“You could say that,” Joshua replied noncommittally. He was not in the mood to be lectured about how to run his business or second-guessed over any decisions. In Joshua's opinion, the only thing worse than trying to cope with this current mess would be to get into an argument with his father over it.
“Is the problem with a client or an associate?” Warren probed.
“Both.” Joshua winced inwardly. He had not meant to reveal even that much about his difficulties. Needing a distraction, Joshua poured them each a glass of iced tea from a pitcher he had brought in earlier. As he handed his father the beverage, he closely observed the expression on the older man's face. Surprisingly, it was concern.
“Some days it feels like everyone and everything is conspiring against you, doesn't it?” Warren took a swallow of his drink. “There are a lot of things I miss about not working, but coping with employees who screw up isn't one of them. Many people used to think I was a demanding boss, and I guess I was, but the fact is that someone has to take charge, take responsibility, make the unpopular decisions. That was me. And now it's you.”
His father reached over and patted him on the shoulder. The gesture was awkward and wooden, but the emotions behind it were sincere. Joshua looked at his father and suddenly the words started tumbling out.
“It feels like the place is coming apart, Dad. Johnson has pissed off a major client and Morton blew a deal that I was counting on to raise our third-quarter profits. The competition is so tough these days I have to exert some major damage control or else these clients are going to walk. Pronto.”
Joshua ran his fingers through his hair. “But those are minor concerns compared to the mess Weston might have made while putting together an initial public offering for an Internet company earlier this year. I've been reviewing some of his prospectus notes and I'm afraid he might have crossed the line with some of his decisions.”
“Was the initial offering of stock priced too high?” Warren asked, citing a typical mistake.
“No. Exactly the opposite. It was too low. Much too low. The stock took off and is holding high, so the company is thrilled with our work. But I have a strong suspicion that Weston somehow purchased a major block of this stock for himself.”
“Insider trading.” Warren whistled softly. “This is very serious. How are you going to handle it?”
“Right now all I have are suspicions and some figures that might or might not prove anything. What I need to do is amass enough proof so that I can confront Weston directly. He's a partner in the firm, so I need to make sure I can force him to resign, before somehow convincing him to turn himself in to the authorities. That's my only hope of keeping this entire incident relatively quiet.”
Warren nodded his head. “Discretion is critical at this juncture. Even if it was only one man acting on his own and the firm is cleared of all responsibility, the publicity alone could ruin our reputation. And the last thing you want is some Washington bureaucrat poking his nose in your business.”
“Exactly. If this situation blows before I can resolve it, I don't want to look like I've been trying to cover it up.”
“I could make a call to Washington and let one of my old buddies in the Treasury Department know you've got a situation brewing that needs a little time to get straightened out,” Warren offered.
Joshua rubbed his chin. “It's a risky move. If I can't solve this on my own then I've given the government some very interesting information that will spearhead an investigation.”
“That's true, but you might also be telling them something they already know.” Warren regarded him skeptically. “You aren't the only one who can be looking at numbers. Red flags might have been raised over this deal back when the stock started trading in the beginning of the year.”
“Good point.” Joshua said. The corners of his mouth quirked in a grimace. “Any suggestions on how I should handle this?”
A slight stain of red crept up his father's neck. Joshua would have thought it signaled embarrassment, but there was no mistaking the expression of pride and delight on the older man's face.
The two men discussed various options, their voices occasionally raised to emphasize a point, but always speaking with respect. Joshua's hand flew across the paper as he scribbled notes, at times copying verbatim what his father said.
With a sigh, Joshua tossed his pen on the table, then raised his arms high, stretching his neck and shoulders. “It's afternoons like this one that make me wonder why I fought so hard to gain control of the company.”
Warren chuckled. “I know just how you feel. Right now you're thinking it would be a whole lot smarter to jump on the first decent bid you receive and sell the damn company. Or ask the partnership to put together a buy-out agreement. Then all this mess could be someone else's headache for a while.”
His father leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his flat stomach. “Problem with that idea is that you'll be looking to start up or buy another firm within two weeks. You just have to face facts, Joshua, you're too much like me. And we aren't the type of men who do well taking orders from someone else.”
Perhaps it was the sympathetic tone, or the understanding look in the older man's eyes that made Joshua pause and consider, for the first time, that yes, his father really did know what it was like to deal with this sort of pressure and responsibility.
