“I assume you had to make some difficult decisions during your military service as well,” said David with a teasing smile.
“As I made perfectly clear a year ago during my job interview, my military service is not an issue I am willing to discuss.” Ronnie clenched his teeth and said no more. He concentrated on pouring water into his glass and waited. Scolding David in front of his partners was dangerous, but he knew his destiny had been determined before the meeting had even begun. Whatever he said now would hardly change the decision about his future in the fund.
“Now you’re setting limits for me as well,” David reacted, his manicured fingers drumming the table and betraying his anger.
“Not really. I’m simply explaining my position. I expect you to see my loyalty to a different organization, dealing with other matters, as a good indication of my loyalty to our company. Had I betrayed the country that raised me, a country where all my family still lives, a country whose secrets I’m sworn to protect — all because of my wish to work for the fund — how could I expect you to trust me with the fund’s professional secrets?”
The door opened without warning, and Evelyn entered the room carrying a fresh tray laden with sushi.
David picked up a piece of salmon and shoved it in his mouth. While chewing, he said, “You’ve raised an interesting point, Ronnie. Loyalty. For me, loyalty goes hand in hand with telling the truth. Do you feel the same?”
“Of course, along with other important qualities.” The predatory, catlike expression on David’s face made Ronnie realize he was about to be hit with the reason for this unexpected interview.
“So, how do you explain the following fact: Two months ago, you did a few days of reserve duty, so you said, something that no other Israeli residing in the United States is doing. What’s even worse, we’ve found no indication that you left the US during that period. The Israeli army is conducting maneuvers and training on US soil?” David chuckled with obvious contempt.
Ronnie remembered the surveillance team he was able to shake off the day he’d left for reserve duty. “As I said before, I have no intention of getting into this subject. I find your scrutiny of my personal activities to be insulting and intrusive. Whether or not you mean to fire me today, I’ll see that you get copies of my Swissair round-trip ticket to Israel by tomorrow. I’d like to stop the conversation now. I need to decide whether I’m willing to continue to work for a company that doesn’t respect my privacy.” Ronnie pushed his chair back, while giving David an angry stare, and turned to leave the room.
“Ronnie, come back please.” Henry tried a soothing voice. “There’s no need for you to bring copies of your flight tickets. I believe you.”
“If you believe me, why did you send people to follow me?”
Henry shrugged.
Ronnie stayed his grip on the door handle. Every nerve in his body was screaming, “Leave!” but curiosity to see what David was aiming at and the knowledge he could always quit tipped the scales. It was in such moments he felt happy about the “drop dead” money he had as a result of the successful sale of his company. The incredible amount of money he had earned allowed him to send David to hell whenever he felt the partner stepped over the limit. He returned to the table and sat down.
“I suggest that we continue,” Henry added, placing his hand on David’s arm in an attempt to calm him. David left the table, used the espresso machine behind him to fill up a cup of coffee, foamed the milk slowly, and then gently added it to the mug. When he’d finished, he drained the liquid into his mouth with a single gulp and sat back, wiping his mouth with a soft cream colored napkin printed with the company logo.
“Take some sushi,” he blurted, as if he’d remembered something important he needed to say.
“Thanks, but I’m not hungry,” answered Ronnie. He was beginning to get fed up with David’s games.
“We’ve decided to promote you to a partner position right now,” said David, his voice surprisingly upbeat as if they’d not exchanged harsh words just moments ago. “As soon as the next fund becomes active, you’ll serve as the partner in charge of investing in companies related to the medical field. In the meantime, we’ve decided to let you sit on one of our existing portfolio companies’ board of directors. That way, we’ll be able to see how you operate as an independent partner. It’ll also buy Henry some valuable time to round up investors for the third fund.” David was silent for a moment, perhaps to emphasize his next sentence. “We’ve never promoted a senior associate to partner so quickly. I’d like to believe you won’t let us down.”
“Thanks for your trust,” Ronnie answered dryly. “Which company are we talking about?”
“TDO Pharmaceuticals. You should be familiar with it from our weekly meetings, but Henry will pass the baton to you in an orderly manner.” David attempted a smile. Ronnie didn’t kid himself, he knew the incident between them would not be soon forgotten.
“You couldn’t have picked a better company,” said Ronnie. Gratitude tempered his words for the first time since the meeting had begun. “Henry, are you sure you’re willing to give it up?”
David hurried to respond before Henry was able to utter a word, “So, I understand you’re accepting our partnership offer. Great. Regarding your question, I want you to realize Henry was far from pleased with this move. This is a development that was forced on us. For your own good, don’t let us down.”
Ronnie decided not to let the doubts and threats concealed in David’s words to hinder his happiness.
“At the moment, only a slight cosmetic change to your salary will be made,” added David. “We’ll discuss the terms of your employment in the new fund after it is closed based on the amounts we manage to raise. We have been more than fair to you thus far, and I hope you trust us to continue to be so in the future. Now, take the rest of the day off and spoil Liah, your girlfriend, she probably doesn’t even remember what you look like. We’ll start the transition period tomorrow. Goodbye.”
