Broken

by Patricia Haley

  “Oh my goodness, who can think about lunch? It’s only eight o’clock Monday morning and you’ve just loaded me with a ton of work.” He chuckled and she returned a contained grin, placing the menu on top of the folder he was holding. “Anything else you want to pile on?”

  “Nothing for the moment.” Don gathered his satchel and paperwork. “Oh, there is one other item,” she said. He waited for her to finish. “Your sister has been here since last Tuesday. She’s in your office.”

  Don heard the comment and went inside, excited like a kid going to a birthday party. He was eager to see Tamara, although having her there was bittersweet without Mother. He could have allowed grief to dominate the scene but chose to stay upbeat. “Big sis, look at you,” Don said, finding Tamara sitting in the CEO’s seat. “Look at you, taking over already.” He laughed. “I can’t believe it. You’re actually here, wow,” he said, bursting with contentment.

  “Well, well, well, if it isn’t my little brother.”

  Don embraced her quickly and loosely, remembering that she shied away from personal contact. “I’m sorry it has taken me so long to get here.” He dropped the satchel onto the conference table along with the other things in his hand.

  “No problem. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.” Tamara came from around the desk.

  “No doubt.” She didn’t have to convince him. She’d lived on her own for years without any family. That was proof positive. “I’m just glad to have you here. Is that okay?”

  She nodded.

  “Knock-knock,” Abigail said, coming straight toward Don. Their embrace was easy, tight, natural. She hung on a little longer than normal. He didn’t complain. It was Abigail; why would he? “I’m glad to see you,” she told him.

  “Ditto.” The Mitchell war had casualties. Abigail could be considered one, Don thought. “I hope you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and help me get this company on track. I need you.”

  “What about me? What have you planned for me to do?” Tamara asked.

  “You tell me what your strength is and it’s yours,” Don told her.

  “I don’t know. Give me some ideas,” Tamara said, leaning on the conference table.

  “Madeline is a marketing genius. Don too. It must be in your genes,” Abigail said.

  “Great suggestion, how about marketing?” Don said. He knew she enjoyed art and had creative talent. Perhaps that talent would lend itself well to marketing. “Since Mother is gone, the department is suffering a huge gap in leadership. We need all the help in marketing that we can get. Interested?”

  “Not really. I don’t have any experience in marketing.”

  Not what Don wanted to hear. Everyone in the building had to contribute, heavily. “Let’s sit down and discuss strategy.” The ladies followed his lead. “With Mother and Joel gone, I need a lot of help, especially since I’ll be juggling DMI and LTI.”

  “Don’t worry. I have your back. You know you can count on me as usual,” Abigail told him.

  “Our first order of business is to sell off Harmonious Energy.” Don opened the folder and leafed through the pages. “Joel asked me to consider selling it to his wife since it belonged to her family. I don’t have a problem with selling the company to her so long as she’s willing to give us the West Coast division in a fair deal.”

  “Think she’ll do it?” Abigail asked.

  “What’s Harmonious Energy?” Tamara wasn’t familiar with the list of events that had occurred over the past month, let alone the last three years.

  “A leadership development company based on Eastern religious principles. Joel bought the company to build our international presence. It would have been a good idea if the company didn’t have such conflicting core principles.”

  “Did Joel realize that the companies were so different?”

  “Oh, he knew. Didn’t matter, though. Joel had his mind set and nothing or nobody could stop him . . .” Abigail said, letting her voice trail off.

  Don wondered if there would be a time when her reaction to Joel would change.

  “We lost a boatload of clients because of Joel’s personal choices,” Don said as Tamara listened. His sister had to catch up with a train of activity that was steamrolling along. Don scratched his head. “You know, this is a nightmare.”

  “Yep, I do. We just have to work together like in the good old days. You and I were a powerful team before your father died. I’m ready to jump into the trenches with you again,” Abigail said, patting his hand. Don felt the subdued passion. Too much had happened. He couldn’t let his feelings be clouded. There wasn’t time to effectively balance his personal and professional challenges simultaneously. One had to be sidelined.

