Taking Courage (10 page)

“Yes.
You're right.”

“Besides,
they're a bunch of teddy bears.”

“I
keep hearing that. It's starting to feel like a bad omen.” She did a final
save, closed down her files, and gathered her notes. “I thought Keller was
supporting me, but I can't be certain, not really.”

“Try
not to worry about Keller. He likes poking at things to see what you're made
of. You've been here for two days, and you know plenty more about this project
than I thought possible. You know what you're talking about, remember that,
okay.”

“Is
that an order?”

“I'm
suspecting you're trying to postpone your walk down the hall to the board
room.”

“Not
me, Sir.” She pulled at the edge of her skirt, revealing more of her thigh.

“If
you were, I'd consider swapping out your current plug for the next size.”

“Nope,
I'm good.” She stood up straight. “Let's go.”

“Good
girl.”

The
board room was twice as large as the conference rooms she'd been meeting in,
and the polished table was a work of art with the inlaid wood pattern. A chill
rattled through her body. They must keep the room colder than the other rooms
in the building. She didn't need any more encouragement to awaken her nerves.
One look at Keller threw her straight into panic.

She
searched the room for Simon. He was talking with a man at the other end of the
table. The desire to run out of the room fought with her need to stay and work
through her fears. She wanted to claim she didn't need her father. She couldn't
exchange needing her Dad, to needing Simon. If she did, she'd be changing one
jail for another.

Now
was not the time to debate her strengths.

It
was scoping time.
Time to bring everyone in the room to one
understanding.
She didn't know this group, but she'd been in this
situation countless times. She logged into the system built into the conference
table and brought up her presentation.

“Janna.”

She
looked up and found Keller hovering over her.

“Can
I have a word with you in my office?”

“Sure.”
What could he have to take about now? Her presentation was supposed to be
begin
. Nerves from all over her body took off at a sprinter’s
pace making her stomach turn.

They
walked in silence to his office. Keller opened his door, and she slid past him,
almost afraid he'd bite by the look he threw her way. He continued his silent
treatment while he closed the door and sat at his desk.

“How
would you describe your relationship with your parents?”

“I'm
not sure why that should be your concern.”

“Well,
usually it isn't.” He watched her for a minute. “I know you left your family
back in Detroit, which isn't out of the ordinary of course, but sometimes it
can be a sign of problems to come.”

Shit, what does he
know?

“I
have a good relationship with my mom. My father is a bit opinionated. I think
some time apart is good on both sides.

“I
received a few calls from him this week.”

“You what?”
Her mouth dried,
and colors blurred across her vision. She should have guessed when he called today
that she wouldn’t be able to dismiss him that easily. Her father usually had a nasty
trick up his sleeve.

“I've
never gotten a call from an employee's father, especially one that insisted I
fire his daughter. He claimed this move was just a way to negotiate more in
your allowance.”

Tears
swam in her eyes, and her body turned cold. It was like a slap in the face.
Janna hadn't asked for an allowance since she took on her first job in high
school. She'd always wanted to pay her own way.

Her
fairytale crumbled around her. Was she to get shucked back to her family and
never know the life she wanted?

“Have
you talked to him recently?”

No
wonder Keller had called her into his office. She had a lunatic for a father,
which must make her foolish as well. She was foolish to think she could ever
get what she wanted. No matter what she did, or how far away she got, her
father would try to find a way to put her back under his thumb.

She
stared out the window and dreamed of the life that was almost hers.

So close.

“Janna?”

“Yes,
sorry.” She shook her head. “We talked this morning. He tried to convince me to
come home with the promise of a great position at his friend's company.”

“I
see.”

“My
father has always run my life. He decided which high school, which college,
which major. He used his connections to get me my first job. Not one thing did
I do on my own.”

“That's
no longer true. You were offered this job on your own merits. I interviewed you,
and that conversation convinced me to offer you a career here. Also, you made
the decision to come here.”

She
looked up at Keller. Did he understand? Could he possibly understand what this
change in her life meant to her?

“Yes,
I made the decision to take this job and move here.” Her shoulders relaxed, and
she sat up straighter. “My father’s worked hard for everything he has, and he’s
made a comfortable life. I was walking blindly behind him until he negotiated
my marriage.”

She
looked at the walls of Keller's office and tried to distract herself with the
intricate pattern of the panels. Memories flooded her thoughts. She knew now
that her sham of a marriage had only one up side, and it was all business.
Mike's dad was on the board of a country club her dad wanted to join, and Mike
wanted to do business with her dad. She tried not to think of it much, but now that
she did, she felt sick. Used.

“Mike?”

“You
know about him?”

“Just from the background check.”

“Right.”
She hadn't
thought how her bad decisions would be on display for every employer here on
out. How humiliating.

“Janna,
with your history and his actions, things can play out in two ways. One, you
can go home to your father. Let him continue to control your life. The end
result may not mean happiness for you, but you'll live comfortably. I'm sure.”
He got up and walked around his desk. “Or two, stand your ground. Refuse to let
him intrude on your life and your fresh start.”

“I
never lied to you.” She looked up at him.

