Secondly, there was a real possibility that she would accept the promotion he was offering. And if that were the case, she would feel indebted to him. This could become a problem in the future. Gary Jamison seemed to have no qualms about traveling from Chicago to Columbus at the drop of the hat to see her. He had done so over the Holidays and now he was making the trip again. Why was that? She had mulled over his brief visit on Christmas day many times and was still in disbelief that he would travel all that distance, not even knowing if she would be home, then only stay long enough to give her a couple of gifts. Even after she had basically run him off, he had seemed okay with it and acted like it was no big deal. Something about that was just a little too hard to swallow.
What was to keep him from repeatedly dropping in on her out of the clear blue?
Feeling panic suddenly rise in her, Megan hastily reached for the phone and keyed in Stephanie’s number.
“Steph, it’s me. I need some advice about something. Do you have a minute?”
“Of course. I’m not doing anything but watching a rerun of America’s Next Top Model. What’s on your mind?”
“Well, a few days ago, Gary Jamison—that guy who works at Manco in Chicago I told you about—asked me out to dinner. We’re going this evening in fact. He says he wants to discuss a possible promotion for yours truly. And I, well, I’m all of a sudden sort of leery about it.”
“What do you mean? It sounds like an awesome date! From what you’ve told me, this guy is hot and rich—plus he’s going to offer you a big raise? What’s there to be leery about?”
“You seem to have forgotten what else I told you about him. The part about what he did last year? How he hassled me to go out with him and in so many words threatened to have me fired?”
“But you seemed to think that was all in the past and that the guy appears to have cooled his jets. You told me that he even drove all the way here just to give you some Christmas gifts. I don’t get why you’re all of a sudden having second thoughts. Has he done something to make you think he’s got some sort of ulterior motive or something?”
“No, that’s not it. In fact, I’ve heard he seems to have gotten his act together over the last few months. Not being a big playboy anymore and easier to get along with. He has always had a reputation for being a control freak with a short fuse, but he’s apparently become more civil around his employees. But I still can’t forget how downright nasty he was before. I mean, he sounded so—evil! I just can’t believe that someone can change that much in such a short period of time.”
“Well if you want my opinion, I think you’re overreacting. Don’t get me wrong—there’s nothing wrong with being cautious about who you go out with nowadays and all of that. But in this case, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. People do change, and it sounds like this Gary guy may have finally realized that he needs to grow up. Hell, you may very well be the reason he’s changing for the better, for that matter! At any rate, I say give the guy the benefit of the doubt. Go out on your date, get your raise and enjoy yourself for a change! What’s the worse that could happen, anyway? It’s not like this guy is some kind of axe murderer, right?”
Megan laughed. “You’re so funny, Steph! No, I haven’t heard anything like that through the corporate grapevine. I guess you’re right—there really isn’t any reason to worry about a simple dinner date. I feel sort of silly all of a sudden.”
“Don’t you dare feel silly about this, girlfriend! Good Lord, you’ve been through one hell of a lot of shit and it’s no wonder why you’re feeling insecure. But really, I say you have nothing to worry about—and you know I’d let you know if I did. I’m not one to mince words, as you well know. So where is he taking you?”
“Gabrielle’s.”
“Whoa, this guy must be loaded! I heard that place is uber-expensive.”
“Daniel and I used to joke about going there whenever we were trying to think of a place to eat. We both knew we would never go to Gabrielle’s since the place was too over the top ritzy for us. You know how practical Daniel was. Gotta admit, I wouldn’t have turned him down if he’d ever surprised me and taken me there, though.”
“Well there you go, then! At least you’ll finally be going to a five-star restaurant.”
“Hmm. Yeah, I guess you’re right. I would have much rather been going with my husband, though.”
“I know, sweetie. But please, try not to get all gloomy. This date sounds like it could be a great thing. Isn’t it funny how you were just telling me how nervous you were about making ends meet with the baby coming an’ all? A big promotion could help out there, don’t you think?”
“For sure. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited about this. I do not want go back home and sponge off of my parents. I refuse! Not only is there no work in Smithtown, I love Columbus and want to stay here. So getting a promotion would certainly help, no doubt about that.”
“There you go.”
“Well, I’d better go. I have a million things to get done today. Thanks, Steph. You’ve made me feel much better.”
“My pleasure. When is he picking you up?”
“Six.”
“Well, have a wonderful time. Call and let me know how it went, okay?”
“I will. See ya.”
By the time 5:45 p.m. rolled around, Megan was a bag of nerves. She had tried on no less than a half dozen outfits before finally deciding on a simple cotton dress. She glanced over at the pile of rejected clothing on her bed, shook her head and grinned at herself in the mirror.
“What in the hell has gotten into you, girl? This is a business date, not a high school dance!”
She brushed her hair for the third time, inspected her make-up and left the bathroom in haste. Gary could arrive any moment now.
Before leaving her bedroom, she went over to a framed photo of Daniel on the nightstand and caressed it gently. She thought of the deep love she still felt for her dead husband and hoped he understood why she was going out with Gary Jamison. It’s only business, my love—strictly business. Nothing more.
