by Julie Cannon
“You speak with such cheer, like you’re wearing a smile when you’re not.”
“I’ve never really thought about it. I guess I’m just a people person.”
Luca rested her elbow on the high reception counter and leaned in. She wanted to indulge in Millie’s kindness for a little longer. Her cute, curly blond hair and vibrant smile didn’t hurt either. “Have you always worked with people?”
Millie’s attention left Luca when an older woman approached the counter. Without missing a beat, Millie greeted her. “Good morning, Mrs. Rosenberg, lovely to see you again. You can head straight up to the third floor. Everyone is waiting for you in boardroom C. And yes, I made them put on a pot of French vanilla coffee for you,” Millie said sweetly.
“Still swooning over the unattainable?” Andrew’s voice startled Luca from behind. She spun around and punched him in the shoulder. “Ow, dammit.” Andrew held his arm. “Not cool, Luca, I could never get away with doing something like that to you.”
“If I ever sneak up on you like that, you’re welcome to hit me.” Luca turned back to Millie and looked expectantly between her and the large glass front door. “Millie, what time does the mail usually come?”
“Usually by noon.”
Luca looked at the modern clock hanging on the wall. It was nearly ten. “That’s not too bad.”
“But no later than three,” Millie added. Luca’s head dropped.
“Expecting an important package?” Andrew asked with a boyish smirk.
Luca stared at him long and hard before responding. “Men shouldn’t be allowed to say the word ‘package,’ and Ms. Austin is expecting a letter. It’s my job to be here when it’s delivered.” Luca watched Millie hand three different files, from three different stacks on her desk, to two different accountants. Millie was trusted with more important work than she was. “And I have to get her a green monster salad.”
“Oh, those are good,” Millie said, nodding to Luca.
Andrew grabbed Luca’s arm and pulled her into the corner by the water feature. The bubbling sound was quite relaxing when she could hear it. “How’s everything going? We haven’t had a chance to talk much since we were divided up.”
Luca stared as water moved down a stone surface and considered the question. How could she sum up the first week of working with Stephanie Austin? She looked into Andrew’s concerned eyes. “She doesn’t want me around, which has been made very clear, multiple times a day, since the moment I was assigned to her. But the positive is that I haven’t been fired.” Luca frowned and added, “Yet.”
“She can’t just fire you because she doesn’t want you around.”
“Are you sure? This is Stone Cold Steph Austin we’re talking about.”
Andrew laughed. “You know the laws just as well as I do. You’re not going anywhere as long as you keep being the kick-ass rookie accountant I know you are. You’ve always been the most professional one in our flock, and if worst comes to worst, ask to be switched with Charles. Ms. Austin will be screaming to have you back.”
Luca started to laugh along, feeling a little lighter than she had. She thought back to Friday. “I may have done something uncharacteristically unprofessional.”
“Did you give her the finger?” Andrew asked hopefully.
“No, but I’m surprised she didn’t give me the finger when she saw me this morning. I saw her out Friday night and I said hi.”
“No way. Where?”
“The Dollhouse. She was out with a group of friends and they were laughing and she seemed approachable, almost warm even. So I thought it’d be a good time to smooth things over and let her see that I’m on her side and want to work with her.”
“The Dollhouse? The gay bar you talk about?”
Luca’s eyes closed at her slipup. She’d forgotten ever mentioning the place to Andrew, and now she had broken the small promise she had made to Stephanie. Her stomach dropped with guilt. “The ladies’ bar and yes, but please keep that between us. I don’t need her finding out I’ve been blabbing about her personal life. I already made the mistake of talking to her outside of work.” Luca cringed at the memory. “I basically told her I was surprised she had friends.”
Andrew’s eyebrows shot sky high. “Luca, you didn’t.”
Luca let out a long exhale. “Oh, Andrew, I did.”
“You were speaking for the rest of us, too.” Andrew patted her back reassuringly. “Don’t worry too much about it. Things can’t really get worse for you, can they?”
“Please don’t tempt fate or karma or any of that crap.”
