4. Ivy
4
IVY
“ S o what do we think after our first week?” I looked around the table, taking in the sight of my old coworkers from Jones Media. While we had crossed paths throughout the week, this was the first time we were able to sit down and catch up without any longtime Diamond employees listening in. It wasn’t that I was worried about the wrong people overhearing and retaliating but more like nobody felt comfortable opening up and sharing in our new place of business.
But a restaurant offsite? That was a totally different story. All bets were off. Laney Foster, my work bestie, shrugged as she reached for a slice of pizza from the pies sitting in the center of the table. “I mean, it’s been fine. One company is the same as another.”
“That’s not true,” Chuck Moran countered. He was around fifty, on the verge of becoming a grandfather in the next couple of months. He took off his glasses and cleaned them on his necktie while wearing a sour expression. “Things aren’t the same. I thought the whole point of having lunch together was to feel like we could be honest.”
“I was being honest,” Laney snapped. The small diamond stud in her nose sparkled when her nostrils flared. “But I’m trying to look at the bright side too. Being negative isn’t going to get us anywhere.”
“I’m a little worried.” Barbara Ross was closing in on retirement age, though I understood too well that certain concepts didn’t always apply to everybody equally, like being able to retire just because a certain number of birthdays have been crossed off on the calendar. She couldn’t afford it yet and didn’t know if she would ever be able to. “I’m at least ten years older than almost everybody else in the company.”
“Not true,” I pointed out as gently as I could. “I mean, look at Mr. Diamond. He’s around your age, right?” Sometimes, it was a little awkward trying to bolster a woman so much older than me, but I had learned over time how to ignore that. It seemed like they had too. Leadership didn’t have an age limit.
She gave me one of her wry grins, but it was short-lived. “You know what I mean. The CEO doesn’t count.”
“What happens when they decide we’re too old to fit in?” Chuck asked as he looked around the table. “Upper management can afford to be middle-aged or older. People like us? We’re expendable.”
“That’s age-based discrimination, and it’s illegal,” Molly Kramer countered, sitting up a little straighter. “Besides, if we do good work, that’s all that matters.” Chuck’s snort and Barbara’s eye roll told me what they thought about her trying to look at the positive side of things.
I wished there was something I could say to make things better. The fact was, they had a point. It was one thing for everybody to work together at Jones Media, where the whole concept of everybody being a family and working together was more than simple lip service. After a week with the Diamonds and their extensive staff, I had yet to get a feel for who was safe and who wasn’t.
Nobody had to explain it for me to understand. There were bound to be redundancies. Overlaps. Like the overlap between Lucian and me. Did he honestly think his father would choose me over him? Was that where his shitty attitude and dirty looks were coming from? Already, he had pushed me to my limit, and we hadn’t come to the official end of the week yet.
“Sometimes I feel like I’m not rich enough to work there,” Molly confessed, blushing as she looked around the table. “Does that sound bad?”
“Not at all,” I promptly replied since I understood too well what she meant. I had felt that way my entire life in one way or another. At Brown, I was the poor girl trying to fit in, always feeling like a fraud next to everybody else who seemed to naturally understand how to act or be. “But I’m sure it’s not true.”
“It’s a whole new world,” Laney pointed out, dipping her crust into a cup of ranch dressing. “There’s a lot to get used to. Like, they actually make fresh sushi for lunch. Who does that?”
“I had the most delicious, freshly made waffle yesterday for breakfast,” Barbara said with a happy sigh. “That, I could get used to. What a shame I’m afraid to.”
“I don’t know about any of you, but I’m going to take advantage of that gym.” Brad Brooks grinned my way from the other side of the table. Before the Diamond buyout, he had always been the office heartthrob. Barely over thirty, an all-American hunk with the body of a pro athlete, thanks to all the time he spent in the gym. “It’s going to save me a hell of a lot of money in fees, and the equipment is top-of-the-line.”
“And they cover school costs,” I pointed out now that he had gotten me thinking along those lines. “So if anybody wants to go back to school and get their masters, this is the time to do it. I know they offer childcare vouchers too, don’t they?” I asked, looking at Molly and thinking of her twin girls.
“That’s true. It’s a huge help.” She pretended to wipe sweat from her forehead. “There are definitely more positives than negatives to the situation. We have a lot to be grateful for.”
Still, the energy around the table was a little low as we wrapped up our meal and settled the check. My heart sank at the sight of their worried expressions. There was nothing I could say to ease their worries.
Brad took his time getting up from his seat, and I knew why before our eyes met. There was a time when I had considered going out with him since he had never bothered to hide his interest. For the sake of work, he always kept things professional, but there was something to be said for the lyrics of that old Bonnie Raitt song. He laughed a little too loud and stood a little too close, and right now, he was staring openly, hanging on my every move.
Normally, I was only a little put off by how obvious he acted. I didn’t take it personally in a bad way—he was a nice guy, and he never pushed. For some reason, today, of all days, I was not in the mood to perform our little dance.
