Stronger With Her

by JA Hensley

  “Excuse me? What the fuck did you just say?” Christin asks.

  “Well, after dealing with Jake for the millionth time yesterday and crazy-ass Lindsey always looking for a fight, I think I’m going to start my own company and do freelance work.” I try to sound a lot more confident than I feel.

  “You know, I bet I could tame Jake, and he’ll leave you alone forever,” Christin says with an impish grin.

  “I have no doubt that a night with you would rock his world, but he’s the least of my worries. I just know that Lindsey is going to cycle into her crazy world again soon, and I don’t want to be there when it happens. If the bosses didn’t love her so much, I’d report her, but it’s not worth it. There are plenty of companies that I work with now that would come with me if I started my own company.”

  “Sounds like you’ve made your decision already,” Becca says kindly. She’s always so supportive of whatever insane ideas we have.

  “I’ve got an appointment to meet with a lawyer in a couple days, and once the paperwork is all filed, I’ll be putting in my notice.” I smile thinking about being my own boss and deciding who I will and won’t work with.

  “What are you going to call this new business?” Christin asks.

  “It’s going to be Erin’s Peace of Mind or EPOM for short,” I say, tears threatening to fall. If only my sister had had peace in her mind, she would probably still be here today.

  “I think it’s perfect,” Becca whispers. Christin nods but doesn’t say anything. They know how much I miss my sister and what I’ve been through since her suicide.

  Mom brings our lunch to us. As I take a moment to inhale the aroma of my pizza, I think that I’m just as lucky to have these women in my life. After we’ve all had a few bites, I steer the conversation away from me.

  “Okay, moving on, why did you call this lunch? Something must be up for us to be getting together on a Monday,” I say, trying to lighten the mood.

  “Well,” Becca starts, “Colin and I got engaged last night!” She holds out her hand so we can see the beautiful princess cut diamond on her finger.

  “Oh my God,” Christin and I say at the same time. I reach across the table and grab her hand to look at the ring closer.

  “It’s gorgeous, babe. You’ve got to be floating on the clouds right now.” I’m so happy for my friend. She’s found a wonderful man who cherishes her and treats her like a queen. After what we all went through when Ron kidnapped Becca and Colin came to her rescue, she deserves all the happiness she can get.

  “I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. Of course, my mom is already searching for a dress and a reception hall. I just know she’s going to drive me insane and make me want to elope,” Becca laughs. Her mom is pretty nutty, but it’s only because she loves her daughter more than anything else in the world.

  “I’ll handle your mom, she loves the shit out of me,” Christin smiles. She’s right, though, Becca’s mom will bend to Christin’s will, and Becca will have a lot less pressure.

  “Are you wanting to get married soon or are we doing a whole planning thing?” I kind of hope that she takes her time. Things have happened so fast for her and Colin that sometimes I worry that they’ll burn out.

  “I don’t know yet. It’s all so new that I haven’t thought about anything except telling you girls. I’m going to take it one day at a time and see what happens.” She nods as she finishes this thought. Good. She’s got her head on straight.

  “You just let us know what you need, and we’ll take care of it,” I put my hand on hers and squeeze it. She looks up at me with tears in her eyes.

  “I don’t know what I’d do without you. I mean that in all sincerity. Ever since Ron…” she stops and inhales sharply. We know what she means because we feel the same way.

  Several months ago Becca was kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend, Ron. It turned out that he was an international drug dealer who was wanted by the DEA. When Colin moved in next door to her, we didn’t know he was working undercover and investigating Ron, but I’m really glad he was. Colin and his brother, Jude, were instrumental in getting Becca back.

  “Hey, you’re not still giving that prick any of your energy, are you? He’s in prison, where he belongs. I’m sure he’s getting what he has coming to him, and he’s a novelty without a nutsack,” Christin cracks up and successfully lightens the mood.

