by Lexy Timms
"Yeah. He's a great guy." Mark shrugged and slipped his arm from Jamie's as he shifted behind her and apologized to someone. “Sorry, didn’t mean to bump you.”
Jamie turned around and almost bumped into the woman too.
Annette.
"Finally! I've been waiting at the front for like three minutes. I think I'm going to have to talk to Alex about what customer service should look like." The bitchy redhead put her hands on her hips and turned her attention to Mark. "Oh, you're cute. You must be Alex's brother. I'm Annette, Alex’s old lover."
Mark's eyes widened a little, but he extended his hand and shook hers. "That's good to know. Do you introduce yourself like that all the time? Must get awkward when people don’t know who Alex is. Or does it bother you when you have to refer to yourself as old? Damn, must suck to be switched over for a newer, younger model. What do other clients say when you say that? Do they pipe in with who they used to fuck too?"
Annette stared open-mouthed, too shocked to reply to Mark’s ramblings.
If she hadn’t been so tired, Jamie would have laughed. She managed a smile. "She's not a client either." She shrugged. "I'm not sure who you're waiting for, but Alex's calendar is filled.” She tapped a finger against the counter. “And I can't imagine your name being on it."
"Well, it is. I'm his lunch date." Annette straightened and stared down at Jamie with narrowed eyes. "Too bad you keep thinking that you've got him… because you don't."
"You don't know shit." Jamie moved toward the bitch, tired of her showing up and causing havoc. "Get out, or I'll have you thrown out."
Annette reached out, but Jamie jerked back, missing the crazy woman’s hand as it moved toward Jamie's cheek.
She didn't think for a second about retaliating. Instinct simply took over. The slapping sound of her hand hitting Annette's cheek filled the air.
Annette yelped and jumped back, her eyes wide as her perfectly manicured fingers tried to cover the red print already showing on her face.
Alex walked out of his office, his eyes wide, his face concerned and surprised. "What the hell's going on out here?"
Annette jabbed a finger in Jamie’s direction. “Your hired help just slapped me!” She spun around, her hands on her hips as she glared at Alex. “I demand she be thrown out!”
Mark stepped forward and snorted loudly. "Your ex-lover just tried to slap Jamie for some reason. She came after Ms. Connors, who simply defended herself." Mark moved up beside Jamie and put an arm around her shoulders. "I'm pretty sure it’s this woman who needs to be removed from the building."
"Have you lost your fucking mind?" Annette moved to get up into Jamie's face, but Alex stepped in the way.
"You need to go. Our business is long over, and I'm not interested in your funds or anything else. I'm going to dig into the scandal you forced into my personal life last year. I think that might shut you down pretty fast, and if the threat alone doesn't, my finding out what you were up to will." He took a step toward her, his shoulders square, his voice impossibly deep.
"Alex. It's me. Really?" Annette's tone changed completely. All sweet butter and icing.
Jamie flinched at the sound of it, but was glad to see that Alex wasn't putting up with any of it.
"Good for you. Now get the hell out, and if you threaten Jamie again, I'll bring a lawsuit against you and your whole family so fast it'll make your head spin. You’re toxic, Annette. Get out of my face, out of my office, and out of my life."
She huffed loudly and turned. "Fine, but you'll regret this. I'm the best fucking thing that ever happened to you. Just because you found a fixer-upper and made her what you want her to be doesn't mean she's perfect. It means she's a pliable dummy."
"Get out!" Alex moved toward her as the door to the elevator shut.
Jamie's eyes filled with tears as Alex turned, his hands clenched into fists. "How in the world did this woman get in the building? Gina? Where’s Gina? She needs to contact security downstairs and have the little lying sack of shit escorted out and then banned from re-entering." He glanced at Jamie and his angry features instantly softened. “Jamie, baby, please don’t cry.”
