Heels of Steel

by Barbara Kavovit

  “Okay, yeah, you’ve got an amazing gift. Now, can you tell me anything? It was Russo, wasn’t it?”

  Delmonico laughed again. “Well, that would be nice and neat, wouldn’t it? Yeah, no, not Russo. And I’m gonna tell you who it was, but I want you to know that I’m only telling you because I want to say I freaking told you so.”

  “Great. Awesome. Gloat all you want. Just tell me who did it.”

  “Remember when I told you that Bridget Steele is an untrustworthy bitch?”

  “It was Bridget? Seriously? Oh, come on.”

  “No doubt at all. She took him right out from under your nose.”

  “So direct competition for the Harrington job. Way dirty pool.”

  “I told you—”

  “Yeah, yeah, we’ve already been through that part. But Jesus, how’s she even paying him? She doesn’t have any money. I mean, did you know that Redetzke has four kids?”

  “Jenny, Jamie, John and Jack. Another one on the way, too. They’re doing the gender reveal party next week. Hoping for another girl. The girls have been easier.”

  “Oh, for God’s sake—”

  “Listen, I gotta go, but just remember, sometimes it’s not about the money. I know you were paying Redetzke plenty. But that didn’t mean that the guy exactly liked you.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “Good luck with the presentation, Maguire. You’re gonna need it.”

  Chapter 67

  They had been there for hours. Jay knew he should have been running the show, but he had ceded to Leela after the first forty-five minutes. She was walking them through a PowerPoint chart for the third time.

  Jay was thinking about Bridget again. He still couldn’t believe that she had hacked his budget. Not that he didn’t deserve it. Because he totally did. And not that she hadn’t warned him, because she totally had—

  “Jay... Jay?”

  Jay snapped his head up only to see Leela glaring at him from across the conference table. “What?” he asked.

  “I asked you if there was anything else you wanted to add about our approach to the project?”

  Jay blinked, looking around at the table full of employees, all staring at him expectantly. “Oh. Yeah, no.” He tried to look like he was paying attention. “But I’m very interested in everyone else’s opinions.”

  “Nothing?” said Leela in a wheedling tone. “Not one thing you want to change? How about the schedule? Anything we should address?”

  He shook his head, avoiding her eyes. “Nope. I mean, you guys have just been so thorough—” He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and pulled it out. It was a call from Hana. He stood up and headed for the door. “Um, excuse me for one moment.”

  “Hi,” he said as he shut the door behind him.

  “Are you busy?” she asked. “Is this a good time?”

  “It’s fine,” he lied.

  “Can I come over?” she said. “I think we should talk and I’d rather do it in person.”

  “Um, now?”

  “Yes.” Her voice got a little chilly. “Now.”

  He glanced back at the conference room. “You know what, why not? I’m at the office, but I can be home in twenty.”

  He opened the door and stuck his head back in. Leela had a new chart up. He cleared his throat and everyone turned to look at him. “Hey, guys. Sorry to interrupt, but you know, I actually think we’ve got this. Everyone’s done a great job. I feel like we’re ready. So why don’t we all cut out and get some rest?”

  “Wait, no!” Leela yelled as everyone started to stand up. “There are a ton of things we need to talk about before anyone goes anywhere.”

  Everyone sat back down. Except Jay, who stepped back into the room and started gathering up his stuff. “Okay, well, I’ll let you make that call, Leela. I actually need to go home, though, but since you’re going so late, why don’t you go ahead and order some pizza?” He counted heads. “I think six pies will be plenty, but hey, get as many as you like. I hear that new place on Twelfth is great.” He gave them a little salute as he started to back out of the room. “Good luck to everyone tomorrow. I’m sure we’ll knock it out of the park like always. I’m just going to—” He didn’t even bother finishing his sentence as he exited the room.

  “Everyone stay here! Don’t you dare move!” he heard Leela command as she followed him out. “Jay!” She chased him down the hall, tugging at his sleeve.

