by Dena Blake
She turned and rushed to the elevator. Evelyn would be waiting, getting angrier by the minute that she wasn’t already in her office. When the elevator doors opened, she raced across the floor and pushed open the door to Evelyn’s office. Jack was there, ahead of her, like he’d been before, and Evelyn was both pissed and confused. Not a good look for her.
“Where the hell—?”
“I’ve been working on a presentation I think leadership will accept.”
Evelyn rounded her desk and whispered, “I already have a presentation.”
“But it sucks. We have to fix it.” She set the coffees on the table before she pulled out her laptop and turned it on. “They’re not going to go for anything that doesn’t reduce cost immediately, and in a few hours Davis is going to present a proposal for a considerable staff reduction.”
“How do you know that?”
“Just trust me. I know.” She didn’t want to disclose much more for fear Evelyn wouldn’t listen at all.
Evelyn put her hand on her hip. “Have you been working with him to undermine me?”
“Not exactly, but I’m fully aware of his plans, and since you won’t listen to anyone else, he’s going to make his own.” She couldn’t tell them it had been hers to begin with, or they’d both lose all faith in her.
Evelyn took a cup and opened the top before she drank.
Wynn looked up at Jack and then pointed at the remaining cup. “That one’s for you. Sweet and light, right?” She’d remembered how he liked it today.
He seemed confused as he picked it up, pulled off the top, and examined the cloudy contents.
They both stood frozen, watching her.
“Well, sit down. I need your help. I can’t figure this all out on my own.” She tossed printed copies of Evelyn’s presentation, the modified plan they’d come up with before that leadership had rejected, and Jack’s improvement plan in front of each one of them. “We have to combine these to save money.” She also handed them each a list of areas she’d identified as possible money savers.
“Listen. I know you didn’t want me in this position, and I know you don’t trust me. I’m young and smart, and you think I want your job. That might have been true a year ago.” She blew out a breath. It was absolutely true. “But now my only goal is for this company to succeed and keep everyone employed.” She glanced at Evelyn, whose narrowed eyes indicated she still didn’t trust her, and then to Jack. “Isn’t that what we all want?” They both nodded. “Then we all win, right?”
Jack started writing on Wynn’s list. “We can outsource PC purchases, change them to leases, and have a vendor distribute the new ones.”
“That’s a great idea. We’ll be able to provide better customer service then too.” She retrieved the easel from the corner, balanced the oversized pad on it, picked up a marker, and wrote down Jack’s first idea. “How much savings will that give us?”
“A couple hundred thousand.”
She wrote the amount in a column next to it and then glanced back at Jack. “By the way, there’s a sweet chocolate Lab at the animal shelter I’m going to bring home later, and you’re going to adopt her.”
“Probably not. My wife’s not a fan of dogs, was bitten when she was a kid.”
“Buttercup is the sweetest dog, ever. I have a friend who can help Maria get past that fear.”
“I’d love that, if she can. I’ve always wanted a dog.”
“Okay, what next?” She had complete confidence that by working as a team they were going to come up with a great plan. They would need to include a few more substantial savings ideas for leadership to approve it.
Evelyn jotted something on her notepad. “Start charging for food in the canteens. To avoid handling money, we could pull a monthly fee from everyone’s paychecks, like we do for benefits.”
“Acceptable.” That was a huge savings. “I think everyone would agree that’s a minimal price to pay for keeping their job.”
“Can we get enough buy-in for that?” She glanced at Jack, since he worked with a lot of the staff.
“If it was at a discounted rate for those that sign up. We’d have to give them the choice to opt out.”
“Of course.” Evelyn added to her notes.
“What about letting people telecommute? We’d save on operating costs and overhead.”
“Awesome idea, Jack.” She wrote it on the board. “Employees would save on gas and get their commute time back.”
“My whole team would be on board with that.”
