Love Handles (Oakland Hills #1)(93)

Chapter 23

When Bev walked into Richard's office, he was combing his hair and staring off into space. She had to tap on the door frame to get his attention. “Morning.”

Clutching the comb in his palm, he glanced down at his desk, slapped a book shut, and frowned up at her. “You’re early.”

“I had to move up another meeting.” She smiled and took a seat across from him, pretending not to stare at the Tom Clancy hardcover he had under his elbows. Nice to know somebody had a little extra time. “I got your message.” First the Target call, then her dad, now Richard. Bad day to use the telephone.

“You need to make a decision today,” he said. “Payroll’s next Friday.”

She looked into his droopy face. At first she had felt sorry for him getting fired and rehired and having so little respect among the other management, if Liam was any judge. But now she knew better. “I’m not going to lay off two dozen people just because you say so.”

He frowned down at his desk “You got rid of everyone else who knew anything.”

“I didn’t get rid of anyone.”

“Ellen would disagree.”

“You don’t work for her anymore.” She looked down at the stack of spreadsheets in her lap, flipped through them until she found the worst one. “I have a question about some of your numbers.”

His eyes darted up to her face. He didn’t take the paper she held out to him. “Oh?”

“In fact, I have a question about one number in particular. One kind of big number. From June.”

Richard’s lower lip, shiny with spit, began to quiver. He closed his eyes. “I shouldn’t have come back.”

His confession wasn’t as heartfelt as she’d wanted, but it would do. “You could have told me,” she said. “I know how . . . forceful . . . my aunt can be.”

“It was my idea,” he said. “All these years, and then he left it to a stranger. It just didn’t seem right.”

“She wasn't the owner. You had no authority.”

“One little bonus. She would pay you off, then come back. Full circle. I saw it as a Fite-related business expense.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “But then you didn’t take it, and, well . . . ”

“She fired you. That must have been a shock.”

“And she kept the money. Your grandfather had already taken out quite a bit of cash earlier this year.” He dropped his head into his hands. “Fite just doesn’t have the legs to pull through.”

Bev took out another stack of spreadsheets, barely controlling the urge to shake him. “It might if you stop paying executives who don’t work here anymore. Can you give me one good reason why you keep sending checks—very large checks—to Ellen’s home address?”

“It’s her salary.”

“She quit!”

He glanced away. “Nobody filled out the paperwork.”

Inside her, Bev felt the last strands of patience snap. She slammed her hands on the desk and leaned over it into Richard’s face. “Drop the bullshit, Richard. I’m your boss. Me. Not her.”

His face turned red. Eyes shining, he leaned under his desk, pulled out a briefcase, and flipped it open as he swiveled it around to her. “See? Just my lunch and the paper. You can walk me to the door.”

“Hold on. Just hold on.”

“Aren’t you firing me?”

“Sit.” She pointed at the chair. “There’s more I need to know.” She wanted to fire him—right after she’d impaled him with his Clancy hardcover—but she had to think of Fite first. If he left now, like this, with payroll hanging by a thread—

“I’m getting a lawyer,” he said.

And they could not afford a lawsuit right now. She leaned closer to him. “You might not need one, Richard, if you help me.”

He hovered over his chair, bracing his hands on the desk, and shook his head. “Right.”

“You know I’m desperate.”

His eyes fixed on her, unblinking. “Fite really is in trouble.”

“I believe it. But is it as bad as you’ve been saying?”

“We can’t go on like this indefinitely. If we lay off the numbers I told you, the rest of us should be good for another year,” he said. “Ellen said you’ll be gone by then.”

Don’t kill him. Later, maybe. Just not yet. “I’ve given up too much to walk away now.” Her nose was only inches from his. “Or even a year from now. I’ve alienated my mother, my sister, given up my apartment, been kicked out of my house, turned away—” she closed her eyes and thought of Liam’s hands sliding over her hips, “—money, more money I’ve ever had in my life—and after all that I still don’t regret a thing. Even keeping you around is going to turn out to be good—for both of us.”

He stared at her. “You’re not going to fire me?”

“Not even if you want me to.”

“You should. What I did was very unethical.”

“I believe in second chances. Fite just needs a little time to get its mojo back.” She pointed a finger at him. “Without any layoffs. If Liam says you can work miracles I believe it. He’s not the type to throw around compliments.”