“You’re doing your best,” he told me in his usual overly-familiar manner, patting my arm as I slung my purse over my shoulder. “I know everybody appreciates you getting some of us together to check in.”
“I wish more of us could get together,” I admitted, politely ignoring the intimacy in his touch. “But I get the feeling we are a pretty decent cross-section of the group as a whole. Everybody’s wondering where their place is in the grand scheme of things.”
“It’s growing pains. They’ll get over it.” I had never met anyone as confident as him, but was this confidence or arrogance? There was a fine line.
Arrogance naturally brought a certain man to mind as we left the restaurant. I could be blocks away, walking with my friends and trying not to sweat to death, and Lucian managed to take control of my thoughts. He had way too much power over me.
I didn’t need to be thinking about him now. What mattered was finding a way to make my people feel more comfortable. As the highest-ranking employee included in the buyout, I sort of felt responsible for them.
Laney must have read my quiet attitude accurately. She knew the odd relationship I had with Brad and how his attention could be equal parts flattering and irritating. That was why she wedged herself between us on the sidewalk and linked an arm around mine, winking at me. “Any plans for the weekend?” she asked, distracting Brad and giving me a little peace. I tuned them out while mulling over the issue at the front of my mind. Forget Lucian. My people needed help.
By the time we reached our building and made it to the top floor, my mind was made up. We needed an event. Something small but more relaxed than the welcome to the family event we had to sit through on our first day. What a strange experience that had been, but then I was a little too interested in Lucian to pay much attention. I doubted I missed much.
Everybody split up, heading to their desks, while I hesitated near the elevator. Connor’s office was clearly visible from where I stood, and it looked like we might have just missed crossing paths with him.
He removed his navy suit jacket and hung it over the back of a chair, then rolled up his shirt sleeves. I might be able to catch him before he got busy.
This would either be a great idea or a grave mistake that left me wishing I was never born. It was too late for second thoughts as I marched across the floor, remembering how sad and scared Barbara was. How nervous Chuck sounded.
Connor’s assistant hadn’t returned to her desk yet, meaning there was nobody to stop me from approaching the office door and knocking against the glass. This was it. No turning back now. Sometimes, it was a matter of acting before my brain could stop me.
That didn’t make it easier to go through with entering the CEO’s office once he waved me in, wearing a friendly grin. “Ivy. I’m so glad you caught me. I’ve been meaning to ask how things are going with Lucian and how the two of you are working together.”
We weren’t working together. That was one of my many problems. While I’d sent him my analytics reports and offered a list of ideas for how to apply my tactics to the current slew of sites owned by the company, Lucian had barely acknowledged my efforts. Should I mention that, or would it come off too whiny? “Things are going well,” I lied, taking the safer bet. “I’m looking forward to our first official meeting with the team on Monday. But I had something I wanted to run past you now.”
“What can I do for you?”
Good question. So this is how a deer feels when the headlights bear down on them. “I had an idea. You’re free to shoot me down, of course.” Great lead-in, genius. He’s the fucking CEO. He can tell you to get your shit together and leave too . “After chatting with some of my coworkers from Jones, I wonder if a small retreat might help them feel like they’re gelling with the rest of the company. A way for us to spend time together offsite, to do team building exercises and that sort of thing. I realize it sounds trite?—”
“Don’t,” he warned, shaking his head after cutting me off.
“Pardon?” I squeaked out. Cool. Now, you sound like a cartoon character .
“Don’t put your own ideas down before you’ve finished expressing them, and certainly never in the presence of the person you’re attempting to convince.” He lowered his brow, his mouth twitching into the beginning of a grin. “Got it?”
“Got it. Thank you.” He wasn’t a bad guy. A little intimidating, but not bad. “I haven’t put any actual planning into the idea. It only occurred to me within the last minute or so.”
Now he grinned full-out, looking me up and down. “I’m impressed. You have a flash of inspiration and jump into action. Too many people talk themselves out of what might be a genius idea. How many genius ideas never see the light of day?”
“That’s a good point.” And now I felt much more relaxed. He hadn’t agreed, but he hadn’t shot me down, either. I decided to take it as a positive sign. “What do you think? It wouldn’t have to be anything lavish. We might be able to find space at a hotel somewhere in the area or…” I didn’t know what else to say. He made a good point about getting fear out of the way and rushing headfirst into the unknown, but there was something to be said for preparation.
“Say no more. It’s a great idea, and I wish I’d thought of it before you brought it to me.” Something behind me caught his eye, he lifted an arm, and waved somebody in. “I want to tell Lucian about this.”
Oh, fuck . And I was feeling so positive too. I couldn’t exactly ask the man not to include his son in this discussion or else risk questions about a very uncomfortable situation. If it came down between Lucian and me, who would be out on their ass before the end of the day?
Looking over my shoulder, I watched Lucian approach the room. His eyes narrowed a fraction when they landed on me. Would he be immature enough to start trouble in front of his dad? I doubted it. Not in front of Mr. We’re All A Big Family Here. Even so, I was guarded, afraid to breathe by the time he entered the office and changed the temperature in the room.