  He turned and faced her. “What’s up?”

  “What are you doing?” Her eyes were bugged with fury. “You promised me. You promised that you’d pull your weight this time.”

  “I did,” he said. “I am. But now I have something I need to do.”

  “You do not! And you are not!” She was shouting now. Getting up in his face.

  He put his hands up and took a step back. “Hey. Whoa. I know you’re a little stressed about this presentation. And I’m sorry. I really am. But I have some personal complications—”

  “Sir, with all due respect, Russo needs this project, and I can’t make it happen if you’re not doing your job.”

  He stared at her for a moment and then he laughed. “Leela, you didn’t know me before. Before I got divorced. Before Liam left the company. But you have to trust me when I tell you, I was a really terrible person. I mean, I was a great CEO, the company was doing just awesome, but I basically burned my life down making sure that happened.”

  Leela opened her mouth. “But—”

  He held up his hand. “I’m sorry. I know it doesn’t feel fair to you, but I can’t prioritize work tonight. Because I prioritized work for fifteen years, and it ruined my marriage and messed up my relationship with my daughter, and I have a whole thing I have to deal with right now, and honestly? I just don’t care enough about this Harrington job to even act like I do.”

  Leela’s lip curled and her hand shot out and she socked him on the arm. Hard. “No!”

  “Ow!” said Jay, rubbing his arm. “What the hell, Leela?”

  A look of horror flashed over her face. She bent over with her head between her knees, hyperventilating. “Oh, God. Oh, God. I can’t believe I just hit you. Oh, my God. And now you’re going to fire me because I hit you. And I’ll probably go to jail. Oh, my God. What is wrong with me?”

  Jay reached out and awkwardly patted her shoulder. “Deep breaths.” He could understand her frustration. He’d hired her to fill a position that, by all accounts, she wasn’t remotely experienced enough for, and against all odds, she was crushing it. But if he kept her from succeeding, all the blame would fall on her, and no one would be surprised the twenty-seven-year-old COO had sunk the company.

  Now her seething anger was replaced with shock. “Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I just did that.”

  He snorted. “I can’t believe you didn’t do it sooner.”

  She laughed, startled out of her panic attack. Then bent her head back down. “Are you really leaving?” she said. She sounded defeated.

  “You know how I just told you how working too hard ruined my life?”

  She looked up at him. “Yes.”

  “Even I never punched my boss.”

  She groaned.

  “We’re ready to present,” he said. “You did a great job. Thank you. Let everyone go home and get some rest.”

  She looked back up at him and straightened up. “Are you sure?”

  “My dad told me it was possible to overprepare, you know.”

  Leela shook her head. “Trust me when I tell you that we are nowhere near that happening, Jay.”

  Chapter 68

  They were all crammed into Bridget’s tiny living room: Ava, Ethan, Mrs. Hashemi, Danny, Redetzke and Lee. There were building plans, several open laptops, bottles of water and half-empty cartons of Chi
nese food scattered all over the coffee table and floor. Mrs. Hashemi and Danny, being the eldest in the group, were on the couch, but the rest of the group was sprawled wherever they could fit in the small space.

  “So that’s it,” said Bridget, clapping her hands together. “That’s everything? We’re all clear?” She looked around as people nodded. “Okay, then, I think we’re actually ready. I guess let’s call it a night and get some decent sleep so we’re fresh for tomorrow.”

  “Wait,” said Ethan, jumping up and going into Bridget’s tiny kitchen, where he pulled out a bottle of Domaines Ott that he had stashed in the fridge earlier. He expertly popped the cork, poured a couple of inches into seven plastic cups and passed out the rosé.

  “I have to admit,” he said, standing before everyone, “that when Bridget called me at the beginning of all this, I had my doubts. I mean, who in their right mind thinks they can go from pretty much nothing to getting a contract to build a freaking skyscraper? You gotta be crazy, right? Or delusional.”

