by Nicki Night
“Ethan.”
Ethan paused just at the entrance to the conference room. “What’s up?”
Carter’s stride morphed into a light jog until he caught up with Ethan.
The brothers slapped hands and hugged. “You ready for me to be your boss?” Carter asked.
“Nope.” Ethan shook his head. “Because that’s not going to happen. This win is all mine!” Both men laughed and headed into the conference room.
A continental breakfast, coffee urns and an array of waters and juices lined the back of the room.
“Coffee?” Ethan gestured toward the food.
Carter nodded. “Looking forward to meeting your team,” he said.
“Yes, I’ve got some great people. They’re already executing. I think it’s going to go well. What about yours?”
“I’m excited about what they bring to the table. We’re off to a good start.”
Ethan wondered briefly if he should volunteer any information about Zoe or keep his thoughts to himself.
“Ethan...” Carter called. “You with me, bro? What’s on your mind?”
“Ah...nothing.”
“You zoned out on me for a sec. Having reservations?”
Ethan looked at the door to the conference room to make sure no one else was coming in. “There’s this one manager I hired.” He lowered his voice. “Wait until you see her. Her résumé is great but to say she’s a beauty is a gross understatement.”
Carter’s eyes widened. “And?”
“And nothing. I’m just saying she’s gorgeous. I’d never do anything to jeopardize the company, but I will admit, the first couple of days weren’t easy.” Ethan sighed. “It took lots of concentration for me to stay focused. It’s all good now but wait until you see her. You’ll understand what I’m talking about. Even more than being beautiful, she’s smart and she’s got amazing ideas. She’s probably my best pick. I can already tell that her branch will do well.”
“Understood. I can’t wait to see her. Beauty and brains. Perfect combination. I’m sure you’re keeping your hands clean when it comes to her.”
“Absolutely.” Ethan waved off Carter’s concern. “She’s amazing to look at, but I’m a professional.”
“And much more by the book than I’ll ever be. Ha!” Carter laughed.
“You’re right about that,” Ethan agreed with a chuckle. What Carter had said was true. Since they were teens, Carter had always been a bit more rebellious. Ethan, on the other hand, avoided upsetting his father at all costs. The relationships they shared with their dad were different. Ethan had always been cautious, and for good reason.
He heard footsteps and both he and Carter looked toward the door.
Zoe stuck her head in tentatively. “Good morning, Ethan.” She stepped into the room. “I was just about to ask if I was in the right place until I saw you.”
“You’re in the right place.” Ethan turned to Carter. The two exchanged a quick, knowing look. Ethan knew Carter agreed that Zoe was as stunning as he’d claimed. He and Carter met her halfway into the room. “This is Zoe Baldwin, branch manager for the Garden City office. Zoe, this is my brother Carter Blackwell, regional director for the outer boroughs.”
Carter held out his hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Zoe. Too bad you’re on the losing team.”
Zoe’s eyes widened and she looked from Ethan to Carter.
“You wish.” Ethan moved Carter out of the way. “Hungry?” he asked Zoe.
“Um.” Zoe’s eyes were still on Carter.
“He’s a joker and unfortunately, not all that funny. Worst thing is he’s also delusional, thinking that his territory has a chance of beating our numbers in the first six months. He owes me a new set of irons when he loses.”
Understanding spread across Zoe’s face. “Oh! I see.” She laughed with Carter. “Good thing I never lose.” She dropped her bag on an empty seat and headed toward the refreshments.
Carter’s laughter ceased abruptly. “I like her confidence,” he admitted.
When she came back with her coffee, the three of them engaged in small talk for the next several minutes until Bill, Dillon, Blackwell’s executive team and the rest of their branch managers arrived. When Zoe wasn’t paying attention, Carter looked at Ethan and discreetly raised his brows. He was impressed. Ethan knew they’d talk more about her later.
“Morning, morning, morning!” Bill’s big voice filled the room.
Ethan stiffened at the sound of his father’s booming voice, then forced himself to relax—a habit he hadn’t managed to break since he was a teenager. The jovial mood had broken; it was time to get to business.
After rounds of introductions, the executive team, which included Ethan and Carter’s oldest brother, Lincoln, welcomed the new branch managers and began taking them through various components of the company’s strategic plan. The senior vice president of Human Resources provided them with an uplifting account of how the company’s most important commodity wasn’t the strength of their portfolio, but the value of their employees. The room felt energized. Everyone seemed enthusiastic about working together to meet the firm’s goals.
A few incentives were offered to stir up some fun, healthy competition between the regions; for example, the office with the best numbers after the first six months would be awarded a catered breakfast and lunch sponsored by the other two offices.
* * *
Zoe looked across the table, capturing Carter’s attention with a fierce, competitive gaze. With two fingers, she pointed at her own eyes and then turned those fingers around at him as if to say, I’m watching you.
Carter threw his head back and laughed, prompting others in the room to look around. But Zoe simply glanced at Ethan, nodded and mouthed, We’ve got this.
