Initiative (Suncoast Society #31)(3)

Jack wouldn’t be her problem anymore. And if he quit anyway, or gave her cause to fire his ass, even better.

I can only hope.

As she walked back to her office, she realized her day was edging away from handcuffs and back toward a straight-jacket.

Win!





Kristin brought Susan’s lunch to her. It was now one of Kristin’s missions in life to ensure she saw Susan eat at least one meal a day during workdays, since during the first couple of months after John’s death Susan had lost over thirty pounds from not eating and hadn’t gained them back.

Kristin set the plastic container on Susan’s desk. “I noticed Jackass doesn’t look very happy at the ride downgrade.”

Susan smiled as she popped the lid on the large salad with grilled chicken. “Yeah, he wasn’t.”

Susan had made sure Matt took a picture of Jack’s face when he saw the car.

Susan stirred the salad with her fork. “Hey, as Ed told me, the will doesn’t specify what kind of car we have to provide for him as long as he’s an employee, only that it’s a car.”

“What if he tries to wreck it?”

Susan shrugged. “Then he can get his own car. I’m not obligated to replace it if he does that.”

“Ha!” Kristin settled in her usual chair with her own salad. The two ate lunch together nearly every day. “Why’d you wait so long to try to get rid of him, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Because I could only deal with so much at once. I finally feel like I have my feet planted firmly enough under me now that I can deal with the stress getting him out of my life for good will put me through.”

“You are still going to your high school reunion this weekend, I hope?”

Susan glanced at the postcard pinned to the cork board next to her desk. “Yeah, I should go. Get out. See people. I can picture me being a real drag, though. ‘Hey, Susan, what have you done over the past twenty years?’ ‘Oh, married a great guy, ran a successful business with him until his brother f*cking murdered him through sheer stupidity two years ago, and I have to look at that *’s f*cking face every day.’” She grimly smiled. “Great conversation starter.”

Kristin cocked her head at Susan. “Stop,” she gently said. “You said yourself you wish you could reconnect with some people. Now’s the time to do it.”

“I know.” She dug through her salad. “I hope Darryl and Grant are there.”

“Were they your D and D buddies?”

“Yeah.” Those wistful thoughts brought a smile to her face. “I was such a geek in high school. I didn’t fit in. I liked cars but the gearheads in shop wanted nothing to do with me. I ended up in this small clique of kids who didn’t belong anywhere else. And we had fun. We played D and D, loved sci-fi movies, hung around together—it was great.”

“What happened?”

“Life happened. College, jobs, and we lost contact. That was before Facebook and everyone had e-mail and cell phones that texted and did everything.”

“Isn’t there some sort of website or something for the reunion where you can connect with people?”

“I’d rather be surprised. Go in with no expectations.” The truth was, it would disappoint the hell out of her if Grant and Darryl weren’t there, and she knew she wouldn’t go if she discovered in advance they weren’t going.

“Well, I think it’ll be good for you. Go tie one on, have fun, puke in a hotel room bathroom, and sleep it off the next day.”

“Gee, thanks. I think.”

Kristin smiled. “You need to get away for a weekend.”

“It’s just up on Siesta Key. Not like I’m going to the Keys or something.”

“You know dang well what I mean. I have to order you home every day.”

“I have a business to run.”

“John never intended for you to run yourself into the ground in the process. And don’t say you aren’t, because I know damn well that’s what you’re trying to do to escape. Some people do drugs or drink. You work.”

Susan didn’t have an answer for that.

Mostly, because Kristin was right, and she knew that Kristin knew it, too.

There wasn’t much about Susan that Kristin didn’t know.

One of those few things being the extent of Susan and John’s relationship. More than husband and wife, more than business partners and coworkers.

But you can’t exactly confide, even to your closest friends, that you were your husband’s willing slave, and that he was your cherished, beloved Master.





At least Jack kept his head down and stayed off Susan’s radar for the rest of the day. By the time Susan was ready to leave at seven, Kristin was standing there in the outer office, waiting on her.

“You need to push back the hours a bit. These twelve-hour days are going to kill you.”

“If I’m lucky,” Susan muttered as she walked with Kristin toward the side lot where employees parked.

“Stop it,” Kristin said, turning and making Susan stop. “That isn’t what he’d want and you know it. He loved you. He’d want you to be happy.”

Susan didn’t want to do this here. She’d perfected a strong fortress of a game face to wear at work, but now the prickle of tears stung her eyes. “I’m not happy and don’t think I ever will be again,” she admitted. “The least I can do is what I do best, and that’s work. Keep this place going in his memory. It was his dream, and he was happy doing this.”