Slipperless (4 page)

I’d been through nearly a dozen now, all of them not making the cut for one reason or another. But, Holly--she was the pick of the litter. Did I mention she was stunning? It would disingenuous for me to say I hadn’t been tempted. I didn't have to ask—I know she felt the same way.

But more important than getting my dick wet was having her respect, especially when it came to someone in a role like hers. Because the simple fact was that whatever momentary pleasure I would gain from a conquest of her paled in comparison to the rewards I reaped in other ways by restraining myself from my desire to have her.

I paid her, and paid her well mind you, and I had no doubt in my mind she would give almost anything to defend me. There was no way to put a price on that kind of loyalty so why would I want to ruin it by taking a chance on a roll in the hay? I’d be a fool. Even so, we both enjoyed the banter, hints of what could be if circumstances were a bit different. If nothing else, it kept things spiced up around the office.

In any case, we kept it professional, with flirting optional.

“Thanks sweetheart,” I said, as I took from her. Spinning it around, I gave the papers a quick perusal to make sure there were no glaring omissions. As I leafed through the stack of pages, I noticed Holly fidget with her clothing a bit in my peripheral vision.

“Did you need something my dear?” I asked, without looking up at her.

“No, I just wanted to know if I can’t get you anything. Some coffee?”

I turned away from her as she spoke. Passing through the threshold to my office, I muttered, “Mmm, hmm. That’s fine.”

“Gabe,” she said, one last time. “Your coat.”

“Uh huh,” I grumbled, as I continued without stopping.

A few seconds later, I slid into my chair and rolled it under my desk. Leaning into the firmness of the leather, I placed the documents outlining of the details of my company’s biggest project to-date in front of me.

It was a breakthrough and sure to be worth nearly a trillion dollars in market value down the road. Even so, there was a lot to overcome in the meantime. Regulators, endless testing, clinical trials and the occasional behind-the-scenes payoff were all part of the world I did business in. Most people would be shocked to discover cutting edge life-saving protocols were no more free of corruption than any other industry where billions, if not trillions, were at stake.

But that was the way of the world. Mine anyway.

Even so, getting to a stage where those issues reached a level of practical concern would require a significant amount of money. By my back-of-the-envelope math, I pegged the number at about five times the value of everything I owned. Needless to say, I was looking for investors with deep pockets and an appetite for risk.

Nothing about this would be easy, quick or cheap.

I scanned the responses I’d gotten to my initial feelers. I had contacts around the globe but the best prospects appeared to be in Asia and the Middle East. The good news was that it looked as though we’d get the funding we needed and, even better, without having to give up any equity.

I’d insisted instead on a royalty share agreement, heavily loading payments in the early years. Of course, I didn’t have a single dime from anyone just yet but there’d be additional discussions and meetings to finalize things soon enough.

After an exhale, I leaned back in my chair. With this hurdle behind me, for now anyway, things looked to be on track. Just then, Holly rapped against my half-opened office door and as she did, I turned my head in her direction.

“Well?” she asked. “What does it say?”

I frowned at the question. As if there was any doubt about the viability of the Link Protocol.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

“No, Holly, it’s something. What is it?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, you seemed so tense about the proposal.”

I nodded. I had good reason to be. For that matter, so did she and everyone else. On the one hand, it’s not as if we needed this project to stay viable as a company but we had to have a springboard, a catalyst, to make us the undisputed leader in the marketplace.

I was the most competitive person I knew and I had no intention of
not
making that transformation happen. Of course, something of this scale would require the participation of the
entire
company. I couldn't do it alone. And not everyone shared my appetite for risk taking, including the woman standing in my doorway.

I’d learned long ago that people move at their own pace in situations like this. I always got them on board eventually but it was a mix of patience and firmness that got the job done.

“Well,” I began as I leaned back in my chair once more. “We’re looking at close to sixty billion dollars of R&D and marketing, including the investment of my entire personal fortune. I’m not tense so much as I am focused. You get the difference?”

“Right. Yes, I do,” Holly said, as she attempted to change subjects. “Would you like your coffee now? It’s ready.”

She nodded and started to turn around.

“Holly, wait one second.”

“Yes?”

I patted the stack of papers. Now that we’d progressed to this stage, I’d need to step things up internally before going any further.

“Um, I’ll need to brief the lab team members. See to it they are assembled in the conference room tomorrow morning. There’s no time to waste.”

Holly expression changed from curiosity to focus.

“Do you want Colin and the rest of the senior staff or should everyone be present?”

I considered her question for a moment. But then almost as quickly, I made up my mind.

“I want the entire staff there. It will be far easier and more efficient. That way we won’t have to waste a lot of time going back and forth later on with questions.”

“All right,” she replied. “What time?”

“Ten o’clock.”

FIONA

“Honey, no. I can’t allow you to get in any more debt on my behalf. What is it up to now anyway?”

I’d lived with my grandmother, Alice, since I was eleven years old, after the accident. As she finished speaking, I reached down and rubbed her on the arm. Beneath the soft sheer fabric, I gently squeezed her and felt the thinness of her disease-ravaged body. It was as if almost nothing remained of her any longer, in a physical sense that is, although she was hardly into her early seventies.

Swallowing hard, I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter, Grandmother. Whatever it is, it is.”

