“OK, that’s it!” Sean barked as he pushed back his chair. “I’ll be in your office.”
Laura shrugged. “I will be there in a few minutes,” she said, “but please wait out in the hall.” She tried hard to hide a smile.
Sean threw her a disgusted look and then turned and stormed out of the room.
“So, you may all go back to your projects. If you would like to meet with me alone, please send me a meeting request.”
Tom Prichart, Rebecca Stockton and Tony Rogland got up to leave the room but stopped when Jesse Flemming said, “I have one last question.”
“Sure.”
“What about you and Emily?”
She had been waiting for this question the entire meeting and wondered how it had not come up sooner.
“Honestly, what happens between Emily and me has nothing to do with this company or how I perform my job. Was there anyone who felt I was unable to perform my duties before you found out about my relationship with Emily?”
No one spoke. Many shook their heads.
“Exactly. Emily has moved on to another company because of the problems that have arisen from something that has nothing to do with how this company is run and how well she might do her job. Had she been a man, would you have been worried about my ability to do my job?”
Jesse shook his head and then lowered it. “I didn’t mean the relationship between you. I meant….when is she coming back? She was one of the best designers I have ever met. I don’t think you realize how important she was behind the scenes while Terry was alive.”
This took Laura by surprise. She knew that Emily had helped Terry, but apparently she was not aware of how much.
“What about the rest of you?”
“Yes, I agree with Jesse,” Rebecca Stockton said. “I think we need to try to get her back. She was a great go-to for ideas. Sometimes Terry was, well, a little too busy, I guess? I ran things by her all the time. I don’t even think Terry knew how much she did around here.”
“I’ll tell you what,” Laura said, still stunned but knowing what she had to do. “I will talk to Emily and see if she’ll come back.”
This brought a smile to most of the faces that remained at the table.
“Oh, and Laura,” Rebecca said from where she had stopped at the door. “I think you’re doing the right thing with the company.”
Laura smiled. “Thank you for that,” she said.
Rebecca nodded and left the room.
Laura wanted to jump up and down like she and Emily had after their first client meeting. Laura was more than a little upset that Emily had not confided in her how much she had been doing for the company, or Terry for that matter. What Laura needed to do was find Emily. But first, she had to deal with Sean.
***
When she got to her office, Sean was sitting in the chairs outside the door. Next to her sat Charles Forman, Terry’s, and now Laura’s, lawyer.
“Hello, Charles,” Laura said as she shook his hand. “It’s so good to see you again.” She leaned in and kissed both of his cheeks before taking out her keys and unlocking her door.
Sean gave her a surprised look. “You actually didn’t trust me enough to keep your door unlocked?”
Laura laughed but said nothing. “Please have a seat,” she said, indicating the seating area. Both men sat and Laura took a seat as well. “Charles, you know why we are here.”
“Yes, Mrs. Jensen,” he said soberly. He pulled out a folder from his briefcase and placed it on the table. “I have here the paperwork needed to dissolve the partnership of Jensen and Blakely…”
“Now see here,” Sean said loudly. “Dissolve the firm? Where the hell did that come from?” He shook his head and added, “I don’t have my lawyer here, and until I can consult him, I won’t agree to anything…”
A knock came to the door and Laura got up to answer it. A man in his mid-fifties walked through the door, briefcase in hand, and joined the group in the last chair available.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” he said.
“Redley?” Sean said, his face looking as if cold water had been thrown at him. “What are you doing here?”
“I was told you would be having a meeting and that it was important that I come,” the man said as he took out a notepad and a pen.”
Sean just sat there staring at his lawyer. Laura wished she had a camera at that exact moment, because his expression was priceless.
“Very well,” Charles Forman said. “It looks like both parties have representation, so let’s get started.”
After twenty minutes of discussion, with several interruptions from Sean to complain that he did not agree to any of it, Laura was happy with the outcome. She had offered Sean more than enough to cover his portion of the company. Although he tried to say Laura had no right to dissolve the company, Laura’s lawyer was quick to point out several subpoints in the original contract that did, in fact, allow her to do so.
“It was brought to my client’s attention that you have had several accounts that you skimmed from,” Forman said.
“What?” Sean asked, his face now pale.
Forman ignored him. “And because of this, you were in breach of the original contract.”
It was apparent that he had not thought to consult the original document he and Terry had drawn up when the company started, focusing only on the bylaws that were created for the board. It was not until Marcus Redly expressed to Sean that it was a very good deal, and that the fact it included a letter of recommendation from Laura about his abilities in the field as a parting gift, Sean finally conceded to the dissolution.
Once the office was empty, Laura sat in her chair behind her desk and stared out the large plate glass that looked out toward the beautiful mountain peaks. She had done it. Sean would be gone in two weeks, and any of his “followers” would be moving on as well. The company had a strong group of people who wanted to stay on and she knew they would continue to be successful.