His father's empathy was not hollow or condescending. It was genuine. And more important, it was the voice of experience talking. It might have been a different era, but his father had faced and overcome many of the same challenges. There was perhaps no one else who understood more what it was like to be the managing partner of Hamilton, Barton and Jones.
In the past Joshua had always been quick to dismiss his father's business advice as implied criticism, probably due to the older man's dictatorial manner. But Joshua now conceded that he had done them both a great disservice by putting greater emphasis on the
way
his father spoke to him than
what
his father was saying.
“You've got some smart ideas on how to handle Weston. Employee problems present some of the most difficult challenges you'll ever have to face,” Warren said. “It's always a fine line to walk. Just remember if you throw out an offer on the table, you've got to be prepared to live with the consequences.
“Nothing more lethal than bluffing when you offer a deal. Those are the times you can really get caught with your pants down.” Warren smiled. “But why am I telling you this? You already know it. It won't be easy coping with this latest insider-trading mess, but I trust you to make the right choices, son. The tough choices.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
His father believed in him?
For possibly the first time in Joshua's life, words failed him.
Warren cleared his throat. “So what time are you heading out?”
Joshua raised his head with a guilty start. “Four o'clock. I should have told you earlier, but I was preoccupied with this mess. I apologize.”
“No problem. Eleanor's already told us that you were leaving this afternoon. We invited her to stay on, but she said she needed to get back home.” Warren nonchalantly ran his finger around the rim of his empty iced tea glass. “I like Eleanor, by the way. She's a fine woman, sincere and genuine.”
His father held up his hand, forestalling any possible reaction. “Oh, I know it's immaterial if I like her. What's important is how you feel about her. But I thought I'd let you know my impressions, my opinion, just in case you were wondering.” Warren lowered his head and for a moment looked almost sheepish. “Guess I do that a lot. Let you know my opinion.”
Joshua laughed. “It's been known to happen.” His expression lightened. “But you've been doing it for thirty-two years, and I don't think it is ever going to change, so I'd better start getting used to it.”
Warren joined in the laughter. As he listened to his father's hearty mirth, a profound sense of peace enveloped Joshua. The hurt that always seemed to be hovering just below the surface was gone, along with the tension and quarrelsome attitude. For once, the gulf between them seemed neither wide nor uncrossable.
“It's my understanding you spent a good part of the evening in the summerhouse last night,” Warren said casually.
With a start, Joshua realized his father, too, must have felt the positive change in their relationship, since he took the opportunity to broach another sensitive subject.
“You were standing next to me when I asked the groundskeeper to make sure the house was clean and the interior lights turned on before the party began,” Joshua replied evenly. “You should have spoken up if my request made you angry.”
“I wasn't angry.” Warren's eyes got a misty, faraway gleam. “No one has used the place since your mother died. I have it cleaned and aired periodically. After all, I wouldn't want it to fall into disrepair. But I haven't set foot inside it in five years.”
The sadness in his father's eyes deepened. “I wanted to have it torn down. Your mother had been nagging me for years to build it, but we didn't start construction until she became seriously ill. Consequently it reminds me of the end of her life. How she fought and struggled and eventually lost the battle to her disease.”
“Why didn't you tear it down?”
“Because it's a piece of your mother. How could I destroy it? Besides, I always suspected you might not appreciate coming down here and finding it was gone.”
Joshua battled a hot, stinging sensation behind his eyes. “You live here, Dad. I just visit. And not very often. If the summerhouse was a painful memory, you should have had it removed, taken away.”
Warren cleared his throat. “No need to go to such extremes. Who knows, it might make a good playhouse for my grandchildren one day.”
Joshua paused in the act of putting his laptop away. “That's the second time you've mentioned grandchildren this weekend.”
“Is it?” Warren's brow knit into a frown. “I don't mean to be pressuring you, but seeing you with Eleanor must have subconsciously got me thinking about you settling down.”
Guilt sliced through Joshua. Thanks to his deception, his father was definitely under the impression that he and Eleanor had a serious romantic relationship. Perhaps circumstances last night had started turning that lie into the truth, but it was far too early to start making serious plans.
“Hmmm, there's something I need to tell you about Eleanor.” Emotion thickened Joshua's voice. “She isn't a librarian.”