Andrew let out a soft laugh and looked at Luca warmly. “You look different today, but I can’t put my finger on how.”
Luca touched her hair self-consciously. As she readied herself that morning, she’d considered the way Stephanie appraised her at the bar. So she chose to put in more effort by shaping her hair with a blow dryer instead of letting it air dry into a limp mess. She even applied a hint of eye makeup. Luca was taking Stephanie’s advice and putting a little more care into her work appearance for herself. Not to re-experience the thrill of Stephanie’s attention falling on her once more.
“Luca?”
“Yeah?” Luca looked up at Andrew.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked with a skeptical tone and matching eyes.
She waved off his concern. “I’m fine, really, just another Monday.”
“If you say so. I have to get back upstairs, but we should do lunch soon.”
“Definitely.” Andrew was gone before Luca finished the word. She took a seat in a small plush chair next to the reception area and sipped at her coffee. She was glad she had the foresight to bring it along with her. Luca was in for a long wait.
The mailman arrived closer to one thirty than Luca cared for, but it was better than two. She bid Millie an almost flirtatious farewell and rushed to the corner deli to pick up Stephanie’s salad along with multiple beverage choices. Stephanie didn’t ask for a drink, but Luca felt it was better to be safe than sorry. She stood outside Stephanie’s office door with bags and certified letter in hand and knocked once, then twice. Luca couldn’t hear a sound coming from inside Stephanie’s office, so she decided to open the door slowly and take a peek inside.
Stephanie’s computer screen was bright. No screen saver danced about, so Luca gathered she hadn’t been gone for long. No purse or blazer hung beside the door, leading Luca to believe Stephanie had stepped out. Luca backed out of Stephanie’s office and stared at the bags in her hands.
“Is there something you need from my office, Garner?” Stephanie said with an icy tone.
Luca near choked. “No, I have your lunch and I knocked, but you didn’t answer.”
“So you thought it’d be best for you to let yourself in?” Stephanie’s eyebrows were perfectly shaped into a sharp arch, a point that became deadly when raised or furrowed.
“Again, no,” Luca said slowly, giving herself a moment to choose her next words wisely. “I have the certified letter you’ve been waiting for. Considering its importance, I wanted to be one hundred percent sure you weren’t here to receive it before I held on to it for another minute. I didn’t go any farther than six inches into your office. It wouldn’t be my place to do such a thing.” Someone like Stephanie had to enjoy self-deprecating talk.
Stephanie held out her hand for the letter, which Luca handed over immediately. She used her index finger to slice the envelope open in one smooth motion. Luca flinched at the sound of paper ripping. Stephanie looked over the letter and said, “You’re right. It’s not your place and you should remember that, but you made the right call this time. This letter is the first piece of physical evidence that links my client’s business partner to embezzlement.”
“Why send it in the mail? Wouldn’t hand delivery be safer?” Luca was bright with excitement because Stephanie was finally sharing professional information with her.
“Hand delivery is safer but could also appear suspi
cious. Do you know how many certified letters come and go daily? A lot. No one would suspect such a crucial bit of information to be sent through the post office.”
“Who’s it from?” Luca had to know; she needed to be involved, and now was her chance to ask questions.
“My client, Raymond Farnsworth, fired over thirty employees two years ago, citing major layoffs due to financial issues. Common in this day and age unfortunately, but his business partner never seemed concerned about their company’s well-being. Raymond was clearly shaken, and after a year of constant stress, he hired us to figure out what was going wrong with his company.”
“And you found out exactly why the stress was one-sided.”
A sly smirk spread across Stephanie’s face. The small smile reached her twinkling eyes and Luca held her breath as she held on to the moment. “He did hire the best. I started small and followed the trail up to the top. This,” she held up the envelope, “is the final nail in the coffin.”
“Wow.” Luca looked at the raised envelope with awe.
“Now I’ll be here until midnight preparing my report, but it’ll be worth it.”
Stephanie’s excitement was contagious. Luca licked her lips before speaking. “I can stay, if you need me.”
