Page 108

“If you consider this bad, you haven’t lived, girl. Incidentally, I forget to tell you I found the doll you’ve been searching for. I put it in your office.”

I squeezed her arm. “You found the Princess Belle American Girl doll?” My heart fluttered a million miles an hour. That’s all Mina had talked about.

Julie blew on her knuckles and rubbed them on her sweater. “Because I’m damn good at everything I do. And I do mean everything.” She leaned forward, whispering her last comment. “Including blowjobs.”

She’d obviously had one too many glasses of champagne. Before I could respond, John motioned from the door to his office.

“I hate to interrupt, but can I see you for just a minute, Isabel?”

“It’s Christmas,” Julie told him.

“Please tell me there’s nothing wrong,” I added.

“There is nothing wrong. I just need your approval on the plans before they go to the printer.”

I was still leery, narrowing my eyes as I walked toward him. At least the plans were on the easel in his office. Even I could give myself some credit. “I’m pleased with these.”

“You should be. They are magnificent. Ready to go to the printer?”

“Maybe don’t ask me because I’ll feel the need to tweak them.”

“No, you won’t because I won’t allow it.” He moved to his desk and pulled out an envelope. “This was sent for you.”

“What is it?” When I turned, I realized he’d partially closed the door.

“I assume a bonus from the trust, although it was sent by an attorney.” He handed it to me as if he already knew what was inside.

When I opened the envelope, I found a lovely Christmas card.

Ms. Dayne

Please accept a token of our gratitude for all your hard work.

Samuel Vincenco, Esquire

Inside was the shocker. “A check for five thousand dollars? I don’t understand.”

“Apparently, you made an impression.”

“I can’t take this.”

“I talked it over with Mark and considering the work you’ve done completely outside of the team, we believe it’s perfectly appropriate.”

Honestly, I didn’t know what to say. “I don’t feel comfortable taking this knowing the project has been a team effort.”

“Which will be reflected in their year-end bonuses. There is no conflict of interest as far as we are concerned.”

My mind was spinning with all the ways I thought he was wrong. All the red flags I’d decided to push aside returned.

“Ho, ho, ho!”

The deep male voice penetrating the entire office cut the conversation short. With the card in hand, I headed to his door to find Santa Claus in the outer office, holding a big red bag and doling out gifts.

My bosses had thought of everything. I was able to move behind the crowd already forming around the jolly old man and head to my office. Why did I have a terrible feeling the money wasn’t meant as a gift but something else altogether?

At this point I was uncomfortable enough I shoved it into one of my bottom desk drawers. I’d deal with it later when I wasn’t so rattled at the potential meaning. I had no reason to believe my bosses were on the take and if so, by whom? No, John had been genuine in believing I deserved the nod. Maybe I was making too much out of it.

It was Christmas and the people involved with the trust were collectively worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Five thousand was a drop in the bucket to them but meant something to me for all the long hours. Perhaps John was right. It was Christmas and we were ahead of schedule.