“She isn't? You could have fooled me. She certainly knows a lot about Rosemary's books.”
“What I meant to say is that she isn't primarily a librarian. She's going to school to get her degree and working on Saturdays at the library. But her main job is as a financial analyst at Hamilton, Barton and Jones.”
Warren's eyebrows raised suspiciously. “Are you telling me you only have a business relationship with this woman? She isn't your girlfriend?”
“She wasn't before this weekend started.” Joshua slumped in his chair. “I initially asked Eleanor to join me because she knew so much about Rosemary's work, but now that I've gotten to know her better I find myself very attracted to her. Yet how can I justify continuing a relationship with her? She works for the firm, and we have a very strict rule against coworkers dating each other.”
Warren slapped his palm against his knee. “I told you it was a foolish policy.”
Joshua shook his head. “No, Dad, it isn't a foolish policy. It is an inconvenient policy for me, personally, right now, but even if I could change it, I wouldn't.”
“You're firm on your commitments, son,” Warren said with a trace of pride. “I'll have to give you that much. This policy must have some merit if it holds up to your test. I'm still not convinced, but this is one issue upon which we'll just have to agree to disagree.”
“Exactly.” Joshua stalked about the room. “Since I've neatly boxed myself into a corner, any ideas on what I should do next?”
Warren leaned forward, an eager grin plastered on his face. “Well, since you asked, I might have one or two opinions I'd be happy to share with you on how to handle this delicate matter.”
Eleven
Seven days. Seven days had passed since she had last seen or spoken with Joshua. A full week. Eleanor shuffled the pile of papers on her desk and told herself firmly she was fine with the situation as it stood. After all, she had expected no less.
On the afternoon they had left North Carolina, he had been quiet on the plane ride home. Preoccupied, distant, absorbed in the documents he studied with an ever-widening frown. Occasionally he'd muttered something under his breath and tapped impatiently on the computer keys, but mostly there had been silence inside the aircraft cabin.
She'd thought twice of offering to help, but squashed the notion. If he'd wanted her assistance he would have asked. She told herself repeatedly that she was not disappointed nor heartsick. He had important work to do that was in far greater need of his undivided attention.
Yet the thought stung Eleanor more than she cared to admit.
A car had been waiting for them at the airport when they'd arrived back in the city. That beautiful Bentley, driven by the stiff chauffeur. Joshua had apologetically informed her that he needed to be taken to the office as quickly as possible. He'd calmly assured Eleanor the chauffeur would drive her directly home the moment that task had been completed.
Then Joshua'd picked up his cell phone and started dialing, while Eleanor huddled miserably in the corner of the luxurious car and pretended not to listen.
There had been a fleeting moment when she had caught a glimmer of the incredible man she had come to know over the weekend. The car had pulled curbside, in front of the office building, but Joshua hadn't immediately exited.
He had taken her hands in his and gazed deeply into her eyes. His handsome features had contorted in an expression of unabashed tenderness and she'd waited breathlessly for him to say something.
“I'll never forget this weekend, Eleanor,” he had finally uttered. “Thank you so much. For everything.”
She'd half expected, half hoped he would lean forward and kiss her. One last memorable embrace to end their time together. Yet feeling the watchful eyes of the chauffeur had made Eleanor realize that wasn't possible.
Joshua had vanished inside the building without a backward glance. Her final, morose thought as the car pulled away and merged into traffic had been at least she had been spared the humiliation of being offered a handshake.
Eleanor rubbed her forehead and glanced down at the spreadsheet on her desk. She had printed it out earlier, and even a cursory scan revealed numerous mistakes. It had been like this all week. Distractions, the inability to concentrate, to make a decision, to follow through on a project had plagued her, and her work had definitely suffered.
Admitting this afternoon would be no different, Eleanor picked up a stack of folders and headed for the copy room. She should have been sending a clerk to do the photocopying, but she needed to lose herself in a mindless task. This one seemed as good as any other.
The hallway was deserted. Yet a sudden, loud commotion at the end of the corridor penetrated her lethargic mood. It sounded like a herd of elephants was tramping her way. Curious, she lifted her head.
That was all the warning she had. And then suddenly, there he was, striding down the hallway, encircled by a group of men. They were having an animated discussion, with several people talking at once.
