George knew how important this was to me, especially since he had just been appointed the Chief Legal Council, overseeing the entire legal office and reporting directly to the CEO. The talk among the headquarters’ various staffs were about us being a power couple to be envied. If only they knew that we were best friends and not lovers.
I walked over to George, gave him a peck on the cheek, and said, “Thanks, sweetie. You always say the nicest things.”
“What? I didn’t say a word,” George said with a smile. “Although, stipulated,” he finished.
“Is that legalese for ‘you’re right?'” I asked with a smile.
“Yes, dear,” George said with a sigh. “You’re right. I do say the nicest things,” he added with a grin.
We headed out and were soon pulling into the parking lot and up to George’s assigned parking spot, one of the perks I appreciated since it was next to the main entrance, only the CEO’s and CFO’s spots being closer. As we entered the lobby, George said, “You’ve got this, Anna. Give them hell.”
I smiled and said, “I will. Thanks!”
I walked up to my office feeling good about things. George had always been my biggest supporter, and if he wasn’t worried about my chances of getting the job, I wouldn’t be either. When I got to my office, Barb, my personal assistant, looked up, smiled, and said, “Good morning, Anna. Today’s the big day, isn’t it?”
I smiled at Barb, appreciating everything she did to make me look good. I doubted I’d be as efficient without her doing yeoman’s work, taking care of all the little things that would have bogged me down. I had already assured her she was going with me when I moved up to the CFO position, so she had as much at stake as I did. “Yes, it is, Barb. I just hope I don’t let you down,” I said as I touched her lightly on her shoulder.
“Oh, I’m sure you won’t,” Barb said. “The latest word is that you will be interviewing at 9:30 AM. I’ll keep you updated on any changes.”
“Thanks, Barb,” I said as I headed into my office.
I didn’t need to tell Barb to hold my calls. She always knew when I didn’t want to be disturbed. How in tune she was with me was almost scary, and I really appreciated it. Once I moved up into the big chair, I’d need her, even more to keep my office under control.
I checked my messages to take my mind off of the interview. When the intercom beeped, Barb said, “It’s time to go, Anna.” I felt a surge of relief, knowing the waiting was finally over. I strode out of my office, nodded to Barb, and headed to the conference room they used for the interview. I was the only one being interviewed today, so everyone I passed looked up and gave me a thumbs-up, making me smile. I knew everyone in the company was rooting for me, and I didn’t want to disappoint them.
When I entered the conference room, everyone stood up to greet me. I smiled my brightest smile, loving its effect on everyone on the other side of the table, as I took the offered seat. I knew all of them, having done my homework, and I was relieved that there were no surprises. I was sure I could win them all over as long as I didn’t step on my tongue.
For more than an hour, I was grilled about everything the company was involved in concerning the financial end of the business. I answered every question, looking the questioner in the eye as I delivered my answers. Finally, the interview concluded, and as far as I could tell, I had satisfied everyone’s questions. As I looked each member in the eye, I saw nothing indicating they had any reservations about me. I thanked everyone for their time before leaving, holding my head high, knowing I had nailed the interview.
When Barb saw me coming, she had a questioning look. When I smiled, she smiled, too. “I nailed it,” I confided to her as I approached her desk.
“I knew you would,” Barb replied. “When will you hear?”
“I don’t know,” I replied truthfully. “It depends on how many more interviews they plan to do.”
“Well, it won’t make a difference,” Barb said. “They’d be stupid to pick anyone else over you.”
“Thank you for your confidence,” I said, smiling at Barb. “Hopefully, I’ll hear by my birthday. That would be a great present.”
“That reminds me,” Barb said. “I have all your reservations for your trip to Ernst and Young’s Strategic Growth Forum.”
“Thanks, Barb,” I said as I entered my office. I thought about what I’d be doing after the conference was over. I was looking forward to seeing my babies again. “Maybe I’ll have news about the promotion by then,” I mused as I sat down and dove into my work.
June 1988
I received a call during the second day of the Forum. When I answered the phone, I heard Stephanie, Jack Wilkerson’s PA, say, “Anna, Jack wants to talk to you.”
“Okay,” I said, widely smiling as I surmised that I had been selected for the CFO position.
