“Wait. How could he be bitter? He’s the one who cheated,” she pointed out.
“Yes, and he still has the girlfriend, but he didn’t want his life to change. He liked my cooking, and he was used to being pampered. Did I mention that he and Drew had become friends? I guess cheaters bond with other cheaters.”
“What happened?”
“Don, my ex, told me I was going to get fired. I swear he had a gleam in his eyes, the bastard. God only knows what reasons he and Drew came up with, but I was called into HR and they were both there. I said that was fine, go ahead and fire me—I was going to ask the judge for spousal support. I told Don he was going to support me financially for the rest of my life. I hadn’t signed the divorce papers yet.”
Peyton laughed. “He must have loved hearing that.”
“I’ll just say the gleam disappeared from his eyes.” She reached up and patted her short curls. “So I wasn’t fired. I was demoted to an assistant’s position, and my paycheck was cut more than half. Now I fetch coffee for the jackass and keep his calendar for him. I just turned fifty; I’m thirty pounds overweight, and around here accountants are a dime a dozen. No one’s going to look twice at my résumé.” She sighed. “Ready to concede?”
“Okay, you win,” Peyton said.
“What did you win, Mimi?” Lars asked as he walked into the cubicle and dropped a stack of files on his desk.
“My life is more unfair than Peyton’s,” Mimi answered. She looked at her watch. “It’s already after five, and it’s taco night at the Cactus. How come you’re not there?”
Lars sat down and began to sort the files into piles. “Everyone from the company goes there. It’s difficult to get away from all of them. I don’t feel like I can speak freely. You know?”
“I know,” Mimi agreed. Turning back to Peyton, she added, “Don’t worry. No matter what you say, Lars and I will hold your confidence. I can’t say the same for anyone else in this office. They’ll all go to HR to tattletale.”
“When you were demoted, why didn’t you go to Human Resources and lodge a complaint? At the very least, it would have gone on the record.”
“I did complain, but nothing ever came of it. I’ve been sending my résumé out and so has Lars. Until I can get away from this town, I have to work here. There aren’t any other jobs. Trust me. I’ve looked. And even if there were—like I said—who’s going to consider me?”
“What about applying for other positions in the company?”
“No, I’m being punished. The hope is that, if Drew makes my life miserable enough, I’ll quit. I’m stuck.”
Lars looked up from his task and nodded. “Since Drew took over, it’s been stressful.”
Peyton leaned back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other. “Did Drew bother the other trainees? Is that why they left?” Even though she knew the answer, she still asked the question.
“Of course he did. They were young and pretty, but you put them to shame.”
Mimi’s compliment, given so matter-of-factly, embarrassed Peyton. Her looks shouldn’t have anything to do with her job performance.
Lars turned in his swivel chair and said, “You’re a stunner. That’s what Mimi means by putting the others to shame.”
Mimi laughed. “Look at her, Lars. She’s blushing.”
“Tell her about the last two trainees,” Lars urged.
Mimi pushed some papers aside and sat on the edge of Peyton’s desk. “I was just getting ready to.” She crossed her arms and began. “The first one was much older than you. Her name was Kayla, and she lasted a good six months.”
“Eight months,” Lars corrected.
“I didn’t like her,” Mimi admitted.
“No one liked her,” Lars interjected.
“She was full of herself. She didn’t seem to have a problem sleeping with the boss, did she, Lars?”
“No, she didn’t.”
“She didn’t try to keep the affair secret. She flaunted it. She was rude and obnoxious to other employees. I think she believed that having sex with Drew made her more important in the company.”
“Did it?” Peyton asked.
“Not really.”
“Why did she leave?”
“She wanted more,” Mimi said. “There was a rumor that she actually fell in love with the jackass. Can you imagine?”
The disgust in her voice made Peyton laugh. “No, I can’t imagine.”
“Kayla wanted him to leave his wife and marry her, and of course, he would never do that.”
Lars explained why. “Drew didn’t have any money when he married Eileen, and if he were to divorce her, he wouldn’t get a dime.”
“It’s common knowledge he signed a prenup,” Mimi said. “I heard that when Drew told Kayla he wasn’t going to leave his wife, she threw a fit.”
“That’s not all she threw. I was here. I saw it,” Lars said. “She picked up a computer monitor and threw it into the wall next to Drew’s office door. I think she was aiming for his head. I swear she threw it like it was a baseball.”
