The Reunion (3 page)

“Fabulous.  You’re a genius!”  She kissed him on the nose.  “Who's missing?”

“Kaseburg, Stark and Wilson are hold outs.  They think they can do better than the rates we got them.  But we think most of them are coming.  The Rizzolis are bringing their wives and Uncle Pete's kids this time.  Someone said Uncle Pete has a daughter older than me.”

“That was his first marriage and she’s older than me now too.”

“That’s because you lie about your age.”

“Smart ass.”

“Old broad.”  He punched some keys on the laptop.  “Josh says to get the monkey off the keyboard and type your own damn messages.”

“I think he’s referring to your short hand.”

“He doesn’t get these symbols and quick-types.”

“It’s that you can’t spell worth a damn.  You need to find a spell check program for that messenger or use the editor to spell check and cut and paste in.  He’s a teacher, he gets offended when
I
have typos.”

“He said you all turn 15 when you get together.  Is that what happened at Aunt Mae’s funeral?”

“Exactly.”

“What about Uncle Connor?”

“Uncle Connor is a hypercritical, oaf and shouldn’t cast stones.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Biblical references.  Let whomever is without sin cast the first stone… It’s a bible story.”

“Yeah, so?”

“He upset the cousins when he started calling people names.”

“The only one he called any names were you and me.”

“Well that matters to me and Uncle Josh and Ty… Pete, Toni and Tommy; and Ryan and Stacy.  It wasn’t nice, what he called you.”

“But it’s true.”

“Yes baby." she sighed.  "I didn't marry your father and to some people that makes you what he called you.”

“But you call Uncle Josh that all the time and it’s not true.”

“Yeah but he’s that or a son-of-a-bitch and grandma gets tired of me calling her a dog.”

“You’re so stupid mom.”

“You know it.”  She put his dinner in front of him and dished up her own.  “When I call Uncle Josh or any of the cousins names or use bad words they're just words, not meant to hurt anyone.  The way Uncle Connor was talking to you was to hurt
my
feelings specifically.  It just wasn’t nice.”

“It’s ok.  I don’t need a dad.  I’ve got all the cousins and the best aunts and uncles in the world.”

“That you have.”  She nodded.  How did he get to be so smart and so special?  She blessed every day she had him and that he was part of her life.  She wouldn’t have traded him for all the husbands and shitty marriages and asshole step-uncles in the universe.  He was hers and she was his and that's what’s most important.

Emily entered the room and wasn’t at all what Charles Brockton expected.  She wasn’t the angry, flustered, waif of the previous day in her boss’s office pacing and ranting.  She looked elegant in a nice suit, hair up and had great legs.  He hadn’t seen the legs in the webcam the previous day.  She seemed younger and shorter than he thought she would be.  She walked calmly to the four men at the end of the conference table.

“Em Connally, this is Charles Brockton, and you’ll remember Mark Marshall and Shaw Cummins.”

“Nice to see you again.  Nice to meet you.”  She offered her hand to each of them and Brockton held her hand a moment longer, probably asserting himself, she thought.  She dismissed it as corporate who-doo, she smiled to herself, now she was making words up for bullshit.

“Coffee Em?”

“Yes.  Thanks Ham.  I'll get it.”  She got herself a cup after setting her folder down on the conference table then came back and sat down.  The others sat after her.  Manners too.  Interesting.  Next they’ll be opening doors and pulling out chairs or something.  Shaw started.  He seemed to be the resident public speaker.

“After our meeting a few weeks ago…”

“And presentation.”  She interrupted.

“Yes, and presentation.  It was mentioned that there were specific areas of the information presented that you had submitted to corporate earlier.”

“Yeah, so?” Her defensiveness was instant and her slight scowl puzzled Brockton.

“Mr. Hamilton provided us copies of memos, analysis, and proposals that he had copies of and Mr. Sanchez submitted copies of proposals and memos he had and after review it was determined...”

“That the analysis and proposal for the upgrade and implementation were mine.  So?”  She interrupted again.

“Well we thought you’d want credit for…”

“No.”  She snapped.  “I don’t want credit.  I just want the stuff fixed.  The data needs to be set up properly, the material disseminated and the security tightened so we won’t have future problems.”

