There was movement in Laurie’s o ce, signaling a possible reopening of the door and some new order hurled at
her. Jack’s spine snapped to attention. “I gotta go, Mom.
Make a cup of tea. You always tell me tea fixes everything.”
Her mother started to protest, but Jack slammed the phone back onto the cradle. Almost immediately, it rang again. Jack snatched it up and barked, “What now, Mom?”
A man’s voice came over the line. “I must have the wrong number.”
Jack’s heart leaped into her throat as she realized she’d answered a call destined for Laurie’s o ce. Her head jerked toward Marian’s desk. It was empty, which meant all of Laurie’s calls had automatically been transferred to Jack’s phone.
“No, no. I apologize. I answered the wrong line.” Jack drew a breath and started over in her most professional phone voice. “Laurie Emerson’s o ce. May I help you?”
“Derek Malone, returning a call from Ms. Emerson,” the man said with a chuckle. “Don’t worry; I won’t mention your little mix-up. She’s already going to want to rip me a new one for taking two weeks o for my honeymoon instead of getting back to her immediately. No sense in both of us getting on her bad side.”
“I appreciate it,” Jack said with a shaky laugh. “I’ll put you through. And, congratulations.”
Maybe fifteen minutes later, Laurie’s door opened. “Jack?
Would you come into my o ce for a moment, please?”
Jack, who had already grabbed up her supplies and was readying for battle as soon as she’d heard the door creak, stopped short. Who was this polite, pleasant woman, and what had she done with Jack’s boss?
When she arrived in Laurie’s o ce, Jack’s confusion intensified. The computer monitor was black, and Laurie sat on the couch, her shoulders slightly bent, staring aimlessly at the co ee table. This woman who never sat still looked almost relaxed. Jack hadn’t even known she was capable of
it, but there she was, like a weight had been lifted from her chest. What had brought on this sudden change?
Jack froze halfway into the room, realizing that heading to her usual spot made no sense but not knowing if her presence on the empty couch would be an acceptable alternative. How had things reached a point with Laurie where Jack literally couldn’t decide whether to sit or stand?
Finally, Laurie gave her a clue by patting the sofa cushion.
“I’m starving. Can you order from that Chinese place? I remember liking it.”
Jack blinked, thoroughly mystified. “You called me in to order Chinese?”
“Did I interrupt your work? I didn’t mean to.” Unlike earlier, there was no trace of anything but sincerity in her words. This was possibly as close to an actual apology as Laurie Emerson had ever come, and Jack was left dumbfounded by it. “How’s your mom?”
“Uh, fine,” Jack blu ed, the truth being way too complicated to explain.
“So, can you?”
“Huh?” Jack’s head struggled to keep up. “Oh, the Chinese food. Yes, of course. Same thing as before?”
“You know what I like.” The astonishing lack of irony left her boss’s words open to so many interpretations.
Considering the salacious memories associated with the last time they’d ordered takeout together, many of the options were not suitable for work.
Not wanting to invite trouble, Jack made a hasty retreat, but before she reached the door, Laurie added, “Get plenty for us both. We’ll work through lunch.”
“Okay, I’ll clear some things o my desk so I have room.”
“I meant together, at the conference table.” Laurie smiled, a genuinely warm smile. What the hell was going on?
“And don’t forget those donuts.”
Jack nodded, reeling inside as she tried to maintain her composure. It was like the past month of awkwardness had been nothing but a dream. Next thing she knew, Laurie was going to suggest a few rounds of ping-pong to let o steam.
Or maybe something a little more exciting? Jack’s pulse ticked up a notch even as she tried not to picture all that such a turn of events might entail.
When the food arrived, Jack carried it, along with her laptop and notes, into Laurie’s o ce. What followed was not a scene from an adult movie by any stretch of the imagination, but in many ways it was better. Working side by side at the conference table, Jack could feel their synchronicity returning. For whatever reason, they were back in the groove until, finally, Laurie closed her laptop with a reluctant sigh.