“I wish I had seen it,” Mimi said. “Eileen heard about it and that’s when she got involved.”
Peyton’s eyes widened. “His wife knew about Kayla?”
“Of course she did,” Mimi said. “She cleans up all of Drew’s messes. Kayla was given a nice go-away package. I don’t know how much it was, but I do know she had to sign a release of some kind before she got the check.”
“I’ll bet she had to promise not to talk about what happened,” Lars said. “And promise not to sue.”
“You’re telling me Eileen is okay with his philandering?” Peyton was flabbergasted.
“She must be okay with it or she would have kicked him to the curb by now.”
“What a sick marriage,” Peyton said.
“You’ve got that right,” Lars agreed.
“Want to know what happened to the second trainee?” Mimi asked.
Feeling completely disheartened, she replied, “Sure, why not.”
“That would be April.”
“I liked her,” Lars said.
“Of course you did. She was especially friendly to all the men here,” Mimi said. “I’ve never met a more outrageous flirt, but I think underneath it all she was a nice girl. She put her purse in her desk drawer and—wham bam—Drew was hot on her tail. And I do mean tail. With her tight clothes and big boobs, she was exactly what he’d been looking for. I don’t think she had any idea what she was getting into because after a couple of weeks her attitude changed, and she was running from him. I think she got far more than she’d bargained for. All of a sudden she was hiding from him and doing everything she could think of not to be alone with him. I tried to talk to her once . . . you know . . . just to see if she was okay, but she was tight-lipped and wouldn’t say a word about Drew. The only thing I got out of her was how much she needed this job. I think she was scared.”
Lars agreed. “That’s the truth of it. I once saw her walking down the hall as he was coming toward her. She did a one-eighty and ducked in the first office she could find. And I noticed she never went into the file room if he was in there. It’s dark and there aren’t any windows. She’d always wait until he left.”
“Drew ended up firing her,” Mimi said. “She tried to make trouble, didn’t she, Lars?” She apparently didn’t expect an answer because she continued right along. “April went to HR to complain. She accused Drew of sexual harassment, but she was wasting her time,” she added with a nod. “Drew’s wife is best friends with Annette, the head of HR. April’s complaint didn’t go anywhere but the shredder.”
“No wonder,” Peyton said.
“Sorry?”
“I went to HR to file a complaint. Annette wouldn’t let me. She said I had to wait at least three months before I could file any complaints.”
“That’s nonsense,” Mimi said.
“Didn’t April intend to sue?” Lars asked.
“Eileen nipped that in the bud. I don’t know what she threatened, but she and Drew have a guy who will do their dirty work for them when they need it. April packed up and left town in a real hurry.”
“This is crazy,” Peyton said. “In this day and age Drew shouldn’t be able to get away with his obscene behavior, and neither should his wife. By helping him, Eileen is just as culpable.”
“We agree with you,” Lars said. “But most of the town depends on this company for their income, and they’ll protect it any way they can. No one wants bad publicity or—God forbid—a lawsuit. Randolph wants a big happy family.”
“Eileen especially doesn’t want any trouble. She’s on thin ice with her father as it is, and if anyone were to sue Randolph Swift’s beloved magazine because of something his daughter or her randy husband did, Randolph would be mighty upset.”
“What do you think he would do?” Peyton asked. She picked up a pencil and began to twirl it between her fingers.
“It’s hard to tell. He hasn’t come to the office for ages, but I’d like to think he’d stay on as CEO until his son, Erik, is ready. I imagine Randolph would show him the ropes and let him run the company. Erik’s smart. He’d do a good job. I’m guessing Randolph would cut Eileen out altogether,” Lars suggested. “Randolph lost his wife a little over a year ago. He was devastated, and that’s when everyone thought he would retire.”
Mimi nodded. “Miriam was sick a long time, and he was always at her side. I think the worry wore him out. Both he and his son were very close to her. Erik took a semester off from college to be with his mother in those final weeks, but Eileen . . . well, she didn’t have much use for her mother once she took ill. Eileen is what you would call . . .”
“A very self-involved woman,” Lars supplied.
“I was going to say bitch,” Mimi said. “She’s a real bitch.”
Peyton laughed. Lars looked shocked.
“How do you know so much about the family?” Peyton asked.