“Was there a meeting nobody told me about?” he asked, his narrowed gaze bouncing between us. No wonder he looked suspicious. God forbid he be left out of something. Was he that insecure about his job?
“Nothing that formal,” Connor told him. “Ivy has come up with a great idea to help merge our two factions. What if we hold a retreat? We always have a standing invitation at the lodge up in the Catskills.”
“Exactly when do we plan on doing this?” Lucian eyed me and somehow managed to look neutral, except when it came to the thin line his lips pulled into. “It’s the middle of the summer. He’ll be booked solid up there.”
“Let me worry about that,” Connor insisted with a gentle laugh. Wealthy people could afford to think that way, like life would gently move aside because they wanted something. He turned to me and explained, “My good friend, Alex Schwartz, owns half a dozen properties up there. If he has to shift a few guests from one to the other for the sake of making room for us, he’ll do it. He owes me one.”
“And exactly what are we going to do during this retreat?” Lucian had slowly turned my way. It took a lot to bear up under the weight of his stare. “Any thoughts?”
“I’ll come up with something,” I assured him, extra chipper just to piss him off. I had no idea why it was so important, me getting under his skin, probably because he acted like a spoiled bully, regardless of how good he was in bed. “Team building exercises, that kind of thing. The main idea is to get out of the office, to let us all bond a little more.”
“But—” Lucian’s mouth snapped shut when his father shot him a sharp look that damn near made me pee myself, and I wasn’t the one he was looking at. He could turn the charm on and off with no effort. Whatever silent message passed between them, it was enough for Lucian to nod before speaking. “I’m sure it will be a success. And Ivy,” he added, eyes blazing when they locked with mine. “Be sure to let me know if you need any help with the planning. Between this and teaching me how to do my job, I can’t imagine where you’ll find the time.”
“I’m pretty good at multitasking,” I offered since I couldn’t let him get a dig in without making a dig of my own. “It’s how I got where I am.” While all you had to do was be born a Diamond.
“You can ask Cynthia for help,” Connor offered while Lucian’s jaw ticked. “We’ve organized events like this before. She’s a genius.”
“Thank you. Really, thank you so much for taking my idea seriously.” Did I look a little smug when I glanced Lucian’s way as I turned to leave the room? Maybe. And maybe he deserved it. It was increasingly obvious he had never met an obstacle that didn’t magically get out of the way just because he wanted it to. Poor baby.
Rather than stick around to talk to his dad, he fell in step beside me on my way to my desk. To anyone who might have noticed us, we probably looked completely innocent—two colleagues having a conversation. “Nice move, Poison,” he muttered from the corner of his mouth. I didn’t know what was more absorbing, the leathery scent of his cologne or the mental image of shoving him into a cubicle.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I whispered while my legs trembled. It wasn’t all out of anger, either. When our arms brushed, my stomach flipped. Why couldn’t he have been physically repulsive as he was otherwise? It all would have been so much easier to manage.
“Let’s get one thing straight. You’re not going to score extra points and take control of the digital division by kissing the CEO’s ass.”
“Now, I’m disappointed.” We reached my desk, and I came to a stop, folding my arms as I took in the sight of his stony expression. Dammit, he looked even hotter this way. “I honestly thought you were more mature than this. I’m only looking out for my people.”
“Your people?” His eyebrows lifted at my choice of words, and I instantly regretted them. That wasn’t the sort of thing I needed to say out loud. “They’re our people, Poison. Diamond employees. The days of Jones Media are over. You would do well to remember that.”
The smugness. That was what took my irritation and pushed it over the top. With my teeth gritted, I replied, “And you would do well to remember I don’t report to you, I don’t owe you a thing, and I’m doing what I feel is right for the entire company. Maybe you need to think a little more about that and a little less about your pride… Mr. Diamond,” I added with a simpering smile. I even batted my eyelashes because why not?
He was practically seething by the time he lifted a finger. “You had better hope this idea of yours doesn’t blow up in your face, Poison,” he warned.
The problem was I was hoping for the same thing. All I could do was pretend his attitude didn’t bother me while I quaked inside. “It won’t,” I promised with the same wide, insincere smile that so clearly irked him. He scoffed before continuing into his office and turning the glass opaque, effectively blocking himself from my view.
Now, I could let out the breath I was holding when I sank into my chair with a soft groan. All I wanted was to do the right thing for my friends, which somehow made him more determined than ever to view me as an adversary. I couldn’t win.
Yes, you can . Hopelessness turned to something fierce and hot, flickering in my chest. I could win by showing him up, making myself indispensable if not to him, then to his dad and the company. The man was making me lose sight of my true goal—keeping this job and keeping Mom safe and cared for.
I would put together the greatest retreat ever, just like I’d work magic with the company’s digital division starting with our meeting early next week.
And if I happened to throw Lucian’s attitude in his face while I did it? Even better.