  “No, I’m not going to think about that anymore. It’s over, I survived, I’ve got a wonderful man who loves me, and two of the best friends a girl could ever dream of. It’s all good,” Becca smiles, wipes her eyes and takes a sip of her coffee.

  We spend the rest of our time together talking about how to deal with Becca’s mom and Christin’s lack of a love life. After lunch, I give the girls each a big hug and head back to the office. I can’t wait to be done with this shit hole and on my own.

  Once I’m back behind my desk, I get started on replying to emails. There’s the usual request for a system check, a couple of work orders that I pass on to the techs, and one for a free vacation if I take their survey. This is what I hate about this job, other than the crazy bitch boss. I spend more time sorting through emails than actually doing what I’m trained to do. I should hack someone just to get out of this rut. Maybe I can get into Lindsey’s cell phone and do something fun, like post her selfies on the company website or change her ringtone to the Joker from Batman. I’m writing out some code when my phone rings. The caller ID indicates that it’s my attorney’s office.

  “This is Stephanie,” I answer.

  “Stephanie, it’s Kate Morris. Do you have a minute to talk?”

  “Sure, Kate. Let me shut my door.” I walk quickly to close and lock the door before picking the phone back up.

  “What’s going on Kate? I thought we had an appointment on Thursday?” It always makes me nervous when things don’t go according to plan. I like everything to be in order and make sense.

  “We do, but I’d like to move it up to today. Something’s come up, and I think we need to file your paperwork as soon as possible.” She doesn’t give anything away in her tone of voice.

  “Okay,” I draw the word out hoping she’ll interrupt me, but she doesn’t. “You’re making me really nervous here. I can come by at four, which is probably the earliest I can escape this place.”

  “No need to be nervous, this is a good thing, but we need to talk in person. I’ll make sure that the receptionist knows you’ll be here. I’ll see you later,” she says and hangs up without giving me a chance to respond. Well, I guess things are going to be changing sooner than I thought. This is a good thing, right?

  25 days ago

  The meeting yesterday went well, despite all the ribbing I took for being late. Good thing I’m the boss, I guess.

  “Can we talk in private?” my brother Jason asks as I get off the elevator.

  “Good morning to you too,” I say sarcastically. He gives me a death stare in response.

  “Sure, stop by my office in five,” I reply looking him in the eye. I’m trying to get a read on his emotions, but he’s hiding everything behind a blank façade.

  Joe is outside my office, leaning on Simone’s counter, flirting like always. It’s quite a sight to see his six-foot frame bent over her low counter. Joe isn’t the smallest of my brothers, but he’s not quite as tall or big as me either. Well, none of them are.

  “You know there’s a policy against fraternizing with co-workers, right, Joe? Leave her alone and let her do her job,” I say in an amused voice. I know that Joe has a little crush on Simone, but he’d never jeopardize the company for his dick. At least I hope he wouldn’t.

  I walk past him and open the door to my private space. This is my haven with the cherry wood wrap around desk, big leather chair custom built to fit my big frame, comfortable seating area, and windows on two walls giving me a nice view of the city. I spend so much time here I wanted it almost to feel like a living room while still functioning as a workspace.


  When I turn around to see if he’s following me, Joe is still deep in conversation with Simone.

  “Get in here, Jason’s on his way, and I’ve got more important shit to do than to wait on your lazy ass all day.”

  “All right, keep your pants on for fuck’s sake. I’m not done chatting here.” I start to reply but he moves toward me so I keep my mouth shut. I see Jason right behind him, still looking pissed.

  Joe closes the door behind them which means that shit’s about to get serious. He always keeps it open so he can see Simone.

  “What’s wrong,” I ask, my anxiety shooting up to panic level.

  “Nothing’s wrong, but we may have a problem. I looked over the specs of the contract with the DOD, and it requires that we prove our computer system is secure,” Jason says.

