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Christa: Get down here.
I end up going through the lobby, where there’s more noise than usual. Security up toward the doors. Three guys, talking to somebody in terse tones. A woman, I think. Maybe she heard the news, too. Maybe the whole world knows already.
Christa meets me in an empty stairwell, which makes me feel like either an entry-level asshole stealing an extra-long smoke break or a corporate spy.
“Oh myGod,” she says. “This is all over the building. Some people are saying that Finn’s been in charge for twenty years. That he was more than acting CEO.”
“He’s not even thirty years old.”
“Fifteen, then. A long time. Longer than anyone knew. Why do you look excited?”
“I’m not excited. It was awful up there, Christa. I wish I hadn’t seen it. IknowFinn wishes it hadn’t happened. I’m just—” Iama monster, because as much as I felt for them, I still saw the opening. “I can back out of the contract. They weren’t forthcoming about the state of the company.”
“The terms—”
“Hesigned.Daniel Hughes. He signed the paperwork. The man upstairs didn’t seem like he was in any state of mind to be signing anything. And the signatures—I don’t want to make accusations—”
“Of course.”
“A room full of people just witnessed firsthand that Daniel Hughes might not be capable of doing the job. That he might not even have signed our agreement. There’s going to be fallout.” Maybe hehasbeen physically signing contracts. Maybe, in the end, nobody will care if it was actually Finn holding the pen. But this revelation isn’t going to be easy to smooth over.
Her eyebrows shoot up. “You think the stock’s going to drop that much?”
“I think the stock’s going to fucking plummet, but that’s not why I want to leave. I never should have signed in the first place. I don’t belong here.”
“Will.” Her voice softens. “We knew there would be an adjustment period. We knew—”
“I’m not going to adjust to decisions made by a goddamn committee with bullshit agendas and a bunch of corporate jargon, and I’m sure as hell not going to adjust to that motherfucker Winthrop.”
The corner of her mouth quirks. “Uh-oh.”
I fold my arms over my chest. “What.”
“You’re mad about Bristol. I heard he hired her from the agency. Do you think he wants to have sex with her? Never mind, of course he does. She’s adorable. And hot. What? Don’t look at me like that. She’s not exactly my type, but I can see the appeal. The bigger question is, why didn’t you tell me?”
“I’m not mad about that. I just want out.”
“Okay,” Christa says, smug as hell. “I believe you.”
22
BRISTOL
The retirement partyhappening today seems like a big deal. Even the other secretaries and assistants I see in the break room are talking about it. The secondhand excitement reminds me of school, when the older kids would get all excited about something, and the younger kids would follow suit. Even if we weren’t invited.Especiallyif we weren’t invited.
Greg’s been gone forty minutes, maybe, when somebody shouts in the hall.
It’s a weird, surprisedyelp,and it has me out of my chair. It sounded like somebody turning their ankle or spilling hot coffee or any number of unexpected things.
Will’s secretary, Candy, stands a few doors down with Jim, the guy I saw her with that morning with the coffee. She has a hand over her mouth, and they’re both looking down at her phone.
“An incident?” Jim frowns. “It was a retirement party. What kind of incident could there be?”
Candy’s eyes widen. “With Mr. Hughes.” She gives him a meaningful look. “He had a breakdown.”
“Like a stroke?”
“No, like amentalbreakdown. Didn’t recognize his own son.”