“No dear,” she replied. A frown came to her once pink-skin, now made gray and dull by the illness which ate away at her from the inside out. She’d battled cancer six times successfully during the past twenty odd years but recently we’d learned it had returned with a vengeance. Shaking her head, she continued, “I know it’s got to be at least half a million by now. Why are you keeping it from me?”

Actually it was $568,778, give or take a few dollars. But, it could have been ten million for all I cared. She’d lost her insurance coverage and as a result she’d been refused treatment a few years ago, since she lacked the ability to pay. If there was any chance of keeping her alive, I didn’t care how much it cost, I was willing to pay it.

But, she did care. And she was stubborn, not to mention proud.

“I don’t want to do anymore treatment,” she sighed, as her head, now thinly covered with fine, white hair, collapsed back into the pillow. “I’m tired, Fiona, and you’re going to go broke. You’ve already used all the money from your parents. That was supposed to be for you, your education and your future. This can’t continue.”

“Grandmother, please…” I begged. I’d kept my tears from her as I best I could over the years. But now, with each day that passed, it grew more difficult to mask my grief. “Don’t say that. You’re all I have left. If I lose you, there’ll be no one. And I’m not going to go broke. I should hear about the job any day now. If I don’t get that one, I’ll find another. Whatever it takes. I'm not giving up, and you can’t either.”

My hand fell away from her arm. I tugged at the sleeves of my flannel nightshirt, squeezing them into the palms of my hands.

Exhaustion overwhelmed her once again and my grandmother closed her eyes. It was about time for breakfast, and before I’d come in to check on her, I’d started a pot of coffee. The telltale aroma found its way to my nose and as it did, I glanced around the room to make sure things were as they should be.

Caring for a woman in her condition was almost like having another full-time job. Although she was able to get around with a walker, she spent most of her time in bed, resting.

I barely managed as it was, and I worried that if she were to get any worse, I’d have to hire a live-in nurse which, of course, I couldn’t afford. The good news was I had few days off while I waited to hear back on my interview from Hawkins Biotech, so for now anyway, I could take care of her myself.

I sighed a little as my eyes traveled back to her.

“Grandmother,” I began. “I’ll be right back. Did you take your medication?”

She nodded but didn’t speak.

A small smile came to my lips. She could be sneaky about it sometimes.

“Okay, I don’t need to check, do I?”

“No, dear.”

Just in case, I paused for moment and studied her face for signs of deception. Not seeing any, I nodded.

“All right.”

With that, I turned and walked out of the room. Our apartment was small but big enough for the two of us. I preferred to think of it as cozy. And anyway, it was all I could afford. My socks slid on the linoleum a bit as I exited my grandmother’s bedroom and walked towards the kitchen. But no sooner had I done so than my mobile phone started to ring. I continued to the kitchen, increasing the pace of my steps in anticipation.

“Please let that be them…” I muttered, as I battled a burgeoning swarm of butterflies in my stomach.

A moment or so later, I entered the kitchen and  focused my attention on the chiming, buzzing device. Grabbing it, I noticed it was the number Mr. Doyle had given to me after the interview.

“Just once,” I whispered before answering.

“Fiona?” Mr. Doyle said, as his voice came over the line for the first time.

“Yes. Hello Mr. Doyle.”

“Oh good, I’m glad I got you. Sorry about calling so early in the morning like this. And please, it’s Colin.”

I’d already begun to pace back and forth as soon as I picked up the phone. With every word he spoke, I bit into my lip and squeezed my free hand tighter and tighter.

“It’s fine,” I began. “No problem at all. Mr. D... Colin.”

“Good,” he replied. “Yes, well. I’ve got a bit of news for you. I'm afraid it’s of the good and bad type though.”

“Mmm, hmm,” I muttered. Flexing my jaw in response, I bit down so hard with my molars on the inside of my cheek, I almost split my mouth open.

“Are you all right, Fiona?”

His words lingered in my ear for a moment.
Was I?
Aside from the overwhelming feeling of lightheadedness that struck me in that moment, I seemed to be. Just in case, I plopped down into a kitchen table chair and pulled my legs up to my chest, hugging them close.

“Yes, I’m fine,” I lied. “I'm sorry, Colin. Please continue.”

My hesitation hadn’t gone unnoticed. He followed mine with a moment or two of his own.

“Um, how about we start with the good news?” he said with a rising tone.

Great, way to go Fiona. Now he’s going to think you’re an absolute nut.

Cursing myself as I thinned my lips at my behavior, I let out a slow exhale. I did my best to make it subtle enough that I hoped it wouldn’t give him more cause for concern.

“That sounds good.” I replied. “I’m um, sorry about that Colin.”

“Don’t mention it, Fiona. It’s understandable to be a bit nervous.” Reassurance laced his words, calming me as he continued. “Fiona I must say that of all the applicants we had for the position, you were far and away the best. So, without any further delay, I’d like to offer you the position.”

Without thinking, I slapped my flannel-covered hand to my mouth, stifling a gasp. I fought for breath as feelings of relief coursed through my veins. At the same instant, I sensed the heat of tears rush into my eyes. It threatened to put an end to my ability to reply without gulping air at the same time. But, mercifully, my swell of emotion went by unnoticed for the moment, as Colin continued to speak.