His denial was fast and firm, and Denise lifted an eyebrow as she passed him his tie. “Oh? That sounds like she might be more than your usual hook-up.”
“She is.” He turned to the mirror inside the open closet door. “And I don’t have usual hook-ups. You know better than that.”
“True. You have unusual hook-ups. Remember the Tahitian dancer who was studying to be a playwright?”
“Oh. Her.” Chad focused on his tie. “Are you sure this goes with this shirt?”
Denise sighed. “Chad, the board won’t give a shit. Half of them will be in their golf shirts, probably.”
“How did we not see this coming?”
“It’s been kept really quiet. Absolutely under the covers until yesterday. Guess they figured nobody would notice a whole shitload of emails going out to stockholders at five-thirty on a Friday.”
The talk turned to business, and Chad found himself dressed and at his desk, mostly conscious, with another cup of Denise’s best “wake me up” coffee and a bagel in front of him.
“Eat, drink and read these. The board will be arriving soon, and you should be fully conversant with the details.”
He made a shooing motion with his hands. “Then go. Let me study my homework.”
She nodded and turned to leave.
“Hey Denise?”
“What?”
“I really do love you, you know. Thank you. Remind me to double your Christmas bonus, because you’ve earned that and more today.”
“Don’t mention it.” She waved her hand idly. “Just another day at the office. Now I’m off. I have to go grab my cape and save the world.”
“You could, you know,” he yelled after her.
“You got that right,” she yelled back, just before closing the door.
Alone with his thoughts, Chad dove in, absorbing reports, facts and figures…all the data he’d need to reassure his Board of Directors that the company was sound.
The tap on the door shocked him and he realized that a couple of hours had passed in a flash.
It was time.
He gathered his notes and stood, nodding at a worried Denise. “We’ll be fine,” he announced.
She bit her lip. “Okay. If you say so.”
“I do,” he confirmed. “So stop worrying.”
He walked toward the boardroom with a strong steady step, leaving Denise wondering if she’d have a job next week.
And also who the woman was who wore J’Adore perfume…
*~*~*~*~*
Sunday morning dawned in Massachusetts, three hours before the sun peeped over the horizon in Sacramento.
Merry knew this, of course, but didn’t think about it since she had no idea where Chad was.
She simply awoke wondering if he was all right. And she checked her phone—again—only to find it as empty of news as it had been all yesterday.
She sighed and got out of bed, remembering she’d bought fresh croissants for her Sunday breakfast, and tiptoeing across the hall to get the paper.
This, she thought as she sat down at the small kitchen table, with her deluxe goodies spread out in front of her, was the way every Sunday morning should be.
The coffee was hot and fragrant, she’d warmed the croissants and they were shedding tiny drips of butter. A pot of raspberry jam stood ready in case she had the urge for a little extra spoiling.
The sun shone, and other than Chad not being there, life was good. Sticking her feet up on the other chair, she leaned back and opened the paper.
She skimmed the front pages, ignored the latest political upheaval, turned on to read the sports headlines—the Bruins had kicked ass the night before—and found herself in the business section.
She rather enjoyed drifting through this part of the paper, since she’d met more than a few of the folks who made an appearance now and again. Especially in the Tech Talk columns…
Turning over the first page, she let her eyes scan quickly over the contents…and froze on a choked breath.
The photo—it was him. It was Chad, for God’s sake.
It really was. She stared at it, unable to believe it was his photo, right there, in her Sunday paper. On her kitchen table.
Sitting up, she leaned toward it, anxiously reading the caption.
“Rumor in financial circles has it that a hostile takeover is in the works for one of the most lively and active tech companies west of the Rockies. TechNow, which has its corporate headquarters in Sacramento, California, is said to be under attack from a consortium of investors who are ready to offer a substantial price for current stock.”
Merry scarcely blinked, reading more of the article until she hit a name she recognized. Sort of.
“The C.E.O. of TechNow, Chadwick Christopher, was spotted at an airport gate late Saturday in Sacramento, presumably arriving to meet with his board of directors and discuss this ongoing situation.”
The croissant she’d been eating turned to ashes in her mouth. “The C.E.O.? Are you fucking kidding me?”
She read on.
“Mr. Christopher has long been recognized as the dynamic force behind TechNow, which he developed initially as an offshoot of the Christopher Corporation. Now a company in its own right, it was only a few short years ago that Mr. Christopher stunned investors by turning to an IPO, and creating several other smaller companies under his corporate umbrella, believing his company had the strength to back it up. He was proved right, but does he have the wherewithal to fight back this latest challenge? The financial world waits with impatience to see what next week brings…”
Merry’s mind blanked. Just flat out shut down for at least half a minute. She stared at nothing, thought nothing…felt nothing.
Until reality set in.
“I fucked the owner of TechNow. I didn’t know it.” The coffee cup she addressed looked uninterested. “He never said a word. Never mentioned who he was. I thought he was a contractor. He let me believe it.” She rose and began to pace. “God, everyone thought he was a contractor. What the fuck kind of game was he playing?”