“We seem to waste a lot of time on useless meetings. Let’s cut a lot of them and bring the remaining necessary ones online. At the very least, leave out the people who aren’t needed in them.”
Jack wrote something on the paper in front of him. “What about moving to the cloud? That would save on onsite servers and storage.”
She added the suggestion to the list. “Jack. You’re on fire.”
Evelyn spoke up. “We can take on more interns. They’re a minimal expense and are considered an investment in the company’s future.” She scribbled on her notepad. “And cut back on the expensive office supplies.” She held up her gel pen that had the Sexton Technology logo printed on the side. “Go back to off-the-shelf stick pens and also forced default to black-and-white copies.”
They continued naming items until they had enough savings to interest leadership. Their brainstorming session had really paid off. The only thing left was to make sure Davis was detained long enough for leadership to realize it.
She exited the elevator into the lobby and sped to the security department. She’d brought Evelyn along with her because she wasn’t sure they would disable a badge without her authority.
She and Evelyn laid out their plan to detain Davis by deactivating his badge. Getting him outside would be easy, since George was already on board with calling him down and telling him the alarm on his car was going off. Once out of the building, he’d have no way of reentering any of the secure areas of the building without a new badge and permission from Evelyn. George would send Davis to security badging, and they’d be conveniently down for a few hours. George was all in. Thankfully, he loved a good prank.
* * *
Carly was surprised to receive a text from Wynn this morning, and after their short exchange she immediately called Suzanna. She’d just agreed to meet Wynn at her house at noon for help with something she had no clue about.
The ringing stopped, and she didn’t wait for Suzanna to speak. “What’s going on with your sister?”
“What? Which one?”
“Wynn? She sent me a text that said she needs my help for something.”
“I don’t know.” A sigh came through the phone. “You didn’t ask what or why?”
“No. I figured she didn’t want to go over it on the phone or she would’ve called.” She’d been so caught off guard by the message, she hadn’t thought to ask why.
“She’s been really focused on work lately. Maybe something’s going on there.”
That was disappointing. She’d hoped it was something more personal. On second thought it was probably better for it not to be personal. She didn’t want to be a counselor for any relationship issues Wynn might be having. That would end any chance she’d have of developing anything more than friendship with her.
“Maybe so. I thought it might be important, so I cleared my schedule.”
“I’ll call her and find out.”
“No—absolutely not. I don’t want her thinking I called you for advice.”
“But you did. Wait. You cleared your schedule for her?” Suzanna chuckled. “You like her.”
“That’s still up for discussion.” She envisioned the goofy smile on Suzanna’s face and bit her lip in an attempt not to get all giddy. “But I would like to get to know her better.” She was sure the excitement in her voice made her sound like a ridiculous fifteen-year-old.
“Okay.” Suzanna chuckled again. “So what do you want to know?” Something whi
rred in the background as Suzanna spoke.
“What are you doing? Tearing down the house?”
“Blender. Making a smoothie.”
“Always the healthy one.”
“Running after two kids all the time, I have to do something to keep up.”
“So what’s Wynn’s relationship status?”
“Definitely single. She never lacks companionship, but she always keeps her options open.”
Carly wasn’t sure what to think about that. “So, she sees a lot of women?”
“I wouldn’t say that. I think she’s testing the waters. You know, waiting for the right one.” The blender whirred again. “That might just be you.”
“Don’t even think about it.” She was now regretting making this call.
“What? I won’t do anything except maybe give you a little push. Tonight at the fund-raiser.”
“That will depend on what she needs my help with today.”
“I’m going to put my money on work. Wynn doesn’t open up much about her personal feelings.”
That isn’t good either. “Just what I need—another closed-off control freak.”
“Stop. I didn’t say she’s closed off, and she’s definitely not a control freak. That’s Jordan. Wynn just has to warm up to people first.”
“Okay. I’m trusting you on this.”
“Have I ever steered you wrong?”
“There was that one girl in college.”
“Not my fault. She gave off all the vibes.”