Halfway down the stairs, the doorbell chimed and she nearly jumped out of her skin. He was early. Oh well, she thought. The sooner we get moving with this, the better.
She peaked out the window and saw Gary standing there. She opened the door.
“Hope I’m not too early,” he greeted her, smiling.
“Not at all,” Megan replied. “Come on in and I’ll get my coat.”
He stood in the foyer while she left to get her coat out of the closet.
“You look wonderful, if you don’t mind my saying,” he said when she returned.
“Why, thank you,” she said. The compliment threw her off a little, but she tried not to show it.
“Here, let me help you on with that,” Gary said, helping her into the coat. “It’s pretty chilly outside. I swear it’s even colder than it was in Chicago.”
“Columbus weather is totally unpredictable. I quit paying attention to the forecast years ago.”
“I’ll sure be glad when spring weather finally gets here to stay. This has been one lousy winter.”
“You can say that again,” Megan said, referring to her loss of Daniel, not the weather.
She felt awkward as she followed Gary to his car and waited for him to open the door for her. She tried to think of the last time she’d been out anywhere with any man other than Daniel in the last decade and realized that it had been never. This was truly a first.
And it was surreal.
He got in and started the car. She watched the illuminated CD player screen as it loaded the current song and began playing. It was a tune by some alterative band that she couldn’t recall. The song seemed like an unlikely choice for the driver, whom she had assumed would like something a bit more conservative. Then she wondered where she had gotten that notion in the first place, seeing as she didn’t really know Gary Jamison any more than the man in the moon.
“Is it too loud?” h
e suddenly asked.
“Oh, no. It’s fine,” Megan replied.
“I saw these guys last year and they blew me away. One of the best concerts I’ve ever been to!”
He checked his rearview mirror and backed out of the driveway. As he pulled away, Megan glanced at her house, wondering what the evening would bring.
“You hungry?” Gary asked.
“Starving.”
“That makes two of us. I haven’t eaten since early this morning.”
“I’ve never been to Gabrielle’s before, but I’ve heard they have great food.”
“They do, indeed. I ate there a few years ago while on a business trip. I was so impressed with the food and the service that I made a mental note to return there if I was ever in Columbus again.”
“Daniel and I didn’t eat out a whole lot. We both love to cook, so we ate at home most of the time. Only went out on special occasions or when we just plain didn’t feel like cooking.”
“So he knew how to cook, eh? I can’t even boil an egg. Being a bachelor my whole life, I’ve pretty much been forced to eat out all the time. It gets old, I have to admit. The only time I really get any down-to-earth, real home cooking is when my folks invite me out to their place.”
“Do they live in Chicago, too?”
“Yeah, out in the burbs. Same house they’ve been in for forty years, in fact.”
“That’s remarkable. So you’ve lived in Chicago all your life.”
“Yup. And I gotta say, it’s the best city in this country. It has everything: great food, great music, and a great baseball team. What more can you ask for?”
Megan fell silent as Gary navigated his way through her neighborhood to the interstate. She wondered how he knew his way around the area so well and was about to ask him when somebody suddenly pulled out right in front of them from a side street. Gary swerved hard to the left to avoid hitting the car and laid on his horn for a full five seconds.
“Jesus, what an asshole!” he bellowed. “Can you believe the way that shithead just pulled right out in front of us? I damn near broadsided him!”
Megan’s heart had skipped a beat at the near-accident. And when she looked over and saw the veins literally popping out of Gary’s face by the light of the dashboard, she felt herself scoot a little closer toward the door. He suddenly glanced over at her, wearing an embarrassed grin, realizing that he had alarmed her with his outburst.
“Sorry. I don’t usually swear like that. But that meathead damn near got us killed!”
Megan gathered herself. “That was a close call. People pull that sort of thing all the time in this town. It’s like they don’t want to give anybody the right of way anymore. If there’s a four lane road, they figure they’ll pull out into the lane that your car isn’t in and that makes it okay. Or they just go ahead and pull into the same lane you’re in and figure it’s your job to slam on the brakes or whatever to avoid a crash. It’s crazy.”
“They drive pretty crazy in Chicago, too, but at least they don’t act like they’re asleep at the wheel like that guy. At any rate, my apologies for my little flare-up—I promise it won’t happen again.”
Megan wondered why he seemed obligated to promise her something like that. It was almost like he was making the promise to himself—as if he needed to stay focused on his behavior before it got out of hand. She knew that she was probably over-analyzing this, but there was something about Gary Jamison that seemed off-kilter. Then she recalled his past behavior and got goose bumps. This was, after all, the same man who had all but threatened to have her fired if she didn’t go out with him.
Like throwing a switch, Megan decided not to give it another thought. What had happened last year had more or less been resolved and Gary deserved some slack. Had somebody pulled out in front of her like that, she probably would have reacted the same way.
They spent the rest of the drive making small talk and listening to the music. Megan knew better than to bring up anything about the promotion, deciding to wait for Gary to bring it up first. When they arrived at the restaurant, she was taken aback by how many cars were parked in Gabrielle’s parking lot.
