by Claire Adams
My department managers rushed around the table and saved me from my own thoughts. After an excited round of handshakes and chatter, they too headed for the conference room door.
Rainer paused and started to shut the door. "You can take a minute; hell, you can take all day if you want," he said.
"Don't shut the door," I said. "I think we've given the office enough to talk about for one day."
His blue eyes lit up with amusement. "I was just thinking you needed a quiet minute, but whatever you thought I meant sounds like a lot more fun."
I frowned at him and pulled the conference room door open again. "I didn't think anything. I don't think about you. In that way."
A grin spread across his handsome face. "Well, then, what do you think about lunch? My treat."
I backed away from the magnetism of that smile, bumping back into the conference table. "I can't."
"Boss says we've got the rest of the day off," Rainer said. He advanced until he was just inches away. "Think about it, Tasha; no one could have done a better job. Your work here is done."
I held up my hands, prepared to shove him back, but I hesitated to touch him. There always seemed to be warm waves of heat whenever I touched Rainer. "I like my work," I said. "Besides, you heard the CFO: this news is going to cause chaos. I have to stick around and make sure I'm available for my team."
The distinct sound of a champagne cork popping sounded down the hallway. Rainer reached out and caught my hand. "Sounds like your team might have the right idea. It's time to celebrate. Come on, anywhere you want to go for lunch."
I found the strength to push him away but couldn't quite pull my hand out of his grip. "No, thanks. You go ahead. You earned it. Oh, wait. . ."
Rainer let go of my hand and didn't say anything until I reached the door. "Don't worry, Tasha, one of these days you'll let me make it up to you."
I had to get away from Rainer before I made a complete fool out of myself. In my rush, I bumped into the conference room door. I didn't dare look behind me, but I heard Rainer's chuckle. It sent pleasant tingles up the back of my neck. He was entirely too tempting, leaning there on the conference table. His dark hair had come loose from its slick style at some point during the meeting, and I longed to brush back the wayward waves. And look into those electric eyes.
"Get a hold of yourself," I warned myself as I started down the hallway.
Our floor looked more like a dormitory party than an office. People hung out in doorways holding plastic cups of bubbling champagne. Clumps of my colleagues stood around and laughed, their conversations loud with excitement and bright with the good news. So much for keeping the information quiet.
Between the news, Rainer, and the crowded hallway, I took a wrong turn and had to take the long way back to my office. All along the way people stopped me and shook my hand. Then there would be a funny pause as they didn't know what else to say to me. I used to feel like I was from a different planet every time I walked down the Hyperion hallways, but now I felt like a visitor from a different galaxy altogether.
It was a relief to hear my colleagues talking about the bonuses they received. Hyperion Industries was at least good at sharing its successes. Each extra-loaded check was immediately justified by my co-workers.
"Well, I did help approve the new logo," I heard one of the other junior executives say.
"So, what are you going to do with your bonus?" his buddy asked.
The junior executive grinned. "New car. First thing. Actually, a few of us are heading to the big dealership on Van Ness in ten minutes. You in?"
"I can't wait to see my wife's face when I pull into the driveway in a new sports car."
Those who weren't talking about cars were talking about vacations, new homes, entertainment systems, and boats. I only counted one interesting conversation that included interior design and art collecting. Not once in the entire length of the hallway did I hear anybody talking about investments or savings.
"Is there a party going on?" Amy asked when I finally reached my office.
"Aren't you going to get that?" I asked.
Amy frowned at the ringing phone. "It hasn't stopped ringing for the past half an hour. I didn't know how to answer anyone's questions, so I'm just letting it go to voicemail."
I gritted my teeth. "At least set it to go directly to voicemail so we don't have to listen to it ringing," I said.
"How do I do that?"
"Amy, please," I said, pressing a hand to my forehead. "Please tell me you read through the binder. I even included the phone instructions."
"Oh, sure, no problem, Ms. Nichols," Amy said.
"Thank you." I stopped in my office door and wondered at her sudden willingness to help. "Amy, what did you hear about the 'party' that's going on?"
Amy heaved the binder into the center of her desk and smiled up at me. "I heard that you made the company billions of dollars. I figured you'd be out celebrating, that's why I was letting the phone ring. Actually, if I were you, I'd head right over to Union Square. All the best stores are there, and now you can totally buy whatever you want."
So everyone knew. I wasn't surprised at how fast word spread, especially on our floor, but it was daunting. There was no telling if my fellow junior executives would like me more because of the success or have further reason to ostracize me. The weight of it was just settling onto my shoulders, and I couldn't listen to Amy's sage shopping advice anymore.
"Hold all my calls. I mean, just let them go to voicemail," I said. I started to shut my office door, but it popped open behind me.
"There's not a single closed door on this entire floor, yours can't be the only one." Rainer propped it back open with his shoulder as he carried two plastic cups of champagne. "I figured if you are feeling anything like I am, you might need one of these by now."
It was hard not to feel relieved at the sight of him. Still, I retreated to my desk in order to stop myself from leaning against him. It was only the camaraderie of our situation that I was feeling, and nothing else.