She paced some more. “Christ. What have I done? What did he do? Did he lie to me?” A few moments thought about that and she realized no, because he’d never said anything at all about who he was.
“Fuck.”
She still felt like shit.
Her phone rang. Nervously she looked at the number. It was Kat.
“Hey.” She cleared her throat.
“You see it?” Kat didn’t have to say any more.
“Yeah.”
“Is it real, for fuck’s sake? Is that him?”
“It’s him, all right.” Merry sucked in a breath. “And I slept with him last night.”
There was dead silence.
“Kat?”
“I’m just trying to come to terms with the fact that my best friend slept with a guy who started up the company we work for. Who owns it. Who is probably richer than God. Or at least that social media guy. Did you know?”
“Of course not.”
“So the money thing…that wasn’t a lure?”
“Forget about the money,” said Merry. “Even if I’d known, it would have been unimportant. You know me better than that.”
“I do. But gazillions?” snorted Kat.
“Okay, yeah, that was stupid because it probably would have made a difference of some sort. But still.” She paused, sat and reached for her cold coffee, taking a sip anyway. “It’s that he didn’t tell me, Kat. He didn’t trust me, for whatever reason. He should have told me. He pretended to be someone he wasn’t and then…” she gulped down a sob. “He should have fucking told me.”
“Well, yeah. I guess you really should know shit like that before you get naked together.”
“I’m…hurt, I guess. Hurt because maybe it was all a fake. Just a ploy. Let’s go to one of my little companies, do some super-sleuthing, play boss-goes-undercover, and hook up with one of the girls. Maybe there’s going to be a tv series about that. A spin off�
�undercover sex – big boss fucks unknowing employee.” She dragged in a breath that was almost a sob. “Maybe he was just seeing if he could get laid. Or doing a morality check. Seeing if his employees will go fuck anyone who asks…” A bitter taste fouled the back of her throat. “He certainly proved the truth of that, the miserable shithead…”
“Er, wait, honey. Tell me how you really feel?”
“I’m so fucking furious right now…”
“You probably should give him a chance to explain before calling him dickhead, undercover boss-slash-seducer-slash-morality-police, and whatever else your creative mind can come up with.”
“At this point? Why bother? He’s the fucking C.E.O., Kat. I’m just a little ol’ designer tucked away in a remote bit of his organization that he hooked up with for a night. I reckon he might have one of me in every company he owns.”
“You are hurt, hon. Was it that good?”
Merry closed her eyes. “There are no words.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know.” Merry stood and began to pace again. “I need to think.”
“That would be a good start.”
The silence lasted all of a minute. “Kat?”
“I’m here, honey.”
“You remember what we were talking about at the July fourth picnic?”
This time it was Kat who was silent for a moment. Finally she answered. “Yes of course I do. Vividly.”
“It’s time.” Merry could hear the indrawn breath on the other end of the line.
“I’ll call Stan and Debbie.”
“Get them over here as soon as you can? We have to do this thing. And we have to do it now.”
“You’re right. Yes. It feels right.” Kat’s voice grew stronger and more enthusiastic. “It’s the perfect time.”
“It is, isn’t it?”
“Let’s go for it. I’ll gather the troops and we’ll set it all up today. Or as much as we can.”
“You got it.”
They disconnected and Merry was left staring at her phone and wondering what she’d done.
Then she saw Chad’s photo again, top left-hand side of the financial section. And she knew she’d made the right decision.
It was time to go for her personal nuclear option.
Deliberately she thumbed through her contacts, found Chad…and blocked his number.
Step one was complete.
*~*~*~*~*
He had been trying for hours to reach Merry, but for whatever reason he kept hearing the same damn words.
“We’re sorry, this number is not available at this time.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled as the New England scenery flew past. It was Wednesday and he hadn’t had chance to return before then, since Monday was spent with accountants and lawyers tightening up his ship and repelling boarders. Or at least something like that. There was no longer a hostile takeover looming, and that was the important thing. Next important thing? Merry.
He walked through the front door of Tech Now, followed by two rather large, muscular linebacker types—a mix of male model and fitness instructor—dressed in perfectly fitted, matching black suits. They’d awaited him when his flight arrived from Sacramento the night before, and were ready to escort him as he left his hotel this morning.
Lulu’s usual lovely smile faded fast and she disconnected the call that she’d been taking, to frown in confusion.
“Uh, Chad? We thought you’d left when you didn’t show up for a couple of days. I was just about to get in touch with Greenleaf to find out where to send your check. Can I help you with anything?” She eyed the two men standing slightly behind him.
“Please get Matt and Kevin into the conference room, now.”
“I don’t understand.”
Chad reached into his pocket and handed her his business card.
Her faced paled as she read it, realizing who he was, and her eyes flickered upward as they widened and she nodded. In moments she had Matt and Kevin on the line, telling them to meet in the conference room and adding the words “Code Five”.
Chad had no difficulty recognizing Code Five as the signal that higher ups were in the current location.