The final sentence surprised Ronnie, who’d never spoken with David about his private life and hadn’t even imagined the partner was aware of Liah’s existence. He gave David a questioning look which was answered by a slight, but victorious, smile.
Chapter 4
New York, October 14, 2013, 11:45 AM
Ronnie’s shoulders filled up the bedroom door frame. He leaned on the doorjamb and looked at Liah. Two and a half years of living together had done nothing to diminish his attraction to her. She was sleeping on her back, hands sprawled above her head carelessly, and Ronnie longed to snuggle beside her and cover her tranquil face with kisses.
“What happened?” She stirred and mumbled, “What time is it? I had the night shift yesterday. I just couldn’t wake up this morning when the alarm clock went off. I hope I didn’t break it when I hammered it with the pillow.”
“Eleven forty-five.” Ronnie leaned toward her, gently ruffling her hair and kissing her lips.
She sat up in panic. “What are you doing here in the middle of the day? Did something happen?” She leaned forward, exposing her breasts, which had burst free from her undershirt. “Stop giving me horny looks. What happened?”
“I’ve been promoted to partner. David decided to send me home to be with you on this happy day,” he announced and immediately regretted admitting the idea of spending the rest of the day with Liah wasn’t his own.
Liah lowered her eyes, leaned back, and fixed the pillow behind her silently. This wasn’t the reaction Ronnie had expected. His favorite, battered Ralph Lauren jacket suddenly felt burdensome. He took it off and allowed it to slip to the floor. Then he drew Liah to him, holding her head between his hands while his lips gently brushed her forehead. Liah stretched her arms behind his back silently, holding him close. They sat that way for a while, until Ronnie felt her grasp weakening. He placed his hands on her shoulders, pushing her away from him a bit; the front of his pressed shirt was damp with tears.
“What’s the matter, sw
eetheart?”
“I’m very happy for you, but…” She gasped for air.
But what? he thought, afraid to ask out loud.
Liah wiped another tear with the back of her hand, sniffled and said, “I’m really happy. Honestly. I know how much you wanted this promotion, and I know you deserve it. But still, I hardly see you as it is. Now there’s a good chance I won’t see you at all. I love you, and I want to live with you as your partner in every aspect of your life. What I have today is the hope of having an intimate relationship and the knowledge that you love me. But what I don’t have is a sense of togetherness, and I’m afraid I’ll have even less of it from now on.” She leaned toward him and wrapped her arms around him once more, caressing his muscular shoulders. “I love you,” she whispered in a choked voice.
Ronnie gently removed her hands, got to his feet, and said, “I’ll be right back.” When he returned five minutes later, he held a tray with two cups of coffee and fruit salad with yogurt, Liah’s favorite breakfast when she needed pampering. She suffered from Crohn’s disease and needed to eat before taking the medication that kept her symptoms at bay.
He set the tray on the bed next to her and took his own coffee mug, cupping it in his hands, his eyes not moving away from Liah’s tormented face. An awkward silence lay in the room. Liah stirred the fruit salad aimlessly with her spoon. The coffee felt tasteless in Ronnie’s mouth. He placed his mug on the small chest of drawers next to the bed, sat beside her, gently held her chin and said, “You’re right, I’m very competitive and highly committed to my goals I’ll probably be up to my neck in work very soon and won’t stop to think about what it might be doing to our relationship. Perhaps ‘won’t stop to think’ is not the right way to describe it — I think about it all the time — but I’m also hoping you’ll understand and allow me to continue down this path, in spite of the price you’re paying for it. I promise to spend more time alone with you every week. I promise I’ll keep it that way after we get married.”
Liah’s eyes brightened to light brown. She blushed. “How did marriage pop into this conversation?”
Ronnie kissed the tip of her nose and said, “From the moment I met you, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. I didn’t know if you felt the same way, though. I bought you a ring eight months ago, but I was afraid you wouldn’t agree to marry me so I postponed my proposal. This morning, while coming back home from the office, I planned my proposal down to the tiniest detail. I wanted to propose to you in a candlelight dinner, at the Bouley on Duane Street. I managed to get us a corner table for nine o’clock and then proceeded to insult the chef by asking if they have dishes without spices or citrus peels. But just now, while I was in the kitchen, I reached the conclusion that Israeli instant coffee, fresh fruit salad and the light of our reading lamp are romantic enough, and decided not to wait any longer.” He got down on his knees next to the bed, moved the tray aside and took out a small blue box from his pocket. Then he opened the cover and placed the box on the soft down comforter covering Liah’s legs.
“Liah Sheinbaum, will you marry me?” he asked and sent her a loving gaze.
Liah looked at the ring through the veil of tears in her eyes. This was the moment she’d hoped for from the day she had met Ronnie. It was also the moment she had feared most. She knew she had to confess, but the fear of losing him petrified her.
Ronnie’s smile was replaced with a concerned look.
“Ronnie,” she stuttered in a whisper. The temptation of surrendering to this unexpected happiness overcame her. She pushed back her doubts and concerns, raised her head, and smiled at him with shining eyes. Ronnie’s heart threatened to burst in his chest.