"Thanks, I guess it wouldn't hurt to have one glass," I said. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I owe you a billion bucks," Rainer said.
I laughed, and the fizzy champagne bubbles tickled my nose. "Thanks, but no thanks. I can't even wrap my head around the money that I've got."
"Exactly," Rainer said, leaning on the corner of my desk. "I keep checking my bank account every few minutes because it doesn't seem real."
"I thought you were all playing a prank on me," I said. I flopped down in my desk chair and took a long sip of the sparkling champagne.
Rainer's smile turned into a crinkled frown. "You really think it's us against you?"
"I know how corporate America works, and I didn't come to Hyperion to make friends," I said.
"Is that why I never see you out at the happy hours or parties?" Rainer asked.
I sat forward and turned on my computer. "No. I've just been busy. The work is more important to me than the socializing."
He nodded but pinned me with a serious look. "I suppose you just proved your own method, but I like to believe there should be a balance between work and building relationships."
"Relationships, whose got time for those?" I snorted and then realized I had spoken out loud.
Rainer laughed. "I hear you there, but I was talking about work relationships. You know, the whole networking approach. I could give you a few tips, if you'd like."
I scowled up at him. "No, thanks, I don't think I need advice from you. Your 'networking,' as you call it, isn't really the approach I want to take."
He stood up, frowning again. "A lot of that is just for show. You know that, right?"
"I don't know anything about you," I said. "You just showed up today, attached to my project, and now we're supposed to be a team. Well, I'm not buying it."
Rainer's lips were stiff, but he tried to smile. "Speaking of buying, I'm still offering to take you out to lunch. Then, maybe, you can get to k
now me a little better before you condemn me."
It was all too much. The entire morning had been a whirlwind, and I couldn't help feeling like Rainer was the cause of it. Ever since I saw him in my penthouse haven, he'd set the day on a crazy course. I jumped up, agitated, and paced around my desk to put some distance between us.
"No, thank you." I reached the door and held it open for him. "I don't need you to buy me lunch, especially not with the money you made today."
"Because I didn't earn it," Rainer said.
"Exactly."
He sauntered to the door and held up his plastic glass in a toast. "Then here's to my big chance to help your team."
"How are you going to do that now?" I asked.
Rainer's lips curved in a smirk. "GroGreen has succeeded beyond anyone's wildest dreams. With all the sales and media attention, you are most definitely going to need a good public relations man on your team. Luckily, you've got me."
"I've got you," I repeated, confused by the rush of excitement those words gave me.
Rainer grinned. "And maybe one of these days you'll learn to appreciate me."
"What I'd appreciate is a few minutes of quiet so I can get back to work," I said. I shoved him out the door and ignored the wide-eyed look Amy gave us both. "Have a nice lunch."
I shut my office door and stalked back to my desk, but I couldn't sit down. Instead, I paced around my small office and glowered at the gray building that blocked my view. Rainer had a great view from his office on the other side of the building, and it irked me that there might be something to his balance theory. Now, more than ever, I needed to watch my position at Hyperion. I couldn't let my billions force me into early retirement. This was not the zenith of my career, and there was no way I was going to lose my momentum now.
I paced around again and tried to shake off Rainer's words. He was right about having better working relationships than me, and he was certainly better on camera. And the real truth of the matter was that I was stuck with him. His name was now tied to GroGreen as much as mine, and, if I was smart, I would take advantage of that.
If it had been anyone else, I wouldn't have thought twice about it. There was just something different about Rainer. I could still see his eyes, and that faintly lost smile when we heard the news.
I wrenched open my office door and marched past a shocked Amy. "I'm heading home for lunch. Call my cell if anything else comes up. And read that binder."
"Yes, ma'am," Amy said.
I ignored her silly salute and headed for the stairwell. I needed to keep moving and paced around as the valet brought my dented old car to the front for me. I gave him a tip, then added more, fully aware that even the valets had heard the good news. It was going to be hard to learn how to spend money like I had millions.
Except I had billions.
My hands shook on the steering wheel and I pushed the thought out of my head. All I needed was to get home. It felt like I couldn't breathe until I'd driven across the bridge and put Hyperion behind me. By the time I wound up the hilly streets of my East Bay neighborhood, I was able to take a deep breath.
I let it all go in a long sigh when I saw my sister trundling up my steep front steps. Barbie was six months pregnant, and the sight of her rounded belly suddenly put everything into perspective. She and her husband, plus the little life growing inside her, were the only family I had. Since our parents had passed away, my older sister was the only real contact I had outside of work.
She turned around on the top step and waved as I pulled into the driveway. "I brought you a geranium," she called. "The scent is good for stress."
I laughed and suddenly couldn't stop. Barbie heard the note of hysteria and started back down the steep steps. "No, I'm fine," I said. "I'm coming up. I'm fine."
"I didn't believe you after the first 'fine,' and now I'm definitely worried," Barbie said. "Let me guess; it's work again?"
"You have no idea," I said. I looked at my lovely sister through tearful eyes.
"And I don't care," Barbie said and pulled me into a fierce hug. "I've always told you that if it doesn't make you happy, you should quit. Who cares about the money? Ted and I can help you out; that's what family is for."
