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As I watched the clock, my palms sweated and my stomach knotted. I held my breath as I heard a knock on thedoor.
“It’s open,” I calledout.
Instead of Mackenzie, Jenny popped her head through the door. I breathed a sigh ofrelief.
“They’re heading to the board room,” shesaid.
“Who?”
“Everyone, it seems. Just got anemail.”
I hadn’t checked my messages but gathered a pad and pen. I walked up the one flight and made my way to the boardroom. Some of my colleagues had congregated outside the boardroom. Sally was handing around mugs of coffee from atray.
I noticed little glances thrown my way, and the usual whispers followed as I took a mug and thankedSally.
“Lauren, may I speak with you?” Iheard.
Mackenzie was standing at the boardroomdoor.
“Of course,” Isaid.
He stepped to one side and closed the door behind us, blocking out the chatter fromoutside.
“I want to announce your appointment today. The merger is going to be a little quicker than weanticipated.”
“Oh, I…erm…shit.”
“Is there aproblem?”
“I wanted to ask Gabriella if she’d delay any announcementuntil…”
“Untilwhat?”
“Until my divorce. I don’t want Scott to know anything about it; he’s trying to fleece me as it is. If he loses his job and he knows I’m on a higher pay grade, I’m not sure what he’ll do. I suspect he’ll delay the divorce, hoping to get more money fromme.”
“Why didn’t you tell methis?”
“Probably for the same reason you never mentioned your wife washere.”
“Ex-wife.”
“Ex-wife. We haven’t spoken about anything personal at all. I’m sorry, it’s okay, you go ahead with your announcement, and I’ll deal withit.”
I hadn’t wanted to mention his ex-wife, it was petty, but he’d thrown me off balance alittle.
“You have a lawyer, I takeit?”
“Of course I have a lawyer. I’ve just sent her all the paperwork. Listen, I shouldn’t have just said what I did. It’s okay, I’m fine with itall.”
“Will you stop saying, ‘it’s okay’ and ‘you’re fine.’It’snot andyou’renot.Don’tbe fine withit.”
Don’t be fine with it?What on earth did thatmean?
“Mackenzie, don’t presume to tell me what I am or should be, please. I have a mess to deal with and I will. It won’t affect mywork.”
“I don’t give a shit about work, I worry about you,” hesaid.
I glanced over to see Scott looking through thewindow.