Mimi shrugged. “I listen. Being an assistant gives me a lot of time to do nothing but listen. I’m sort of invisible now. People gossip and they don’t seem to notice I’m standing right next to them. When you’ve been demoted the way I have, I guess they figure I’m nobody. I certainly can’t do them any damage. Who would listen to me? Working as an accountant, I never had time to gossip. These days I’m ashamed to admit gossip is the highlight of my days. That and chocolate.” She shook her head. “I really have to get out of here.” Turning to Lars, she said, “That job at the Quickie Market is looking better and better, except I can’t live on minimum wage. No one can.” She scooted off the desk. “Come on, both of you. I’ll make tacos at my place.”
______
Peyton hated going outside, especially in the evening. No matter how many layers she wore, she still froze. The temperature had already dropped well below zero, and the wind chill was so brutal it made her bones feel brittle. The heater in her car didn’t start blowing warm air until she was pulling up to Mimi’s apartment building. Peyton felt as though her toes needed to be defrosted. She didn’t think she was ever going to get used to this kind of arctic cold.
An hour later she and Lars and Mimi were sitting around a small coffee table in the tiny one-bedroom apartment, coming up with one outrageous plan after another to take Drew down a notch. Mimi and Lars drank beer, but Peyton, still chilled, sipped hot tea.
“I can’t stay here,” Peyton said. “I’m going to quit, but I wish there was a way to let Randolph Swift and his son know what Drew has been doing. Tell me more about Randolph.”
“He’s a good man,” Mimi said. “And he’s kind. He built this community. I know the area looks bleak and dreary now, but when it thaws, it’s a pretty place to live. Randolph cares about his employees.”
Mimi took a drink of her beer and tilted the bottle toward Peyton. “If he ever comes back, you wouldn’t be able to get to him. There’s no way you’ll get past that gargoyle, Eileen.”
Lars choked on his drink. “Gargoyle? I’ve never heard that one before.”
“Eventually Randolph will find out what Drew’s doing,” Peyton said. “Someone will tell him. It’s only a matter of time.”
“I agree, and I’m sure Eileen realizes it, too. But if Randolph retires, and Drew takes charge, it will be easier to handle the women who try to make trouble. Drew might be able to get away with his sick behavior for several more years.”
“Someone needs to stop him,” Peyton countered.
And get proof to take to Randolph Swift, she thought. But how?
______
She had time to think about it because Drew was traveling with Eileen on what he called a buying trip and was going to be away from the office for ten days. Surely, in that time Peyton could think of something brilliant to do that would trap the letch. And if it didn’t work out, at least she’d know she had tried.
It became routine to go to Mimi’s apartment after work with Lars. The three of them would take turns bringing in carryout or buying groceries to cook dinner. Mimi and Lars had become her confidants and her good friends. She was going to miss them when she left. She knew they were miserable and wished they could go with her, but what was the good in that? Then all three of them would be unemployed.
The office was quiet during the days Drew was gone, but they went by quickly. He was due back the following Monday.
Thursday night while Peyton was getting ready for bed, she came up with a plan of action. It was riddled with flaws, but she still thought she could pull it off. She had Friday to discuss it with Mimi and Lars, and the entire weekend to work out the details while she packed for her trip back to Texas. Monday, after meeting with Drew, she would get out of Dalton as fast as she could. Once she was finished wrecking his life, she doubted he would want her to give two weeks’ notice.
Drew surprised her by coming home early. He was back Friday morning. He was in a foul mood and stayed sequestered in his office most of the day. He didn’t want interruptions and, more important to Peyton, he left her alone. She was just closing up to go home when she heard him through the door snarling at someone over the phone. His anger was palpable. She could hear his heavy breathing as he berated whomever he was talking to, and then she heard a loud noise, as though he had just thrown something into the wall. Peyton looked around the office. It was empty. Everyone had just left and she was the only one there. Fear raced down her spine, and her instincts told her to get out of there as soon as possible. If anything happened, no one would hear her.
She had her coat on and was digging through her purse for her keys when he shouted her name. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she bolted out of the office and ran down the hall. She had just turned the corner when she heard him shout her name again. She didn’t respond and rushed up a flight of stairs to the garage entrance. Afraid that he might be coming after her, she didn’t go directly to her car but ran to the floor above, reasoning that if he didn’t see her, he would assume she was still inside working.