“Time for me to head out.”
“Already?” Jack glanced at the clock, noting with surprise that it was after three.
“You’ll be okay here tonight on your own?” This was still the new Laurie speaking, her question genuine and not seeming to hide any other agenda.
So weird.
“I’ll be fine. Go kill ’em at that meeting.” Jack bit her lip.
Did she dare crack a joke? “Not literally, though. I’ve got way too much on my plate to come bail you out of jail.”
To both her surprise and relief, Laurie let out a hearty laugh, fixing her with an expression that made Jack feel like the only person in the world. “Has your boss ever told you you’re doing a good job?”
Jack’s heart fluttered. “Not in so many words.”
“Between you and me, she sounds like an asshole.”
Jack burst out laughing with such ferocity her sides began to hurt. What a relief it was to feel like they were normal again, on solid footing and ready to work together.
“Believe it or not,” Jack said when she was able to stop laughing enough to get her words out clearly, “she’s really not so bad.”
AT 10:55 THAT NIGHT, Jack stood at the printer, waiting for the last report to print. It had been a roller coaster of a day, made all the more confusing by Laurie’s inscrutable mood swing. After reaching the pinnacle of impossible boss behavior in the morning, she’d been back to her old self, and then some, by lunch. What was up with that?
Before her mind could make any progress toward an explanation, her cell phone rang. She rolled her eyes at the name on the screen. “What now, Mom?”
Her mom’s words were garbled, and there was a wailing sound that made her think the television must be on in the background. No doubt her mom’s time zones were all screwed up and she was having trouble sleeping, but those crime shows she enjoyed hardly seemed relaxing.
Jack hole-punched the last stack of papers. “Mom, turn the television down. I can’t hear you.”
“Amb—”
Jack held the phone away from her ear as it was filled with chatter and cross talk. She turned the volume down and put the phone on speaker, but it didn’t do much to improve the sound quality. If anything, it made it feel like her mom’s TV was in the room with her.
“I’m heading home soon.” Jack spoke loudly as she set the phone down then inserted the papers into the binder, snapping the metal rings shut. Thank goodness her final task of the day was done. “It’s really loud on your end. Are you at Cousin Amber’s?”
Finally, a single word rang out clearly in the empty o ce.
“Ambulance.”
Heart pounding, Jack scrambled to grab the phone, switching it o speaker and holding it to her ear to hear better. “Did you say ambulance?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Too far.”
“We live four blocks from the closest hospital—”
“Couldn’t make it. You weren’t here.” Each word was accompanied by a labored breath.
Oh God, did I make the wrong choice in not going home earlier?
“Which hospital are they taking you to?”
“Saint Bridget’s.”
“I’m on my way. Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”
As soon as she hung up, Jack tapped her app to request an Uber, nearly crying out in relief to discover the closest driver was only six minutes away. She darted for the elevator, hitting the down button
once and then continuing to smash her finger into it as if that would make it arrive faster. “God dammit, Mom. Why didn’t you tell me it was ambulance bad?”
When the doors jerked open, Jack hopped in, pressed the lobby button, and held her finger on the close doors button until they did. It took ages to travel all twenty-four floors, but given the late hour, at least she could be grateful she didn’t have to stop at any of the floors. When it finally landed in the lobby, Jack darted for the exit, running right into Toby. He was dressed in a suit, probably on his way back from a dinner with clients, but his necktie had been loosened and the top two buttons of his white dress shirt were undone. His eyes were tinged with pink, and Jack suspected he’d had more than a few cocktails.
“Easy. Where’s the fire?” he joked, the slurred words another indication he wasn’t a hundred percent sober.
“My mom’s in the hospital,” Jack blurted out, too rattled to question whether or not she needed to answer. “Oh fuck.”
The purple binder was still in her hands. In the race to catch her ride, she’d forgotten to leave it on Laurie’s desk.