  “Thanks a lot,” Bridget snorted.

  “But—” He smiled at her. “I’ve known this woman for years. I saw her rise from being the scrappiest handyman on the block, to starting her own business, to making it out of the hood, to building something huge, something that any of us could be proud of. And then I watched her lose it all and let me tell you—” he glanced at Bridget again “—that sucked.” He waited a beat while everyone laughed. “And yet, here we are again, back on the brink of success. Major success. And it’s all because this woman is the strongest, fiercest, most stubborn person to ever come out of the Bronx, and that—” he raised his glass and everyone followed suit “—is saying a lot. So here’s to Bridget Steele, the toughest fighter I ever met.” He smiled at her and clinked his cup against hers. “You make us all stronger, lady. And I thank you for that.”

  Everyone touched their cups together and drank. Bridget bit her lip. “You guys. Thank you. I’m not going to lie. The past few years have been really hard. And there have been more than a few moments when I wondered if I was ever going to get through them. I know that I am a lucky, lucky woman to have you all here in this room. And I am positive that we are going to do the most kick-ass, amazing job tomorrow. We are going to march in there and be undeniable. And then—” she smiled a huge, happy, teary grin “—we are going to build a god damned skyscraper.”

  “Yeah!” everyone cheered, tipping back their drinks.

  “Now, go home!” called Bridget. “I don’t want a bunch of hungover zombies at the presentation tomorrow!”

  “Hey,” said Ava on her way out. She dropped her voice. “Are you really all right?”

  Bridget pasted on a cheerful smile. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  Ava shook her head. “Well. I can think of a few good reasons. I mean, do you want to talk? I can stay.”

  “I’m fine,” said Bridget hurriedly. “I’m great. Go on. You’ve been awesome. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Ava looked at her for a long moment, obviously trying to decide whether she meant it. “Okay. If you say so. But I’m just a text away if you need me.”

  Bridget gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I know. You always have been. And I appreciate it. You’re a great friend. Now, go.”

  Ava left, and Bridget locked the door behind her, grateful for the quiet. She moved around the living room, picking up cups and containers, straightening papers into neat piles, but then, halfway through, she sank to the couch with a sigh.

  She was fine. Or, at least, she would be. She wondered if Harrington & Kim had scheduled the presentations back-to-back. She felt sick to her stomach when she imagined how it would feel to see Jay tomorrow.

  She found the nearly empty bottle of rosé and brought it to her lips, tipping it back and finishing it off.

  It’s better this way, she scolded herself fiercely. He made you weak. He made you stupid. None of this was a luxury you could afford. Let a man get between you and the work and it’s all over. Look what happened with Kevin. You swore you’d never do that to yourself again—and yet, you were walking right into it with Jay. So what if he made you laugh? So what if he was good in bed? Men are a dime a dozen. This job is everything.

  So why was she crying?

  She wiped away angry tears.

  She ached, was the honest truth. Work or no work, the thought of him still made her feel shaky and weak. She missed him. And she was pissed at him. He had left her gutted.

  She looked at the mess left behind by everyone who had shown up for her tonight. She reached her foot out and shoved at a little toy truck that was sitting on the carpet.

  Forget Jay, she thought. Think about the job. Nothing else matters. Nothing else deserves your attention. Because this isn’t about just me. This is so much more.

  Chapter 69

  Hana was waiting for him in the apartment when Jay got home. He felt a small flash of annoyance when he saw her sitting there on his couch.

  “I hope you don’t mind me letting myself in,” she said. She was wearing faded jeans and a white tank top, her hair pulled back into a long braid. Judging from the paint on her hands and smudge on her chin, he guessed she’d been working.

  “I didn’t know you still had a key,” he said as he took off his shoes.

  She shrugged. “It never occurred to me to give it back.” She gave him a little smile. “Maybe it’s a sign.”

  He raised his eyebrows in answer. “Where’s Alli?”

