Anointed (Urban Books)

by Patricia Haley

  “I had no idea DMI was creating such an issue for you personally.”

  “Dave, it’s not this job. My problem with Edward is much bigger than this—much, much bigger—too big to still be talking about getting married.” She stopped, wanting to rewind her last statement. “I’ve said too much already.” Sherry was embarrassed and prepared to leave. “Oh, I almost forgot,” she said, approaching the doorway. “The Free Press is coming tomorrow to do a feature story on you and your family.”

  “That’s right. I’d forgotten. See, that’s why you deserve that bonus. You keep this place running.” He stood and walked to her. “I don’t know what I’d do without your assistance.” She was touched. Her world outside the DMI doors was falling apart, but not in here. She was alive, appreciated, and actually happy. She had a future and that’s what she’d cling to.

  Chapter 35

  Dave couldn’t let go of the conversation he’d had with Sherry about her fiancé’s misfortune yesterday. He wanted to help out as an act of kindness, but admittedly there were selfish reasons, too. He’d come to rely heavily on her contributions in DMI, and she’d blended into the company’s fiber nicely. She understood his schedule, his demands, and the sheer volume of work to be done in any given day. He never had to ask her to stay late. She just did, realizing that it was germane to her role as his secretary. If her fiancé had his way, it sounded like Sherry wouldn’t be working long hours. Dave could see the tension coming down to Sherry having to decide on keeping her job or keeping her soon-to-be husband happy. DMI couldn’t compete with that, but Dave wasn’t one familiar with defeat. He had to make sure Sherry stayed on board. He didn’t have the patience to train a replacement. It had taken Sherry months to gain the experience necessary to master her role. He didn’t have any months to spare, not while DMI was still doubling in size. He sat at his desk pondering on what could be done to minimize the risk of her walking out.

  Nothing came to mind. He went to the windows and peered into the afternoon sky, hoping God would give him an answer. It dawned on him that his best angle was to focus on making Edward happy. He seemed like a proud man, based on what Sherry had said. Dave resigned that he needed more information before hatching a plan. This was going to be tricky. If he could help Edward, would it help Sherry? She didn’t seem enthusiastic about getting married anymore. As a matter of fact, Dave detected that Sherry and Edward’s differences had built a wall that she didn’t know how to overcome. What Dave interpreted in the conversation last night was that she wanted out of the engagement, but wasn’t sure how to make it happen. Retaining one of his star employees was his duty. He’d have to give it more consideration, but maybe there was a way to make the decision easier for her.

  The intercom interrupted his train of thought.

  “Excuse me, Dave, but your wife is on line one.”

  He braced for the call. He and Madeline weren’t completely at odds these days, but they weren’t in harmony either. “I got it, thanks, Sherry,” he said, pushing the button to get Madeline on the line. “Is everything okay?” he asked, half afraid to say anything else and kick off an argument. Fortunately for him those had been confined to the early morning and late nights. She hadn’t bothered him much at the office, but perhaps that was primarily attributed to her lack of calls.

  “I’m reminding you that the children are planning a little party for you tonight. Since you spent the day with them a few weeks ago, they’re eager to have another one.”

  Dave glanced at his calendar and saw several late meetings and phone calls. If he had to guess, his day was ending around eight-thirty, putting him home by nine. He already knew that wasn’t going to be acceptable.

  “Let me figure out how to move my schedule around and get home by eight.”

  “I knew it. You had no intention of keeping your word with the children. Dave, you’re something else. These children have worked their behinds off planning the party on their own, making decorations last night, and you name it. They will be crushed if you don’t get home by six, absolutely no later than seven.”

  That was going to be close to impossible, but Madeline wasn’t going to hear his explanation, so he didn’t offer one.

  “I’ll figure this out.”

  “You’d better,” she said and hung up, leaving him holding the receiver. The disconnection was piercing. He wouldn’t guarantee six o’clock, but with a mighty move of God’s hand, Dave would be home by seven. This was one time he had to.