Jack looked down at the stupid book and then back at the elevator doors shutting. A tear trickled down her cheek.
Toby, uncharacteristic concern bleeding through the intoxication in his eyes, steadied her with a hand on each shoulder. “Take a breath. How can I help?”
“I need to get this upstairs, but my Uber is leaving in two minutes and my mom is in the hospital.” She wasn’t the type to burst into tears, so the copious wetness streaming down her cheeks took her by surprise almost as much as the way she was hyperventilating as she spoke.
“I can take it.”
Jack wiped her cheeks. “No, I should do it. It’s my job.”
“Don’t be crazy.” He tried to pry the binder from her grip.
“What, does it have nuclear codes in it?”
Jack looked over her shoulder, spying the black Toyota Prius that Uber had promised was waiting. Shit. She had to go right now or miss her ride . On the one hand, Laurie would kill her for letting the binder out of her sight. On the other hand, Toby wasn’t a competitor, at least not really. There was nothing in the binder that was overly sensitive, and besides, in his drunken state, she doubted he had the stamina to actually read beyond the first sentence or two.
She loosened her grip, letting Toby take the binder.
“That’s better,” he said encouragingly. “Where does it go?”
“On Laurie’s desk. Upper left-hand corner.”
“Got it. Go. Take care of your mother.” The pink color of his eyes intensified as they misted over. “You only get one
mother.”
“Thanks.” A mild feeling of guilt settled over her as she remembered that Bonnie Emerson hadn’t only been Laurie’s wife but Toby’s mom. It made sense he might understand.
She dashed out of the building and hopped into the back of the waiting car. The driver turned to see if she was set, and she could tell by the look on the woman’s face that she must look a fright.
“Please hurry. My mom might be dying.”
The woman nodded.
Jack’s phone rang.
“Mom?” she answered, not bothering to look.
“No, it’s Carmen. Are you okay? You sound frantic.”
“My mom’s in an ambulance. She tried telling me she was sick, but I thought she was crying wolf again.” The dam to her waterworks broke, and she blubbered, “I’m the worst daughter in the world.”
“What hospital?” Carmen’s voice was calm and commanding, the type of voice that assured you even without hearing the words that she had it all under control.
“Saint Bridget’s,” Jack said in a whisper.
“I’ll meet you there.”
C H A P T E R F I F T E E N
THE ONLY THING LAURIE COULD CONCENTRATE ON AS SHE EXITED THE
executive elevator was finding a bottle of ibuprofen.
Normally, she appreciated the speedy ascent to the twenty-fourth floor, but this morning it had exacerbated the headache that had already been threatening to make her eyeballs pop out of her head since before she left the house.
The previous day had brought a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, an assault from which Laurie was nowhere near recovered.
The call from Derek, an HR consultant for Bay State Bank and Trust, had been a bright spot. He’d assured her that no hiring paperwork for anyone by the name of Jack Kennedy had crossed his desk, pointing out that as a true Boston Irishman and fan of the former president, he would’ve remembered. The news had brought such sweet relief.
No matter how hard Laurie had tried to put it out of her mind, the specter of disloyalty had cast a dark shadow over every interaction with Jack since the day Laurie had seen her with Carmen in the co ee shop. After Derek’s call, her worries had cleared like clouds dispersed by a strong wind.
Her working relationship with Jack had been restored to normal. If only her afternoon meeting had gone half as well.
Hand pressed to her temple, Laurie strolled through the vestibule where both admin desks sat, surprised to see them empty. While it wasn’t unusual for Marian not to clock in until five minutes to eight, Laurie couldn’t recall a time when Jack hadn’t beaten her into the o ce. Brain throbbing against her skull, Laurie snatched a bottle of pain reliever from beside Jack’s computer. She opened the lid and took two pills, popping them into her mouth and swallowing them dry. Had the woman been there, she would’ve asked, but since she wasn’t, Laurie figured anything on the desktop was fair game.