  Don sensed Tamara’s stares at him and Abigail. His PDA vibrated on the table. “Excuse me,” he said, scooping up the phone and rushing into the hallway.

  Tamara had been lost during most of the discussion. “Must be important the way he’s racing out of the room.”

  “Humph, it’s probably that Naledi. She’s a business partner in his company, LTI.”

  “Really? He seemed awfully excited to only be talking to a business partner.”

  “Tell me about it. I met her a few months ago when she came to see Don. She was kind of territorial if you ask me.”

  “Does that bother you?”

  “We’ve been close friends for seven years.” The affection was evident to Tamara. She wondered if Don reciprocated.

  “What about Naledi?”

  “What about her? As far as I’m concerned, Naledi met Don during the lowest point in his life. Your father had just given the company to Joel. So Don got as far away from Detroit as he could. He was on the other side of the world and felt abandoned. Naledi provided some kind of comfort. I wouldn’t get it mixed up with love.” Abigail was fixated on Tamara as she spoke.

  “So where were you during his time of need if you were so close?”

  Abigail’s gaze shifted. “Everything was confusing during those days. I was here helping Joel.”

  “Ah, and Don was in South Africa. So you and Joel had a thing too? I thought he was married.”

  “He wasn’t married when we were together. Actually, we weren’t together, not exactly, but the bottom line is that he wasn’t married to anybody. That came later as a surprise to everyone.”

  “Including you?”

  “Especially me. I don’t know what happened to Joel. He was on top of his game. Somehow he got caught up with women and ego-tripping to the point where he wasn’t thinking clearly. The work and vision that your father put into this company went down the drain when Joel went off on his power trip.”

  “You sound like you had a lot of respect for my father.”

  “I loved Dave Mitchell. He was like a father to me.”

  “Really.” Tamara was agitated. She suspected Dave had started off like a father figure to Sherry too. Attraction to a much younger woman had destroyed their family. There were plenty of single men. Married men were off-limits. “So let me get this straight. You have a thing for Joel, and for Don, and for my father?”

  “Not your father. I loved him but not in a relationship kind of way. Don and Joel are different. I admit it. I used to have feelings for Joel. That’s over. I think Don is my destiny. I was a fool to let him get away.”

  “Are you serious? Two brothers and my father?” Abigail looked stunned. “You know there are more men in the world than the Mitchell men.”

  “I know that,” Abigail said, firing back at her.

  Each woman’s defensiveness was intensifying. Tamara didn’t want to alienate Abigail after being on the job only a few days. There was too much to learn and she needed Abigail’s help. Tamara worked to change the conversation’s direction. “I’m not judging you, just making an observation. I’ve only been here a few days. Don’t pay me any attention. What do I know?” Abigail tapped on the table between crossing and uncrossing her legs. Tamara could tell she’d hit a sensitive spot. Hopeful
ly Tamara could find a way to diffuse the thick tension blanketing Abigail. Losing allies before making them wasn’t the way Tamara wanted to go.

  chapter

  19

  Don returned. The ladies weren’t talking. They were looking at each other like two complete strangers. “Everything okay?” he asked. Both said yes to some degree. He wasn’t sure what the problem was but didn’t dwell on it. He wasn’t eager to create problems when his list of challenges was already extensive. Don laid his phone on the table. “I’m sorry about the interruption. It was a call I had to take,” he said, still soaring on a high note, ready to take on the world.

  “My goodness, what’s with you?” Tamara asked. “If a business call can make you that happy, maybe I should have been in the company a long time ago—”

  “Was that Naledi?” Abigail cut in to ask.

  “It was.”

  “Figured as much. She wants you back already? Geez, you’ve only been here a few hours.” Abigail appeared amused.