  Chapter 36

  The office was buzzing with a reporter and photographers from the Free Press. Sherry had noticed how sharply Dave was dressed. His cuff links were always noticeable but today they seemed to pop even more. His suit coat hung well. It was the kind that looked expensive and specially made for a tall guy like Dave. She wondered how much a suit like that might cost; probably more than her and Edward made in a week combined, possibly in a month.

  Dave’s door opened and the reporter came out. “Mr. Mitchell, I think we’re finished here,” she said, folding a small notepad and tucking it in her pocket. “My photographer is going to get a few more photos of you. If I have any questions, I’ll get back to you. Thanks for your time,” she said, shaking his hand.

  “The pleasure has been mine,” Dave said with a flair that saturated the room. Sherry hadn’t paid much attention before, but it was quite evident. The reporter seemed to think so too by the overly friendly way she spoke to him with extra giggles and all.

  The photographer went into Dave’s office. He followed and closed the door.

  “Well, Mr. Mitchell is quite extraordinary, isn’t he?” the reporter asked, standing next to Sherry’s desk.

  “He’s a really good boss.”

  “So, you work for him, as a secretary?”

  “Yes,” Sherry said, letting her word drag out. Sherry had never spoken to a reporter and was nervous about saying the wrong thing.

  The reporter pulled the notepad from her pocket. “How long have you worked for Mr. Mitchell?”

  “About nine months. I started off as a temp last September and then moved to permanent last month.”

  “And what’s your name again?”

  “Sherry Henderson,” she said, growing increasingly nervous with each question.

  “Sherry, would it be okay if I asked you a few questions? I had an excellent interview with Mr. Mitchell, and a few comments from his personal secretary will be just the added touch I need to make the story stand out.” Sherry was reluctant. “I promise this will only take a few minutes and then I’ll get out of your way. What do you say?”

  “Sure, I’ll do it,” Sherry said, wondering if Dave would approve. It was too late now. The reporter had pulled up a seat.

  “Do you mind if I turn on this recorder? It works much better than my memory,” she said, smiling.

  “It’s okay.”

  By the third question, Sherry had reeled back in her seat with the words flowing like a river. Sharing positive facts about Dave was a simple task. She could share the rest of the day and still not come close to running out of wonderful things to say about him. She felt fortunate to have Dave Mitchell as her boss. She’d learned a great deal about business from working with him. She didn’t plan to be his secretary for more than a few years, but it wasn’t because of him. She just wanted to finish college one day and become a social worker. That was her dream, but in the meantime, working at DMI was huge. The interview continued for another fifteen or twenty minutes.

  The photographer emerged from Dave’s office. “Let’s get a picture of you and Mr. Mitchell.”

  “I don’t think you need me in the picture. This is Mr. Mitchell’s interview, not mine.”

  “Nonsense,” Dave said. “We can take one at the receptionist’s desk with the DMI logo in the background. How does that work for you?” he asked the reporter.

  “Perfect.”

  “Let’s go,” Dave told the reporter. Sherry trailed them although every fiber in her body said to pa
ss on the photo shoot. The publicity was too much. She was content sitting in the background. That’s where Sherry felt most comfortable.

  Chapter 37

  By mid-afternoon, the interview was over but the jubilance remained thick in the office. Sherry bounced around from one task to the other, soaking up the positive energy. She needed as much of it as her soul could cart off at the end of the day. Edward’s challenges were draining. He couldn’t help being laid off, but his attitude and constant negativity had worn her down and was beginning to nibble at their love.

  Dave emerged from down the hallway and approached her desk just before five. “How’s it going, Sherry? You getting out of here on time?” he asked.

  “No, I have too much to do.”

  Dave looked as if he wanted to say something else. “What did you think about the interview?”