Joshua raised the volume of his voice slightly, and everyone shut up. They crowded closer to him, hanging on his every word, or at least pretending to. Eleanor saw one man hastily scribbling notes on a pad, while another punched the keys of a handheld electronic device.
As they moved nearer, a wave of panic assailed her. Valiantly she fought it back, nervously moistening her lips. The boisterous group bumped their way down the narrow hallway and Eleanor's heart bumped along with them.
She stood her ground as they drew even closer. Just when she thought she was in real danger of being knocked over, Joshua raised his head.
Their eyes met and held.
She noticed the immediate tension that sprang into his eyes. It cut through her heart like a knife, sharp and painful.
He's embarrassed to see me. And obviously uncomfortable with the idea that I might speak to him, might acknowledge the fact that I know him.
She forced herself to meet his gaze directly, with as calm and carefree an expression as she could manage.
“Good afternoon, Joshua.”
She realized her mistake the moment his name fell from her lips. Calling the managing partner of the firm by his first name in front of a group of curious onlookers was a definite faux pas.
Unfortunately, Eleanor's greeting rang out loud and clear, drawing the immediate attention of the rest of the group. She watched with a sinking feeling of dread as Joshua's eyes darkened . . . with anger?
The sudden silence was overwhelming. The rapt attention previously afforded Joshua by his band of faithful companions increased tenfold. They glanced at her, then at him, then back at her. Clearly, she was not the only person who was interested in his reaction.
This added pressure seemed to have no effect on him. Slowing, but not breaking stride, Joshua resumed the conversation with his companions by asking another question, nodded his head curtly in her direction, and brushed past her, his entourage in tow like a pack of faithful hounds.
The hallway fell silent as they disappeared around the corner. Eleanor felt her knees begin to tremble. She had never in her life been made to feel so small and insignificant. Even at that awkward brunch in his father's house, the guests had managed to acknowledge her existence with a polite greeting.
Now, disgusted by her own cowardice, she longed to charge after him and start shouting her anger and hurt at his betrayal. Instead she lowered her head and trudged slowly in the opposite direction.
Two hours later, back at her desk, Eleanor was still reeling from the encounter. Confusion and pain reigned in her wounded heart. Having nothing to rely on but her common sense, Eleanor questioned both her judgment and her memory.
Had they not just spent a magical weekend together, laughing, talking, making love? Didn't that time together at least earn her the right to expect a polite acknowledgment if they happened upon each other in the workplace, even if others were present?
She knew the rules, the company policy against relationships between coworkers. Like a Bible, the personnel policy had remained on the nightstand by her bed all week, and Eleanor had read and reread that particular passage so many times she could recite it from memory. Yet was it so unreasonable to expect common courtesy from Mr. Joshua Barton? Clearly they had no relationship that would violate the all-important firm rules.
“Hey, Eleanor, want to take a break and get a cup of coffee?” Jeanne asked as she walked over and stopped beside Eleanor's desk. “My eyes are starting to cross studying these latest financial reports. I could really go for a cappuccino, and the caffeine boost is practically a medical necessity at this time of day.”
“N-no. No thanks. I've got too much to do.”
“Okay.” Jeanne frowned, then leaned forward, touching the back of Eleanor's hand. “Are you feeling all right? You look very pale.”
“I'm fine. Just a little tired.” Eleanor attempted a smile. “It's always tough getting motivated on a Monday, especially after last week's crunch.”
“I've always hated Mondays, too.” Jeanne quirked a smile. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. A letter came while you were away from your desk. Mrs. Jackson, the main man's personal servant, hand-delivered it herself. Guess it must be important.”
“A letter?”
“Yeah. I put it right here, on your desk.” Jeanne sifted messily though the neat piles on Eleanor's desk, eventually finding the missing note. “Here it is.”
A letter from Joshua! Her shattered faith soared with hope. With shaky fingers Eleanor took the note. “Thanks.”
Jeanne waited expectantly, but Eleanor merely smiled vaguely. Taking the hint, the other woman finally shrugged her shoulders and left.
Showing remarkable restraint, Eleanor waited until Jeanne walked out the door before savagely ripping open the envelope.
The typed words on company letterhead blurred before her eyes. Blinking rapidly, she stared again at the top of the page, then read quickly, scanning down to Joshua's bold signature at the bottom.
Hands trembling, she read the letter a second, then a third time. Eleanor sagged back against her desk with a hollow laugh. Despite the bone-jarring message, the irony of the moment did not escape her.