“For you, but not me.”
“Can I help it if I’m irresistible? It’s not like you didn’t benefit from any of those crushes.”
“Total rebounds.”
Suzanna laughed loudly. “Are you seriously complaining?”
“Nope. I knew exactly what they were.”
“Listen. I have to go. The kids are running around like maniacs, and I just heard a crash in the other room.”
“Okay. I’ll see you tonight. Don’t call Wynn.”
“I won’t, but I’m going to give you that push later. This has been a long time coming.”
“Plan on being my lifeguard if I start drowning.”
“I’ll bring the life preserver.”
She heard the kids squealing in the background, and the line went dead. She took in a deep breath and blew it out.
Right after she’d received the text from Wynn, she’d called Stephanie and had her clear her schedule this afternoon. Being totally distracted throughout all her sessions wondering what she could possibly need help with wouldn’t be good for anyone, especially her clients.
Normally she wouldn’t have been so accommodating, but she’d been wanting to get to know Wynn better for a long time, though she’d always seemed out of reach. Suzanna had just laughed. It seemed she’d always thought the two of them would make a good couple. She shook her head. How had she never seen that? Suzanna had apparently put that scenario together long ago and was just waiting for it to happen. What had she gotten herself into? It might be less than she anticipated, but then again it might be more.
Chapter Sixteen
Wynn was satisfied with the meeting with leadership this morning. The brainstorming session with Evelyn and Jack had been draining but successful. They’d used a combination of Jack’s and Evelyn’s plans and added a few more cost savings to seal the deal. Leadership wasn’t thrilled at first, but she’d managed to convince them that keeping experienced employees was much less expensive than hiring and training new ones. She’d also proposed a new budget and forecasted sales with regular monthly reviews to back up her plan. Last, but not least, she’d promised that if they didn’t start gaining return on investment in six months, she would resign. To her surprise, both Evelyn and Jack joined her in that promise.
Leadership indicated they’d like Wynn to be the new COO, but she refused to take on the responsibility alone. Wynn had the technology business sense and Evelyn had the compassion necessary to be in the position, a perfect balance. It was agreed that together they would bring the company back into the blue. Jack would bump up to IT Director and would handle all day-to-day operations and struggles. All in all it was a good mix.
Wynn had been home for close to an hour waiting nervously for Carly to arrive and was in the driveway getting her Jeep Wrangler ready for the dogs. On her way home from work, she’d stopped by the pet store to pick up dog food and a crate that would fit in the cargo area. She wasn’t making the mistake of leaving the dogs free again. The Jeep had been an impulse buy last year. She’d been hoping to take advantage of its off-road capabilities but hadn’t had the opportunity to undertake any adventures since the purchase. Maybe Shadow and Carly would change that. She was getting way ahead of herself. She had to get out of this fucking time loop first.
She glanced at her watch as she finished situating the blanket she’d placed in the crate. Not long until Carly arrived. She went to the front door and let Shadow out, who immediately raced to the lawn and started sniffing. What else could she do to keep herself busy for the next fifteen minutes?
“Taking a vacation day, finally?” She heard Mrs. P’s voice and glanced over to see her standing on the porch holding two cups and a decanter Wynn knew to be filled with coffee. Mrs. P loved company.
She waved and then crossed the small yard. “As a matter of fact, I am.” She took one of the cups and held it while Mrs. P filled it with steaming-hot coffee. She’d probably seen Wynn out front and brewed it just for her. Mrs. P was sweet that way.
Shadow finished her business and raced toward them. “It looks like you have an adventure planned with your new puppy.”
She sat and relaxed in one of the porch chairs. “Something like that.” She took a sip of the coffee, hissing when it burned her tongue. “A friend of mine is coming over, and we’re planning to go adopt her mother at the animal shelter.” Mrs. P’s brows pulled together. “Shadow’s mom. Not my friend’s.” She picked up Shadow, who settled on Wynn’s lap.