  Don wasn’t fooled. He sifted through her reaction and pocketed the underlying message. They’d have to talk about it later, in private. His immediate goal was to lighten the intensity. “Can’t get rid of me that easily. I plan to be here for a couple of weeks, maybe a month, depending on how much we get done.” A month wasn’t an issue. Several months weren’t a problem. Naledi had his operation running smoothly. “Cape Town and LTI will survive without me for a while.” Naledi was his anchor, rendering her irreplaceable, but he couldn’t possibly tell Abigail. He’d set romance aside and push their impending confrontation to the bottom of the list until later.

  Kay interrupted. “Mr. Mitchell, your nine o’clock meeting will be a few minutes late.”

  Don glanced at his watch. “Is it nine already?”

  “No, it’s only eight thirty. I’m just giving you a heads-up.”

  “Oh, good,” he said, relieved.

  Kay walked over and handed him a sheet of paper. “I’ve updated your schedule for today. I kept your hour open at lunch since you’re booked solid from nine fifteen to six.” She left.

  Don buried his face in his hands and roared, “Let the games begin! We’re going to need all hands on deck. Ms. Tamara, have you decided what role you feel comfortable taking on?”

  “Not sure yet, I may need a few weeks to figure this out.”

  He didn’t have a few weeks. “We’re going to have to get you up to speed quicker than a few weeks. We have a major hole to fill with Mother gone. She ran the East Coast like clockwork, perfectly.”

  The weight of Madeline’s absence was heavy. No one could battle like her. Don was glad to have his sister within arm’s reach, safely at home, but the trade-off between a seasoned executive and a junior administrative assistant wasn’t easily overcome, not so soon into the postwar cleanup process. He wanted to close his eyes and fly away. Destiny kept him planted. Don was 100 percent convinced this was his God-appointed calling, to restore the fragmented company. However, an easy path to success wasn’t promised.

  “Maybe I can spend a few hours with you to learn the ropes,” his sister said.

  Tamara squirmed. “Time is going to be tight over the next week,” Don said. He didn’t hide his frustration. She was sitting there sucking up space with no ideas to add. Helpless. She couldn’t run off, not again. There was nowhere to go. Remo and her limited funds forced her to stay put. “Can you help Tamara get situated?” he asked Abigail.

  “I guess so.”

  Tamara could tell Abigail hadn’t gotten over their earlier conversation. The overwhelming sense of being a burden frazzled Tamara. She had to figure out a strategy; she was determined to add value and refused to be seen as a second-best option. “Thanks, Abigail, for the offer. I’m committed to learning as much as I can very quickly.” Abigail didn’t say much. Tamara wasn’t discouraged. She was eager to get cracking and work her buns off learning the business. Her worth wouldn’t be questioned in a few months. They’d see. The time would quickly come when Don wouldn’t notice Madeline’s absence, at least on the professional end. Tamara was motivated. Besides, she was the eldest living child of Dave Mitchell and technically the rightful heir to the company. Three Mitchell men had taken a shot at running the company. Each of them had struggled in some way. Perhaps it was her turn.

  “I have about twenty minutes before my next meeting. Save me, Abigail. Dig down in your bag of tricks and help me figure out the best way to approach Joel’s wife about the deal.”

  “That’s the easiest proposition. The challenge will come with recovering the Southern division. We have no idea who actually owns it.”

  “You’re right,” he said. “The only clue Joel gave me was to check with Uncle Frank.”

  “Our father’s brother? He’s still working for the company?” Tamara asked. Abigail and Don stared at each other and roared with laughter. “What’s so funny?”

  Abigail’s laugh softened as she looked over a few papers on the table. Don kept laughing and then spoke. “Uncle Frank hasn’t worked here in close to four years. Joel fired him.”

  “Really?”

  “He had to let him go after Uncle Frank embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars. Dad was traumatized by Uncle Frank’s scandal right before he died. The media featured the scandal for months.”

  “I remember too well,” Abigail said. “Your dad was very hurt. He trusted Uncle Frank, and he was crushed.”

  Tamara felt like an outsider. Abigail knew more about the family than she did. “What’s funny about him getting fired?”