She had been telling herself that speculating about Joshua's feelings was a stupid, immature way to handle this situation. What she really needed was a concrete, solid indication of his opinion of her. Well, she had finally gotten her wish, in the form of this oh-so-charming letter.
There was no denying the truth now, for here it was in black and white, stated briefly, coldly, and clearly. Her services were no longer required by the financial firm of Hamilton, Barton and Jones.
She had been fired. Effective immediately.
Â
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“You did what?” Joshua clenched his teeth, fighting to keep his anger under control.
Edna Jackson, his executive assistant, stood on the opposite side of his desk and stared blankly at him. “I composed and formatted several official letters from the information notes that were on the computer disk you left on my desk yesterday afternoon. It was all fairly standard stuff, except for the letter to Eleanor Graham.”
Edna's voice was calm and steady, yet for the first time in his memory, she looked rattled.
“There wasn't supposed to be a letter to Eleanor Graham,” Joshua insisted.
“Obviously I know that now.” Edna's brow shot up. “But there was no way to tell that from the notes you left yesterday.”
Joshua's eyes locked with hers for a long, tense moment. “Didn't you think to ask me about it? Terminations always come from the personnel department. Didn't you find it odd that this one came directly from me?”
“I did think it was a little strange, but you've been under tremendous pressure since you returned from your trip,” Edna replied after a slight pause. “You've been working late every night, preoccupied with far more important matters.
“I considered asking you, but you were busy with meetings all day and I thought you wanted the letter sent immediately. The file did say âurgent' on the top,” she finished defensively.
Joshua's eyes narrowed with suspicion. “You said you typed this yesterday. Tell me again how Eleanor received this letter so quickly.”
Edna sighed. “It seemed ridiculous to mail the document to her house. So I brought the sealed letter to her office and left it with one of her team. Clearly she received it, since she didn't come in today.”
“As I just unpleasantly discovered when I called and asked her to come up to my office,” Joshua said, pressing his fingers to his brow.
The flustered expression on Edna's face deepened. “I checked with security this morning. Eleanor turned in the keys to her desk at five yesterday, along with her laptop and computer disks. I'm not certain what happened to the rest of her papers, the projects she was currently directing. I assume she left them with one of her subordinates, or maybe one of the other financial analysts. I'll make a few calls and find out.”
“Don't bother,” Joshua said frostily. His hand tensed with the urge to reach for something and fling it across the room in complete frustration. “You have done quite enough already, Edna.”
Her spine stiffened He could see her lower lip tremble slightly. “It was an honest mistake, Joshua, and I apologize if I've unintentionally caused any harm. If you want, I'd be more than willing to apologize to Ms. Graham, too.”
“I have to find her first,” Joshua muttered under his breath.
His mouth twitched with annoyance as he fought the strong urge to give full vent to his anger. What an unholy mess! Yet Joshua was forced to admit it wasn't entirely Edna's fault. Things never would have reached this point if he hadn't been such a coward, if he had taken control of the situation with Eleanor and resolved it quickly, as his father had advised.
True, this business mess with Weston had been a sensitive issue, a critical problem that needed to be addressed immediately. It had taken a considerable amount of Joshua's time and concentration, far more than he'd originally anticipated.
But now that Weston's resignation was safely in hand, and the federal authorities had been notified of the particulars, he could relax and shift his attentions away from his business problems.
To his personal problems. Namely, Eleanor. He had felt physically ill after the incident in the hallway yesterday. There had been no reasonable explanation for his behavior, for his unpardonable rudeness.
The simple truth was that he had panicked. He had been caught by surprise by her appearance, and even more shocked by his reaction to her.
She stirred emotions in him that were so foreign, he scarcely recognized them. Both negative, as witnessed yesterday, and positive, as witnessed all last weekend.
Today he had intended to take her out to lunch and dinner and discuss their relationship. Business and personal. The two went hand in hand. Yet if all went according to plan, the problems they presented would be gone by the time they ate breakfast together the next morning, after spending the night together in each other's arms, which was also very much part of his plan.
“I need to leave,” Joshua announced. He patted his pants pockets, searching for his car keys, pleased that he had decided to drive into the office on his own today instead of having his driver bring him. “I have no idea when I'll be back. Maybe not until tomorrow, if all goes well.”