“Chad…I mean sir…I didn’t know. I really didn’t…”
Chad held up his hand. “Lulu, you’re fine, don’t worry, and I appreciate your help. Also how hard you work and what you’ve had to put up with.”
She sagged a little in relief as he smiled at her.
“If any calls come through for me, hold them please? And if it’s okay with you, Chip and Dale will wait here until I’m done.”
Lulu paused then smiled as she stared at the men, her gaze drifting over each tall, handsome body. Looking at her, Chad figured her mind was coming up with quite a few pleasant ways they could keep her company.
“Would you two gentlemen like coffee? A soft drink? Anything you need I’ll be happy to take care of. Anything.”
Chad new what he was there to do and stayed focussed on it. But at the back of his mind lurked the knowledge that he was rather pissed off at Merry. His calls, texts, flowers, the special chocolates Merry said she liked, not to mention the singing telegram delivered by a clown, had all been dismissed or ignored. He wasn’t used to being treated like that, and it bothered him more than he liked.
He headed to their department, since the conference room was on that floor. He pushed open the door and made a beeline for Merry’s cubicle.
All he saw were empty files and a completely bare desk.
What the fuck…?
His gaze roamed over the other cubicles. Debbie, Kat and Stan’s desks were now occupied by what resembled college students staring at their phones drinking Starbucks. He didn’t recognize anyone.
Confused as hell, he walked on to the conference room.
Matt and Kevin sat at the table, pads of paper in front of them, looking very professional.
“Chad? This is a private meeting. What the hell are you doing here? It’s got nothing to do with you.” Matt frowned.
“We have a high-level conference, Anderson. You have no business being here.” Kevin looked down his nose at him.
“On the contrary. I think you’ll find I have every business being here, since this is my business.” Chad paused as he closed the door. “How about you start by using my real name. I’m Chad Christopher. Ring any bells?”
“Very funny. I’m personal friends with Mr. Christopher. You need to leave or I’ll call security.” Kevin snorted.
Chad reached into his pocket and pulled out another business card, which he slid across the table. Then he handed them a copy of the Sunday paper article. “You two don’t read much, do you? Need any help with the big words?”
In shock the men looked at the photo of him, then at the card and lastly, Chad himself. In unison they both shifted awkwardly in their chairs, then put on small, nervous smiles.
“I’m not one to interfere in the various branches of my company, as a rule. It really doesn’t help situations to involve myself—I usually trust the people hired to manage their own departments, because that’s why they were hired in the first place.”
He looked at the two faces in front of him; a mixture of fear, guilt and a desperate search for excuses reflected in their expressions.
“I may not be as seasoned a C.E.O. as most owners of a company this size, but I learned a lot about managing and managers from my father. One of them is to leave everyone alone so that they can do the best job possible.” He paused.
Matt spoke up, “Well, we appreciate that sir. An excellent strategy.”
“I agree” Kevin added.
Chad started pacing slowly as he continued. “However, upon due consideration of this particular department, I’m going to make a few changes which I believe will improve more than a few areas and strengthen the weaknesses within the overall structure.”
He looked at both of them, and re
membered their treatment of their employees. Their bold assertions about the development of the Double Duet…their lies and their arrogance. He particularly remembered the way Matt had leered at Lulu and dismissed Merry.
“The first change will be that you two get to collect your shit and leave. Today. You’re both fired as of this moment. I’ve already arranged for your final salaries—with a suitable severance package neither of you deserve—to be deposited to your accounts immediately. I have two security officers downstairs who will oversee your departure. If you try to take anything more than your personal belongings, they’ll let me know.”
“But Chad…”
“No. The decision is made. We’re done here.”
Feeling a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, Chad walked out of the office, wanting very much to grin with satisfaction, and proud of himself for his self-control. He hadn’t used the word “motherfuckers” once.
Back on the ground floor, he walked to the lobby and asked Lulu about Merry, Stan, Debbie and Kat.
She’d told him how they’d walked in on Monday morning and quit en mass. Just like that, they’d given notice and taken what was left of their personal time to cover the two weeks they were supposed to give.
Within two hours they’d gone…all four of them. It had rocked the division, she added, and Matt and Kevin had spent the last twenty-four hours trying to pull some of their relatives in to replace them.
He enjoyed the smile that broke out on Lulu’s face when he told her she wouldn’t have to deal with either of those two assholes any more, and then pursued the issue of Merry and her buddies.
“No forwarding addresses? Nothing?”
“I have home addresses, Chad. But I don’t think they’re there. I tried to send a courier over to Debbie’s with her check—I figured with her family she might need it? He was told they were on vacation and wouldn’t be back for a while.”
“Phone calls?”
She shook her head. “Nobody answers. I’ve tried more than a few times.”
“So they’ve just vanished? All four of them?”
Lulu raised her hands to either side in the classic “I haven’t a clue” gesture, leaving him frustrated as hell and staring out the window at nothing in particular.
Tech Support (Working Stiffs Book 4) Page 5