Shattered

by Jennifer K Thomas

  “Luke and I have a tangled-up mess right now, but once I’m away from the winery we’ll be able to move on.” I bite my lip, the thought of leaving the winery always leaves causes mixed emotions in me.

  Claire nods and then stands as a group of waitresses walk into the restroom. “Well, I need to get going if I want to get home before it’s time for Finn to go down for his nap, otherwise I’ll be driving around with him in the car for the afternoon.”

  “It was really nice to meet you, Claire.” I realize I’m saying the words because they are true, not merely out of politeness.

  “You too, Jessica. Under different circumstances I think we might have been friends.” Claire smiles at me before swinging the diaper bag over her shoulder and lifting the baby carrier with her other arm.

  I walk slowly back to my office, thinking about my conversation with Claire. She’s so different than what I pictured. It’s confusing, but I think I actually liked her.

  I open the door to the office and proceed to my desk.

  “Luke!” I’m startled to find him waiting for me. “What are you doing here?”

  “You disappeared after the group picture.” He watches me as I round the desk and sit.

  I’m not ready to tell him about my conversation with Claire. “What can I help you with?”

  “I’ll just get right to it, I had nothing to do with Claire and Finn coming today. I wouldn’t spring them on you like that.” Luke leans forward. “It all happened so fast, I didn’t get a chance to come and see you once I found out they were here and…I’m sorry.”

  “I know you wouldn’t surprise me like that, it’s okay, I’m okay. You should have some pictures of your son at your winery.” I give him a small smile to prove my point.

  Luke visibly relaxes. I want to mention Nicolette’s hand in this but decide to tread lightly until I know where he stands with her. Only a week ago he was defending her, but I know he can’t be happy with the stunt she pulled today.

  Luke opens his mouth to say something else, but the outside door to the office opens. A couple of seconds later, Nicolette peaks her head in.

  “Hi, Jessica. Luke, I’ve been looking everywhere for you. We need you outside for some casual shots around the winery.”

  “I’ll be there in a minute,” Luke says, without looking at her.

  “Luke, the photographer has limited time, we really need—”

  Luke turns around to her. “I said, I’ll be there in a minute.” His voice is stern, and Nicolette blinks a few times.

  “Okay.” She frowns for a split second before spinning on her heels and leaving.

  “She’s driving me crazy.” Luke runs a hand through his hair, a habit of his when he’s frustrated.

  I’m careful to keep my face neutral. “How so?”

  Luke tilts his head and squints at me with one eye, the act reminding me of his younger, less intense self. “You were right.”

  Relief floods through me, he finally sees it. “What was that, I didn’t catch what you said?” I cup my hand behind my ear.

  Luke sits up straighter and smirks at me. “You were right.”

  “You don’t say?” I gloat, just a little.

  Luke smiles at first, but the look is quickly replaced by a serious one. “Did you say that it may be a better idea to have budget meetings with only her from now on?”

  “Of course not,” I scoff. “Even when we disagree, they’re part of my job and you’re the owner. You need to be there.”

  “I didn’t think so.” Luke runs a hand over his face. “I don’t want you to dread your meetings with me. Can we carve out some time to look at everything, just the two of us and formulate some sort of compromise we can both live with?”

  “Of course, but won’t Nicolette be offended if she’s not included?” I can’t help but respond with a snide comment, still a little injured that he previously dismissed my concerns about her.

  Luke frowns. “I’ll deal with her. I didn’t see it before, but I do now. She tries to manipulate the other managers and tries to monopolize my time. I don’t like to be managed.”

  I’ve never seen anyone try to handle Luke how Nicolette has, but I could have guessed it wouldn’t yield good results. “Have you talked to her?”

  “I did.”

  “And?”

  “She seemed receptive at first, but then gave indications she wasn’t happy about it.”

  “What sort of indications?”

  Luke hesitates, then leans in slightly. “Jessica, you should probably steer clear of her as much as possible.”

  I dismissively shake my head. “I may not particularly like her, but I’m not intimidated by her, Luke.”

  “I don’t think you are, but she definitely has a problem with you.”

  I purse my lips. “Why?”

  “I don’t know, may be as simple as she wants power and sees you as an obstacle to that.” Luke looks down at my desktop for a brief moment. “You capture more of my time and attention than she would like.”

  I shrug, knowing full well that, as hard as we try not to be, Luke and I are big distractions to each other. “Well, I’m not afraid of her.”

  Luke wears a serious expression. “She’s made accusations about your professionalism and I don’t want you to fuel her fire.”

  “What?” I seethe, my heart pounding fiercely in my chest. “How have I been unprofessional with her?”

  “It started with comments about how you and Linda are always laughing and goofing off when she comes back here. Now she’s saying you spend an awful lot of time meeting with various employees instead of working.”

  “Linda and I handle more back here than she has any clue about and I’ve been meeting with employees who are frustrated. I’ve talked more than one out of walking out, so you’re welcome.” My words come out angrier than I would’ve liked, and Luke raises his hands in surrender. “Sorry.” I add realizing my irritation is misplaced.