The hysterical laugh bubbled out again. "We don't have to worry about money ever again," I told her.
Barbie snorted. "So, what are you crying for?"
I sat down on the steps and sniffled. "Thank you for the geranium," I said.
My sister lowered herself carefully to the step next to me. "It's a cutting from my garden. Did I tell you that I transplanted the pink geranium from Mom and Dad's? It's been growing like crazy, and I thought you might like it."
I dropped my head to my hands and started sobbing. Barbie took it in stride, the same way she handled everything, and I leaned on her. My older sister was my rock and my inspiration. No matter what life threw at her, she turned it into magic. The same way she had taken the dried out lot at her house and turned it into a verdant, blooming garden.
It made me think of GroGreen again, and I felt another rise of hysteria.
"That's enough," Barbie said in a firm voice. "Tell me what happened."
"I made a billion dollars today," I said.
Barbie was the only person in the world who could hear something like that and just nod. She knew I was telling the truth and she saw straight through the news and right to the heart of the matter. "It's not too late for you to have it all. There's nothing that says you can't be rich, successful, and happy. All you need is the right match."
I laughed and wiped away my tears. "Leave it up to you to turn this into a matchmaking opportunity."
"All I'm saying is you wouldn't be crying over good news on your front step if you had someone to celebrate with," Barbie said. She heaved to her feet and pulled me up. "I always knew you'd make it big; it was exactly what you set out to do. The big question is what are you going to do now?"
"Hide?" I asked.
Barbie swatted my shoulder. "You've never hidden from anything in your life. And I'm not about to let you become one of those odd, reclusive rich people."
"Speaking of odd and rich," I held up my phone.
"Is that my Stanislas?" Barbie asked. She snatched the phone from my hand. "Hello, darling. You calling to congratulate our girl?"
I tried to grab the phone back, but Barbie used her baby bump to hold me back.
"Yes, she's right here," Barbie told Stan. "Having a little bit of breakdown, but you know our girl; she'll snap out of it. I'm doing fine, thanks. The baby is growing everyday. Soon I'll be the size of a car."
"Barbie, give me the phone," I said.
"Now we just need to find Tasha the right match, so my baby can grow up with dozens of cousins," Barbie teased me. "Sure thing. Here she is, Stan."
I snatched the phone and heard Stan chuckling. "I like your sister, Tasha. She's good people."
"Personally, I think the pregnancy hormones are messing with her head," I told him.
"Speaking of messing with your head, how did the meeting go?" Stan asked.
Barbie took my house keys, picked up the bright geranium, and let herself into my condo as I talked to my mentor. "You knew, didn't you? Stan, I would really have appreciated a heads-up."
"And ruin the surprise? No way," Stan said. "Did your eyes pop out when you saw your bank account?"
"Well, now that you brought it up, I could use some advice about investing. Could you please recommend a financial advisor?" I asked.
"Definitely," Stan said, "but you have to do me a favor first."
"What favor?" I asked.
Barbie poked her head back out the door, ready as always to side with Stan against me. "Whatever it is, tell him I'll make sure you do it."
Stan laughed, overhearing her. "Good, because I know you're going to try to wriggle out of it. I made you an appointment with a personal shopper. I thought a new wardrobe was just the thing to help you celebrate."
"No, absolutely not," I said
. "I'm not going to waste my day shopping for clothes. I just came home for lunch, and I'll be back at the office in an hour. I need to meet with my department managers and see how the staff is handling the news. Plus, there has to be concerns about the servers and—"
Barbie grabbed the phone from me. "Don't worry, Stan, I'm on it. Yes, definitely. You're right. Our girl is never going to stop, so she should take it to the next level. Yup, got it."
"What did he say?" I asked as Barbie hung up the phone.
"He said you need to dress for the job you want, not the one you've got," Barbie said. "He just texted over the appointment information. You have just enough time to make it to Union Square."
"This is insane," I said as Barbie pushed me back down the stairs. A town car, hired by Stan, glided to the end of my driveway. The driver popped out and opened the door. I was on my way, waving feebly to Barbie before I could even protest.
"This is insane," I said again as I shook hands with the personal shopper.
He was a brightly swathed young man with sharp eyes and an efficient manner. Before I could even take a breath, he bundled me into a dressing room. I stood there and gaped at the wall of designer clothes he had chosen for me.
"I don't think I can do this," I said.
"Me neither. Can you help me? I think this zipper is stuck," a voice in the dressing room next to me said.
"Ivy?" I asked, recognizing my friend from college. "This is insane."
She laughed and pulled me into a tight hug. "Tasha, it is so great to see you! Ever since I married Aldous, I never see anyone anymore. I mean, of our friends."
Ivy Madison had married an investment banker straight out of college and the last I heard she was vacationing in St. Moritz with the top of the jet set. I hugged her back, glad to have found someone to help me navigate the new world of wealth that I had fallen into. I filled her in as quickly as I could, and Ivy congratulated me.
"It feels like I fell down the rabbit hole," I said.
Ivy clapped her hands and turned to the wall of designer clothes. "I know just how you feel and I'm so glad you're here. Now, let me introduce you to Wonderland."