Page 64 of Engineering a Love Story

Thirty-Seven

When I arrive at work on Monday, I’m relieved to find an email from Howard asking me to join him in his office for lunch. I don’t know why he wants to meet, but I figure I’ll find time to tell him about Ronald and the article and all the rest of it. I look for Travis, wanting to rehearse what I’ll say to Howard, but his cube is empty and I remember he’s gone to the Bay Area this week.

At noon, I find Howard at the small table he has beneath the window in his office, two deli-wrapped sandwiches in front of him. “Turkey or roast beef?” He gestures toward the sandwiches but doesn’t look at me. I take the turkey and a seat at the table.

As I unwrap my sandwich, I tell Howard that the consulting engagement at Alliance went well. He doesn’t acknowledge what I’ve said as he unfolds the paper from his own sandwich, lifts half of it, and takes a bite. While he chews, I continue on to the meeting with Ronald. “It was a weird interaction,” I say. “I might have said you’d meet with him.”

“No reason I can’t hear what’s happening with Sofra if it keeps that jackass happy.” Howard addresses his lunch again, chews, and rests his sandwich on the table.

My sandwich sits untouched. I’m working up my nerve to tell him more about what Ronald said—and why—when Howard waves me off. “I can’t worry about Spillane right now.” He wipes his mouth with a paper napkin. “Jason Palaski called me yesterday morning.”

Jason is Gilroy’s IBM account rep. He manages Gilroy’s relationship with IBM across all the areas the tech giant sells products. From Lian’s mainframes, through PCs, and onto software and hot areas like online banking, IBM spends a tremendous amount of money with Gilroy. Jason, compensated primarily via commission, manages the relationship like a diehard Little League parent—overprotective and out for the win.

“On a Sunday?”

“He was trying to find you Friday.” With a creeping defensiveness, I remind Howard I was in Chicago. “I know,” he says. “Jason spoke with Evan instead.” He lifts his sandwich again.

“About?”

Howard swallows. “Russ Boyer at IBM isn’t happy with your Market Spotlight.”

“Russ Boyer?” I remember Russ leaning against the doorframe at the IBM office in California back in June. “The guy with the cats?”

Howard moves his eyes to me and creases his brow. “What?” He looks annoyed, like he thinks I’m joking around and he’s not in the mood. My stomach goes taut. I’ve never seen Howard like this.

“Sorry. Never mind. Tell me what Jason said.”

“Russ Boyer says your Market Spotlight is tainted, that you’re biased toward a particular vendor in that report.”

I close my eyes and shake my head. It wasn’t supposed to go this way. I was going to tell him.

“When Jason found Evan on Friday, Evan volunteered you were in some kind of relationship with someone at Aurelian,” Howard says. “That it’s possible you weren’t objective. And that IBM has reason to suspect this?”

“I’m sorry, Howard.” The words are out before I can even process what Evan has done. I should’ve known he wouldn’t be able to resist the juicy story.

“For what, exactly? Can you explain?” Howard isn’t eating now, only looking at me, his trim eyebrows raised.

I tell him in the briefest way possible. “I was going to warn you, to get your take on what our … exposure from this article might be. But then I was in Chicago and …” My voice peters out. It sounds so lame, even to me.

Howard takes another bite and slaps his sandwich down. “I had to take a call from Russ Boyer himself last night. While I was supposed to be watching TV with my kids. He claims he heard from someone at Chase that Aurelian never delivered this PayNow product. It doesn’t exist. And yet somehow, our Market Spotlight tagged it as a leader in this sector.”

“Howard, I—” My hands grip the side of the table.

“Russ believes you did this intentionally. He says he asked you about this product months ago and you denied knowing anything about it. You cancelled a meeting with him when you were meant to discuss it. And then you praised PayNow in your Spotlight? As a favor to your boyfriend, he claims. You were dating a guy at Aurelian and so you—”

“No, that’s not—” I sit straighter and extend a hand across the table.

“Aren’t you married?” Howard interrupts. His brows are low, judging.

“I was. But now I’m—”

“I wondered when I saw you at The Symp—forget it, forget it. Forget I asked that.” Howard inhales deeply, as if trying to calm himself. “Jason dialed into our RD call this morning to discuss the incident.”

“What? Me?” My stomach heaves at the idea of the most senior research executives at Gilroy discussing me. And Seth. I pull my hand back and fold it in my lap.

“He wanted to be sure everyone knows this sort of thing shouldn’t happen. And that IBM has to be handled with kid gloves for the time being.” The irritation in Howard’s face hardens. “I was put in the position of having to defend your Market Spotlight when I have no idea if it’s defensible.”

I’m mortified to think I put Howard in a compromised position with his colleagues and superiors. I apologize again, trying to reiterate that I had planned to tell him, but I know my words sound hollow. I’m so glad I didn’t attempt even a bite of my sandwich.