  “I’m not saying I agree with her. I’m merely telling you what she’s saying. By the way, I hear you about how I’m being perceived by everyone and I’m working to fix that. I don’t think you’ll have to deal with those complaints going forward.”

  “Everyone will enjoy working for you more if you include them in your decision-making process. I’ve seen you rally a team and build the confidence of those around you. I know you can do that here.”

  Luke smiles at me. “I’m definitely going to try.” He cocks his head to one side. “Can you play nice with Nicolette for a while?”

  “I’m always nice. I can tiptoe around her if that’s what you’re asking me to do.”

  “I don’t want you mixed up in her drama more than you already are. Can you trust that I’ll take care of it and lay low?” Luke wears a serious expression.

  I think carefully before answering. “I can do that.”

  “Good. I’m interviewing human resource managers next week.”

  I can’t blame him for not wanting to be mixed up in this nonsense. “That makes sense. I always told Mrs. Bianchi she should, but she was weird about it, thought it would make the place seem too corporate.”

  “I want to keep the family vibe, but I also need this to be a place I want to come to every day. I need someone else to handle certain aspects of the business, so I can focus on what I’m good at.” Luke gives a small smile. “Well, I better report back to the warden.”

  “Is that your nickname for her? Can I start calling her that?” I flash a mischievous smile.

  He shakes his head and gives a deep throaty laugh. “No. Not unless you want me to report you to HR.”

  “Fine. No new nickname. I’ll just have to keep using the one I already have for her.” I pretend to get back to work.

  “And what’s that?” Luke’s amusement is apparent in his voice.

  I loo
k at him and suppress a smile. “Sorry, can’t tell you. Don’t want any HR problems.”

  Luke rolls his eyes and stands. “Be good.” He winks at me on his way out and I can’t help but feel like something has shifted.

  Chapter 17

  “Grandma!” Amelia screams, and runs into my mom’s arms, causing her to stumble back.

  “Amelia, not so rough,” I gently remind her.

  “She’s fine, Jess.” My mom squeezes Amelia and kisses the top of her head. “How’s third grade treating you?”

  “It’s good, except I have to sit by Ayden.”

  “And what makes you not a fan of Ayden?”

  “He’s awful. He pokes me with his pencil and calls me names.”

  “Not cool.” My mom allows Amelia to lead her to the kitchen. “Did you talk to your teacher about it?”

  “I did, and she told me to try to make the best of it. Sam’s mom told me that maybe he likes me that sometimes boys don’t know how to act around girls they like.”

  My mom looks over her shoulder and frowns at me. “Any boy who doesn’t treat you kindly, doesn’t like you, he’s just being a jerk.”

  “That’s what I said!” Amelia sits at the island and my mom does the same.

  “You look good, Mom.” It’s reassuring to see her not looking so tired and weak.

  “Thanks, I feel better working, even if it is only part time for now.” My mom loves being a nurse and taking time off was hard for her, but I was relieved when she told me she was only going back half-time to start. I agree with the doctor that she needs to rest and fully heal before jumping back into her normally busy schedule. “What’s for dinner? I’m starving.”

  Besides the reduced hours, my mom’s been sticking to her new diet better than I thought she would. “I’m grilling chicken and vegetables. If it’s cooled off enough outside, we can sit out there and eat.”

  Amelia keeps my mom entertained with stories of school and soccer while I cook dinner. When a light breeze picks up, we decide to eat in the backyard.

  “This is delicious, Jess.” With Luke around I learned to cook leaner meals that still had a lot of flavor. He didn’t ask me to, but I know he adhered to a very healthy diet when I wasn’t around, and I didn’t want to disrupt his habits too much.

  “Thanks. I’m glad you like it.”

  We discuss more details of third grade and all its drama before switching to what Amelia is going to dress up as for Halloween.

  “May I be excused?” Amelia asks. “I want to get a shower and then can I watch a show before bedtime?”

  “That’s fine. Please take your dishes to the kitchen on your way, though.”

  Amelia walks away, my mom watching her.

  “She seems even older than when I saw her a couple weeks ago.”

  I sigh. “I know.”

  My mom takes a sip of her water. “So, how are you? How’s work?”

  “It’s good. The new human resources manager, Mindy, seems nice. She seems to already be establishing a good rapport with the staff.”

  “That’s good. Is that woman still there?”

  “Nicolette? Yes. I don’t know what Luke meant when he said he’d handle her, but for now she’s still there.”

  “Any other issues with her?”

  “No, I’ve haven’t seen her or Luke much.” I’m not avoiding Luke, he’s simply been busy. The interactions I have had with him lately have all been pleasant.

  “I wonder what he’s up to.” My mom thinks aloud.

  “I don’t know, but he asked me to stay clear of the situation, so I am.” As I say the words, I realize something. He asked me to, not told me to.

  “Still think you’ll leave when the six months are up?”

  “That’s still my plan. Luke and I are working well together right now, we even made some headway in establishing a reasonable budget of the remainder of the year, but who knows if the peace will last.”

  “And he’s fine with you leaving?” she asks suspiciously.