The meeting adjourned and everyone enjoyed a tasty catered lunch. Carter and Zoe’s competitive banter painted the atmosphere colorfully, but still kept things friendly for all of the managers. By the end of lunch, the entire team had begun to bond in spite of their respective territories.
It had been a good morning for Ethan. He was excited to present his team but was most proud of the way Zoe had fit right into the Blackwell fold. He was impressed by the way she handled Carter’s personality, meeting him toe-to-toe for every joke he tossed her way. Brian and Jasmine, the managers of Ethan’s other locations, did well also, but of course Zoe monopolized his attention. Ethan hoped it wasn’t too obvious.
The regional directors stayed behind once all the branch managers were dismissed, and Ethan and Carter went out for coffee.
Carter placed their cups of dark roast on the small bistro table at the coffee shop closest to their headquarters. “I like her.”
“Who, Zoe?” Ethan asked as if Carter could have been talking about anyone else.
“No, J.Lo,” Carter teased. “Of course I’m talking about Zoe.”
Ethan shook his head. “Yeah” was all he said.
“She is gorgeous.” Carter nodded slowly. “Smart, got spunk and a sense of humor. She seems like she can really hold her own.”
“Yeah,” Ethan said again. He realized he was smiling and sipped his coffee.
“Be careful, brother.”
“What?” He reared his head back. “I can handle myself around beautiful women. I’m a professional.” He had every intention of being a respectable boss. There was too much at stake otherwise.
“Mmm-hmm.” Carter sipped his coffee but kept his eyes on Ethan. “Like I said, be careful.”
Five
Zoe snatched her cell phone off the side table and jabbed her finger on the screen to stop the annoying chimes of her alarm. Not having the strength to put it back, she dropped the phone on the couch beside her, let her head fall against the cushion, closed her eyes and sighed. The sun had yet to rise, but if she was going to make it to work anywhere near on time,
she had to get up immediately. She groaned and rubbed her neck. It hurt from sleeping in such an awkward position on the couch.
Zoe looked around the dark room and didn’t see her sister Shena. She grunted, then tried to muster enough energy to get herself up off the couch.
“You’re awake?”
The sound of her mother’s voice startled her. Zoe watched Laura Baldwin struggle down the narrow staircase, holding the banister with both hands. Her cane dangled from under one arm.
“Hey, Ma.” Zoe walked over to help her mother with the last few steps.
“Did you sleep at all?” her mother asked.
“A little.”
Laura groaned. “Hardly a wink.” She scanned the room. “Where is she?” she asked, referring to Shena.
“I don’t know.” Zoe looked around and saw that Shena’s boots and sweater were no longer in the chair by the window. “She was gone when I woke up. She’ll turn up,” Zoe said, trying to reassure her mother. They’d been here before with Shena. She never stayed away long. Sometimes it took hours, and, unfortunately, sometimes it took a few days, but she’d always come back home.
Laura shook her head and huffed. “You have time for a little breakfast?” She started toward the kitchen.
Zoe didn’t want to leave her mother, but it was too early to start taking time off from her job. She certainly didn’t feel like divulging her family drama to her new boss. “I really need to get home so I can get dressed for work. Are you going in?” she asked, hoping that Laura, too, was going to work.
Being in the office would take her mother’s mind off Shena instead of her sitting at home waiting by the door and the phone. Despite her mother only being in her fifties, Zoe wished she could retire early. Life hadn’t been easy for them and the wear and tear showed all over her mother’s body. The near-crippling car accident a few years back hadn’t helped either.
“Yeah,” Laura finally said after a few moments of silence. “I need to go in. Got too much to do.” She paused, leaning on her walking stick with one hand on her hip. “I’ve tried everything. I feel so helpless.” She raked her hand over her head. “I don’t know what else to do.”
“I know, Ma. You can’t blame yourself or Shena’s condition. All we can do is support her.”
“If she would just stay on the medicine they give her...” Laura knit her lips together, took a deep breath and let it out with a sharp huff.
“Yeah.” Zoe shrugged. “There would be fewer...” She paused trying to find the right word. She settled on “episodes” to describe Shena’s hysterical state from the night before.
After days of not taking her medication, Shena seemed to have come undone and Laura had called Zoe over to help with her sister. It was their routine. Shena would take her medicine for a while, feel better and stop. Eventually, she’d have some kind of major depressive episode. They weren’t sure what had sparked this current episode but believed it had something to do with recent issues with her boyfriend. It was well into the night before they’d been able to calm Shena down. But now she was gone. When she disappeared, there was no telling whether she’d return in a few hours or a few days. And Laura and Zoe would worry the entire time.
Zoe grabbed her purse and jacket from the sofa and kissed her mother. “Call me if you hear from her and I’ll do the same, okay?”
“Yes. Let me know when you’ve made it to work.”
“Okay.” Zoe made it outside and tamped down her emotions. Dealing with her sister’s illness was painful and exhausting. She knew that the pain she felt could never match that of her mother. That was why Zoe never hesitated to drop everything and come when called. Besides, she loved her younger sister. Caring for her was the closest she’d ever come to being a mother herself.