  “Of course it’s secure, we just upgraded last year. You’ve always stayed on top of this stuff.” This is not a complication I need right now. This contract is our biggest yet with the Department of Defense and we can’t afford to mess things up, especially with the computer system.

  “I know that, but you know how the feds are about confidentiality, government secrets, and all that, especially after the banks got hacked last year.”

  “Yeah, that was a mess.” Two of the largest financial institutions were hacked, and customer information including social security numbers, addresses, and credit information was all leaked to the public. They’re still trying to sort it all out and get people’s identities restored.

  “Well, you can imagine how nervous they are about this deal. With the ammo we’re designing every terrorist group in the world is going to want to get their hands on the plans, specs, and delivery arrangements. So, we’re going to have to install some new equipment to protect ourselves.” Jason is our resident expert on all things computers, but it’s obvious he’s bringing it to me because this is more than he can handle.

  “All right, what do you suggest? I’ll do what it takes to make this work. We need this contract to go through or we’re going to have to start laying people off, and I don’t want to do that.”

  Joe answers, “I’ve got a call into Kate. She’s looking over the contract for all the legalities, and I know some of her clients are technology specialists. I’m going to ask her who she recommends. I’ll let you know when I hear back from her, and we can start vetting them.”

  “Sounds like you’ve both got it under control. Thanks for being on top of this, I appreciate the head’s up. Now, do you think you can leave without harassing Simone on the way out?” I give Joe an evil eye that has no effect whatsoever.

  “I don’t know, bro. She’s fucking hot, and I want to see just how wild she really is. I have a feeling there’s a lioness under all that seriousness. She fucks with my head, you know?”

  I laugh at my love-sick brother. Poor guy doesn’t stand a chance. I also know that Simone likes him but enjoys stringing him along. But, I do know how he feels. I had that once, and it almost destroyed me when it was taken away.

  I managed to finish out the day without doing anything naughty. After I had hung up with Kate, I abandoned the idea of fucking with Lindsey and worked on making a list of potential clients. I need to get started right away. Thankfully I don’t have a non-compete clause with Soklov, so I can do whatever I want when I quit. Idiots. They really should change that policy.

  With my list in hand, I walk into the law offices of Morris, Morris, and Dean. Kate is a partner in this firm with her father and sister. They specialize in corporate and tax law and are the go-to lawyers for anyone in the area who has a business. I was really lucky to be accepted as a client because they don’t take on new cases very often. Their offices are located in the heart of downtown, across from a newer building that houses some corporate headquarters and small manufacturing companies. I did some work with a corporation on the first floor last year, beefing up their firewalls. Anyone could have done it, but they hired Soklov instead.

  The receptionist calls me by name and tells me that Kate is on the phone but will be with me shortly. I sit down in the plush lobby and look around. The walls are a dark wood paneling, very traditional but elegant. The furnishings are leather, tufted, and sturdy looking. Everything in this room screams confidence, class, and business. I think someday I’d like to have a setup similar to this. Even though I could run my entire enterprise from my home, sometimes it makes clients feel better when there’s a physical location they can visit.

  My thoughts are interrupted when Kate opens the door from the hallway. She smiles and asks me to follow her back.

  Kate’s office is a juxtaposition of modern meets traditional. She has the wood paneled walls, but her desk is brushed nickel and glass. It’s an interesting combination that works quite well.

  “I’m dying here, Kate. Tell me what you’ve got in mind.” When I’m nervous, I’m more blunt than usual.

  “It’s all good, Steph. One of my other clients contacted me this morning about needing a computer security specialist. Obviously you were my first thought, and since we were already working on this, I thought we’d get it done now and then I can give my other client your information. What do you think?” She smiles like the cat that ate the canary.

  “Well, I think you’re insane. I’m not taking on a new client the first week. Seriously, what were you thinking?” I say sarcastically. Kate isn’t phased one bit, and she laughs along with me.