  “Let’s just say Uncle Frank is a funny man,” Don said.

  “The fact that Joel partnered with him blows my mind. He’s unbelievable. First Joel gets into an arranged marriage with Zarah and then he cuts a deal with your uncle,” Abigail said, bending both index and middle fingers around the word “deal.” Abigail pushed back in her seat, flipping her pen onto the table.

  Tamara was at a disadvantage, not having witnessed events firsthand in the family. But that didn’t keep her from noticing that Abigail’s reaction was overly sensitive. There was more to her and Joel’s story. In time Tamara hoped to uncover details.

  “Ladies, we won’t solve every problem this morning. Let’s reconvene this evening after my six o’clock meeting ends.” Don turned to Tamara. “Hopefully your evenings are free. We have a boatload of work. You can learn a lot by hanging out with me and Abigail these next couple of weeks. We’ll be practically inseparable. You might as well join in too.”

  “I’m in.” Tamara agreed without hesitation. If she had to work twenty-hour days until her worth was established, then she would.

  “That’s what I need to hear. It’s time for me to get prepared for my next meeting. Abigail, if you have time, can you spend an hour or two going over the basics with Tamara? I’m just too busy to give her the time she needs. I’ll catch up with both of you later.” He got a pad of paper from the desk. Tamara hated being passed around like a child needing a babysitter. If Detroit was going to remain a viable option, her state of ignorance had to be short-lived.

  chapter

  20

  Nine A.M. Tamara poked her head into Abigail’s office and said hello. “Do you have a few minutes to chat? I have a ton of questions.”

  “I have to meet with Don first, but come on in. If you don’t mind waiting a few minutes, I’ll be right back.”

  “No problem, I’ll wait here.”

  Abigail left for Don’s office, reflecting along the way. She’d sat on the sidelines and watched her relationship with Joel reduce to ashes. He was Zarah’s husband. If she remained on the sidelines without a voice, Don would be married off too. She bolstered her courage, entered his office, and spoke. “Do you have a few minutes? We need to talk.”

  “What’s up?”

  Abigail closed the door and took a seat at his table. “Are you avoiding me?”

  “Why do you ask that?” he said, distracted.

  “You and I haven’t t
alked privately in a couple of months.”

  He locked his gaze on her. “I’ve been on the road, back and forth between Detroit and Cape Town, working my hardest to take care of both companies. I’ve never avoided you, and you know it.” His gaze stayed fixed on her. The sincerity he radiated put her at ease. “You add the London trip in and I’m officially tapped out.”

  Listening to Don made her feel silly and selfish. He had been a true friend, unwavering. This was the time when he needed her support, and she wanted to offer it unconditionally. But adoration continued rising within her, and she was unwilling to drop the notion. Heart and mind were dueling for an edge in the moment. A big shove and her heart pushed forward. “You’ve been busy. I get that, but I don’t want to sit back and let you discount my feelings.”

  Come on, Abigail. Don peered at his watch. Eight minutes after nine. His jam-packed marathon of a day was approaching the starting line. “This isn’t the best time to get into a heavy personal conversation.”

  “When is the best time? You said yourself that your day is filled.”

  “We can talk tonight or tomorrow or the day after.” Don couldn’t understand why Abigail was pushing to talk at this precise moment. They’d already talked about what used to be. The love he had held for her got marred when he retreated to South Africa and she threw her allegiance and affection to Joel. He wasn’t mad at her. He took responsibility for the breakdown in communication. He had never stepped up and told her how he felt until it was too late. When he was ready to tell her, Abigail’s dedication had moved to Joel.

  “Waiting has been our problem. You waited to tell me how you felt four years ago. I waited to share my feelings with you. I’m sick of waiting. If I don’t speak up, I will never have a chance at a serious relationship with you. I’m not going to sit back and miss my chance, not again,” she told him.

  Don continued peering at his watch every couple of minutes. “Where is this coming from? I’m right here in town. I’m not going anywhere for weeks. Let’s get together tonight and talk, please, okay?”