Zoe started the ignition but sat in the car for several moments before driving through the predawn blackness. It seemed to serve as a metaphor for what her family was dealing with right now. Hadn’t they been told it was always darkest before the dawn? Was there a dawn for her sister’s condition?
Zoe headed home. Even after a shower and a light breakfast, she was still tired. She made a quick coffee stop on her way to the office. It was a café Americano kind of morning. Her regular medium roast or chai latte wasn’t going to do. She ordered the largest size they had and drank as much from the steaming cup as she could by the time she pulled into the parking lot at the office. Her day felt as if it had been long already. The rest of the day would be full of meetings, including an early one with her boss, and she had to be alert.
“Morning!” Bella was especially chipper this morning.
Zoe forced a smile that she hoped matched the brightness of Bella’s. “Good morning, Bella.”
As she stepped farther in the office, she could tell that Ethan was already in. She’d been hoping to arrive before him to prepare for their meeting and muster up some more energy.
Zoe dipped into her office and closed the door behind her. She checked in with her mom to see if she’d heard from Shena. Of course she hadn’t. After that, she gathered the résumés of the potential candidates she wanted to share with Ethan during their meeting.
There was a soft knock on her office door. Zoe cleared her throat, forced her lips into a smile and spoke through it. Feigning a cheerfulness she didn’t feel in her heart, she sang, “Come in!”
“Hey!” A fresh wind seemed to accompany Ethan into her office. Like Bella, he was obviously in a great mood. Zoe held her smile. “Good morning. Did you have a good weekend?” he asked.
“Yes, I did, thanks. And you?” Zoe swallowed hard as she allowed her smile to fade.
“Great!” He sat in one of the chairs positioned in front of her desk. “Yes, me, too.” He went on to describe a fun-sounding gathering he’d attended with his family to celebrate his grandfather’s birthday. The details of the festivities seemed so lavish and filled with grandeur; nothing like the modest gatherings she had with her mother and sister.
Zoe pasted on her smile before she spoke. “That sounds nice.”
Ethan paused, taking her in pensively. She squirmed a bit under the intensity of his gaze. It felt like she was being sized up.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Oh, yes, I’m...fine. I’m fine.” Why had she said fine twice?
Ethan tilted his head with a measure of skepticism. “You sure?”
“Sure.” She chuckled a little. “Yes, I’m sure. It sounds like you have a lovely family. A big one, too.”
He analyzed her another moment before responding. “Yes. Huge. Tons of cousins on both sides.” He proudly shared a bit more about his large, close-knit family.
As he spoke, Zoe pictured them all dressed elegantly in their opulent environment. The image was perfect in her mind: everyone with erect posture looking refined against the picturesque backdrop of the clubhouse he described at the golf course where they’d held the festivities.
It was all far from what she was used to. She hardly knew opulence before going away to college and working in Finance. In school, she’d met girls with more wealth than she could have ever imagined. And the financial industry had given her a taste of what that life was like through coworkers and clients. She admired it from a distance but had never craved it for herself.
Zoe was particularly proud of what she’d accomplished in her career, which afforded her a very different lifestyle than how she’d grown up. She loved her stylishly decorated yet modest townhome and was especially happy to be able to help her mother make ends meet. Occasionally, she’d treated her mom and sister to nice dinners at great restaurants and even some beach vacations over the past few years. She was responsible for her mother’s very first ride on an airplane. That gave her so much joy.
“Enough about my family,” Ethan said, pressing his palms flat on her desk. Zoe realized that she had tuned him out and hoped he hadn’t noticed. “Wel
l.” He hauled himself up from the chair. “Ready when you are. We can meet in my office or the conference room, whichever you prefer.”
“Either is fine for me.”
Ethan started to walk out but turned back toward her. “And you’re sure you’re okay?”
“Yes. Really. Just a little tired. My weekend was...a bit exhausting. Not as fun as yours, though.”
“Okay.” He shrugged. “See you in about—” he looked at his watch “—ten minutes?”
“Your office?” Zoe confirmed in the most cheerful tone she could manage.
“Yes.”
She watched him walk out and for once was glad to see him go. Much too soon to divulge any of her family’s drama. Would there ever be a time where she’d feel comfortable speaking about that with Ethan?
She began gathering the things she needed for her meeting with Ethan when her phone rang. She was about to send it to voice mail until she saw that it was her sister’s number.
“Shena!” Zoe tried not to sound frantic. Closing her office door, she lowered her voice before asking, “Where are you?”
“Home.” Shena’s voice was so small that it made Zoe’s heart tighten. She knew her sister was in a bad way.
“Who’s there with you?”
“No one. Mom went to work, I think.”
Zoe sighed. “Yes. She did.” Now that she knew where her sister was, she felt a little better. Shena’s bipolar condition was a never-ending matter, but she was home safe for now. “I’ll be there after work so we can talk, okay?”
“Yeah.” Shena’s voice sounded small again.
“I’ve got to get to work. See you later.”
“Bye.”
Zoe hung up feeling more like Shena’s mother than her sister. She stood straight, took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before heading to Ethan’s office for their meeting.