The only thing that was missing was Emily. Laura looked out onto the city, wondering in which building Emily was at that exact moment. She knew the name of the company Emily had gone to, but she never looked up where they were located. They were a small firm, just starting out, and Laura knew Emily would be a great addition to their team. But she missed Emily terribly. She had to stop herself from sending out an email or text. Emily had said she would contact Laura when she was ready, and Laura did not want to impose on her.
“Laura?” Donald Thompson’s voice came from behind her.
Laura took a deep breath and turned. The man did not look as angry as he had at the meeting.
“Please, come in, Donald,” she said as warmly as she could muster. “What can I do for you?”
Donald strode into the room, his head held high. “I was wondering if you have a moment.”
“Of course, please, have a seat.”
They moved to the seating area, and Laura crossed her legs and waited expectantly.
“I have been thinking,” Donald said. “I know I have allowed prejudices to cloud my judgments…”
“Yes, you have.”
He cleared his throat at her forwardness. “Well, I have been doing a lot of thinking. Terry was a good man, he was a proud man, a man with integrity. I have to admit that I was more than a little taken aback when you came and took his place in the firm.”
Laura raised her eyebrows and the man put up his hand.
“No, not because you’re a woman,” he said emphatically. “But because you lack the background in this business that Terry had.”
“Yes, but…”
“Please, let me finish. I was wrong. I heard the things that Sean did while Terry was still alive, and that had me wondering what he would do now that Trry was gone. I have spoken to several other project managers and they have shared with me how much you and Emily have done to keep the clients with this firm. I am not such an old fogey to not recognize and say something positive about this.”
Thi
s surprised Laura. She had never heard one small compliment from the man about anyone, even his own staff. He kept pretty much to himself, rarely wanting to be a part of the whole group. But his work was exceptional and he could hold his own with the clients.
“Well, I appreciate that,” she said.
“To be honest, I don’t trust Sean Barkley as far as I can throw him. I have been on the lookout for a new firm since Terry died. However, I am a man of his word, and having unfinished projects left behind is not my style.”
“That’s a good way to be.”
He shook his head. “I would like to take back my offer of resignation,” he said as he sat up straighter. “I’ll understand if you decline; however, I have given it a lot of thought. I have always supported Terry’s dreams, and I have come to realize that your dreams are not much different from his. Plus, you’re much more organized than he was…” He chuckled as he said it.
Laura smiled, stood up, and walked around the table. She approached Donald and looked him directly in the eyes. “Of course you may recant your resignation,” she said, putting out her hand.
Donald stood and shook her hand at the same time. He had a small smile on his face that looked awkward. “I appreciate it,” he said.
“And nothing has changed,” Laura reassured him. “We’ll act as if you never mentioned leaving, at least not until you do decide to leave, which I hope won’t happen until you retire many years down the road.”
“Well, that’s the plan,” he said. Then he leaned in and lowered his voice. “I think you’re doing the right thing getting rid of Sean. He’s been a canker to this company for way too long.”
Laura thanked him and watched as he left her office.
Now it was time for her to find Emily.
Chapter Nineteen
Laura dialed Emily’s number again as she looked up to the second floor of Emily’s apartment building. No answer. Emily still was not taking her calls. Laura went to sit on the bus bench across the street, staying for more than an hour, feeling like a stalker. However, glancing at the time, she saw it was time for her final client meeting. She sighed and made her way to her car.
The meeting went as well as all the others. Peter Wallson admitted that Sean had contacted him, but as soon as he began what he referred to as “old woman gossip” he ended the conversation mid-sentence.
“I told him I wasn’t interested in listening to what he had to say about his boss,” he told Laura. “I can’t stand when people do things that try to undermine someone else, especially their boss. It was underhanded and wrong.”
Laura did not respond, but smiled instead.
“Well, I can tell you he will have a hard time finding a new job,” Wallson continued. “I plan on letting everyone know what an underhanded jackass he really is.”
At the end of the meeting, they shook hands and Laura promised to have Tony Rogland, Wallson’s project manager, contact him by the next day.
“I think you’re going to be a great person to work with,” Wallson said. “Terry was a great guy, but if you don’t mind my saying so, he was a little disorganized.” He raised her hand when Laura went to speak and added, “I don’t mean any disrespect. I liked him, and I would never do anything to sully his good name. But I can see that you would have been a great addition long ago to Jensen and Bradley.”
“I appreciate you saying so,” Laura said, feeling both embarrassed and proud at the same time. “And it will be just Jensen and Associates Architecture in a couple more weeks.”
“Good,” Wallson replied. “Get rid of the old rubbish.”
They said their goodbyes and then Laura knew she needed to talk to Emily even more now than ever.
Then an idea came to her and she ran to her car and headed out.
***
The park was quiet. It was early afternoon and cold, so the playground was empty, the swings swaying back and forth in the light breeze that traveled through the air. The leaves were beginning to change and several had already fallen to the ground, brown, yellow, and orange contrasts to the still green grass that blanketed the majority of the park.