“Ronnie Saar…there’s nothing in the world I’d like more than to be your wife.”
Ronnie squeezed her to him with a hug then covered her entire body with kisses. He leaned her gently against the pillow, bent toward her, and said, “Liah and Ronnie Sheinbaum Saar. It has such a nice ring to it.” He gave her lips a light kiss. “Sounds like the beginning of a story about four best friends,” he added and erupted in laughter that released all the tension of last few minutes.
“We’ll drop the Sheinbaum,” Liah managed to say, before yielding to his hands, which gently removed the undershirt from her body.
Chapter 5
New York, October 15, 2013, 5:00 AM
Ronnie opened his eyes slowly. The dim morning light cast a pale glow on Liah’s face. She was snuggled up next to him, still fast asleep. He touched her gently, and she hummed and tossed to the other side. Ronnie crawled out of bed and just like he had every morning for the past two weeks, cursed the broken central heating system, which the landlord was in no rush to repair. After quickly brushing his teeth, he dressed in a heavy tracksuit, put on his running shoes, and hurried to his daily appointment with a six-mile circuit.
He ran down the stairs, skipping two steps at a time, and went out into the freezing air. The overnight rainstorm had washed the city clean, and its high-rise buildings gleamed gloriously, but when he lowered his eyes, he discovered the sidewalk was covered with a tattered rug of yesterday’s newspapers. He sped up to his usual running pace, allowing his body to celebrate the relaxation of his muscles and his mind to prepare itself for the challenges of the coming day. He set his inner clock to finish the six-mile course within forty-five minutes. The echo of his Asics drumming on the pavement was disturbed by the rattling engines of the few taxis whose drivers still hoped to pick up one last passenger before ending their exhausting night shift. Ronnie kept on running without tiring, completely absorbed in the latest songs from his favorite Israeli musician, Yehuda Poliker, playing in his white earbuds. About three quarters of an hour later, he turned back to 18th Street and went into the deli next to his apartment.
“The usual, sir?” the Indian owner greeted him.
“Of course, Kumar. You didn’t prepare the package in advance?” Ronnie teased and put a twenty-dollar bill on the counter.
“Change is on the way.” Kumar smiled and handed him a paper bag with two baguette sandwiches, stuffed with the best the deli had to offer, and two plastic containers filled with freshly cut fruit salad.
Ronnie raised his hand in appreciation and collected the paper bag. “Have a nice day,” he said and same as every morning, headed out without waiting for the change.
In his apartment, he showered, ate the fruit salad standing up, got dressed, and tucked one of the sandwiches in his bag, knowing he probably wouldn’t have time to go out for lunch. He sneaked another glance at the bedroom, only to discover Liah hadn’t moved an inch since he’d left, then collected his coat and quietly closed the door.
He reached his office at ten minutes past seven.
“Good morning,” he said and smiled at the receptionist.
“Good morning, Ronnie,” came the reply, accompanied by the lowered glance of someone who wasn’t sure whether or not she should continue to address the fund’s newest rising star by his first name. “I was really happy to hear about your promotion.”
“Thanks, Valerie, I really appreciate it.” Ronnie summoned the warmest smile he could come up with on that chilly New York morning.
The receptionist responded with a timid smile then immediately added in a matter-of-fact tone, “David asked me to let you know that starting today your office will be located in the partners area, next to Stephen’s.”
“Thanks.” Ronnie managed to conceal his surprise and turned toward the kitchenette, where he knew he’d find steaming coffee Valerie took care to brew every morning. With a cup of coffee in his hand and his laptop bag slung across his shoulder, Ronnie headed toward his new office. The bronze plaque engraved with his name made him stop in his tracks. To his surprise, he actually felt excited. He turned the key, which had been left for him in the lock, and slowly pushed the door open.
The room revealed to him was very similar to those of all the other partners. The large red mahogany desk and the low, matching
African walnut filing cabinets, lining two of the walls, were brand new. He slowly approached his chair and examined his new desk. On the right hand corner, there were ten boxes of business cards, all bearing his name. The title “Partner” was written beneath. On the other end, a docking station for his Mac had been installed, and in front of it was a large, impressive Apple monitor. The remaining surface of the desk was covered by four thick blue ring binders. On top of the binders rested an envelope, propped up on its open flap. Ronnie sat down, took the handwritten letter out of the envelope, and began to read:
Welcome. On the desk, you’ll find four ring binders containing all the information about the company. Additionally, Evelyn has sent you an email with a code which will allow you to access all company documents on the fund’s server, as well as an additional code that will open the partners-only libraries. Feel free to come to me with any questions.
Good luck, Henry.
On the file cabinet to the left of his chair rested a miniature vase with a single white rose. An additional envelope was resting against it. It must be national envelope day, he thought and went over to read the letter. A wide smile spread on his face as he opened the envelope and found a sheet of pink notepaper inside, scrawled with Evelyn’s handwriting: Good luck, Ray. A smiley face graced the bottom of the page.
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