by Claire Adams
"I'm so grateful you could all be here for this momentous occasion," I began smiling at everyone as I looked around the table. "It was a terrible time losing Pop, and then when I was forced into the leadership position at Baby Steps, I wasn't happy. However, we found a way to make it work, and now the company is growing stronger by the day thanks to the hard work of one woman who has put in more time and energy than I could have ever imagined."
Sloan beamed brightly next to me as she looked around the table and then back up at me as I continued.
"There's no way I could have done as much as I've done without her, and I feel deeply indebted to her for standing with me as we figured out a way to overcome our latest challenge. Tonight's dinner is my way of thanking her for being such a team player and for contributing so much more to the effort at Baby Steps than I'd ever hoped she would. Her business acumen and her ability to work with the people who make Baby Steps great go above and beyond the call of duty. As a result I'm thrilled to announce that I'm promoting Leah to Senior Vice President of Distribution."
Norma, Jessie and my mother immediately began clapping as Leah looked at me shocked by the announcement. Sloan's face was a mask of disbelief and anger, but she quickly hid it and put on a wide, fake smile as she politely clapped along with everyone else. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Lincoln's confusion, and I smiled as I held my glass high and said, "To Leah!"
"What about my contributions, Jack?" Sloan asked once we'd all taken a drink and congratulated Leah.
"Your contributions?" I asked with feigned surprise. She was playing right into my hand, "What about them?"
"I've done a lot to generate new business and bring clients on board," she said in a tone that tried hard to hide her resentment at being ignored.
"Indeed you have," I nodded.
"Then why aren't you promoting me to Senior Vice President, too?" she pouted.
"Ah, that's a very good question, Sloan," I said as I steadied myself for what was to come next. "And I'm glad you asked. I'll tell you why. I don't generally promote people who are actively trying to destroy my business."
You could have heard a pin drop as the room went silent. The look on Sloan's face was one of complete shock as I continued.
"You see, I'm aware of the fact that you have been negotiating with the Chinese and the folks in New Delhi to sell parts of Baby Steps' business to them," I said, looking down at her, no longer smiling. "And I've cut off all possibility of you doing any kind of business with them, or with me."
"Jack! How could you think I'd ever betray you like that?" she cried as she stood up and faced me.
"Probably because you've been working with my brother to undermine me with the banks," I said, turning my attention to Lincoln. The blood drained from his face as I recounted the ways in which he'd sought to sabotage the business and make it easier for Sloan to negotiate with foreign companies.
"How do you know this?" Lincoln demanded. "There's no evidence of any of this!"
"That's where you're wrong, big brother," I said as I nodded at Norma who stood and walked into the hall, grabbed the folder she'd left on the table, and brought it to me. I opened it and pulled out the copies of all the evidence we'd compiled and tossed it in front of Lincoln. "Here's all the evidence. Feel free to take some time to read it, but I'm fairly certain that you're already quite familiar with it, seeing as you drew up most of the paperwork."
Lincoln studied the papers as Sloan silently fumed across the table,. I waited until he'd looked through the whole stack to drop my next bomb.
"So, as you can see, your attempt to break up Baby Steps was unsuccessful," I said. "And as a result, I've decided to switch banks. As of tomorrow, Baby Steps will be working with First National of New York, and as soon as I am released from the contract I signed, I'll be shifting my own funds as well."
"You can't do that!" Lincoln exploded as he shot up out of his chair. "You cannot move the business!"
"Oh, but I can," I said calmly. "And I have."
"Father signed contracts and took out loans with Bank of Manhattan," Lincoln said as he frantically tried to regain his composure. "You cannot simply withdraw money and shift it from one bank to another."
"This is where you are sadly mistaken," I said, narrowing my eyes. "There is a clause in the agreement that clearly outlines the legality of such a move when the loan officer has engaged in unethical behavior, which I believe you have. Besides, it's already a done deal."
"Mother!" Lincoln protested. "Tell him this is unacceptable!"
"I'll do no such thing," my mother said calmly. "You lied to your brother, and you tried to destroy a business that your father spent his life building. And while you're my son—and I will always love you—I'm deeply ashamed of your behavior, Lincoln."
My brother turned a deep shade of red as my mother scolded him in front of everyone. I watched, not saying another word. I could see Sloan's demeanor changing as she considered her options. She turned to me and began trying to plug the hole she'd drilled. I listened and then simply said, "Sloan, you're fired."
"You can't fire me!" she shouted.
"I can, and I just did," I said. "You've violated the ethics clause in your contract, and if you're smart, you'll reread it so you understand the non-compete clause you also signed."
"I told you this was a stupid idea," Lincoln said bitterly as he looked straight at Sloan. "You and your big plans were absolutely idiotic."
"My idea? My idea?" she shouted at him. "How on earth was this my idea? You were the one who wanted to rip apart the company and sell it off bit by bit to get back at your father!"
"Don't throw that in my face," Lincoln growled. "You were the one who said you had a foolproof plan for making a profit off of the sale of each department. Your fancy MBA isn't worth the paper it's written on. Your father was right. You're a terrible businesswoman, and you couldn't negotiate your way out of a paper bag."