As if on cue, Gary said, “Don’t worry—I made reservations.”
Megan sighed in relief. “Thank God. We would be waiting for hours, otherwise.”
Gary smiled and eventually found a place to park the BMW. He shut off the engine and gently tugged Megan’s arm as she started to open her door.
“Let me come around and get that,” he said.
Megan smiled, impressed with his manners. Except for the outburst over the crazy driver, Gary had been a charming gentleman thus far.
When they were inside, Gary said to the greeter, “We have a reservation—Jamison.”
“Yes, sir. Right this way.”
They were led to their table and when the waiter came over, Gary ordered a Scotch on the rocks while Megan ordered water.
“Oh, that’s right. You can’t drink while you’re pregnant. I have to say that I couldn’t imagine giving up the liquor for nine months. I commend you for your commitment but also feel sorry for you.”
“It hasn’t been easy, I admit. There have been times when I would like nothing better than to get absolutely sloshed and forget everything. But this little girl will have none of that.”
“Oh, so you’re having a girl, eh? That’s awesome.”
“I’ve always wanted a girl—Daniel wanted a boy,” she said, her voice trailing off.
“I’m sorry, Megan. It must be hard for you—having to go through this all on your own. I really admire your strength and resolve. I know that I could never do it.”
“Oh, you’d be surprised how much having a child changes you, Gary. In spite of my, uh, situation, I am nevertheless thrilled. This has become my priority in life, now—what I live for. And she deserves nothing less than a total commitment by her mother to see that she is happy and healthy.”
“But what about the financial aspect of having a child on your own? Don’t be angry with me, but I know what your salary is at Manco and question whether that is enough for you to raise a child and pay your bills. Which of course, is exactly why we are here tonight.”
“You’re right, Gary. It probably isn’t enough. Daniel didn’t have any life insurance, so I am pretty much up the creek without a paddle, financially. It’s pretty scary.”
“Well, you needn’t worry about it anymore, Megan. Once you hear what’s on the table, you’ll be assured of financial solidarity and be able to raise your little girl without a worry.”
The waiter came with their drinks. Megan took a sip of water and looked across the table at Gary Jamison.
“So what is the offer, Gary? I can’t wait another minute!”
He smiled and shook his head. “Not until after I’ve proposed a toast.”
He raised his glass and waited for Megan to follow suit.
“To you and your daughter. May you both have an excellent, wonderful life!”
Their glasses clinked. Megan said, “What a kind thing to say, Gary. Thanks.”
They both sipped, Gary never taking his eyes off of Megan.
“And I mean every word of it. I’ll level with you, Megan. I have been beating myself up every day since I said and did all of those asinine things back in December. It was totally inappropriate and inexcusable. I don’t really know what had gotten into me back then. All I know is that when I met you the first time at the seminar, I became—well, sort of obsessed with you. You know—it was like a teenage crush or something. I let this get the best of me and wasn’t willing to accept that you were a married woman with zero interest in me. It took a while, but I finally came around and realized what an irrational schmuck I’d become.
“So please, forgive me for all of the pain I caused you back then. When I learned that you had lost your husband, I couldn’t have felt any worse for you. Or more guilty. All I’ve wanted since then is for you to somehow forgive me and let me make it up to you in some way.
It is my hope that this offer will help earn me some redemption.”
“I appreciate that, Gary. But you shouldn’t still feel guilty over what happened back then. You have shown me that you regret what you did and that’s enough for me. But I don’t want to be some kind of charity case. I don’t want to be offered this promotion just because of your guilty feelings about what happened. I have a lot of pride—maybe more than I should have—and I don’t take handouts from anybody. So if that’s what this whole thing is about, I don’t want to hear any more.”
“Whoa, hold your horses! Don’t you dare think that this is some kind of handout, because it isn’t. I am offering this first and foremost because you are worthy of it. Megan, I have seen what you’re capable of in this company and both myself and the boss feel that you’re the right person for this position. Yes, I’d be lying if I said that I don’t feel good being able to offer you this under the circumstances, but you can’t really fault me for that, can you?”
Megan smiled. “No, I guess I can’t. Okay, so you’ve made me a believer. Please go on.”
“We are opening a new field office and I’d like you to be its assistant manager. You have been in this business long enough to know the ropes and how to handle the responsibilities that go along with a managerial position. Your dedication and commitment to Manco Corp are beyond reproach. This is why you are being offered this job, Megan—you will be perfect for it. And the starting salary would be in the neighborhood of 100K. Not bad for a start, and of course there’s the opportunity to work your way up to manager.”
Gary held her eyes, reading her reaction. She was visibly impressed but at the same time tentative.
“And where might this new office be?” she asked.
“Chicago.”
“Chicago! I can’t move to Chicago!”
Her response put him off. “Why not?”
“Because…” she began. “Well, because I like living here for one thing. And I don’t want to try to raise my child so far away from my friends and family. I just couldn’t do that!”
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