Mark released her as she moved toward Alex and slid into his arms. She let out a soft sob as he wrapped her up tightly and kissed the side of her face. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t be upset. It’s all crazy. She’s crazy. But… but…”
"You're my beautiful girl, and I didn't make you that way. I believed in you, just like I always will. You know that, right?"
She pulled back and nodded. "I'm not crying because of her words, but because of yours. You were brilliant."
He grinned and leaned down to kiss her. "I am, but it's because of you. I didn't change you, Jamie. You changed me, and I love you for it. Every day you make me want to be better."
Chapter 14
After things calmed down, Mark went out and picked up lunch and brought it up to Alex’s office, where the three of them ate in a slightly muted silence. Alex spent most of lunch behind his computer and jotting things down that he needed Jamie to take care of. Mark sat staring out the window, either caught in the view or lost in thought somewhere.
Before long, Alex’s next appointment arrived. No one was out in the foyer to greet him and when he popped his head into Alex’s office, everyone scrambled to clean up and get organized. At least the older gentleman accepted a slice of pizza and sat down happily to munch on it.
Paul met Mark and Jamie in the hallway. “Where’s Gina?” he asked.
“No idea. Maybe she took a long, late lunch.” Jamie shrugged. “How about we head into my office to review the final analysis for the tax and audit packets? Then it’s done and sorted.”
They headed down, and, shortly after, Gina returned and stepped into Jamie’s office to drop off the revised letter Alex had asked her to bring to Jamie. She barely said anything, and hurried back out of the room.
Jamie happened to pass Gina on the way to the copy room and couldn't help confronting her. After the Annette incident, she was tired of all the bullshit. "So, are you going to keep ignoring me, or tell me what the hell's going on?" Jamie pressed her hands to the desk between them, and tried to keep her expression neutral.
"Nothing. Lots, I guess." Gina let out a long sigh. "I don't know. I've been here forever, and it feels like home, but I want so much more for my life than to be someone's secretary while he climbs higher."
"Have you talked to Alex about that? He has other positions in the company, Gina. He cares about you."
"Does he?" Her eyebrow lifted sharply.
"Yes. I know he does." Jamie moved back a little. "Talk to him. Okay?"
"Yeah. I will. I'm sorry." She turned away, and Jamie took that as her cue to leave.
After making a few copies of their tax documents, Jamie went back her to office and sat down between the guys.
Paul glanced up and shook his head. "I know we closed this down, but Jamie, something isn't right with this. There's a charge on the main dining account from that odd ID that we discovered a while back, for over a hundred dollars to La Grigila. It's on the same day that we went. Do you think the restaurant billed you twice, except on Alex’s other account? Does he keep his accounts on file there?"
“No. I paid with my business credit card.” She picked up the report and studied it. "This isn't our charge. We spent around sixty dollars, and I know I put that on my card.”
"Then whose is this? Did Alex take someone that same day?" Mark leaned back in his seat, his brows furrowed. "Or is this Gina's charge?"
"How could it be Gina's? They would have to have fed six people to get the bill that high, and there's no way in hell that Alex would have approved her spending any money if Nicholas was involved." Jamie set the report down, her stomach turning. "Unless she used this code to hide it, but still... the amount doesn't pan out."
"Sure it does. One bottle of really great wine would make the bill over a hundred dollars. They had a bottle on their table. I rememb
er, because it was what made me question her being sick. Going to lunch with one of our shareholders is reasonable, but drinking too? No way. Not being ill." Paul cut in and tapped the table. "We need to talk to Alex. Now."
"You're right." Jamie got up and walked to her desk, dialing his direct number and circumventing going through Gina.
"Hey. What's up?" Alex asked. “Perfect timing, Liam just left and I’ve got about ten minutes before my next meeting.”
"Can you come to my office for a quick pow-pow? Like five minutes tops."
"What kind of pow-wow?” he chuckled seductively. “Wait. Are we on speakerphone?”
She laughed. “No speaker, but Mark and Paul are in the room with me.”
