“Things will level off here. You should be able to give Jill more. The foundation is in a fine place. Give yourself some grace.” Just as Dylan leans over to put her head on my shoulder, our watches both vibrate with a new notification. “Did your watch just ring too?”
“Yes. It’s probably that mass email from HR that your father warned us about.”
I push up the notification to see that it’s not from my work account, it’s my personal account. I open the email with no subject. “Shit. Fuck. Viper, open your email.”
“God what?”
Dylan’s head goes from on my shoulder to upright in a fraction of a second. “Is this happening?”
“It is. She’s crossed a line she can’t uncross. Looks like we’re staying late tonight. I’ll set the meeting for here at six. That should give a clear window for everyone to be gone.”
“I’m sick and angry, Eli.”
“Let’s see what she wants first.”
***
I look at the clock on the lower right of my computer. It’s five minutes before six. Dylan comes out of my in-office washroom looking as beautiful as she did this morning. I know she calls it her game face. I call it stunning in any language.
Dylan sits at the small table in the corner of my office near my desk. Her posture, which is always nearly fluid, is strikingly rigid. Her hands are folded on the tabletop with her ponytail sleek over her right shoulder. We can hear the elevator door ding in the silence of the hallway and the unmistakable heel to toe of expensive shoes getting closer and closer to my open doorway.
I give Dylan one last look. My wife and I have a code. I know she doesn’t like it when I speak for her. However, this time, she doesn’t protest. I button my coat as I lean away from my desk and face the door. Elyse is removing her sunglasses when she enters my doorway.
“I’d like to say I was surprised you wanted to meet with me today, but I had a feeling you wouldn’t wait.”
“Have a seat at the table across from my wife.”
I can see the weight of this conversation in Dylan’s posture. Her biceps are trembling slightly under the force of her pressing her body into the table. “Hello, Dylan. Lovely to see your face.”
“That’s enough,” I bark as I close the door.
“This meeting is off the record. Just so we’re clear,” I add.
“Oh, of course. We wouldn’t want your father or grandfather to get wind of this.”
“Opening with a threat, Elyse? That’s a new low, even for you.”
“Don’t consider it a threat, consider it an opportunity.”
“I’m sure for you it is,” Dylan barks.
I quickly slide my hand under the table on to my wife’s knee. “Let’s get to it. What were you doing in our building, on our floor, on a weekend? How in the hell would you have access?”
“You know better than anyone that board members are afforded certain perks. One of my perks is being able to utilize the library on the 5th floor. Can I help it if my card was coded to access all floors off-hours?”
“That will be something that gets corrected immediately. You clearly want something, or you wouldn’t have sent us an email explaining, in some detail, what you witnessed and for how long. I don’t think I need to tell you that you’re on extremely thin ice. I’d be careful what you say going forward,” I growl.
“Oooh, such a temper. That trait must have skipped a generation. Jack was not and is not an angry man.”
Dylan leans forward as if she’s going to unleash her clear wrath on Elyse when I cut her off. “I don’t think it’s appropriate for you talk about my father like that. My mother wouldn’t approve.”
“Yes, dear sweet Lily. What would she think about her son’s public display?”
“How would she feel? Since we were in a private room with the semblance of solitude, I don’t think there is much to say. Again, what do you want?”
“What does anyone want? I want a board seat on ALITE since it looks like there is global view and potential. I could say a sum of money would make this go away. We wouldn’t want it to look like there is the appearance of impropriety here, now, would we?”
“Why do you care so much? Why are you so obsessed with me, Eli, and this whole family? Jesus, we had sex on a boardroom table, in a company Eli runs and partially owns. We didn’t extort money from someone or get our own rocks off watching a private moment between a husband and wife. Who is the bigger freak here?”
“Dylan, please.”
“No, Eli. This is bullshit. You’re a snake, lady, and I’m going to find out why. You’ve taken stabs at me one too many times without me saying anything. What will this gain you? What? You won’t be trusted. Your opinion will mean nothing, other than just words in a conversation. Why would you want to be involved where you’re clearly not wanted?”
“Power, dear. I’ve waited a long time for it.” Elyse slowly rises, keeping her eyes on Dylan. “You haven’t had to work for it yet. Wait until you claw for it for years and it doesn’t show up. You’ve passed on things others would dream to say no to. I’m creating my own yeses, starting here.” Then she focuses her attention back on me. “I will not share the images in my head or possibly other places, with your father or anyone else…for now. Think about what I said. In fact, take all the time you need to understand the ramifications of your choices. You know where to find me when you’re ready.”
She pushes back in her seat and leaves the way she came in…silently.
“This isn’t about what she says it is, Eli. I know that now more than ever.”
Hayley
I wanted to pick Wes up at the airport, but his flight was delayed so it landed in the middle of a seminar my manager needed me to attend. I keep looking down at my phone at the time. He’s twenty minutes away. His plane has touched down. He should be at baggage claim. He should be nearly home. Through all this, all I got was one text saying he loved me and he’d see me soon.
I packed up and rushed for the train. I counted the stops impatiently until I could dash off the train, run up the long flight of stairs, and straight down the block to what I hope are his waiting arms. The doorman gives me a wink as I fly by. Even he gets it.
I’m so excited I can hardly put the key into the lock. When I go in, the room is silent. There is no sign he’s been here at all. No suitcase. No garment bag. No table full of his work. I would have thought there would have been a couple of beer bottles on the coffee table next to his feet with the remote in his hand. Something.
I call him instead of text, hoping he’ll hear the ringtone and pick up.
Come on. Come on.
Nothing. I get his voice mail. Now I’m somewhere between worried and pissed off. I set my phone down in my lap and rest my head back. Where is he? After I’ve talked myself out of going out to look for him, he finally calls me back.