“I
know.” He smiled and sat next to her in his other guest chair, just like he did
that first night at the club. “Can't blame me for testing you though, right?”

“No.
My father can be awfully convincing.” The need to get past the humiliation
outweighed her feelings of injustice. “Thank you for taking the time to
understand my situation.”

“To
be honest, it’s not just you I’m concerned for. My team is already attached to
you. They need your leadership on this project.” He leaned towards her.
“Forgive me. I must press a little more. Now that you've gotten a little taste
of what life can be like away from your father, I'm sure the comforts of home
are tempting, and he's probably found your dream job. Are you considering it?”

“Of course not.”

“Are
you being honest with yourself?”

“I
am.” Her dream job alone should not have the ability to pull her out of her
adventure. Was she fooling herself into believing she could survive out here
without her family? She wanted to be here. “Of course I am.”

“There
is no shame in changing your mind. It doesn't mean anything.”

“Sure,
I know. I have plenty of practice in changing my mind.” She wrung her hands
together and fought the fear of inevitability. She might not make it here.

“I'm
not concerned about your determination. Your father’s choices worry me, and I'm
concerned my team, who is anxious to lean on you, is going to lose you. This
project is mighty important to my company, and I don't like playing things
loose with our vitality.”

“Sir,
if you can forget about my father, so will I. I chose to be here. I choose to
be here. I don't want to leave.”

“Well,
that makes me feel a lot better. Thank you for the Sir. It was a nice touch.”
He stood and led her to the door.

“That's
it?”

“Yes,
I would have come to you sooner, but I know you've been working hard all day
and I'd hoped we'd be able to sweep this under the rug. But I advise you to
talk to Simon. He doesn't like hearing about things secondhand.”

****

Each
time the board room door opened, Simon's relief floated to the top and then
sank when it was just another board member. What could Keller have to know at
this moment? Janna should be handling the last minute prep for her
presentation, not getting quizzed about Keller's latest concern.

Simon
crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the wall. The door opened
again, and Marcus poked his head in.

“Where's
Janna?”

“Keller
has her.” Simon shoved off the wall and pushed Marcus back and out of the room.

“Do
you know if she needs anything?”

“I
think she has everything under control.” The men in this office needed to leave
Janna alone and let her do her thing. “What are you still doing here?”

“I
thought I'd finish up my current project. I want to be ready for Janna
tomorrow.” Marcus picked up his stride to keep up with Simon. “You've gotten to
know Janna a bit. Can I ask your opinion?”

“Sure,
why not?”

“I
noticed she's on the trainee roster now at the club. Do you think she might
consider giving Club Blind a try?”

Simon
stopped, but shoved his hands in his pockets instead of shoving Marcus against
the wall. Janna wasn't his official sub. She was his trainee, but even that
wasn't official yet, and if she wanted to try out the new club he couldn't stop
her.

“Have
I overstepped?” Marcus walked back to where Simon had stopped.

“No, not at all.
Janna's just
starting her journey, and new experiences are things she needs to consider.”

“Thanks,
Simon.” He patted Simon on the back. “I'm going to get some of my work done and
talk to her after the board meeting.”

Simon
made a mental note to hit the gym on his way home tonight. The tight energy
rolling over him had him twitching and itching to hit something.

Anne
was still at her desk when he arrived at Keller's door.

“Are
Keller and Janna still in there?”

“They
sure are, but I think they'll be done soon.”

“I
don't know why he needed to do this now.”

“I'd
think you of all people would want him to.” She picked up a stack of papers and
walked to the tall filing cabinet along the wall. She opened a drawer, and she
walked through the files. “I sure hope Janna decides to stay. I think a lot of
people would miss her around here.” Anne shoved the paper into a folder, shoved
the drawer closed, and came back to her desk. “Are you okay, Simon?”

“I'm
fine.”

“Let
me get you a glass of water.”

“No,
I'll just head back to the board room.” He turned to leave and then turned back
around. “Thanks, Anne.”

Chapter Seven

She'd
tell Simon tonight, but first she had to rub out this ugly business and get her
head back in the game. Tonight, she'd prove her worth, not only to the team,
but to herself.

She
found Simon in the board room the second her foot got past the door. He tilted
his head, and she nodded in response. He had her back. She could do this.

Keller
stepped in beside her at the large table. “Thank you for coming in tonight,
everyone.” The room quieted. “I've found a new gem for our team. Janna Hall is
a Certified Project Manager from Detroit. She's been running projects like ours
for a few years now. We are in for a real treat tonight.”

He
made eye contact with her, and she stopped breathing. Her nerves worked
overtime to have a front row seat. She swallowed back the temptation to give
them control.

“Janna,
please take us through your findings.”

The
presentation started well. Only a couple questions were asked, and Janna had
the answers. The first sign of trouble came from a man at the back of the room
during the discussion of the timeline.

“That's
not going to work, Janna. We need to have this project done before we can
release our next prototype.”

“Colin.”

All
eyes in the room turned to Keller.

The
urge to ask why no one had mentioned it before almost slipped from her lips.
She clasped her hands in her lap and forced her shoulders down. Had Keller
withheld the piece of information on purpose?