22. Gabriella
Gabriella
“ D o you want me to go into the building with you?” Deidra asked.
I looked at the building where I’d worked for the last two-plus years. “I’m good on my own. Should I call or text you when I’m ready to leave?” I shook my head. “This is new and a bit odd.”
Deidra smiled. “Your husband is obviously concerned. In my line of work, if someone is concerned, there’s a reason. Text is fine. You have my number.”
My husband.
I didn’t have it in me to correct her. I was saving up my energy for the discussion with Millie. “I do,” I said, getting out of the car.
“Ella,” Niles called from a few rows away in the parking lot.
I waited for him to get to me.
“A driver? What is happening? You didn’t pick up last night.”
“Oh, it’s a bit unbelievable. Sorry about last night. There was a major catastrophe.”
“A major one,” he replied. “I need all the details.”
I lifted my left hand. “I’m engaged.”
Niles stopped walking and reached for my hand. Slowly, he looked up at me, squinting his eyes and studying my face. “You’re still here.”
A smile lifted my cheeks. “Thanks for checking.”
“Mr. Handsome?”
I nodded. “Yes, there’s a bit more to the story, but Millie is waiting for me.”
“I can’t wait to hear how a weekend business trip turned into a proposal.”
A weekend trip.
It felt more like six months.
“I’ll fill you in. By the way, you may be getting the coalition campaign. If you do, I’ll fill you in on everything.”
The doors to the elevator opened and we stepped in.
Niles reached for my arm. “What’s happening? Why are you giving up the campaign?”
“I’m not,” I said softly as more people joined us. “I’m fighting for it, and the best way to proceed may be without me—at least without me as the campaign manager.”
Niles shook his head as the doors opened. “Come to my office after your meeting.”
“I will.”
Securing the strap of my satchel, I took a deep breath and headed toward Millie’s office. With each step, I considered what I had in store and how I’d explain the debacle of my marriage announcement.
It was the beginning of the workday, and friendly faces were hurrying from here to there. I was greeted by welcoming smiles and familiar addresses.
“Ella, what are you doing here?” Rosemary asked, coming to a stop.
“I’m here to see Millie.”
She lifted her hand to her chest. “I was afraid she called you about me. It wasn’t about me, was it?”
“No, I’m sure you’re doing great.”
“I haven’t been at it long,” she said, “but I’m doing my best.”
After we said goodbyes, I thought how odd it was that Rosemary considered the time frame not that long, when I was sure I hadn’t been in these halls for weeks or months. “Hi, Pam,” I said to Millie’s secretary.
“Ella, Millie is on a call. As soon as she’s off, she’ll be ready to see you.”
“Okay.” I looked around, spotting two chairs next to one wall. “I’ll wait for her.”
Pam nodded.
I pulled my notebook from my bag, the one with the notes from the weekend in Ashland and about the coalition. Each entry refreshed my memory. The names of the companies and the CEOs. Next was the list of the main revenue sources and their budgets. I was deep down the rabbit hole when Pam called my name.
“Ella, Millie’s ready.”
“Thank you,” I said, gathering my notes and standing. The few steps to Millie’s door were as if I were walking through quicksand. I couldn’t pinpoint my trepidation, but it was present.
“Hi,” I said, spotting Millie behind her desk.
“Please, Ella, have a seat.”
Taking a deep breath, I took the same seat I had when Millie railroaded me into the campaign; now I was here to argue that same campaign’s worth.
“Congratulations,” she said.
Okay, we’re going to start with this.
I lifted my left hand. “I spoke too soon. Damien and I are engaged.”
Millie opened her eyes wide and pursed her lips. “The two of you didn’t marry?”
“We did.” I sat taller. “We married in Florida. We’ve now been made aware that there’s an issue with our marriage license.” I shrugged. “Therefore, we’re back to engaged.”
“Ella, this spontaneous, irrational behavior isn’t like you. Is there more to this story?”
“There is a lot more. However, I don’t see how any of it is pertinent to my position with Beta Kappa Phi or as campaign manager for the campaign you basically forced upon me.”
“I didn’t force you.” She shuffled papers on her desk. “I believe your behavior is relevant. As a representative of Beta Kappa Phi, your integrity could be in question.”
Perhaps it was the lack of sleep. Maybe it was the entire world crashing down, but I wasn’t in the mood for a lecture on my integrity.
“Millie, my integrity is not in question. I’ve known Damien for years.”
“You don’t just marry someone?—”
I lifted my hand. “Millie, if you’re talking to me as a friend, I will tell you I appreciate your candor, but you are uninformed. You don’t possibly have enough knowledge to pass judgment.” Her lips pursed. I went on, “If you’re speaking to me as my boss, I believe you’re crossing the line. What I do in my personal life is not up for debate. Give it to me straight: are you killing the campaign?”
Millie sat taller. “I’ve been in contact with our legal department. While they understand that whom you marry or are engaged to is your business, they would like a statement from the coalition that there is still confidence in your ability to act for all the companies.”
“I’ll get a statement.”
She shook her head. “That isn’t necessary.”
“You just said…”
“Julia Sherman called me this morning.”
I let out a breath.
Millie went on, “She has faith in you and your abilities. She also corroborated the information you gave me last night. The coalition agreed with you working at Sinclair Corporate for the reason you mentioned. She stated that the coalition has upheld Mr. Sinclair’s promise of working with Beta Kappa Phi.”
“You’re not killing the campaign.”
“I’m not. I’m concerned about Dwain Welsh. Despite what Mrs. Sherman said, he wasn’t happy.”
“Did you tell her that?” I asked.
Millie nodded. “She said she would take care of it.”
“I’m willing to step down and give the manager position to someone competent. I recommend Niles. I believe that the coalition will still require the representatives to work from Sinclair Corporate.” I shook my head. “Whomever is doing this campaign will have access to a slew of confidential information.”
“Mrs. Sherman wants you, Ella.” She paused. “I’m not forcing you. If you felt that way before, I apologize. It was my enthusiasm for the campaign that had me blinded. Do you want to maintain the campaign?”
“I do,” I replied, remembering what Damien had said on the phone. He’d said that the campaign was important, but not as important as me. “I believe I can make this work, for Beta Kappa Phi and for the coalition.”
“You’re walking a tightrope, Ella. If Dwain Welsh or any other CEO feels you’ve given preferential treatment to Sinclair or unwittingly shared with Mr. Sinclair, Beta Kappa Phi’s reputation is on the line.”
“Are you saying you don’t want me as manager?”
“No. I’m telling you to be careful. Maybe if Damien is replaced by his brother, it will be easier.”
I shook my head. “Nothing about Darius running Sinclair Pharmaceuticals would be easier. Damien has shown his competency over the last four and a half years.”
“I heard their father has taken ill.”
“As I said, there is a lot happening.”
Millie took a deep breath. “Tell me what you learned over the weekend.”
What I learned.
About the coalition.
Taking my notebook from my satchel, I gave her the structure of the coalition. By the time I left her office, I had Millie’s cautionary stamp of approval to keep working the campaign. As I gave that some thought, I decided it was similar to Damien’s probationary period. Millie was either giving me the chance to prove myself or enough rope to hang myself.
The jury was out.
Before texting Deidra, I stopped by Niles’s office.
After giving me a hug, he closed the door. “What in the world is going on?”
I scoffed. “Too much to say right now. Let me try with the abbreviated version.”