Sarah turned to face Eden, her hand on her open locker door. “What would you do? The product is looking useless. Would you spend more money on it?”
“I wouldn’t waste time and money on unlikely products, but we desperately need new concepts in this line,” Eden said, meeting Sarah’s question unflinchingly. “I’d have an open conversation with Roberte Bergere. He comes highly recommended by his successes. His perspective on this formulation, and on anti-aging products in general, would be very valuable. I’ve learned to gather all the data before making that large a monetary decision.”
“You do tend to canvas opinions,” Sarah said, nodding.
Eden shrugged, feeling like she’d past a small test. “We can always terminate the funding if the next reports aren’t more promising. Some products take commitment. We have a lot to gain. The older population still has a discretionary income we can’t afford to ignore.”
There was no arguing with this reality. A successful anti-aging cream was gold. That was part of the reason Eden knew she had to keep Alex as in the dark as Michele about the true anti-aging results.
“I agree that we need to build our market share with an older demographic,” Sarah Briggs said, taking her gym bag out of her locker and shutting the door. “You have a good handle on things, Eden.”
***
“So Doyle actually called you when he was in the middle of his rehab session? Wow, that’s devotion. He was just checking in?” Jess asked, her head emerging as she pulled on a bright orange turtleneck sweater.
Eden grinned. “His exact words were that I shouldn’t get too comfortable handling production because he’s getting better every day.”
“Doyle McKenzie always was a stubborn guy,” Jessica said, laughing. “If anyone can make it back from that bad an accident in six months, he can.”
“I certainly hope so,” Eden responded. “I’m about to drowned with handling my work, Doyle’s work that his assistant, Pat, can’t do, plus Wendi.”
“Speaking of handling the Wendi situation,” her friend said, tugging the orange sweater into place, “how did your game with Sarah Briggs go? Did you tell her about Wendi stealing money at her last job?”
“No, I’m holding that out a little longer. But our racquetball game went pretty well.” Eden smirked into the dressing room mirror. “She told me she thinks I have a ‘good handle’ on some company situations.”
“She
said that?
She said you have a good handle on things?” Jessica asked.
“Yes.” Eden grinned across the dressing room at her blond friend. “You’re not seriously going to buy an orange sweater.”
“I might,” Jess said, turning to look at herself in the mirror. “I feel invisible sometimes. You know, that mommy-thing. Greg’s wife and Haylie’s mom. Period.”
“You’re very visible, no matter what you wear. And even if you wanted to perk up your image, is orange the way to go?”
“Maybe not,” Jessica agreed reluctantly after looking at herself in the mirror. She pulled the sweater over her head and tossed it in the corner of the dressing room. “I’m just tired of feeling like background noise. You know, like wallpaper. Invisible.”
“Good grief,” Eden bent to pick up a hanger. “You should go back to work, girl. Not that that’s how anyone sees you, but if you’re feeling that way, definitely go back to work. Hell, when I’m CEO of Michele Cosmetics, I’ll hire you myself.”
Jessica made a face in the mirror as she took a pair of magenta pants off the hanger. “I can’t go back to work now. I don’t know what I’d do with Haylie. The day care thing just isn’t a comfortable fit and it’s not like we can’t afford a nanny, but I don’t want someone other than her parents to look after my kid. Maybe it’s time for Greg to stay home awhile.”
Then as if she’d just heard the last part of Eden’s comment, Jess swiveled around, staring at Eden. “You’re really going to do it, aren’t you? You’re going to bump Michele Broussard out of her own company.”
“Don’t say it like that!” Eden tried to keep the sharp note out of her voice. Every time she saw Michele in the hallway or at a staff meeting, she felt torn. How was it possible to feel such resentment and guilt, at the same time?
“I know, I know.” Jessica stepped into the brightly-hued pants. “If you don’t take the company, Alex will. I don’t suppose Michele and Wendi could fight him off for long.”