As she hung her jacket up on the stand inside her o ce, Laurie squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again. No good. Her vision felt blurred, the headache making it worse.
Even with its properly enlarged font, Laurie dreaded reading through the morning reports from Paige McGovern’s o ce, but it had to be done, especially after the news she’d received about the Othonos bid yesterday. Resigned to the task, her eyes zeroed in on the purple binder, or more accurately, at the spot on the corner of her desk where the binder should’ve been. Instead, she only saw an empty space. She opened her mouth to call for Jack but remembered her portfolio manager had not yet arrived.
Stomping back to the vestibule, Laurie yanked open one of Jack’s drawers, but it wasn’t there. She tugged open another. Then another. She slammed the last drawer shut.
“Where is it?”
“Everything okay?”
Laurie jumped at the sound of Andy’s voice, growing defensive as her project manager narrowed his eyes. He didn’t outright ask why she was going through Jack’s things, but the question was clear in his expression.
“No, everything is not okay. Does it look like everything is okay, Andy?”
“Uh—”
“Why are you dressed like that?” Laurie glared at the young man’s gray slacks and oversized grandpa sweater.
“It’s casual Friday,” he replied as if that excuse made any wardrobe travesty okay.
“You look like an old man.” Why it was so important to her to make sure Andy knew what she thought of his outfit wasn’t clear, but her spirits did lift slightly once the words had been said. Such a slippery slope. One day, a ratty wool sweater. Next thing she knew, the whole o ce would be going without pants.
“Is there something I can help with?” Andy asked, fidgeting with one of the cardigan’s leather buttons.
“I asked her to do one thing last night. One!” Laurie held a finger up in the air. “And she didn’t do it. It just goes to show if you want anything done right, you have to do it yourself.” Laurie stormed back into her o ce, with Andy trotting at her heels. She picked up her desk phone and punched in Jack’s cell number.
It continued ringing.
And ringing.
Laurie slammed the phone down. “God dammit! This is the last thing I need right now. Not after yesterday.”
“What happened yesterday?” Andy squeaked.
“Toby was wrong; that�
��s what. I had an informal meeting over drinks with a few industry friends yesterday, and guess what I found out.”
Andy swallowed, looking petrified. “I’m not sure.”
“I found out Othonos has absolutely not granted Emerson Management an exclusive shot at his account.”
Andy’s eyes widened. “He hasn’t?”
“Not even close. He’s hearing pitches from at least three other investment firms, and that’s just in Boston. He
probably has meetings set up in London, New York, and Tokyo, too.”
“What does that mean?” Andy’s brow was creased and appeared to have been misted with a light coating of sweat at his shaggy hairline.
“What does it mean?” Laurie reached for her co ee, but it wasn’t there because Jack had not yet arrived to bring it to her. Her rage ignited. “It means Toby played me. Jack played me. Everyone has played me!” she screamed, shaking her hands in the air. “Are you fucking playing me, Andy?”
“Wh-what? No way. I’d never do that. Never.” He took two steps back.
Laurie eyed him, her eyes slitting to where she could barely make him out. “You wouldn’t tell me if you were, though. That’s the problem. I can’t trust anyone.”
“Y-you mentioned Jack,” Andy stuttered. “What does she have to do with this?”
“It turns out Bay State Bank and Trust is a dark horse in the Othonos race, and Jack’s good friend Carmen Vega is leading the charge.”
“Bay State’s giving a pitch?” The incredulity was as clear in Andy’s tone as it was on his face. “But, they’re tiny.”
“I always knew Silvio Othonos was an unusual man, but apparently,
we’ve
underestimated
precisely
how
unconventional he really is. Turns out, he’s much less concerned with size than we thought.” As Andy snickered into his hand, Laurie indulged in a quick chuckle. “I know.
Most macho types are obsessed with size, but it only goes to prove my theory that he’s not at all what he seems.”
“He’d really consider trusting a firm as small as Bay State with his billions?”
Heart of Ice Page 18