Chapter. 24

From what I could tell in the staff meetings, there was a healthy mix of ages and demographics at the Gibbons Group. Nothing like the board room at Martin Enterprises, where almost everyone was thirty years my senior. No wonder Todd and I had been thrust together so often.

In addition to my new coworkers, the pitch project was going amazing. I kept bugging Damon, looking for more to do, addicted to the feedback loop and the independence of tackling entire projects on my own.

“You’ve got your work, now leave me alone.” Damon shooed me away with his folder before he answered the phone. “Good morning! How are you?”

So friendly. Unlike he’d been a few seconds ago. The warmth of his voice made my morning coffee buzz in my tummy as I went back to my office.

I got settled at my desk and was halfway done with my task when the landline rang.

The receptionist said, “Hello Miss Martin, there are two—oh, hang on a second. What was that, sir? Do you still—”

Two familiar voices ranted in the background.

“I can’t believe she’s actually here!” Dad fumed.

“It might be another Alina Martin,” Todd said.

I froze, clutching the handset. What were they doing here?

“Hello?” I tried.

“Please calm down, sir,” the receptionist said, clearly distracted.

“You get my daughter out here this instant, before I have you arrested for kidnapping!”

“Perhaps you’d better speak to a security officer,” the receptionist said, now sounding uneasy.

“I’ll be right there!” I slammed the phone down and jogged past the rows of cubicles, barely even registering Hyunsoo’s head popping up over the divider.

“Where’s the fire?” he asked.

“Desk! Dad!”

“What?”

“Don’t worry about it!” I called, turning the corner past Marianne’s desk and coming face to face with my red-faced, flailing father. And Todd.

“Dad, what are you doing here?” I asked. “How did you find me?”

“You kept turning off your location, so I finally had someone tail you,” he railed, “and this is where I found you? The lair of the enemy?”

“They’re not the enemy. This is a business.” I kept my cool and shook my head, internally horrified that he’d go to the lengths of hiring someone to tail me behind my back instead of trusting me—or even just asking me about where I went!

He waved his arms. “Who poisoned you against us? I want names!”

I’d never seen him like this! Even Marianne edged back from her chair, covering her mouth as she spoke into her phone.

“No one. I left because I wasn’t happy at Martin Enterprises. Let’s go somewhere private to talk about—”

“I’m taking you home right now, young lady! Todd, pack her bag! I assume your luggage is still in your office?”

My jaw fell open. “You can’t be serious.”

But then Todd walked towards me with a measured, apologetic smile. “Hey, Alina, where’s your office?”

“I’m not letting you anywhere near it!” I spread my stance, not that they’d be able to get past me without Marianne buzzing them in. “You are both being completely unprofessional. I demand that you leave immediately. I will call you later to discuss this.”

The door opened behind me, and I shifted to let whoever it was through. Todd’s pupils shrank in beguiled shock. “Heworks here?” Todd asked.

Damon wrapped a firm hand on my shoulder, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. “Hello, gentlemen. Alina asked you to leave. I think that’d be best.”

Dad scowled, his rage quieting to a stew. “You don’t know what’s best for her. It certainly isn’t this place!”

“Yeah, the Gibbons Group is nothing compared to Martin Enterprises,” Todd scoffed. “Come on, Alina. Let’s go back together.”

I angled my shoulders away from them, Damon’s chest warm at my arm. “Clearly, neither of you has learned to respect me.”

Dad shook his hand at Damon. “You think running to him is respectful?”

“Yes, it is.” I crossed my arms. “I got the job I wanted. Damon and I understand one another.”

“That boy is using you!” Dad cried. “Can’t you see it? He’ll leave you again! But this time, he can affect your career!”

I stiffened. My heart and my savings fund were totally safe. This was just an arrangement, and we had a contract. “If it doesn’t work out—”

“It will,” Damon said, firmly stepping out from behind me. “And if it didn’t, I wouldn’t harass her, like you’re doing. Now, you can either leave, or I will have you escorted off the premises.”

Right on time, security arrived at the elevator. A skittish Todd circled around my father and tugged at his sleeves.

Dad gave me one last pleading look. “Alina…”

I shook my head, practically shaking with anger and adrenaline. How could he continue to humiliate me? “If you ever come back here or have someone tail me again, I’ll be forced to issue a cease and desist.”

He blinked, taken aback. “You would do that to your own father?”

“I would do that to anyone who harassed me in this manner.” I shot a warning look at Todd, who drew back towards the elevators.

“What? I didn’t do anything. I’m just here as backup,” Todd insisted.

“Then back up, and stay out of my way,” I demanded.

Todd squinted—conniving, I’d bet. But there was no way he’d get into the Gibbons Group. Especially not with our security detail guiding him and my somber father to the elevators.

When they were out of earshot, I finally unclenched my fists and addressed Marianne and Damon. “I’m so sorry. I never thought they’d behave like that.”

“Me neither.” Damon watched them retreat, the overhead lights bright in his thoughtful gaze. “This should make the golf trip nice and tense.”

“What golf trip?” I followed him back to his office, trying to scan my memory for any tournaments my dad went to, distracted by the set of clubs Damon pulled from his closet.

“Oh, it’s an event for one of the big accounts.” He gestured to a picture on the wall of a bunch of men in sponsored polos. “They have all their vendors and bigwigs out for a golf day to get to know each other, raffle off stuff, get free drinks, I’m pretty sure it’s a charity writeoff…”

“That sounds great!”

He arched an eyebrow. “Which part?”

“It’s an opportunity to network, to find our next big win.” My fingers danced over his clubs. “You know, I was determined not to compete with Martin Enterprises when I left, but after today, I’m more convinced than ever they need an ego check,” I said, the metal slicking as I drew a club out of its sheath.

“What did you have in mind?”

“I think you could use an inside scoop on the other players. You need a ringer.” I smiled, feeling feral as I laid the club across my shoulders in an ode to our baseball days. “Or a shark.”