“I don’t know,” Eden said reflexively as she stared in the mirror at her reflection. The gray pantsuit with the deep red shirt actually fit her fairly well. “I don’t know if they could avoid a takeover, but if he tells them about my dear uncle George, I know I’ll be out of a job. Wendi would salivate at the thought of getting something on me.”
“Good thing you’ve got something on her,” Jess commented. “That’s a good suit. You should get it.”
“Maybe.” Eden began unbuttoning the jacket. “Anyway, my guilt aside, Sarah seemed responsive. Racquetball seems to be the way into her good graces.”
“She liked you aside from the racquetball,” Jessica reminded Eden. “You said you played horribly.”
“Not horribly,” Eden protested. “Just not well.”
Her friend grinned. “And you’re actually going to take lessons?”
“One lesson, anyway,” Eden tried not to sound gloomy. “Monday at lunch time with some guy who calls himself Adolpho.”
“Woo hoo,” Jessica hooted. “I’ll bet he’s got great abs and spends his days shaving his chest and working out.”
“If you’re a personal trainer, you have to spend a lot of time working out,” Eden agreed.
“Adolpho!” Jess chortled. “I’m going to leave a note on Alex’s Porsche. He should know he’s got a rival.”
“You’re nuts.” Unable to keep from laughing, Eden said, “Alex doesn’t know it, but Adolpho is the least of his problems.”
“Hey,” her friend said with a meaningful smile. “Are you really going to be able to double-cross a guy who made you soup when you had the flu? I’m not so sure.”
Sobering, Eden reflected she had a growing concern regarding that issue. Damn, every way she turned she ran into guilt.
“He betrayed me first!” she insisted.
“I know,” Jessica commiserated, “but that fact still doesn’t make it easy to do something that’s just not part of your nature.”
“Maybe not,” Eden said grimly, “but you do what you have to do.”
***
The school gymnasium echoed with the squeaks and thunder of twelve kid-sized pair of athletic shoes, interspersed with the
thunk-thunk
of the basketball as whichever girl had the ball tried to dribble it.
From the bleachers, seated next to Alex’s sister, Lauren, Eden let the noise roll over her. A small, compact woman, Alex’s sister was pleasant without being effusive. She had long dark hair the same brown as her brother’s although her eyes were a cloudier dark blue. She looked like Alex facially, but had a quietness about her that Alex, with his aura of power mogul, never had.
On the basketball court in front of her, Alex bent forward talking earnestly to a small intent kid.
This just kept getting worse.
A self-made multimillionaire who brought his girlfriend soup when she was sick, donated big money for hospice care and…actually made time to coach his niece’s basketball team.
The guy was a beleaguered female executive’s best daydream/worst nightmare all rolled up in one. The perfect guy who was trying to steal her company.
“They’re getting better,” Lauren said, raising her voice to be heard. “Their skills.”
“Really?” For the life of her, Eden couldn’t see any skill in the melee of baggy-trunk-wearing skinny girls on the court.
“Alex said they have several kids who could end up in the Olympics,” Lauren confided, her voice pitched a decibel above the roar in the gym. “I don’t know what he bases that on, though. They just seem like a bunch of girls running around.”
Alex’s sister smiled at Eden, a steady good humor in her face.
“Yes,” Eden agreed. “That’s what they look like to me, too. But they seem to be having fun.”
The ref blew a piercing whistle shriek that brought the confusion on the floor over to the sidelines, where Alex’s team gathered around him.
The noise reduced momentarily, Lauren said in a more normal voice, “They do have fun with him. He’s a hoot with the girls.”
From the huddle of seven and eight-year olds clustered around Alex, he could be heard saying earnestly, “You’ve got to dribble the ball. At least, look like you’re trying to dribble. Sometimes that’s enough. And Clara, when you’re out there guarding, don’t be afraid to spread out a little, honey. You get teased for having bony elbows, but they can be our friends. If you bump into a member of the other team, well, that’s too bad!”
