She popped her head up and looked at me. “He has a thumb drive with all the scientific data on it. I’m meeting him in Gary this afternoon. I just have to see if the rental agency allows the mileage. Otherwise, I need to borrow a car.” She bit her lip, and I saw her cheeks tint pink. After Jack’s verbal assault and my announcement about buying her a car as a bonus, she probably felt embarrassed to bring up the need.
“You haven’t had time to select a new car, then, I assume.” It wasn’t a problem for me, though I would have thought she’d be more excited.
“Uh, no, sir. My father wants to take me because he says car salesmen are sleazy. We are going this coming weekend.”
David stared at Haley with contempt, and I turned to him. “Is there a problem, Mr. Wright?” He looked at me in surprise.
“No problem, sir.” His shaking head reminded me of a bobble head dog on the dashboard of my father’s Volkswagen van we had when I was a child. Always the sycophant. I ignored him and scowled.
“Good. Then, what we’ll do is you will take my car. Gordon will drive you and make sure you’re safe. Gary is a rough town, I've heard.” I turned to Tom. “You just write up the paperwork for that, and we’ll be set. And I need Ken to release a blank cashier’s check for Haley for this weekend.” Ken, our CFO, reported to me, but Tom was my main contact for everything. He would make sure things were lined up squarely.
“Sir,” Tom said, clearing his throat and sitting forward, “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I mean, you’ve already had Jack in here with his attitude and threats. Imagine if everyone in this office sees Ms. Spencer leaving in your car. You’ll have a shitstorm on your hands.”
I kept the anger bubbling inside my chest to a minimum as I turned to him slowly with a stern look. “May I remind you that this business is owned and run by me? I make decisions as I see fit. If you think I’m going to cower to the threats of an angry little man, you’re wrong. I do as I please, and my power and influence back me up. Now, if you’re worried about sinking with the ship, you may take the first life preserver you find. I’ll write you an exemplary review. Until then, I’m still the boss, and you’re still my employee.”
“But, Parker, we’re friends. I’m not just watching out for your business.” Tom’s gaze flicked toward Haley, who looked down again. “I’m trying to protect your professional relationship. You’re twenty years older than her. There is talk in this office, and I’m not sure that you want to hear what they’re saying.”
“Whether or not I’m romantically involved with Ms. Spencer is none of anyone’s concern but mine and hers. And how I handle interoffice politics is my prerogative. I can’t see how allowing her to use my car for a business meeting could be construed as unethical or unprofessional.” I didn’t need clarification of the subject, but David chimed in.
“Sir, you’re using personal property to aid a subordinate at her job. If it were a company car, that would be different. It’s hard enough to convince people that buying her a car due to a personal accident that was completely unrelated to her duties as a writer forThe Vineis ethical. You start letting her take your car, you may as well invite her to sleep in your bed. The implications are?—”
“Enough, David.” I stood, buttoning my suit coat. “Haley, what time is your meeting?”
She peered up at me, nervously glancing at her superiors as if they could stop her from responding to my question. “Two p.m., sir.”
“I’ll have Gordon ready to pick you up at one.” I turned to my irritating managers. “You two make sure the arrangements for Ms. Spencer’s new car are made this weekend. It is an unspecified bonus for her work withThe Vineand will be treated as taxable income on her W-2 at the end of the year. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir,” David mumbled, standing.
Tom didn’t look at me. He just sighed and stood. “You’re going to regret this, Parker.” He shook his head and turned toward the door. “I know I’m probably just a stodgy old man toyou, but I’m really just looking out for your future.” He turned his head over his shoulder and said, “The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows he is but a fool.”
Haley stood hastily, scurrying behind them as if she were afraid to be seen alone with me. I didn’t blame her. Jack’s tantrum had been bad enough. If the staff saw her linger in my office after a meeting, it would make the gossip worse than it already was. I felt eyes watching me from every corner of the office and I knew Haley felt them too. At least I had a buffer of glass walls surrounding me. She was out there in the heat of it, probably hearing the whispers as she passed their desks. I had to make this up to her. Maybe a trip away would help her relax.
15
HALEY
“What I’m saying is, it seems a bit fishy.” Dad’s collar on his jacket was turned up against the breeze that ruffled his silver hair. It was sunny and mild for a March afternoon. Usually, the last week of March was “out like a lion,” meaning we had storms and crazy shifts in weather. This year, however, Mother Nature smiled on us and we were heading out of the month more like a playful lamb.
I hooked my arm around his as he led me past the rows of vehicles on the car lot. There were a few models I really enjoyed, but every time I looked at the sticker price, I shied away. Parker told me to pick whatever I wanted, and I was a very economical person. An electric vehicle or hybrid made sense to me, but they were so expensive. I couldn’t ask him to pay that much for a car when mine had been mere pennies on the dollar, it seemed.
“What is fishy about my workplace offering to buy me a car?” I found myself being frustrated with his logic, but only because I knew Parker’s motive had nothing to do with a work bonus. He cared about me and wanted me to have the best things in life. He’d basically said as much when I slept at his house last week.
“Nothing, if the act is unprovoked. I just find it strange that a man who is your superior at work would buy you a new vehicle after being involved in a car accident with you. That’s what insurance is for, right? But he took a personal matter and brought it into the company.” Dad stopped in front of a dark blue sedan and kicked the tire.
“It’s not that strange, Dad.” I moved away from him, irritated with his scrutiny. “Mr. Danvers is a kind man. He saw that I had a need, and he wants to meet it because I perform well at work.” The red car parked next to the blue one was far more interesting to me, so I meandered over and looked at it. Dad didn't understand the dynamic, or maybe I was just too emotionally drawn to Parker to see what everyone else saw.
“Haley, I’m telling you. The guy has ulterior motives.” Dad crouched in front of the blue car and rubbed his thumb over an imperfection in the paint. We’d already test driven a few cars, and I was leaning heavily toward the hybrid compact SUV, but we asked the salesman to give us some time to chat. I just hadn’t thought that chat would be about Parker.
“Dad, I just need help spending the money, okay? I don’t need a lecture about my boss’s motives.” I turned away from him and hid my frustrated expression. Next he was going to call Parker a manipulative bastard, just like Rachel had. I just knew it. I was sick of hearing people tell me not to trust him when he’d done nothing but care for me.
“Look, you’re my baby girl.” He stood and walked up to me. His furrowed brow was evidence of his concern. “I think the man is using his money to manipulate you.”
I shook my head, not even surprised by the accusation. His scowl told me he didn’t appreciate my dissent, but I didn’t care. “So now a work bonus for doing a great job is manipulation? Did you never get a raise in your life?”
Dad rubbed his forehead and said, “I’m sorry, dear. I should have a greater amount of trust in your ability to make good decisions. I raised you right, so if you say this is strictly a professional thing, I believe you.”
He put his hand in the small of my back, and we started toward the sales building. In my heart, I wrestled with Dad’s words. They were so similar to what Rachel had told me, but Parker had assured me that he wasn’t like that. I didn’t know what to believe at times. I wanted so desperately for him to be sincere in his feelings for me, but I could see how both Dad and Rachel saw what they did. Even David and Mr. Green told Parker it wasn’t kosher to be personally involved with me. I knew my talent as a reporter was helpingTheVinegrow. Mr. Green had shared numbers and growth projections following a few of my top-selling stories.