  “It was very interesting for me, even though the interview was about you,” she said, giddy. His presence radiated. She instantly felt better around him, encouraged and alive. When she spoke with Dave, it was a taste of freedom. There were no money troubles, other problems, or a sad-looking man sucking the air from the room. Dave was strong and she appreciated his strength.

  “Well, I’m glad you were able to participate. Although, I hope it didn’t put you behind on your work.” He paused and then said, “Is that why you have to stay late?”

  “No, not at all,” she quickly responded. Initially she wasn’t comfortable with the interview but afterward it had been a ball of fun. She’d gladly do another one so long as Dave was involved. His way seemed to make difficult tasks much easier.

  “Because I wouldn’t dare want you to be penalized for helping me, especially when I know how important it is for you to leave on time.”

  If he only knew how she really felt about staying late. The extra hours had been a lifesaver, not only financially, but where it really counted, and that was with her peace of mind. “No, Dave, even if I hadn’t participated in the interview, I would have been here late.”

  “I feel awful about you dedicating so much time to DMI when you have a life outside of here. Tell you what, why don’t we hire another secretary, kind of like an assistant for you? We might not have enough work to make it a full-time position in the beginning, but I’m sure she can float between us, legal, and Frank to fill her day. What do you say?”

  Sherry didn’t know what to say. She felt protective of her extended hours with Dave. Most of the nights when she stayed at the office, he was there too. The extra time had allowed her to learn the job and to become really good. She didn’t see the hours as a burden and didn’t want Dave to feel that they were either. On the other hand, she didn’t want to stand in the way of his executive decision. He was super smart and understood business matters. If he thought they needed another secretary, he was probably right.

  “I really don’t know,” she said. “I love my job and don’t mind working the hours, but if you think it’s too much for me to handle, then maybe you should get a second person.”

  “Hmm, let me think about it, because whatever I do, the goal is to make sure you’re happy. You’re invaluable to me and to DMI. I don’t want you running off because I overworked you,” he said.

  Staying late and talking with him was one of the few pleasantries she currently had. Little did he know, there was zero possibility of her leaving the job for any reason or for anybody anytime soon.

  “How’s Edward getting along?”

  “He’s still trying to find a job.” She wasn’t going to tell the full truth. Dave was nice and caring but he didn’t want to hear the woes of her and Edward’s long list of problems. It was like someone saying hello and asking how you’re doing. It was an empty courtesy and she understood.

  “What is his specialty?”

  “He was in a pipefitting apprenticeship at General Motors before getting laid off. I guess you could say he’s good with his hands. Any kind of work like that he seems to enjoy.”

  “Did he go to college or trade school?”

  “No, he didn’t, but Edward is a hard worker.”

  “Oh, I’m sure. Does he have any interest in going to college?”

  “I don’t know. He’s never mentioned going. He was very supportive when I was in college.”

  “What salary is he looking for?”

  “I don’t know that either. If I remember, he was making close to fifteen dollars an hour, but with overtime it was twenty-two dollars. When he worked on Sundays and holidays it was thirty dollars an hour. I’m sure he’d love to make that much again, but at this point, he just wants a steady job.”

  “Where did he grow up, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  Odd question, she thought, but it was Dave. She didn’t mind answering. “On the east side of Detroit.” She wouldn’t elaborate on how rough the part of town was where he’d grown up. Dave didn’t need to know.

  “Interesting,” Dave said and excused himself.

  Sherry wasn’t sure why he was asking about Edward’s background. When Dave went into his office and closed the door, she returned to her task list. Finally, around eight-thirty, she was ready to go and knocked on Dave’s door. She figured he was focused on his big meeting coming up for the Tri-State southern expansion. It had been the bulk of her work for the past month and wasn’t going to ease up until the meeting was finished next week.

  “I’m leaving,” she said when he told her to come in.

  “Okay,” he said, standing. “The security guard usually takes a break at eight-thirty. So, let me walk you out.

  “That’s not necessary.” Since summer was only a few weeks away, it stayed light outside until almost nine o’clock. “I’ll be fine,” she said, not wanting to inconvenience Dave. He was there late for a reason and taking time to walk her outside wasn’t it.