  “That’s what I thought. Okay, there are a lot of papers to sign but once we’re done, you will be the proud owner of Erin’s Peace of Mind, LLC.” I look up at her with tears in my eyes knowing that my sister would be so proud of me.

  “Let’s get going so I can get started,” I say through the lump in my throat. It’s turned out to be a pretty good Tuesday.

  24 days ago

  It’s Wednesday morning, and I get to spend my time in my lawyer’s office. There is so much shit that needs to be done to get ready for this contract, but I know that nothing will happen until we get this lined out.

  “James, it’s so good to see you again,” Kate says as she walks into the lobby. I stand and shake her hand. She’s stunning with her long dark hair and brown eyes. She’s nearly my height in her heels, which is saying something. She exudes confidence, and you know that she is not to be fucked with. Joe made the mistake of asking her out once, and it took him weeks to recover from the rejection. Men don’t chase Kate; she takes what she wants when she wants it.

  “Thanks for seeing me today,” I reply as I follow her down the hall. We bypass her office and enter the conference room where her father is sitting at the head of the table.

  “Mr. Morris,” I say as I shake his hand before sitting down.

  “Glad to see that things are going so well for you, Jimmy. Your father would be very proud to know all that you’ve accomplished.” Mr. Morris was my dad’s best friend through college up until the day he died. He’s been a mentor to me and my brothers since that day, and I couldn’t imagine a better man to have on my side.

  “Thank you, sir. That’s kind of you to say.”

  “Well, I understand you’ve got a doozy of a contract pending. Kate tells me it’s the biggest and most complicated one yet,” he says while flipping through the papers in the file.

  “Yes, it’s going to be a tough order to fill. I know we can do it right and on time. It’s all this pre-planning stuff that drives me crazy. I just want to get started, but the paperwork gets in the way.” I’ve never been patient, and it’s gotten me in trouble in the past. Something I’m trying to work on.

  “Son, I know you’re like a bull in a china shop when it comes to a new project. I’ve looked over all the specs in this contract and the only thing I can see that may pose a problem for you is the clause related to computer and internet security. Kate mentioned that you did an upgrade not too long ago, but it may not be enough. What do you have planned for this?” The man misses nothing, I swear he’s psychic or something.

  “Dad, I told
you that I have another client that I’m going to recommend for James to contact. She’s really good and I think they’ll be a great fit. She can design a system that exceeds the minimum requirements of this contract and keep Owens Ammunition safe for quite a long time.” Kate smiles like she’s won the prize.

  “I have no doubt you’ve thought of everything, pumpkin, but I want to know what Jimmy wants to do. It’s his company, after all.” He winks at her and turns to me for an answer.

  “I’m going to follow the advice of my legal counsel, sir. I’ve found that in the past I tend to jump the gun and she’s never steered me wrong.”

  “Glad to hear that. I’m going to leave the two of you to iron out any remaining details,” he says as he stands. I follow his lead and shake the hand he offers. He takes my hand but pulls me in for a man hug.

  “I meant what I said. Your dad would be so proud,” he chokes out the last word and leaves without looking at me. I take a deep breath before I sit down again and deal with all the paperwork.

  “He also means that he’s proud, too, you know,” Kate says smiling softly.

  “Yeah, I know. He’s so good to my family.”

  “All right, enough of this mushy shit, let’s get down to business,” Kate says as she picks up her pen and passes it to me.

  We spend the next hour going through every last detail of the contract which I sign in at least thirty different places. Once everything is checked over and notarized, she has her paralegal make a copy for me and hands me a sticky note.

  “This is the name of the person I mentioned to you. She’s just started her own LLC, but she’s very experienced. I think she can do great things for you. I told her that I would be passing her info to a client but I didn’t tell her anything else. I’m sure she’s looking forward to your call.”

  I look down at the piece of yellow paper and see Stephanie, EPOM and a phone number there.

  “What is EPOM?” I ask. It’s a strange name.