  “By the time I leave he’ll be ready to really make his mark on the place without my interference.”

  “It’s sounds like your interference helped him keep half his staff.”

  “Maybe.” I take a sip of my water and try to picture how Luke will run things differently without me there. I remind myself that moving on from a company they’ve been at for years would make anyone feel sad.

  “Good morning, Linda.” I arrive Monday morning with coffee for both of us.

  “Have I ever told you how much I love working with you?” I confided in Linda last week about my plans to leave in a few months. Ever since she’s been subtly and not-so-subtly, reminding me of all the reasons I should stay.

  “Every day.” I laugh. “Hold that thought, I hear my phone.”

  I hurry to my office and grab the receiver right before it goes to voicemail. “Hello?”

  “Hi, Jess.”

  “Good morning, Luke. What can I do for you?”

  “I’m calling to let you know that I hired a new VP of Operations. You remember Sebastian from De Luca Winery?”

  “I do. I mean, he’s great, but why do we need a VP of Operations?” During our budget negotiations Luke agrees to curb some of the operating expenses if I agreed to give him free reign to hire staff as he saw fit. I thought he may hire a new assistant and maybe some additional tasting room staff. I didn’t think he was going to hire new executive positions.

  “I have a solid vision for Sebastian’s role here.” Luke lowers his voice slightly. “Trust me.”

  “Okay.” I understand now. Sebastian is either here to manage Nicolette or replace her. “I look forward to working with him.”

  “Me, too.” I can practically hear Luke smile through the phone. “Have a good day.”

  “You too, Mr. Taylor.” I’ve taken to playfully calling him that from time to time.

  I spend the rest of the morning working on compiling the month end financials. My productive streak continues until Nicolette barges in right before noon.

  “Good morning, Linda.” Nicolette doesn’t wait for Linda’s answer before she hurries into my office and shuts the door.

  “Did you know about Luke hiring Sebastian Baldwin?” she fumes.

  “No, I only found out about it this morning.”

  Nicolette studies my face, looking for any indication I know more than I’m letting on. She’s intense with her pursed lips and slightly bulging eyes. I’m not a great liar, so lucky for me I’m telling the truth.

  “And his title? VP of Operations? What’s that? Am I reporting to him?” This is the first time I’ve seen her look unsettled and I resist the urge to smile.

  “I really have no idea, Nicolette. I found out about Sebastian and the new position this morning. As far as reporting, that’s something you’d have to discuss with Luke. Ever since Mindy started, the organizational chart resides with her.” I’m starting to understand how taking me out of the equation with regards to hiring (and hopefully firing), was a calculated move on Luke’s part. He wasn’t simply easing my workload by hiring Mindy, no matter what he said when he announced her arrival. Shifting certain duties to a true human resources manager has now created a situation where Nicolette and her complaints need to be directed to a neutral party.

  “Well…” She taps her manicured nails rapidly on my desk. “This is ridiculous. I’m going to go to Luke’s office and get this straightened out.” She huffs as she springs up from the chair.

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Nicolette gives me one last sideways glance before running off to find answers she may not be happy with.

  I’m sitting at my desk wondering what came of yesterday’s bombshell announcement that Sebastian would in fact be overseeing all of operations, including managing his second in charge, Nicolette. Rumor has
it that when Luke told her, she stormed out of his office, slamming the door behind her.

  “Good morning, Aaron.” I answer my phone quickly, recognizing his number.

  “Hey, Jessica, do you have a minute?” His grave tone halts my typing.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Aaron clears his throat. “Luke’s dad died last night.”

  I gasp. “How?”

  “Car accident.” I’ve never heard Aaron sound so somber.

  “How’s Luke?” I ask quickly.

  “Not great. They were finally getting to a good place in their relationship.”

  “He mentioned they had started talking again.” Luke shared at the end of our last work meeting that he took Finn to meet his dad. It went better than he anticipated, and they made plans to get together the following weekend to catch a baseball game.

  “He’s taking it pretty hard.” Aaron doesn’t hide the concern in his voice.

  “What can I do?”

  “I would come down there if I was in San Francisco, but Andi and I are actually on our way to Seattle for the weekend.” He pauses for a moment. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but can you check in on him? Maybe even go down to San Diego?”

  I doodle on the notepad in front of me. “I’ll give him a call.”

  “Even though he’ll probably resist it, I think he needs someone to lean on right now.”

  He’s right, Luke’s not really a leaner. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “I think he’ll be happy to hear from you.” Aaron’s voice lightens a little.

  “Thanks for letting me know.”

  “Thanks, Jessica. Talk to you later.”

  “Bye, Aaron.”

  I hang up and take a deep breath before calling Luke, adding petals to my flower doodle.

  It rings several times before going to his voicemail. His smooth voice triggers a feeling in my core that’s difficult to ignore.

  “Hi, Luke, it’s Jessica. Aaron let me know about your dad. I’m so sorry. Please give me a call back when you have a minute.”

  I hang up and type out a text, too.

  So sorry to hear about your dad. Please let me know if there is anything I can do.