Stephanie looked at Luca. All her liveliness dropped away and she turned to stone once more. “That won’t be necessary.” She walked to her office. “I don’t need you.”
Just as Stephanie was about to shut the door, Luca called, “I have your salad and few options to drink.”
“I already ate.” Stephanie shut her office door, leaving Luca with a meal she couldn’t stomach if she tried.
Chapter Six
“Our first quarter results blew last year out of the water. We’ve not only closed more cases, but we’ve done so effectively.” Stephanie watched as Mr. Witlin regarded his top employees proudly. “When I started this company, it was no more than a few desks in an office space with one window, and a slew of people who had no idea what forensic accounting was. I owe my success, and gratitude, to each of you and your predecessors.”
Stephanie looked around the table, and everyone shared the same confused look. Gerard Witlin was a gracious man, one who never hesitated to show appreciation for everything his employees did, but his current display was a little out of the norm. Stephanie’s stomach sank with worry. Were they closing? Was Gerard retiring? “Is everything okay?” Stephanie dared to ask.
Mr. Witlin smiled brightly and said, “Everything is better than okay. I’m ending our meeting with an announcement. We’re expanding. I’ve just signed a deal for an office in the heart of Chicago.” Stephanie sat back in relief. “My time will be split between the two offices for now as we set up and hire worthy candidates. Some of you may be asked to travel, but it won’t become a habit, unless you request it.” Gerard looked directly at Stephanie and winked. Odd, but not altogether out of character. Stephanie wondered if he’d consider her to head the new office. Chicago wasn’t the worst city to live in. “There’ll be more information available about the new office in weeks to come, but until then, get out of here and get to work.”
Stephanie hung around an extra minute, as customary, to share a moment alone with her boss. “This is exciting news.” She gathered her pen and portfolio.
“It is. I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished here and I believe we’ll be just as successful with this expansion.”
“Do you have anyone specific in mind for the new office?”
Gerard looked Stephanie in the eye when he responded. “Yes, I do. Once we’re ready to move forward, I’ll make the formal announcement.”
Stephanie’s face lit up. “Very good. I’ll get to work, then.”
She rushed from the boardroom with an extra bounce to her step. Stephanie hadn’t felt this kind of anticipation and excitement in quite a while. No grand projects or big changes had found their way into her life recently, and she felt ready to tackle it all. That excitement fizzled away to confusion when she turned the corner to find her sister-in-law, Kathy, with her four-year-old son, Mitchell. Stephanie didn’t like unexpected guests. She looked for Luca, a sharp reprimand ready on her tongue, but she was nowhere to be found.
“Your secretary went to get Mitchell a snack,” Kathy said.
“She’s my assistant and a junior accountant here,” Stephanie said, clarifying that Luca’s job was more than generic secretarial duties. Why the misunderstanding mattered to her at all was something Stephanie would have to evaluate at a better time. “What are you doing here?”
“I tried to call you seven times, but you never answered.”
“I was in a meeting.” Stephanie looked from her fidgeting nephew and back to Kathy, waiting for an explanation.
“Your assistant told us that and said we could wait here. Rick has appendicitis.”
Stephanie’s eyes went wide. “Oh my, is it bad? We both know how delicate he is.” Her joke fell flat when Kathy’s face remained stiff.
“He’s being rushed into surgery. They have him scheduled for noon. That’s why I’ve been calling you.” Stephanie looked at her watch and was surprised to see it was nearly eleven thirty. “I need you to watch Mitchell.”
“What?”
“Here you go,” Luca announced loudly, gaining Mitchell’s attention. “Do you like animal crackers?”
“I like el’fants.” Mitchell’s mumble made Luca smile, but his charm was lost on Stephanie. “They’re my favorite.”
Stephanie pulled Kathy just inside her office, leaving Mitchell and Luca to sort through a cardboard zoo of edible animals. “I can’t take him, I’m working,” Stephanie said in a hushed tone, as if Mitchell would know she was trying to pass him off.
“I don’t have a sitter available, my parents are on a cruise, and I don’t think your mother will make it up from Florida in under an hour.” Kathy crossed her arms over her chest.