"Lincoln, that's enough," Jessie said sternly. She hadn't said much all evening, but this turn of events seemed to be the breaking point for her. "I've had enough of your whining and complaining about how badly you've been treated. You're not going to tear apart anyone else. I don't care what she's done. You're equally responsible for this mess, so own up to it."
"What?" he said looking down at his wife who wore a stony expression. "How dare you talk to me like that!"
"Oh, do shut up," Jessie said as she deliberately folded her napkin and carefully placed it on the table in front of her. "I know you two have been having an affair, and I know there have been plenty of others before her. I put up with it because I thought boys will be boys, and you always came home to me and the kids. But I'm sick of it, and I'm sick of you."
With that, Jessie stood and bowed at my mother murmuring her thanks for a lovely evening. She walked out of the dining room. My mother shot me a concerned look, and I nodded as she got up and followed Jessie into the foyer. Lincoln rushed out behind her, casting a hateful look in my direction before leaving the room.
Sloan stood staring at me, shaking her head as she tried unsuccessfully to come up with something to say. She finally gave up, throwing her hands in the air. She said, "You're hateful, Jackson Yates."
I simply nodded and watched her leave the room. The three of us who were left at the table sat in silence until Norma piped up and said, "Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit! That was one hell of a showdown, Jack!"
Leah and I burst into laughter, and Norma soon joined us. We recounted the looks on the two traitor's faces as I'd unveiled their plan. My mother soon returned to the room and said that Jessie was going to take the children to visit her parents while she and Lincoln tried to work things out.
"That was not very nice of you, Jackson," my mother gently scolded. "But I understand what happens when you feel like your back is against the wall. And it was good of you to promote Leah after all the hard work she's done to make sure the business keeps running smoothly."
"She dese
rves it," I said, smiling at Leah who blushed a little and looked away. "And so much more."
"Well, kids, now that the show is over, I got to get myself home to bed," Norma said as she stood up and walked toward the front door. "It was quite a spectacle, Jack. I'm glad you're in control of things again."
"Thank you for all your help, Norma," I smiled. "I couldn't have done it without you."
"Shucks, darlin'," she grinned as she waved her hand at me. "It was nothing!"
My mother walked Norma to the door, leaving Leah and me alone in the dining room. I walked around the table and sat down next to her.
"Thank you for the promotion," Leah said as she raised her bright blue eyes and looked into mine. "I'll do my best to measure up to your expectations."
"You deserve it," I said as I reached out to take her hand. She pulled back as she looked away, leaving me more than a little confused.
"Jack …" she began, "I think it's really obvious that I'm extremely attracted to you, but I think that if we're going to work together, it's better if I don't act on that attraction. It might be seen as unprofessional, and I'm not sure the guys in the warehouse would respect me if they knew I slept my way to the top."
"What are you talking about?" I said, genuinely shocked to hear her talking like this.
"I mean, it's nice that you find me attractive and everything, but…" she bit her lip as tears welled up in her eyes.
"But what?"
"But, you know, when you're with me you're really just…" she hesitated and then in a small voice said, "slumming it."
"What the hell?" I blurted. "Who told you that?"
"Sloan," she admitted. "She pointed out that you and I come from very different places, and that to think this was some kind of Cinderella story would be a mistake. We're just too different."
"Leah, listen to me," I said as I slipped my fingers under her chin and lifted her face so that she was looking at me again. "If tonight has taught you anything about me, you should know that Sloan Morgan knows nothing about who I am or what I value. I value you. Both as an employee and a woman, and I want to learn more about you."
Leah shook her head sadly as the tears dripped down her cheeks.
"What? You don't want to get to know me?" I asked feeling my chest tighten as I spoke the words. It hadn't occurred to me that Leah might not want more.
"No, I do, but I just don't see how this could possibly work, Jack," she said sadly. "We can't work together and try to date each other. It'll be too complicated and way too messy, and I don't want the business to suffer."
"So what are you saying?"
"I'm saying that we can work together, but we can't be anything more than co-workers," she said as she got up from the table and walked toward the stairs. "I'm going to try to find Riley and me a place to live, so we should be out of your way by next week."
"But you're not at all in my way," I thought as I watched her go.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Leah
The next few weeks were a period of adjustment as I settled into my new role as Senior Executive VP. The guys in the warehouse cheered for me and then took me out for drinks after work. They realized that I was going to have a lot more responsibility, and they all signed on to contribute whatever they could to make the whole thing work. Of course, I'd petitioned for and gotten raises for all of them, so the celebration was really for all of us.
The following months were easier as we all settled into a routine. Every day I came in to work and met with Jack. These meetings were difficult at first because I ached to tell him I was sorry and throw myself into his arms, but each night I reminded myself that it was important that I maintain a level of professionalism that would allow me to be taken seriously. Being Jack's girlfriend would never allow me that. I still wanted him with every fiber of my being, but as we worked together, I began to appreciate him in other ways.