The cluster of girls burst into giggles, clearly catching his meaning.
From several rows up in the bleachers, Eden shook her head, laughing a little. “Good grief.”
“He calls it real world coaching,” his sister said with a hint of disapproval. “I keep telling him they can win by just playing better, but he says part of playing better is making the most of your abilities. He counts Clara’s elbows as ‘abilities’.”
With another burst of laughter, the kids left Alex on the sidelines, swarming back onto the court with the whistle.
“He’s really good with them,” she couldn’t help saying.
Lauren agreed. “I don’t know what I’d do without Alex as a positive male role model for Isabel and Kelsey. He talked the league into letting Kelsey play on the team even though she’s not yet seven. He says it’ll give her ‘character.’ I don’t know about that, but she seems to be having a good time.”
“He’s good at promoting good times,” Eden commented, watching Alex as he paced the sideline, calling out encouragement to his team. Whatever Alex did, he did with complete commitment. “The girls’ father isn’t into sports?”
Lauren’s smile turned sardonic. “He’s just not into his children’s lives.”
“Oh. That’s…stupid.”
“Yes.”
The two women sat watching the game.
Lauren said, “It’s challenging to raise kids these days. Their education is very important, but they need physical activity and self-esteem.”
“I know what you mean,” Eden agreed, thinking of Jessica’s dilemmas. “My friend has a two-year old daughter. She thinks it’s particularly difficult to raise girls. According to Jess, boys are expected to eventually excel in their careers, but girls have the dual responsibility of career and family. Jess is very career-home conflicted right now.”
“Like many other women,” Lauren replied, flashing a rueful smile. “Parenting is all about worrying. You do your best, but there are a lot of things to be concerned about. I, for instance, can’t seem to avoid the reports of the studies that show how important fathers are in girls lives.”
Eden watched Alex, clapping and calling out encouragement as one of his team attempted to get the ball in the basket.
“It looks like your girls have someone filling that role pretty well.”
“Yes, Alex is the best uncle imaginable,” Lauren agreed, her smile turning speculative after a moment. “And today, he even brought his date to make the team’s audience bigger.”
Eden laughed.
“It’s nice of you to spend your Saturday afternoon watching peewee basketball. I understand you have a busy job and a lot of responsibility. You probably cherish weekends.”
“If Alex has been telling you about my job,” Eden returned, “he’s probably mentioned that I don’t normally have weekends. He thinks I spend way too much time obsessing about my job. I should thank your girls for giving me a non-work distraction. And for helping me see this side of Alex.”
“Yes,” Lauren said, turning back to consider the action on the court in front of them. “You know, you’re the only woman he’s invited to the girls’ games. In fact, we don’t usually get to meet his dates.”
For a moment, Eden wasn’t sure she’d heard the other woman’s comment correctly. But the meaningful smile Lauren cast her way confirmed the message in her words. Confused and stupidly—really stupidly—pleased, Eden smiled weakly back.
His sister didn’t know what she was talking about.
It didn’t really matter that Alex had singled her out to include in his family moments. She had to remember the reason he’d begun seeing her at all.
After another few minutes of watching the game, Lauren asked abruptly, “Has Alex told you about his insomnia?”
“No,” Eden said, startled by the suddenness of the seemingly random question.
Lauren’s smile grew even more enigmatic. “Ask him about it sometime.”
“Sure,” Eden said, trying not to sound half-hearted. Alex’s sister seemed like a genuinely nice person…but then Alex had seemed pretty terrific himself, up until she found out he was just using her to get his hands on the company.
Eden sat on the bleachers, surrounded by the echoing noise, wondering if she should have come today. She could have said she had to work or do something else. She didn’t need to see him here in this humanizing setting, didn’t need to have a heart-to-heart chat with his sister.
How the hell was she going to continue the necessary contact with Alex…while keeping herself from getting hurt?
***