“You weren’t looking to implement this yourself?”  Shaw looked puzzled.

“No, of course not.  I’m not a lead.  I’m an analyst.  I don’t supervise or lead projects.”  She had gotten pale and was looking to escape.  Brockton sat forward and looked at her more closely.  “Ham.  I thought this was about implementation, not fault or blame or any of that bullshit.”

“Em.”  It was a very fatherly tone.

“Sorry.”  She looked down and suddenly found her ring on her left thumb very fascinating.  “Stuff.  Sorry.”  Marshall was biting his tongue and Cummins felt embarrassed for her.  He was beginning to like her for some reason.  She wasn’t at all what he had heard or expected.

“I thought when you brought up that the proposal was your idea…”

“That I wanted credit? 
PLEASE
…” her eyes flashed.  “I don’t care who does the work or implements the project.  I don’t care if you hire Anderson and Anderson to analyze and created proposals.  I just think that the company needs to redistributes some of their functions, take security and their network more seriously and lock it down a little so we don’t get hacked or wormed or attacked in some way.  I could give a damn… "

“Emily.”  Ham was losing patience.

“Sorry.  I could care less who does it or who suggested it as long as someone gets the job done.”

“Em I’d like a word, in private.  Excuse us.”  Hamilton took her by the elbow and pulled her out of the conference room to the office next door. 

“GOD DAMN IT HAM!”  She was shaking and tears filled her eyes; she was scared and frustrated.  “This is a fucking ambush! They're going to bust my ass back to the fucking mail room.  If they keep me at all.  You!  You and Curtis got me my job, practically created it for me.  I feel like it’s some kind of fucking inquisition.  They’re going to find out I’m not qualified and fire my ass!”  Ham stopped her pacing by grabbing her by the shoulders and bending down to look her square in the eyes.

“You're exaggerating.  Get it together and do it now Emily.”  He knew she was scared.  He knew she had just squeaked through in high school and only taken a few college courses.  She’d done everything the hard way.  Even moving away when she found out she was pregnant and making a go of it on her own.  Then Curtis had found her under her grandmother’s maiden name working in the mailroom at Brockton Petroleum in Texas.  OH, was Curtis pissed.  She had proved herself again and again, then came back to California and did it all again in a different division.  “This isn’t about qualification, its skill.  It’s recognition for a job well done.”

“Ham, you and Curtis went out on a limb for me and I don’t want any freakin' recognition.  I don’t want any attention at all.  I want corporate as far from my ass as I can get.”

“Deep breaths.  You panicked, that's all.”  He shook her lightly.  “Go clean up your eyes and straighten your make up and get your ass back in there or I’ll tan your hide.”  She laughed and hugged him.

“Sorry Ham…and don’t call me Emily.”

“I forgot.”  He let her precede him out the door and she almost walked straight into Brockton.  He looked to be concentrating on some papers, talking to Marshall and as they walked into the conference room again.  She shook her head and went down the hall to the women’s room.  She’d done a number on herself.  Her eyes were bloodshot and awful looking.  She splashed cold water on her face and finished removing the rest of her makeup.  She didn’t carry makeup on her and her purse was in her office, on the other side of the building.  She put her glasses on.  Maybe they wouldn't notice her red eyes if she had her glasses on.  She took several deep breaths and went back to the conference room.  Hamilton and Brockton were talking at the far end and Marshall and Cummins a few feet from them.  Someone entered behind her and patted her on the back.  It was Curtis Sanchez.  She went deathly pale again.  Curtis wouldn’t come to California on a bet.  She was in deep shit.  He greeted the two men at the head of the table and indicated that Em had just come back in and asked for a minute before they started again.  He took Em by the arm and as he turned her she saw Marshall smile and wink at her.

“Sanchez, what the fuck…”  Her hands flew up to cover her mouth. “I need go to home.”  She shook her head apologetically.  He pulled her into a hug.

“Em.  Em.  Look at me.”  Curtis held her by her shoulders at arms length and was smiling his “let the devil take ‘em” smile.  She loved that smile.  “You’re not in trouble.  Mary says hi and can’t wait to see you and Mike Friday.”  Em slapped him in the arm then walked away.  “You’re ok.  Stop worrying.”

