Now Iknewhe was full of it. "But that can't be true," I protested. "Inever got a bonus, not even once. Sure, there were prizes at the party – gift cards mostly – but those were all by chance. It's not like everyone got one."
"Right. But undermyplan, you would've. And just so we're clear, I mean a bonus in December, not a gift card in July."
A bitter scoff escaped my lips. "No, I wouldn’t have."
"Why not?"
I almost hated to say it. "Because I quit in the summer."
"Yeah, and you rememberwhyyou quit?"
Boy, did I ever."It was because of what happened at the party. But I still might've quit anyway."
"You might've," he admitted. "Or you might've stayed on." He gave me a significant look. "With a pay raise and better health insurance."
A raise? And better insurance, too?"Seriously?"
"Yeah, I was revamping the benefits."
"ButInever heard about that."
"Right. Because you quit."
As the ramifications hit home, my thoughts churned with something that felt a lot like regret. Absently, I murmured, "Tell me something Idon'tknow."
"Alright. Here's something." As I listened, Cole went on to explain that before he purchased Winterville Chocolates, the company had been in danger of being swallowed up by a global hedge fund.
Unlike Cole, who'd kept the company intact, the fund's managers had been planning to sell off the brand and all of its properties, including the building where I'd worked for three mostly happy years.
The thought nearly made me shiver. "But what about the employees?"
"They would've lost their jobs."
I gulped. "Everyone?"
"Everyone. Even Grampkin."
For what felt like the millionth time, I said, "ButInever heard anything."
"Right. Because the family kept it under wraps."
"You mean the family who founded the company? But that's Mister Grampkin's family."
"I know," Cole said, "which explains why they kept him on. If the guy hadn't been family, he would've been fired years ago."
All of this was news tome."But why?"
"You know why," Cole said. "He was running the place into the ground."
I knew no such thing."But if he was so terrible, why didyoukeep him on? I mean, when you bought the company, you could've fired him first thing. But you didn't."
"Yeah," Cole scoffed, "because he had a contract through the end of the year."
"He did?"
Cole nodded. "Iron clad."
I recalled the day of the party. "But you still fired him."
