Chapter 3 #2
When we walk out onto the first of Warner Power’s three floors we’re faced with Carmine, our receptionist and security guard. He tips his head at us and then holds up his hand.
“Miss Hunter?”
“It’s Mackenzie,” I tell him for what must be the hundredth time.
He nods. “Mr. Power left a message. He’d like to see you at nine.”
“Oh. Of course.”
Rachel lets out a low whistle as I glance at my watch. It’s a quarter to nine right now. We usually get in at seven-thirty, but they gave us a late start after last night’s party.
“It’s gotta be your promotion,” Rachel says as we walk down the hallway to our offices. “The only reason Power sees people is for firing and promotions.”
“Who says he isn’t going to fire me?” He could have heard about yesterday’s debacle with the phone call. Maybe Mark even went to complain to him about me getting called out of the room during the biggest speech of his life.
“Of course he isn’t. You’ve been the biggest biller of the team for the last three years. You’re his cash cow. It’s a promotion for sure.”
“I hope you’re right.” I sling my purse onto my desk and shrug off my jacket.
It’s not that I think I’m going to get fired.
I just don’t like things out of the ordinary.
Especially things that involve my boss’ boss.
Kenneth Power doesn’t get involved in everyday things.
He doesn’t spend much time with the staff that works for his company.
As the outward facing owner, he schmoozes CEOs to win more clients.
He’s been known to fly in spaceships with eccentric billionaires – yes, he was on that flight.
What he doesn’t do is make small talk with employees who aren’t even partners.
Even though every cell in my body is crying out for a caffeine hit, I don’t have time to grab a coffee. I head to the bathroom instead and grimace at my reflection, wishing I’d taken the time to do more than put a dab of concealer on the shadows beneath my eyes and slick on some lipstick.
Which thankfully hasn’t transferred to my teeth.
Small mercies, right?
Mr. Power’s office is at the far end of the building. It’s in the corner, which gives him two views of the city, both equally stunning. As soon as I arrive at the outer office where his three assistants sit, I’m ushered inside, and am absolutely relieved to see that he’s smiling at me.
People don’t smile before they fire you, do they?
Well maybe sadists do, but I don’t think he’s one of those. Oh god, now I’m imagining him in a leather suit holding a whip and I think I’m going to be sick.
“Take a seat, Mackenzie.” He nods at the leather chair on the other side of his desk. As soon as my behind hits the butter soft upholstery, it gives in an expensive way.
It’s not too hard, not too soft. Now I know why Goldilocks put up with the three bears.
“I expect you’re wondering why you’re here,” he says, steepling his fingers. He has these milky blue eyes that seem to bore right through you.
I don’t know how to answer this question. If I say yes, he’s going to know I’m anxious. If I say no, I’m going to look like I don’t care about my job.
“Well I—”
“You’ve been holding out on us,” he says, a smile still playing around his lips.
I shift on the chair. “I have?” Rachel wasn’t lying when she said I was the top biller of the entire team. What more does he want me to do, chop my fingers off and offer them as sacrifice?
“Yes you have, Miss… Gauthier.”
Oh. OH! How does he know my old last name?
His eyes haven’t left my face.
“I can explain…” I stutter.
“No need. Your father told me all about it last night,” he continues, tapping the tips of his fingers together at the top of his spired hands.
“I have to say it’s admirable that you don’t want to succeed because of your family name.
So many people today expect to get a leg up on the corporate ladder just because their parents are rich or famous.
” He smiles benevolently. “Of course you could have confided in me. I would have kept your secret. I’ve been a big fan of your grandfather and your father for years. ”
Of course he has.
“My father called you?” I say, my voice thin.
“It was funny, actually. We were just getting ready for bed. He was lucky we weren’t already asleep. My wife likes us to retire early.”
My mind does a quick calculation. Our family call ended at ten-thirty last night, and I’m almost certain my dad didn’t have Kenneth Power’s direct phone number in his little black book or Rolodex or whatever the heck he stores numbers in.
Which means he probably phoned my boss’ boss after eleven last night.
Oh the mortification of it.
“I’m so sorry he called you so late,” I say. I can’t wait to tell Rachel about this. The anticipation of her appalled expression is the only thing that’s keeping me going right now. I’m thirty-six years old, why is my dad calling my boss?
Except deep inside I know. And that makes me even more embarrassed.
“Oh don’t be sorry. It’s not every evening that you get a phone call from the amazing Greg Gauthier.
” Mr. Power is beaming. It’s scary. “He promised to send me a signed photograph from your grandfather, too.” His voice lowers.
“By the way, I’m so very sorry to hear about your grandfather’s health.
I grew up watching him play. Every boy in my school wanted to be Wayne Gauthier when we were playing hockey. ”
I’m smiling but it hurts.
“Anyway, enough fan boying.” His cheeks are bright red. “Your father told me about your predicament.”
“My what?” I ask, my voice strangled.
He doesn’t seem to notice. “He explained all about your family problems. That your grandfather desperately needs you.”
I open my mouth to reply but no words come out.
“And that you said you couldn’t because you were worried about your job.”
A sense of doom is pushing down on me. Of course my dad called my boss. Nobody says no to Greg Gauthier.
Or rather he just chooses not to hear when they do.
“So we came to an arrangement that I think will make you happy.” Mr. Power smiles.
That’s when the fight goes out of me. They’ve made a deal. Dad’s probably offered him an executive box at his favorite team, or something like that. He’s the best at giving out favors when he needs something from somebody.
When I graduated college he kept wanting to find me a job with one of his ‘friends’. And no, that’s not a backhanded way of saying he’s pimping me out. He genuinely loves being the one that connects people. Add that to the fact that he’s a man who always gets what he wants and my fate is sealed.
“You’ll still be a Warner Power employee, of course,” Mr. Power is saying.
I can barely hear him over the rushing of blood through my ears.
“And when you’ve finished the project, we’ll definitely be looking at a promotion.
It’s great publicity for the company. We’re lending one of our top consultants to help save Wayne Gauthier’s team.
Pro bono. I’ll talk to the PR department to see what we can do to leverage this. ”
“Oh God. Please, no publicity,” I say.
His smile finally wavers. “What?”
“I don’t want people knowing who I am,” I tell him. This is my hard limit. “I worked hard to get to where I am today. I don’t want anybody knowing that I’m part of the Gauthier family.”
He looks like a wounded puppy. “But it would be so good for the firm.” He runs his fingers along his jaw then looks up at me. “How about we don’t tell them who you are but still get the publicity? We’re still lending our best consultant to a team in need. I’m sure the PR team can make that work.”
But that’s not how publicity works. I know that all too well. Journalists don’t stop sniffing around, not when they sense a story.
And I don’t want to be anybody’s cheap enjoyment over a coffee. Not again.
“I don’t think that would be possible.”
“We’ll see,” he says, and I know that this is already a done deal. I’m going to West Virginia whether I like it or not.
And I don’t. I hate it. I’m furious at my father, and at my mom for not stopping him. Hell, I’m also angry with Isabella, Brad, and Johnny because they have jobs that mean they can’t easily be moved to help Gramps.
I’m the odd one out. The anomaly. And this is really, really bad.
Note to self. Get horribly drunk tonight. Because next week everything changes.