Stephanie took a deep breath. She and Kathy rarely saw eye-to-eye, but Kathy took good care of her brother and was a wonderful mother to Mitchell. Stephanie looked out her office door and caught Luca blowing air past a Post-it she had placed over her lips. Mitchell found the fluttering sound of the paper hilarious and was red-faced with laughter. She smiled. “I’ll figure it out, but you better get out of here. Rick is probably in a panic that you’re not back yet.”
“Here’s a bag full of toys and activities to keep him busy.” Kathy pulled Stephanie in for a quick, awkward hug. “I’ll call you when he’s out.” She ran from the office, leaving Stephanie with Luca and a child, and no idea of what to do with either.
She’d spent very little one-on-one time with Mitchell, not because she didn’t love the little boy but because she didn’t know how to act around a child. Mitchell was the first baby to come along in her family since she was born—that gave her very little confidence when it came time to interact with children. Stephanie didn’t realize she was standing still, holding the bag of Mitchell’s belongings and staring at him in a panic, until Luca spoke up.
“Ms. Austin? Is everything okay?” Luca was seated behind her desk with Mitchell on her lap. He pressed at the buttons of her phone, absolutely giddy over the sounds they made. Luca looked so concerned with her big, innocent brown eyes shining at Stephanie. “He can stay with me. It won’t be a bother.”
Stephanie ignored Luca. “Mitchell, come into Aunt Stephanie’s office. I have your toys,” she said, looking into the stuffed canvas bag. “And your coloring books.” Mitchell stared at her wide-eyed, his chubby fingers still running along the phone, and made no move to leave Luca’s lap. He had clearly made a new friend. “I can’t have people thinking I run a babysitting business while I’m here.”
Luca stood and placed Mitchell gingerly on his feet. She walked him into Stephanie’s office and offered him a high-five. “Remember my name?”
Mitchell’s face scrunched up. “Luca.”
“That’s right.” Luca gave him another high-five. “If you need a
nything, or if your aunt needs anything, just call me. Okay?”
“Stay here,” Mitchell said while playing with one of the buttons on his polo shirt.
Luca looked up at Stephanie. She was biting her lower lip and Stephanie wondered if Luca knew how to say no to a kid. “Luca has a lot of work to do today, so it’ll just be the two of us for now.” She could handle her nephew on her own. How dare anyone doubt that? He’d have a great time.
“Later, bud.” Luca ruffled the dark curls on the top of his head. Stephanie considered their quick bond to be cute—children were usually great judges of character—but it was time for Luca to go. She didn’t have to see just how awkward Stephanie was around the small being that shared her DNA.
“Thank you, Luca.” Stephanie dismissed Luca and waited for her office door to shut fully before looking at Mitchell again. “What would you like to do? Color? A puzzle?”
“Will Luca come back?”
Stephanie sighed. So much for conversation. “Luca’s busy. Would you like to color her a picture? I bet she’d love that.” Mitchell nodded enthusiastically. Stephanie pulled over a small table she had tucked into the corner of her office and set up Mitchell with his coloring books, blank paper, and every crayon and marker in his bag. He climbed up onto her cushy armchair and Stephanie prayed he wouldn’t fall. The last thing she needed was to be the cause of a daddy-son day at the hospital. “Got everything you need?”
“Yes.” Mitchell didn’t even look at his aunt before reaching for a red crayon.
“Great.” Stephanie reached out, ready to mimic Luca’s earlier playful touch, but she stopped herself. Would Mitchell be as receptive to her playing with him as he was Luca? She didn’t want to experience that kind of rejection. She clasped her hands together and turned away awkwardly.
She settled behind her desk and opened the first of many unread text messages and emails she had. Many were panicked messages from Kathy, which Stephanie was quick to delete, and another was from Lee, asking how her assistant was doing. Movement from Mitchell’s direction drew Stephanie’s attention away. He was rolling his crayons off the table and laughing as each hit the floor. She didn’t move, deciding that if Mitchell wanted crayons to color with, he’d pick them up himself.