wife, Andrea.”
An elegant, beautiful brunette in a stunning Dior held out her hand. Sarah shook it. “Hello. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Ellesworth,” Sarah said. She leaned in and in a lower tone added, “Oh my god is your dress a vintage Christian Dior? It’s fantastic!”
Andrea laughed, “Call me Andy.” She lowered her voice as well. “I got it on E-Bay of all places. You certainly know your designers.”
“I’m just a closet fashionista. Can’t afford any haute couture, even on E-bay, but I look for great knock-offs and sales at the Nordstrom racks.”
“Oh my,” Andrea laughed, “you really aren’t Eamon’s usual date.”
Eamon introduced Sarah to everyone at the table. Then, to her surprise, he escorted her to the bar, got her a moscato and took her along as he made the circuit of the room, introducing her to people he knew and making small talk along the way.
Sarah marveled again at his poise. Eamon may not have been born to this world, but he moved among its inhabitants confidently, certain that he belonged among them. He knew his own worth, and she admired him for it.
They returned to their table for the meal. A member of the board from a corporation that was developing three dimensional copiers was seated on Sarah’s right. Sarah had read something about them, and within moments had her dinner partner waxing lyrical about how they were going to change the world. Martin was seated on Sarah’s left. When she could she turned to him. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to Jim. Has he decided…?”
Martin nodded his head. “He’s staying on for another couple of weeks so that I can get up to speed on Rainwhite’s legal files. Then I think he’s going out on his own. Have you thought about joining him?”
“No,” Sarah said softly. “I want to see what I can do to help Rainwhite transition into Gryphon World.”
&nbs
p; “Glad to hear it,” Martin said. And he meant it. He’d watched Sarah this evening. She was pretty, but she was more than that. People responded to her because she was genuine and honestly interested in them. Sarah had taste and a style that was all her own. He was beginning to understand why Eamon had wanted the introduction. Martin looked across the table at Andrea. She was watching him study Sarah and she subtly nodded toward Eamon. Martin looked. Eamon was watching Sarah. He met Andrea’s eyes again and she lifted her eyebrow a little. Martin shrugged and returned to his meal. There were a few short speeches. Thankfully, they didn’t last long. Then the orchestra began to play a waltz.
“Care to dance?” Eamon held out his hand. Sarah pulled on her gloves and rose from her chair, giving him her hand. They reached the dance floor and Eamon took Sarah in his arms. Sarah settled into his arms and they waltzed their way around the floor with other couples. Grateful for a few moments during which she could relax and enjoy being in Eamon’s arms, Sarah closed her eyes and let him lead.
Eamon glanced down and caught Sarah just as her eyes closed giving herself into his keeping as they danced, trusting him to lead. He felt a momentary twinge of conscience but he made himself let it go. After all, he wasn’t really going to hurt her, just use her a little. The song ended and Eamon escorted Sarah back to the table. He didn’t have to worry about dancing with Sarah again. Partners came from all over the room, eager to dance with her while Eamon danced with corporate executives’ wives.
As the evening wound down, Eamon went to the men’s room. He was washing his hands when one of his fellow board members came up to the sink next to him to wash his. “Great party, Eamon, thanks for inviting Carol and me.”
“Any time, I’m just glad you could come,” Eamon replied.
“You know, Eamon, I’ve seen you at a lot of events, with a lot of beautiful women. Miss Adams, though, she’s different.”
“She works for me, Jeff.” Eamon met Jeff’s eyes in the mirror.
“I’m not surprised. That woman is bright, gregarious and has a genuine interest in other people. Plus, she’s got class. You can’t get that with good makeup and a designer dress. I’d hire her in an instant.”
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