  “At Minnie’s house. I guess we should call her the girlfriend now, though.” She laughed. “Funny to say that, right?”

  He nodded, heading for the kitchen. “I need to eat something. Can I get you anything? Hungry? Thirsty?”

  “Maybe just a glass of water. I stopped at Sbarro’s on the way over.”

  He cringed, remembering how Hana would eat just about anything when she got hungry. “All the great pizza we have in this city and that’s where you ate?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be such a snob. Crust, tomato sauce, cheese. A slice is a slice is a slice.”

  He opened his mouth to argue and then shut it again and took a deep breath as he entered the kitchen. “Okay. Never mind.” He took down a glass and filled it.

  She came in and sat down at the kitchen island and accepted the glass. “Thanks,” she said.

  He opened the refrigerator and pulled out some prosciutto, a round of goat cheese, some arugula and a jar of fig preserves. He grabbed a loaf of half-finished focaccia out of the bread box and cut off a couple of thick slices. Then he spread the jam, draped the prosciutto, added the greens and crumbled on the cheese. He left the sandwiches open-faced, side by side, in case Hana changed her mind. “You sure you don’t want some?” he said, pouring a glass of cabernet.

  She smiled faintly and sipped her water. “I’m good, thanks.”

  He didn’t much like eating alone, but he was starving, so he sat down and dug in.

  “So,” he said, between bites, “you wanted to talk?”

  “We haven’t seen each other since Scarlett’s,” she said.

  He nodded. “Well, there’s been a lot going on at work.”

  She looked at him warily. “Is that all?”

  He shook his head. “No. I needed time to think.”

  “What’s there to think about? I thought it was all pretty clear.”

  He looked at her. “Seriously?” He took another bite of his sandwich, chewing slowly. “Jesus, Hana. Even before you left, when was the last time we were really happy together?”

  She shrugged. “What’s happy? I mean, were we any happier after we split up?”

  He laughed. “Well, no, not for me, anyway. Not at first. But you and Liam seemed pretty dang good.”

  She stood up and paced, her braid snaking around behind her. “I told you, that was a mistake. And you know that Alli wasn’t any hap
pier after.”

  “What I know is that Alli was hitting adolescence and probably heading for whatever it is she’s going through now, whether we were apart or together. And all the fighting we did before things ended probably didn’t help that much.”

  She looked at him. “Jay—”

  He raised his hands. “I’m not saying I didn’t make mistakes, Hana. I screwed up plenty. I did exactly what my dad taught me to do. From the beginning, I never put you first, and then when Alli grew out of cute and easy, I iced her out, too. I kept telling myself that I was working hard like that for you guys—that I was providing for you. And that I was a good husband because I brought home the money and didn’t screw around on you. What more could you ask for, right? But that’s ridiculous. I mean, I could have quit and never worked another day in my life and we wouldn’t have had to change a thing about how we lived. I could have given you both all my time, and we still would have been way more than fine financially.”

  Hana shook her head. “I don’t need you to do that,” she said. “I don’t want you to do that.”

  He could feel his lip curl. “Wait. But wasn’t that the whole reason you left? Because I wasn’t there for you?”

  She looked away from him and took a deep breath. “I left because I fell in love with Liam.” She said it quickly, like she had to spit it out. “But that’s...it’s not healthy. What you and I had was healthy.”

  “What we had was a mess. I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

  She wrapped her arms around herself. She looked miserable. “I just... I want to be myself again, Jay. I want to do my work, and parent Alli, and not feel so much. Yes, you were never around, but in some ways, that gave me space, you know? There was quiet and solitude, and time to create. Now, it’s like I’m all wrapped up—I’m never alone, and even when I am alone, I’m consumed with this need... And he—” She stopped, a scared look on her face.

  Jay blinked in wonder. “So this has nothing to do with me. Or Alli, even. This is because—what? You’re too obsessed with Liam? You want to get back with me because you love Liam too much? Are you freaking kidding me, Hana?”