I’m not sure I’m following you. Are you saying you 'bought me'? Is that what you're saying?"
"You think I give all my temps a private office with their own staff? We need to make this look permanent, at least until the worst is over."
"I’m sorry Frank, but I'll have to talk to Kevin about that."
"I’ve already talked to Kevin. He assured me this arrangement would be fine as long as I don’t try to steal you permanently." He smiled a checkmate kind of smile and offered her a drink.
She stared at the glass in his hand. "It’s ten o’clock in the morning."
"Well that’s nearly noon, isn’t it? Besides, we’re celebrating!"
"What exactly are we celebrating Frank?"
He made himself comfortable in her new chair once again. "Your golden ticket, of course. You do this up right, and there are about a dozen companies I know of personally that would make you their CFO in a heartbeat."
She raised her eyebrows. "A corporate back scratch?"
"I always get what I want, Ms. Hadley."
Her blood was boiling. Men like Frank Evans made her want to eat multiple pints of Ben and Jerry’s to cool her insides. Until further notice? Smooth Kev. She sighed audibly. "Well then, kings to you Frank. Why don’t you just vacate that chair then so I can get started saving your ass?"
He didn’t move a muscle except for a slight raise in one eyebrow as he watched her stand and wait. "I knew I liked your spunk. You’ve got fire fresh out of the gate, but you’ll need to learn how to handle the bit before you’ll be fit for the board room."
She didn’t respond–not a movement, not a word. Inside she was seething–astronomically infuriated at his pompous gall. Frank left his drink on the desk and walked out.
__________
“Brendan?”
“Yeah.”
“This is Tommy.”
Brendan was silent. He almost dropped the phone.
“Tommy Mahoney. I’m Tess’s brother.”
“Yeah. I know who you are. What’s up?”
“I–was wondering if you could meet me. I have something for you.”
“When?”
“Is now a good time? My mom’s not here so I can get out of the house pretty easily.”
Brendan scrunched up his forehead. “Ok. I’m…just hangin’ down at Washington Park. Can you come here?”
“Sure. Like twenty minutes or so?”
“Ok.”
Brendan hung up and started walking one of the tree-lined paths. He ducked into some particularly dense brush along the way and sat up against a thick tree trunk, banging his head back a couple of times until it cleared enough to roll the joint.
He took a long drag and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the memories, but Tess’s face came rolling through on waves that wouldn’t stop breaking the shore of his heart. He took another long drag, wishing for a blade. Tears came uninvited, and he let them fall. For the first time since the funeral he let them follow their own path downward.
By the time he made his way out of the brush and back onto the path, he wasn’t sure how much time had gone by, or if he’d missed Tommy altogether. He found a bench out in the open and sat down with his iPod, closed his eyes, and tried desperately to lose feeling altogether.
"Hey! Guess what?"
Brendan felt a nudge on his foot, hit the pause button and opened his eyes, expecting to see Tommy Mahoney.
Instead, Sarah was looking down at him. She was waving a paper in front of his face. "I got a ‘B’!"
He wasn’t in the mood for perky. "Yippee."
Sarah scrunched up her forehead. "What’s wrong with you?”
He spoke in an exaggerated girl-voice that mocked her statement the day before. "Why should you care?"
She folded her arms across her chest. "I don’t. I was just getting a burger and I was surprised to see you here. You don’t seem like the hang out at the park type. No dog, no Frisbee. Not even a newspaper.”
It was true, he was empty handed, but his pockets held enough entertainment for a fun-filled day at the park. “I’m meeting someone.”
“Ok. Well, I just came over here
"You think I give all my temps a private office with their own staff? We need to make this look permanent, at least until the worst is over."
"I’m sorry Frank, but I'll have to talk to Kevin about that."
"I’ve already talked to Kevin. He assured me this arrangement would be fine as long as I don’t try to steal you permanently." He smiled a checkmate kind of smile and offered her a drink.
She stared at the glass in his hand. "It’s ten o’clock in the morning."
"Well that’s nearly noon, isn’t it? Besides, we’re celebrating!"
"What exactly are we celebrating Frank?"
He made himself comfortable in her new chair once again. "Your golden ticket, of course. You do this up right, and there are about a dozen companies I know of personally that would make you their CFO in a heartbeat."
She raised her eyebrows. "A corporate back scratch?"
"I always get what I want, Ms. Hadley."
Her blood was boiling. Men like Frank Evans made her want to eat multiple pints of Ben and Jerry’s to cool her insides. Until further notice? Smooth Kev. She sighed audibly. "Well then, kings to you Frank. Why don’t you just vacate that chair then so I can get started saving your ass?"
He didn’t move a muscle except for a slight raise in one eyebrow as he watched her stand and wait. "I knew I liked your spunk. You’ve got fire fresh out of the gate, but you’ll need to learn how to handle the bit before you’ll be fit for the board room."
She didn’t respond–not a movement, not a word. Inside she was seething–astronomically infuriated at his pompous gall. Frank left his drink on the desk and walked out.
__________
“Brendan?”
“Yeah.”
“This is Tommy.”
Brendan was silent. He almost dropped the phone.
“Tommy Mahoney. I’m Tess’s brother.”
“Yeah. I know who you are. What’s up?”
“I–was wondering if you could meet me. I have something for you.”
“When?”
“Is now a good time? My mom’s not here so I can get out of the house pretty easily.”
Brendan scrunched up his forehead. “Ok. I’m…just hangin’ down at Washington Park. Can you come here?”
“Sure. Like twenty minutes or so?”
“Ok.”
Brendan hung up and started walking one of the tree-lined paths. He ducked into some particularly dense brush along the way and sat up against a thick tree trunk, banging his head back a couple of times until it cleared enough to roll the joint.
He took a long drag and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the memories, but Tess’s face came rolling through on waves that wouldn’t stop breaking the shore of his heart. He took another long drag, wishing for a blade. Tears came uninvited, and he let them fall. For the first time since the funeral he let them follow their own path downward.
By the time he made his way out of the brush and back onto the path, he wasn’t sure how much time had gone by, or if he’d missed Tommy altogether. He found a bench out in the open and sat down with his iPod, closed his eyes, and tried desperately to lose feeling altogether.
"Hey! Guess what?"
Brendan felt a nudge on his foot, hit the pause button and opened his eyes, expecting to see Tommy Mahoney.
Instead, Sarah was looking down at him. She was waving a paper in front of his face. "I got a ‘B’!"
He wasn’t in the mood for perky. "Yippee."
Sarah scrunched up her forehead. "What’s wrong with you?”
He spoke in an exaggerated girl-voice that mocked her statement the day before. "Why should you care?"
She folded her arms across her chest. "I don’t. I was just getting a burger and I was surprised to see you here. You don’t seem like the hang out at the park type. No dog, no Frisbee. Not even a newspaper.”
It was true, he was empty handed, but his pockets held enough entertainment for a fun-filled day at the park. “I’m meeting someone.”
“Ok. Well, I just came over here
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