“Worrying.  WORRYING.  Do I looked worried?”

“You look like shit girl.”

“Thanks, just what I need more comedians in my life.”  After taking three deep breaths, she put her hands on either side of his face and kissed Curtis.  “Let’s go cowboy.”  They went back to the conference room. 

In all the years Hamilton’s secretary Janice had known him and all the years she’d known and worked with Em, she had never seen the woman so befuddled.  She was always better with machinery than people but that they had called in both Ham and Sanchez.  She wondered if there was something to worry about.  Janice tried to concentrate on the paperwork in front of her and ignore the open com line to the conference room. 

Seating positions changed.  Brockton was at the head of the table and was taking control of the meeting.  The boys, Marshall and Cummins were on one side and Sanchez and Hamilton with Em between them on the other.

“Apparently Ms. Connally got the wrong impression about the meeting.  This was to be an informal recognition and appreciation for a job well done."  He turned his attention to her directly. "And to offer you the position as lead in the project as you originally proposed.”

“Months before some would have even begun to identify the vulnerabilities in the national network, not to mention the international network.”  Marshall interjected. 

“Hamilton and Sanchez have already submitted the materials that were originally submitted to corporate and some of the enhancements you’ve done to their networks.  Marshall and Cummins have reviewed and evaluated the materials and found that the original concept and plan you submitted was more thorough and stronger than the one submitted by the former project analyst.  Therefore the consultants requested that they work with you on creating a new plan and schedule, then use our in house people to implement.”

“Thank you.”  Em said quietly.  “I’m sorry I misinterpreted the attention to my work as something negative.”

“I would suggest that since we have all parties present that we add the overseas sites.  We can work on a new proposal which would include them in the implementation.  We can hammer out the details immediately and I will present the findings to the board for approval and scheduling.”  He took a paper from his folder and spun it in her direction and in front on her.  “I’m here to offer you a promotion to Senior Analyst and lead in the planning and implementation of the project.”  He looked at Cummins and Marshall.  “I believe we should have this wrapped up Friday, Saturday at the latest.”  Em stiffened, Curtis immediately grabbed her hand under the table and shook his head.  Brockton noticed the surprise and was it
distressed?
reaction of the parties to his left.  The three seem to be otherwise occupied at the end of the week.  His curiosity was getting the better of him.  “If that would be convenient?” with just the slightest hint of sarcasm in his voice.

“Sure.  We can do it by Friday.”  Hamilton assured them and pulled Em’s chair out as Curtis started pulling her to the door.  “Marshall, Cummins.  I have some offices set up that you can use while you’re here.”

“Hamilton, Sanchez, I'll see you at lunch?”

“Of course.”  Ham recovered quickly.  “We’ll be up around eleven thirty.”

“Fine.”  Charles Brockton was known to have a good business sense and strong work ethic.  He’d been a part of Brockton officially since graduating from college and worked in several divisions before taking his position on the board.  He began to leave the office and noticed the contract was still sitting on the table.  He picked it up and started down the hall to where her office was at the far end of the floor.  He saw her leaning up against the wall with Sanchez leaning toward her and her hands up as of to ward him off.  He looked intent but he didn’t look to be intimidating the woman.  His moving toward them caught their attention and they both straightened and looked like a couple of guilty kids.  This was a funny group.  He didn’t remember seeing these kinds of dynamics since grade school.

“Ms. Connally.  You left the contract.”  Brockton handed her the paper.  She blushed and took it.

“Thank you.”

“Is there a problem?”

“No.” Sanchez said as Em said "Yes." She contradicted him then they looked at each other and laughed.

“Sorry.  I’m his problem.  It’s an inside joke.”  She explained with a smile.  She looked different when she smiled.  He just realized this was the first time she'd relaxed and he'd seen her
real
smile.  “Thank you Mr. Brockton.”

“Ms. Connally, Sanchez.”  As he turned around Hamilton came around the corner, spotted Brockton and turned another direction.  Another guilty child.  He stifled a grin and went back to the tenth floor.