“Ms. Spencer’s choices are not yours to judge. I expect that you will keep the topic of this conversation confidential and that you will respect your coworkers by not spreading unnecessary gossip around the workplace. It only creates turmoil.”
“Yes, sir. I’m sorry.” She shuffled out of the cubicle, and Parker turned to watch her go before he looked back at me.
“My office, now.” He started off toward his office, and I followed him, taking two steps to his one. I was glad he’d bailed me out of that, but I knew it wouldn’t hold back the wolves. The staff were out for blood, and I had heard that several of them wanted to join the suit. I also knew Parker wouldn’t take shit from anyone.
I wasn’t going to cave to the pressure. I was going to be the woman he knew me to be and stand tall. I choseThe Vineand Parker, and that was enough for me, even if it was a bumpy road for a while.
32
PARKER
Haley followed me to my office amid the stares of almost every person we passed. I held my head high, confident that I was making the right decision. She literally had no idea what was about to happen and I couldn’t wait to see the look on her face. When we got to my office door, I opened it and stood aside so she could enter first. Tom and David were waiting on us already, both of them fully informed as to the business proposition we had in mind.
“Have a seat,” I told her, circling round my desk. Both men remained seated as she entered, probably afraid to move after the lectures I’d just given them both on my personal life and my authority at the paper.
Haley sat precariously, glancing between Tom and David, then turning to me. “What’s going on?” she asked, smoothing the front of her skirt. The weather was warmer now, and her sleeveless shirt showed off her well-defined arms. I couldn’t wait to take her out to the tennis courts and see if she had any game in her, but first, some business matters to tend to.
“Well, we’re here to offer you a new position and salary, if you’ll be so kind as to let Tom explain.” I nodded at him, andhe offered a grunt of acknowledgement. Tom had been opposed to this until I’d explained to him that Haley’s shift came with an important promotion for him too.
“Well, Haley, we’ve all done a lot of talking. We all believe that your talent is being wasted on simply writing articles for us, or even in a minor editorial role.” As Tom spoke, Haley nervously glanced at me. “So we are offering you the position of editor in chief ofThe Vine.”
“Wait, what?” Her jaw dropped and she covered her mouth. “No… that’s your position, Mr. Green.”
“Was my position,” he corrected her.
“But what about Mr. Wright?” Haley turned to me with concern, but David spoke for himself.
“I’m completely satisfied with my role as of now, Haley. You don’t need to worry about me. I am not the type of person to run the entire paper. I have a keen eye for certain things, but you far exceed that in skill and talent.” David smiled at her. I knew he was content where he was, and for his humility, I offered him a nice raise as well.
I folded my fingers across my desk and waited for her response, but instead of willingly accepting the promotion, Haley shook her head, resisting. “I can’t take this position. What will Mr. Green do?”
“First of all, stop calling them Mr. Green and Mr. Wright. You are their equal now. And secondly, Tom will now be our new chief operations officer. He will head up operations over all of our subsidiaries and of courseTheVine, so you will report directly to him.” I watched Tom’s confidence soar as he squared his shoulders and sat a bit straighter.
“I don’t think so, Mr. Danvers. This is a huge step. I’m not sure I’m ready for this.” Her eyes shifted to the writers on the other side of my office window, busily working but with one eyepinned on what was happening in the room. “What will people think? We have a huge lawsuit going on right now and I’m?—”
“Not the least bit involved for now, Haley.” I saw how she shied away from the opportunity, but after much discussion, all three of us knew she was the right fit. She had the eye for detail and the means to track stories. Her expertise in so many areas made her the ideal fit. “Let Tom and me handle that. You are the one we all want in this role, despite your age. You are more than capable.”
“But…” She sighed and looked at each of us for a moment before continuing. “I think I’d like a moment to consider this.”
“Haley, we believe in you.” David patted her hand. “It makes sense. There is a reason Richard offered that huge package.”
“Wait, you know about that?” Her face paled.
“Yes, we know,” said Tom. “We intercept all employee emails for security purposes. Only a few of us in management know this, so it’s not something you can discuss with others.” He winked at her. “We want you to stay. And we all want you in this role.”
She shook her head again and covered her face. I knew what she was thinking, and I knew the next part of my plan was what she needed to feel confident in the new position.
“Gentlemen, can you please excuse us for a moment?” I stood for a moment, and they nodded their acceptance of my request. Both of them touched Haley lightly on the shoulder as they rose and left the room one by one. With the door securely shut, I strolled around my desk and took the spot previously occupied by David, resting my hand on her bare knee.
She looked up and offered a sad smile. I could see the tears forming in her eyes. She was overwhelmed by some emotion, elusive enough that she couldn’t speak it to me with others in the room. “Parker, they are saying things about us. Saying I’m sleeping my way to the top. You heard Lauren.”
“And let me remind you that I run this paper. I own it. They can leave if they don’t like my decisions, and that’s final. Got it?” I pushed my finger under her chin and forced her to look at me. “Will they accuse my wife of sleeping her way to the top?”
Haley slowly relented, letting me turn her gaze to mine. She stared me directly in the eyes and whimpered, the sweet, melodic way someone does when they can’t speak. She studied me, as if the words I had said to her moved her heart in a way she’d never felt before.
“What?”
“I said, would they question my wife? My partner? The woman I want to be with the rest of my life?” I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small, white gold band with the quarter-carat diamond set into it. Her eyes turned toward my hand as I held it out. “I’ve known only one other woman who could touch my heart the way you have, Haley, and I called her Mom. I would be stupid to let you out of my life. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life, and if you asked me to sell the paper and give away every cent to my name, I would.”