“Okay. I have five minutes. I need to glance over my next client’s financials to make sure I'm ready for the questions he's going to hit me with. I'm running to the restroom and then I'll be there."
"Alright. Thanks." She hung up and glanced up at the guys. "He's coming, but we have to be really quick."
"You wanna do the talking?" Paul asked.
"No. You do it. I brought up Gina last week, and he wasn't really too receptive to talking about it. Mark's his brother, so he'll blow him and me off without a second thought. You do it. He'll have to listen." Jamie took her seat and lifted her thumb to her mouth, needing to nibble on something. She turned to Mark, remembering the dinner date. "Oh shit. I meant to ask if you had plans for dinner. Alex and I are taking that Kristin girl out tonight, and I'm not playing third wheel. I need you to go with us."
He shrugged. "Sure, as long as you guys aren't trying to set me up. She was in love with Alex for far too long for me to really consider even trying with her. If she liked him, she's not going to like me."
"I like you both." Jamie reached out and squeezed his hand as Alex walked in the door.
"I knew it! You do like him." Alex winked and took the only free chair at the table. "What are my best employees up to? Need me to sign something?"
Jamie got up and closed the door. "No, we wish. Paul, go ahead."
"Alright, well, I think Jamie told you that we've been working on the accounting files for the last few weeks."
Alex nodded. "I appreciate that. Remind me at bonus time that none of you are accountants, and yet have done a great job on this I'm sure."
"It's been painful." Mark shook his head and smiled.
"Right, well we found the new ID and Jamie checked and found out that you approved it, but there have been additional charges that aren't making much sense. After looking at everything, we think it was created by Gina as a way to put false charges through to your expense accounts," Paul finished and crossed his arms over his chest as he paled visibly.
"There was a large charge for lunch the other day that’s over three hundred dollars. It was the day that we went to La Grigila to scout out what she was up to." Jamie sat back down and let out a sigh. "The bill had to have been hers and Nicholas', because the three of us only spent a third of what their bill was, and I used my company card. This is a different card. I can call La Grigila to confirm if you want."
Paul waved his cell phone. “I already did. They’ve emailed to confirm it was a different card charged.”
"That's not good." Alex nodded toward the table. "Can I see the charges?"
"Of course." Paul picked up the packet and handed it to Alex. "The highlighted parts are the additional charges we're seeing from this ID."
"A candy store?" Alex glanced up at Jamie. "I wouldn't okay us spending money on candy."
"I realize that. I told you something was going on." She brushed her fingers by her lips as her heart constricted in her chest. "I think we have a low-level fraud on our hands, boss."
"What's your process for signing off on new IDs?" Mark asked.
"I usually review everything I sign my name to, but in the last few years I really haven't reviewed much. Gina's been with me so long that I just sign what she puts in front of me." He shook his head and studied the paper some more. "Shit."
"It's better to figure this out and be able to document that you've let her go, rather than have the auditors find the fraud and then call us out on our lack of controls," Paul offered; it was helpful, and yet felt so incredibly harmful.
"Why would Nicholas call for the audit, unless he didn't know about Gina digging into the accounts?" Jamie tried to think through how everything lined up. "He and Gina have been dating. If it's his fault and she's doing things for him, then why push us to audit our own files? It just doesn't make any sense, and yet it can't not be connected."
Alex stood up. "Only one way to find out. Jamie, come with me. I need someone in the room as a witness."
"Then Paul should go. He's not dating you, and you know that if something is said in there that needs to be repeated in court or something, he would be the better choice." Jamie turned to him. "You need to go."
"We can both go." Paul stood up and walked to the door. "I'm a fly on the wall. Don't drag me into this conversation. I'm a finance guy for a reason. I don't do people drama."
Alex chuckled and walked out. "That's a joke, right? Where there are people, there will always be drama."
Jamie gave Mark a look and walked to the door. "How did you get so damn lucky?"
"I don't know, but I'll take it," he chuckled, and Jamie walked out, moving into Alex's office as she heard him tell Gina to cancel the rest of his appointments and meet him in his office.