Laura made her way down the sidewalk, her eyes locked on a single spot on the other side of the park. A lone figure sat next to a large tree, the person’s face hidden by the hood of a long blue coat. Gloved hands held a cup of coffee, steam still rising from the small hole in the lid.
As she neared the tree, the person looked up and Emily’s eyes looked out from within the darkness of her hood.
“Hello, Emily,” Laura said.
“Hello, Laura,” Emily replied, squinting when the sun peeked out from behind a cloud. “How did you know I’d be here?”
Laura laughed. “I haven’t forgotten when you brought me here,” she said. “Why haven’t you returned my messages or calls?”
Emily looked down at her coffee cup. “I didn’t want to be in the way. I knew you’d want to get back together, and I didn’t want to break up your business.”
Laura took a seat next to Emily and wrapped her coat tighter around herself to keep the cold breeze at bay.
“So much has happened since you left,” Laura said.
“I’m sure it has.” She sounded sad, and maybe a little bitter.
“No, you don’t understand. Good things have happened, but not because you left, but despite the fact you left.”
Emily turned her head to look at Laura. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve decided to dissolve the partnership with Sean.”
Emily’s eyes went wide. “Really? Oh, I bet he was shocked at that move.”
Laura laughed. “You know he was. But the best thing is that he made enemies when he tried to sabotage not only the company, but us as well.” She took Emily’s hand in hers. “Just about everyone wants to stay on with me. Even Donald Thompson. At first he wanted to leave, but he had a change of heart when he learned about what Sean had done to try to take over the company.” She giggled and then added, “Not to mention that I offered all of the project managers a small percentage of the company if they stayed.”
“But what will happen when they find out about…”
“Us?” Laura asked quietly. She smiled. “They already know.”
A shocked expression crossed Emily’s face. “All of them? How…?”
“Sean told everyone. He thought he was going to hurt us, but in the long run it hurt him.”
“So, you’re saying that we’re keeping all of the project managers and the clients?”
Laura shook her head. “Unfortunately, James Rightly will definitely not be back,” she said, “but he’s the only one. And good riddance to him, I say.”
Emily smiled. “Yes, good riddance to him.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe that it all worked out so well. I’m so sorry I left you. I didn’t trust in us.”
“No,” Laura said as she grabbed Emily’s chin and turned Emily’s face toward hers. “You helped me in a way you don’t quite understand.”
Emily looked confused. “What do you mean?”
“I found out that I was able to do all this on my own,” Laura said. “I became a stronger woman. I’m not saying that I’m not strong with you, but I used you as a crutch. I learned so much from you, but I also learned so much about myself through all this.”
A tear traced a line down Emily’s cheek. “So you didn’t need me.”
Laura chuckled. “I needed you more than you can know, but not in the way I was using you before. You helped me learn who I am. You taught me that I can love anyone my heart is set to love. But through all this, I also learned that I can stand on my own two feet, which I never thought I would be able to do. I learned that I am in love with you, Emily Franklin. You are the other half of me.”
She leaned in and kissed Emily. Emily’s tears were salty on her lips as their kiss became more urgent and more demanding.
“Come home with me,” Laura whispered. “Please…”
“I will,” Emily said.
&
nbsp; Chapter Twenty
Two weeks later Laura and Emily walked into Jensen and Barkley Architecture together. Laura stared up at the sign for several moments. Felicity, the receptionist at the front desk, walked up behind them. “Today’s the day,” she said. She looked rather pleased.
“It is,” Laura replied. “Would you find me a hammer?”
“Sure,” Felicity said and Laura heard the clicking of the woman’s high heals as she made her way to do her bidding.
“OK, let’s do this,” Laura said as she turned toward Emily, who returned her smile.
Laura’s heart was beating against her chest as she made her way past her office and down the hall to the last room. Inside, Sean was packing up the last of his personal items, tossing them dejectedly into an already overflowing box.
When he saw Laura he said, “I’ll be done in a minute. I just have the last few things to get off the wall.”
Laura gave him a small smile that probably looked more like a sneer, but she did not care. “Yes, well, I have a few things to get off the wall as well,” she said. “You have five more minutes. If you’re still here, security can help you finish packing.”
She had nothing more to say, so she walked back to the front. Felicity was there with a hammer.
“I say we wait to pull his name off the wall as he leaves,” Emily said with a huge smile on her face.
Laura laughed. “Agreed.”
Five minutes later, Sean came down the hallway pushing a dolly with several boxes on it. As he rounded the corner, Laura began removing the letters for the name ‘Barkley’ from the wall and tossing them into a pile. They made a metallic clanking as they hit the tile on the floor.
Sean stood with his jaw hanging open as he watched Laura removing his name from the wall, but then shook his head as if awakening from a daydream. He made his way silently to the elevator.
He reminded Laura of a puppy that had been punished and was leaving with his tail between his legs. “I feel kind of sorry for him,” Laura said once the elevator doors closed on him.
“Well, don’t,” Emily said. “He made his own bed. He is the one who decided that he could try to go behind your back and have you thrown out. He struck first, you just threw the winning punch.”
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