My phone vibrated and I checked the caller ID.
It was my boss, Gary Stansfeld, managing partner at Stansfeld Investments, and the man I would be replacing in the not-too-distant future.
I answered the call. “Good morning, Gary.”
“Good morning, Ruth. Congrats again on the Amsterion deal.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re having a banner year. Do you think you have one more deal in you this year?”
“I’m working on two at the moment and should have an update in the next couple of days.”
“Great. Because I’m ready to retire, although you didn’t hear that from me.” He chuckled. “Anyway, we’ll need to go over the details on restructuring Amsterion. We need to have everything in place and ready to go.”
“Of course. Sorry, but did I get the time wrong today? I thought we were going to talk at two.”
“There’s been a change in the plans and that’s why I’m calling now. I need you to come down to the office today.”
“Is something wrong?”
Usually I only had to go into the office one day a week at the most and the last time Gary had arranged an impromptu meeting, there had been layoffs. I was confident my job was not in jeopardy, but this was unusual.
“Nothing’s wrong. The board thought it would be a good idea for you to be here for the meeting today to see how we do things. I agreed.”
Okay, well that was different. I loved working from home, but being able to attend my first board meeting was exciting and something I had been looking forward to.
“I’ll be there. What time?”
“Nine.”
“Sounds good. See you then.”
“Oh, and uh, try to take it easy on Mason today. I know you two butt heads when you’re in the office, but keep in mind he still has a huge stake in the company. You’ll need to keep the peace until you’re at the helm.”
“Of course. Don’t worry about a thing. See you at nine.”
I disconnected the call and set my phone on the desk.
It was true Mason and I butted heads a lot, which I didn’t like since we were working for the same company. It would definitely make it awkward once I took over, but that would be his problem, not mine. When I took over, the men would have to check their egos at the door.
We play as a team or you’re out, it was as simple as that.
The thing I disliked the most about Mason was that he was friends with my archenemy, Stewart Peters. I certainly hoped he would never leak confidential company information. It wasn’t something I needed to worry about, but it had crossed my mind. Hopefully, he was not that stupid.
I glanced at my to-do list, knowing I would probably be up until at least midnight with this hiccup in my plans of having to go to the office and attend the board meeting. I would have to rearrange some things, but I would keep the lunch in place since I had to eat, and the office wasn’t far from Little Italy. I had never turned down an Italian meal in my life, so the thought of canceling the lunch hadn’t even entered my mind for a second.
I love my carbs.
The first thing I had to do was let Dee know about the change of plans.
As usual, she was one step ahead of me when my phone vibrated with a text from her.
Dee: I canceled our video conference since you’re coming to the board meeting.
Ruth: Good morning to you, too. Let’s meet after lunch.
Dee: Got it. Speaking of which, I would totally be your best friend forever if you brought me some lasagna and garlic bread.
Ruth: You’re already my best friend, so what else do you have to offer as a bribe?
Dee: I will CONTINUE to be your best friend.
Ruth: Sounds like you’re blackmailing me again. When will the madness end?
Dee: When I see lasagna on my desk. Oh, and don’t forget the garlic bread and parmesan cheese.
I laughed, but then stopped when my phone vibrated again with a call from Nick. He was supposed to be at my place any moment to start work. Hopefully, there wasn’t a problem.
I answered the call. “Hello?”
“Good morning, Ruth. It’s Nick.”
“Good morning. What’s going on?”
“Well, I’m kind of in a predicament and I’m just trying to figure out what to do.”
“Okay . . .” I said. “What seems to be the problem?”
“My neighbor’s dog got loose and I’m not able to get a hold of them. I have her with me and I’m really not sure what to do at this point.”
“Can’t you drop her off at one of those doggy daycare places?”
“I tried. The place said I needed to have proof that the dog was up to date on all shots and that they needed to do a temperament test, to make sure it got along with the other dogs. I don’t have access to any of the dog’s health records so it’s not even an option.”
Just great.
It was my second hiccup of the day. The last thing I wanted was my backyard project to get behind schedule or me thinking about it when I needed to focus on a hundred other things. Fortunately, I was a problem-solver and this wasn’t rocket science.
“How well-behaved is she?”
“She’s been professionally trained,” Nick answered. “Very obedient. She’s a good girl.”
“If you keep her outside and you promise she won’t tear my place apart, you can bring her with you to work.”
“That’s perfect! She can relax in the shade under your patio cover. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“If it’s going to keep the job on schedule, I don’t mind. As long as she doesn’t poop and pee all over the place, I’m okay with it.”
“Great! I’ll make sure to take her for a walk and pick up after her. Thanks so much. I’ll see you soon.”
Thirty seconds later, my doorbell rang.
Swinging the front door open, I froze.
It was Nick.
With the dog.
“Seriously?” I pointed to the beautiful golden retriever with the tail banging against the wall.
Nick shrugged. “Sorry—I didn’t know what else to do, so I called you from your driveway.”
I crossed my arms. “Quite presumptuous of you to think I was going to offer for you to bring the dog with you.”
“Well, actually, I was going to ask you, but you offered first.”
“And what if I had said no?”
He grinned. “You are just way too kind to say no.”
“You obviously don’t know me very well.”
The dog lunged forward and began to lick my hand.
I loved dogs but have never had one because I hate hair on my work clothes.
“This is karma.”
I snorted. “Right. Karma that I have a dog at my house. Not even close.”
“No. Her name is Karma.”
“Oh . . .” I scratched the dog on the top of the head. “Hello, Karma. Are you a smart girl?” I leaned down and held my hand out. “Shake.”
Karma lifted her paw toward me.
I grabbed it and shook it, smiling. “You are a smart girl.” I stood back up and turned to Nick. “I need to head out and will be gone most of the day. I have an unscheduled meeting at the office. I need you to assure me that she won’t tear up the place.”