Riley and I moved into a nice apartment in Brooklyn near the office, and Betty helped me find a good school for Riley so that she wouldn't be isolated from kids her own age. It was a bit of an adjustment for her after spending all of her time with adults and having a tutor focused on her individual learning. But slowly she began to find her way in the new school. Soon she was hanging out with kids her age as she worked to keep up with her lessons.
We visited Betty regularly. Riley would often hop a cab after school and meet the tutor for individual sessions, and then stay for dinner afterwards.
"Mother likes it when Riley drops by," Jack said after we'd finished discussing the third quarter plan and how we were going to expand the shipping department by hiring more workers to take over the tasks. "I think she's been lonely since you two moved out."
"I thought she was getting ready to do some traveling," I said, surprised that he'd brought her up.
"She is, but I think she really enjoyed having you and Riley around," he said. "Kind of like the daughters she never had, but desperately wanted."
"We can drop by more often if you think that would make her happy," I said. Betty had been so kind to us, and truth be told, I missed her, too. I liked the new apartment, but it wasn't the same as padding around the mansion. Somehow the apartment seemed lonelier.
"I think she'd like it if you moved back in," he laughed as he gathered up the reports we'd been working on and stuffed them into a folder. He looked even more handsome now that he'd relaxed his work wardrobe and wore more casual clothing than the designer suits he'd started out in.
"I think Riley would like that, too," I said laughing with him as I stood and got ready to go back to my office.
"And how about you?" he asked. The question caught me off guard, and I hesitated as I tried to think about how to answer it.
"I miss having all of my meals cooked and my laundry done for me," I laughed, trying to downplay the fact that living in the apartment was lonely. I'd spent my life taking care of my family, so I hadn't developed any close friendships. Now with Patrick in the church and Mama in a retirement home, I only had Riley to look after. She was growing more independent by the day.
"We miss having you in the house," Jack said, and then more quietly, "I miss you."
"Jack …" I said.
"I know, I know," he held up his hand to stop me. "If we're going to work together, it has to stay platonic. I know that."
"No, I was going to say that I miss you, too," I said as I looked into his warm eyes and held his gaze.
"Leah, why are we doing this?" he asked.
"Doing what?"
"Why are we staying away from each other when we both want it?" he asked. I winced as he said it because I wasn't sure I knew why. I just knew that I'd done my best to keep up appearances and not put either one of us in an uncomfortable position.
"Because it's the right thing to do," I said, trying to hide how I really felt.
"What if I say that I don't care anymore?" he asked as he moved dangerously close. "What if I say that every night, I lie awake in bed thinking about how it felt to have your body pressed against mine, your lips touching mine? Do you know how much I want you to be close to me all the time?"
"I … I … I …" I stuttered as he reached out and ran his fingers down my cheek. I shivered as I felt his hand slide around the back of my neck. He pulled me to him. I let go and melted into his arms.
"I don't want this distance between us anymore, Leah," he said as he bent down and lightly brushed his lips across mine before he slowly kissed his way across my jaw, whispering in my ear, "I know you don't really want it either, do you?"
"No," I sighed as he flicked my earlobe with his tongue. "No, I don't."
With that, Jack wrapped his free arm around my waist and pulled me against him as he kissed me hard and deep. I slid my arms around his neck and returned the kiss with all the fierce longing I'd felt since the last time we'd kissed. He spread his lips and urged mine apart as he slipped his tongue inside my mouth and teased mine. I could feel the deep well of desire suddenly explode and course
through my veins as we let our mouths pick up where we'd left off.
"Jack," I sighed as I pulled back from the kiss. "Jack, stop …"
"What? What's wrong?" he asked as he furrowed his brow. "Something wrong?"
"No, just not here," I said resting my palms on his chest and looking up at him. "I can't do this here. Not now."
"I see," he nodded stepping back.
"I'm not saying no," I reassured him. "I'm just saying not here. I don't want it to be like this."
"I understand," he said. "You're right. It needs to be special."
"Don't get me wrong," I said with a half grin, "You're pretty irresistible, and I'm not sure that I could actually say no to you if you really set your mind to it."
"This is good to know!" he laughed as he stepped around to his desk and picked up the phone. He turned his back and spoke quietly for a moment, then hung up and smiled at me. "Will you come with me? There's something I want to show you."
"Of course," I said, wondering what was going on.
"This is something I've wanted to show you for a while, but I wasn't sure if I ever would," Jack said as he reached out and took my hand.
I took a deep breath and followed him.
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
Jack
I knew that what I was about to do was risky, but I also knew that if things went the way I hoped they would the payoff would be worth the risk. As Jimmy drove us through Brooklyn, Leah and I discussed the future plans for Baby Steps and what we hoped to accomplish with the expansion. There was a nervous energy underlying our conversation, but neither one of us was willing to be the first to acknowledge it.
I knew Leah had to be curious about where we were going, but to her credit, she kept her questions to herself, occasionally looking out the window to gauge where we were and where we were headed. I wanted to keep the destination a surprise, so I just kept talking.
We finally pulled into the circle drive in front of a red-brick house with a wraparound porch and white trim. I got out and went around opening Leah's door, only to find that she was halfway up the walk already.