She questioned him, but he didn't seem to respond.
Jamie moved to stand at the window that overlooked the city, and tried to work through the horrible feelings pumping through her. The connection between Gina and Nicholas left everything in disarray and not making much sense, but it wasn't about their relationship.
The conversation was about her creating a false ID and stealing from the company. Those were the facts, and all of the evidence would back that up and support it.
"I can't imagine what's so important that you would cancel your whole afternoon and back yourself up again, Alex. You always tell me not to let you do this." She walked in and kept talking, though her volume dampened. "Did you want me in here, or are you in the middle of something?"
Jamie turned and pressed her back to the glass, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
"Have a seat." Alex nodded at Gina, and she took the seat next to Paul.
"Okay. What's going on?" She glanced over at Jamie, who stood in silence, not saying anything or giving anything away. Her façade was in place, and this was Alex's dance to dance. They were there as viable witnesses and would talk if he wanted them to. Otherwise, she was going to be quiet and still. A fly on the wall.
"Paul, Mark, and Jamie have been going through the various reconciliations to prepare for the audits that Nicholas asked us to engage a year early. I was pissed about his timing, but it would almost seem that he knew something I didn't." Alex dropped the file on the table in front of her. "See that ID that's highlighted ten times on the page?"
She glanced down and back up as she stood. "Alex, I can explain."
"Good. I'd like to hear why the employee I trust most in my company is stealing from me. Did you think I wouldn't find out that you were standing behind me as I mulled through everything we do and not notice that your hands were out, catching coins as they fell from me? Do you think I'm stupid?" His voice was even, and deep. It was almost more terrifying than if he had yelled.
"Of course not. It wasn't me, though. Nicholas put me up to it. He's been trying so hard to pull your company from you, and I was never a part of that..." she dropped her head and pressed her hands to her face, "…until recently."
"Why? Why would you help him do anything that would hurt me? What did you need that I didn't supply?" He moved back as anger filled his face.
"Alex." Jamie forced him to look her way by simply saying his name.
He nodded and turned back to Gina, taking a sharp breath. "You're fired. I'll be filing a lawsuit, and we'll be look
ing into Nicholas' part in all of this."
"What?" Gina shot up. "No. I didn't mean to hurt anyone. It was maybe a total of five hundred dollars."
"Seven thousand," Paul added in a monotone. “And counting. We don’t have this month’s financials.”
"No. It couldn't be. It was only a couple of times, and it was more to prove the point that you were too busy to see something happening right under your nose. Nicholas figured if he could prove that, then you would be forced to slow down. He's just worried about you." She stood and reached for Alex as he moved back.
"Have a nice day, and I hope you enjoy your new job with Nick. He should treat you just about as well as he treats everyone else once they've overstayed their welcome." Alex nodded toward the door. "Grab your purse and don't touch anything else. It's part of an upcoming investigation."
Tears streamed down Gina's cheeks as she turned around and looked at Jamie. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I have kids at home. I need this job."
"I know. I kept trying to figure out how to not make the evidence point straight to you, but it does."
Jamie's eyes filled with tears, too.
Alex walked to the door and opened it. "I'll be in touch, Gina. Time for you to go; I'll see you out."
She nodded and walked to the door, pausing and looking Alex in the face. "I'm sorry. I made a mistake, and I'm willing to pay for it. I'm so sorry."
He pursed his lips and nodded, taking a long time to answer. "Yeah. Me, too."
Chapter 15
Jamie tried to work through the rest of the day, but the funk that rested on her after watching Alex having to fire Gina was almost too much. She had a million questions that she would have to work through with him later, but, for the time being, she was hoping to make him feel a little bit better.
She poked her head into his office and knocked softly. "Can I come in?"
He glanced up from staring at his desk. "Yeah. I'd like that. Close the door?"
"Sure." She walked in and closed the door before moving across the room toward him.