“Just think about it, OK? It wouldn’t happen for another two weeks. I probably shouldn’t even be telling you they’re interested, but I want you to be prepared when the call comes.”
The first thought that sprang to my mind wasn’t about hockey. It was about the end of our omelet and wine nights. The end of waking up wrapped around Sidney and starting our days with sex and a shared pot of coffee.
But that didn’t seem to be a consideration for her or, if it was, she didn’t let on.
“This is a great opportunity for you,” she said. “I know that once you get called up, they’ll want to keep you.”
And we’d be over. Between my travel schedule for the new team and her balancing work in Fenway and New York, we’d rarely see each other.
“I’m gonna change and just respond to a couple of text messages. I’ll be back in a sec,” she said, walking away.
I wanted to tell her to stop. I wanted to ask her if she had any emotional investment in our relationship, or if it was just great sex to her. But I couldn’t bring myself to say the words. What if her reputation as the Ice Queen wasn’t just about owning a hockey team? What if her heart was off limits, too?
We spent the rest of the evening talking about the game, eating dinner and drinking wine, but my mind was elsewhere, and so was Sid’s. I knew she had a lot going on right now. I kept thinking about what a move to Indy would mean to me . . . to us. I turned in early, telling Sid my body hurt too much for sex. That wasn’t a total lie, though. Weak as it made me feel, it was actually my heart that was hurting.Sidney
I was starting to feel the pressure of trying to keep all the balls in the air. Managing three different business ventures was not always easy. This morning I had to squeeze three hours of work into the two hours I had before my flight left for New York. I walked into my office, dropped my bag on the credenza and took a deep, cleansing breath. I sat down and opened my email.
“Sid,” Barb was poking her head into my office. “You have a second?”
“Uh . . .”
“I know you don’t, but it’s important.”
I waved her in and she closed the door behind her, walking over to my desk and handing me a tall cup of coffee from my favorite coffee shop.
“Thanks for this. What’s up?” I asked, sliding on my reading glasses.
“You need to call Henry Walsh.”
“Ugh. Right now?”
Henry Walsh was a billionaire real estate investor whom I liked and respected. But I didn’t want to call him in my current frenzied mood.
“Henry’s very upset. He’s left multiple messages for you and has never gotten a call back.”
My mouth dropped open in shock. “Henry? Henry Walsh? What the hell? Why didn’t I get those messages?”
“Nicole and I divided up some tasks last week so she’d have more work. One of her jobs is managing phone messages and return calls.”
Elbows on my desk, I let my head fall into my hands. “I wonder what other messages haven’t been delivered.”
“I’m sorry, I should have given her something else to do,” Barb said. “Managing your calls is important. I goofed up.”
I looked up at her. “Important, yes, but also very easy. You’re sure Nicole knows this was expected of her? That she knows how to handle the task?”
Barb slid a sheet of paper toward me.
“I laid out responsibilities for both of us in writing and we both signed it and we each kept a copy.”
“Oh, Barb,” I said. “This whole thing has been so stressful for you.”
“Sidney, I’ve been putting this off, but you and I need to talk. You have high standards for yourself and for your employees. I’ve always liked that about you. It makes all of us bring our A-game to our job. Do you know how many people would love a shot to get in the door to work with you?
I knew where this conversation was headed and I was mad about not having initiated it myself.
“She doesn’t deserve to stay, Sidney.”
I nodded slowly, feeling deflated. “You’re right, Barb. I hired her because her mom was a mentor to me, and I wanted to do something to help her daughter get a leg up in the business world. I’ve put up with too much for too long because of it. But, worse than that, I’m sorry for the stress it’s created for you and everyone else in the front office. I’ll fire her. Today.”
“Good. Just remember, you aren’t doing anyone a favor by condoning her behavior. She’s been given plenty of opportunities to straighten up. This is the right decision.”