Humbled by Patricia Haley Page A

energy. If you want Joel to become interested in you, I suggest you make yourself more appealing.”
    â€œYou don’t think I look appealing?”
    â€œNo, no, I don’t mean your physical appearance. I meant you have to become attractive to Joel by letting him see that you have what he wants.”
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    â€œPower.”
    â€œI don’t understand.”
    Was it the language barrier or the euphoria of an imaginary love affair that caused Zarah to appear childlike? Tamara wanted to bury her head in a pillow and fall asleep, forgetting about everybody with the last name Mitchell. But she couldn’t. Her future was at stake. She had to get Zarah to understand the urgency of taking over the Bengali family business. It was Tamara’s best shot at being able to buy the West Coast division. If the Harmonious Energy advisory board had a say, they’d probably sell the division to Don and DMI since there was a partnership already established. She couldn’t let such a deal happen, because then she’d probably have to succumb to the Mitchell machine and be forced to take a job at DMI. She couldn’t entertain that possibility. Zarah was her only answer.
    â€œYou have tremendous power at your fingertips. You own the West Coast division. You have part ownership in your father’s company. Trust me. Don and DMI don’t want to keep the other half. Since the companies’ religious philosophies are so conflicting, the DMI board of directors will sell it off the first chance they get. You might as well buy it outright and own the entire thing. If you’re controlling a major company and having Joel’s baby too, he’s bound to come home.” Tamara hesitated, struggling to continue with her recommendation. Telling another woman to chase after a man with a baby and bucks latched to both hips was deplorable. She shook her head in disgust. It wasn’t Tamara’s way of securing a mate, but Zarah was the one who wanted Joel by any means. Therefore, Tamara reasoned, she was helping a friend get what she clearly wanted. “Why wait for Joel to make your decision? Get on with your goals in the meantime. Let him see you as a strong woman.”
    â€œMaybe you are correct. I have not thought about it this way.”
    â€œWhat’s the worst that could happen? You become CEO of a multimillion-dollar company, you have a beautiful baby, and you wake up happy every day. It doesn’t sound like a bad consolation prize to me.”
    â€œYes, your story sounds very nice,” Zarah said.
    â€œAnd maybe you could sell the West Coast division to me, because I can’t work at DMI. It’s too stressful for me there. I have to start my own company,” Tamara added.
    â€œPerhaps we can both have companies to run,” Zarah replied.
    Zarah’s reaction was precisely what Tamara needed to hear. Finally, there was a sign of hope. Tamara was relieved. She would continue encouraging Zarah to take hold of the company. Let Joel stay in Chicago for the rest of his life, if he wanted, she thought. Tamara wanted no one to care for him, especially Zarah. He didn’t deserve his wife’s loyalty or love. He surely didn’t deserve a stake in her company. Hopefully, Zarah would reserve those perks for her faithful supporters, a short list which Tamara planned to stay in the number one spot.
    She ended the call and plopped onto her bed, giddy. The West Coast division was a tiny bit closer. With a tad more prodding, balanced out with healthy doses of encouragement, Zarah could cross the finish line of independence, with Tamara poised on the sideline, ready to catch the West Coast division. Tamara rolled over and grabbed the TV remote. The day had been intense, like a bulldozer, but it had ended on an upbeat note. She was pleased and was eager to sail into a productive weekend. There was work to do.

Chapter 11
    Chicago had been the ideal haven