  “Nonsense, I won’t take no for an answer. If you can stay late, the least I can do is to make sure you get to your car safely,” he said, ushering her toward the elevators.

  They chatted along the way. Sherry was grateful while also feeling guilty about pulling him away from his work. Every minute he spent on her was one less that his family was going to get tonight.

  In the parking lot, Sherry turned the key and unlocked the door. Dave opened it for her and she slid in. She thanked him and turned the key in the ignition. Several attempts couldn’t get her car started. She was so embarrassed.

  “Here, let me try it,” he said as she got out. Dave tried cranking the car with his head partially hanging out. She wasn’t sure what he was listening for. Cars weren’t her thing. Edward always took care of hers. “I thought it might be flooded, but there’s no gas smell. Let me pop the hood,” he said.

  Sherry was humiliated. “That’s okay, Dave. Thank you for your help, but you don’t have to do this.” He had on an expensive pair of pants and shirt. She couldn’t afford the dry cleaning bill for his clothes, let alone replacing a single garment if gas or oil got on him.

  “Sherry, it’s no problem, really. Long before I became CEO, I was quite handy with cars, gadgets, you name it. Won’t hurt for me to take a peek,” he said, raising the hood and securing it. He poked under the hood for several minutes, emerging to say, “I don’t see the problem, and obviously I don’t have a car lift in the parking lot. So, that means we need to get you a tow truck. I can have it towed wherever you’d like.”

  “I don’t know where to take it.”

  “You want to go inside and call Edward so he can pick you up, while I make arrangements for the car?”

  There was no sense in calling Edward; he’d given up his car and was temporarily relying on public transportation. By the time he took the three buses necessary to reach DMI, it would be midnight. “He doesn’t have a car anymore. He can’t pick me up. I’ll have to call a cab.”

  “Then I’ll give you a ride.”

  Sherry felt even worse than before. She didn’t want him going out of his way for her, especially when he had a very important meeting comi
ng up that required most of his attention. It was mortifying. “I’m going to take the cab, but I really appreciate your offer.”

  “At least let me cover the cost of the cab, please,” he said. She wanted to say no but ultimately gave in. Dave was quite persuasive. “Do you or Edward use a certain mechanic?”

  “Not really, he takes care of our cars.”

  “Then I’ll have it sent to my mechanic.”

  Dave drove a Cadillac most of the time and a Mercedes, too. Her ten-year-old Vega wasn’t in the same league. There was no way she could afford an expensive shop. She couldn’t afford car repairs, period. Being out of school for almost a year, repayment on her school loans had kicked in. With her other expenses, there wasn’t much left. “I’m sorry, Dave, but I have to find a shop that’s more in my price range.”

  “Don’t worry. DMI will cover the cost.”

  “No, I’ve already accepted money for the cab, but the repairs are too much.” Her pride couldn’t say yes.

  “Consider this a well-earned bonus.”

  “But I got a bonus and raise last month when you made my position permanent.”

  “So, consider it an extra bonus. Call it whatever you want, just take the gift. You deserve it, Sherry. When I say that you’ve been a true blessing, I literally mean it. I would consider this an honor if you’d accept my assistance. Let me help you the way you’ve helped me.”

  She wanted to decline, but wouldn’t rob him of his opportunity to thank her, not if it meant so much to him. “Okay, yes.” She was overwhelmed with his generosity and ability to handle problems so smoothly. Admittedly it felt good not having to fix something on her own for a change.

  Chapter 38

  Dave was up earlier than usual this Monday morning, but Madeline was set to catch him before he got moving. She was desperate for a vacation. “You know the children are out of school today. I reminded you last week about the family vacation. We can use the break. This has been a challenging year, but we’ve made it,” she said, propping several pillows behind her head. “The children took a vote on where they wanted to go, and it’s no surprise that the Disney fun park in Florida won.”