Then I heard Jack say, “Anna, I just wanted to be the first to congratulate you on being selected as my replacement.”
“Thanks, Jack,” I said. “I couldn’t have done it without your endorsement.”
“Bullshit!” Jack exclaimed with some heat. “You got the position because you worked your ass off and earned it, not because of my endorsement.”
I was stunned by the heat in Jack’s statement but realized that he was correcting me, as was his style, whenever I tried to denigrate my abilities. I contritely said, “Yes, you’re right, Jack. But I do want to thank you for being the standard I could always strive to achieve.”
“That’s better,” Jack said with a smile I could hear over the phone. We chatted briefly, planning the transition before exchanging goodbyes and ending the call.
I had a broad smile on my face the rest of the day, and I’m sure many of my peers wondered why I was smiling like that. I was so happy I’d have some good news to share with April and June when I saw them later tonight.
October 1988
April and June called me last month to tell me they had closed on their new house and wanted me to come out and help them celebrate. They also offered to pay for my trip since they now had the money from selling their company. Even though I could afford it, I knew how important this was to them, so I accepted their offer.
Now that I was the CFO, I was always needed at one meeting or another, so I had to plan my time away more carefully. I managed to clear a week and gave the dates to April so she could get the tickets for me. Luckily, October was less fraught with financial peril since our new fiscal year started on October 1, just like the federal government, so all EOY issues have been resolved.
They also wanted my help setting up their new company for their next foray into software development. I was thrilled that they wanted me to be a part of their new venture. I had to get George’s legal opinion on whether it would be a conflict of interest for me to do that. He just sighed when I asked him and asked, “Why are you always making life so difficult for me?”
“Well, you vowed to take me for better or worse, so I just want to make sure you get to have both,” I said with a smile.
“I was kind of hoping for at least equal shares,” George groused before grinning at me. “As far as I can tell, as long as you don’t use proprietary methods, practices, or procedures, you should be fine. However, I will need to see the final version before I can make a legally binding decision.”
“Thanks, sweetie,” I said, giving him a peck on the cheek.
As I packed for my trip, I called Sinéad and updated her on my travel plans. I briefly chatted with Sionainn before I finished the call by telling Sinéad I loved her. Sinéad asked me to give her nieces her love when I saw them. I was so glad Sinéad was okay with my relationship with my daughters.
I was still debating whether or not to tell my parents I had found my babies. I would probably do it eventually since my mom would love to have two more granddaughters to fuss over. I wouldn’t tell her we were lovers because that would freak her out.
The flight to LAX went off without a hitch. I was surprised but pleased that the girls had reserved a first-class seat, making the flight much more enjoyable. When I exited the Jetway® and saw April and June waiting for me, I flew into their arms, so happy to see them. I resisted the urge to pull them into a deep kiss and settled for chaste hugs. For the first time, I would spend more than two days with my babies, and I was looking forward to doing things together other than fucking each other’s brains out.
After getting my bags, April went to get the car while June and I caught up on things. I could tell that June was excited about something. Nevertheless, I resisted questioning her because I was sure she wanted to share whatever it was with April. April quickly pulled up in the Mustang and jumped out to help June put my bags in the trunk. June handed me in the back seat, and we quickly headed out.
We headed south on Sepulveda Boulevard until we reached Manhattan Beach Boulevard and headed west. All the way, April and June regaled me with the story of getting their money and closing on their new home. They acted like two young children at Christmas with their enthusiasm, and I had to smile. As we got close enough to see the ocean, I recognized where we were, having been here to visit Jack’s Salad Bar and Grill. After passing the restaurant, we turned north on Ocean Drive and pulled up to an impressive-looking residence just two blocks from the beach.
I noticed it was tall and narrow, almost like a row house but with the long side facing the ocean. There were balconies on the first and second floors with ocean views. We pulled into the garage, which occupied most of the ground floor, and I saw two other cars there. When we exited the Mustang, April proudly showed me her new 1988 Porsche 944 Cabriolet before June showed me her new 1988 Chevrolet Corvette convertible. They were both beautiful cars and two-seaters, so I understood why they still had the Mustang. I remarked that they hadn’t bought two identical vehicles. April and June shared a look before telling me they swapped cars just like they swapped everything else.
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