“That’s a relief. I think your friend’s mom would need a larger crate.” Mrs. P gave her a sideways smile. She was always quick with the dry humor. “This friend. Is she a love interest? Are you dating?” Mrs. P also always stated her thoughts and got to the point quickly. No dancing around anything with her.
“Not currently, but maybe in the future.” She winked. “Let’s see how today goes.”
“Is this some kind of test?” Mrs. P reached over and scratched Shadow’s back. “Making sure she likes dogs?” Shadow immediately rolled over for her to scratch her belly.
She shook her head. “No. Not at all. At least not for her. Carly’s perfect.” A sporty, red, two-door Honda Accord pulled up to the curb, and Carly got out. “Thanks for the coffee. I have to go.” She put Shadow on the ground.
Mrs. P put her hand on Wynn’s knee. “Not so fast. I’d like to meet her. Make sure she’s suitable for you.”
“Trust me, she’s more than suitable.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.” She couldn’t fight it. Mrs. P was going to insist on an introduction.
Wynn vaulted from her chair as Mrs. P threw up her arm and waved. “Carly, dear. Wynn is over here.”
Carly turned and smiled widely before she reversed direction and headed their way. She was dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a coral, V-neck shirt. Her jet-black hair bounced slightly on her shoulders as she walked around the yard on the sidewalk and up the driveway. She was absolutely radiant in the sunlight.
Shadow met her halfway, and she dropped to a squat to pet her. “Hi there, little one. What’s your name?” She gathered her in her arms and continued walking as Shadow licked her chin.
“That’s Shadow, and this is Mrs. Pritchard, my neighbor. I call her Mrs. P for short.” She spoke quickly, well aware that her nerves were showing.
Carly held Shadow against her chest with one hand and extended the other to Mrs. P. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
“She has manners. That’s good.”
Carly smiled, and Wynn grinned before she twisted her neck to look at Mrs. P with widened eyes and clenched lips. “Carly helps Suzanna at most of the events she plans.” It dawned on her that she hadn’t told Mrs. P about her plans. “That reminds me. I won’t be able to make dinner tonight. Suzanna has an event scheduled, so I’ll be helping out as well. We can do something tomorrow night, though.”
“Okay. Perhaps Carly can join us?” Mrs. P glanced up at her.
Carly raised her eyebrows. “Sure. I’d love to.”
“You would?” She couldn’t contain the gleeful surprise in her voice, prompted by the tickle in her belly.
“I would,” Carly said softly, and everything else in Wynn’s vision disappeared as she watched her lips form the words and then break into a beautiful smile.
“You two had better get going before someone else adopts that dog.” Mrs. P’s voice broke through the fog.
“You’re adopting another dog?”
“She’s going to get Shadow’s mother.” Mrs. P. had answered before she could get the words out. “Do you have any pets?”
“No. My life is too busy right now, but maybe someday. My family had a cocker spaniel when I was growing up, and I’ve always wanted another one.”
“Well, three would be too many, anyway.” Mrs. P. was getting way ahead of them.
Carly smiled and glanced at Wynn. “Yes. Three probably would.”
“We’ll see you later.” Wynn kissed Mrs. P on the cheek. “Shall we?” She swept her hand in front of her, indicating for Carly to lead the way.
Carly nodded. “It was nice to meet you,” she said as she turned and allowed Wynn’s hand to brush against her back as they walked across the lawn.
“I’ve got everything loaded already, so we’re ready to roll.” She followed Carly around to the passenger side and opened the door for her. “Thank you for coming. I didn’t think I could handle both dogs on my own.”
“Of course. I’m glad you called.” She climbed into the Jeep and settled Shadow on her lap.
On the way to the shelter, Wynn told her the whole story about how she’d adopted Shadow without knowing that Buttercup was her mother. Once she’d found out, she couldn’t bear the thought of her ending up in a bad home.