Chapter Twenty-Eight
Jane
On the list of things I thought would never happen, being called into the CEO’s office after quitting has to rank right up near the top. Right up there with “sleeping with Anthony James,” at least. Because I didn’t see that one coming when I got this job.
I’m really batting a thousand lately.
What’s even weirder, he called me personally—not personally as in through his assistant but actually himself—promising an offer I can’t refuse. A little eye-rolling at the Godfather reference aside, I can’t deny that he’s piqued my interest. Does he even know I quit? Maybe he does and he’s trying to offer me a better position in the company. Maybe he wants to apologize for his son being a total jackass. All right, that one’s doubtful, but a girl can dream. Maybe I’d read him wrong and he really is a decent guy and Anthony is the jerk.
I sigh, because I know that’s not the case.
My brain’s still going a mile a minute as the elevator doors open. What if he tries to convince me to stay on with Anthony? What if Anthony went to his dad about what happened? I can just see it: Anthony whining to Daddy that he can’t get what he wants, and Daddy swooping in to make things right. Probably to make himself look better, too. He wouldn’t want a sexual harassment lawsuit on his hands, not that I would ever do something like that, but he doesn’t know me. Powerful men like him have to be careful.
Marta smiles wide when she sees me approaching. “Jane, dear, I’m so glad to see you.”
As if we didn’t see each other yesterday. Still, I return her smile and keep my thoughts to myself as she leads me to the Big Man. It’s not her fault Anthony and I fell apart.
Mr. James is standing when I walk inside, and the smile tells me immediately that something’s up. He’s trying to schmooze me. Unfortunately for him, with the one exception of his much more charismatic son, I’m not so easily charmed.
“Please, have a seat.”
That entire politician persona is as strong as it was when we first met. I sit down in one of the chairs across from his desk, and he takes his seat. He folds his hands in front of him and his smile fades, replaced by a very serious expression. But it’s still a false one, like he’s trying to convince me that whatever he’s going to say, he needs me to think that it’s genuine.
“It’s come to my attention that you were very poorly used by my son.”
I blink rapidly, trying to process that sentence. What’s he talking about? He can’t mean that he knows about Anthony and me, can he? “Excuse me?” I whisper.
“I understand that all the ideas presented to Chambersmith, Inc. were yours, not my son’s.”
I have a moment of relief when I realize that he’s talking about business, but that quickly becomes confusion. How the hell can he possibly know that? Anthony wouldn’t tell him, would he? No, he’s a lot of things, but stupid’s not one of them. I knew just as well as he did that we couldn’t blab about our collaboration.
Not when he was so happy that his dad was proud of him.
Mr. James doesn’t wait for me to reply. “You’ve shown a great deal of intelligence and savvy, Jane. The sort of qualities we want here at James Enterprises. When I found out you were the genius behind the campaign, I knew I had to have you as a full-time employee.”
My eyes widen. It’s just what Anthony promised when we first started working together, but this is coming from the CEO. I should be excited, but all I feel is a deep sense of dread that something else is coming.
“However,” he adds, like it’s an afterthought rather than a calculated move, “we would ask that you sign over all of your ideas retroactively. Just to keep everything on the up-and-up. You understand.”
I finally notice the sheaf of papers sitting just to his right. A contract. And probably some sort of NDA. My head is spinning. Things are happening too fast.
I need to say something, and besides, curiosity is killing me. “What about Anthony?”
His expression slips just a bit, but he quickly recovers. “Anthony? What about him?”
His voice is stiff now, like my question caught him off guard.
I’m not going to back down, though. “I…I mean, where is he? What happened to him? You said you want me to sign over my ideas, but you didn’t say anything about his. They were his ideas, too.”
He scoffs, waving a dismissive hand. “He no longer works here. You don’t have to worry about him.”
What the hell does that mean?
“But—”
“You’re very noble, trying to stand up for him the way you are. I can only imagine the way he sweet-talked his way into stealing those great ideas and letting him pass them off as his own.” Cue mournful head shake. “He always does this, you know. Coasting by without doing any actual work. I’m sure he made you believe your ideas were his, too. It’s shameful, really. I wish I knew where I went wrong with him.”
My cheeks flush, and I hope he takes it as me being embarrassed rather than angry, because the way he’s talking about Anthony is pissing me off. Okay, so maybe Anthony isn’t everything I thought, but he doesn’t deserve his father to talk about him that way.
I can’t let it go.
“You know, sir, with all due respect, that work was just as much your son’s as it was mine. The finished product, I mean. He took my ideas and made them better. He worked hard, probably harder than he ever has. We were a great team. I just thought you should know that.” I can’t believe I’m actually contradicting him, but it’s not right for him to think so poorly of his own son.
He pauses for a second, and I wonder if he’s taking me seriously.
No such luck.
“As I said, you don’t have to worry about him anymore. Here.” He slides the contract across the table as my heart sinks. It’s like talking to a wall.
I turn my attention to what he’s handed me. Not only is he offering me a salary with more zeroes than I’ve ever seen together at once, but he wants to pay me for my Chambersmith ideas. I know he’s only covering his ass—I’m no idiot—but the thought that my ideas would pull down such a generous fee is gratifying. No, more than that. A dream come true.
So why don’t I feel happy? The man is handing me everything I ever wanted. Real money. The chance to live in an apartment big enough for more than two people to be in at once. A life full of choices and opportunity.
Isn’t that what I’ve always wanted?
“Well, Jane?” The bright smile is frozen on his face. “What do you say? Are you ready to start the rest of your life?” He holds a pen out to me.
Am I ready?
Good question.