Fifth Avenue Devil

Chapter 2

Two

Annalise

One Month Later

I slip inside my father's office and close the door behind me with a long, silent sigh. While it's quiet and still in here, the hustle and bustle of the office outside doesn't stop until well after dark.

I look at my dad's stuffed padded leather chair and immense, polished-wood desk.

I've been CEO for two whole weeks, yet this is the first time I’ve allowed myself to break the seal of Daddy's office.

I guess a part of me is still hesitating. Wondering if my dad will wake up from his coma tomorrow and expect his office back.

But as the days pass, that becomes increasingly unlikely. And I can't keep up my initial tactic of having a roving hot desk anywhere I please. Lori says that it ruffles the employees’ feathers.

Taking a deep breath, I walk over to the desk and sit down in the chair. Swiveling to face the window, I almost laugh at what I see. Though I'm wearing a knee-length pencil skirt, a white dress blouse, and dark stiletto-heels, I still look like a child sitting in her father's chair. My blonde curls are pinned into a loose knot at my nape.

My makeup is carefully done in shades of pink, purple, and brown. It's a more mature look, meant to age me a little. Gone are the bright pink polka dots and stylish white balloon-leg pants of two weeks ago.

Even though I’ve done everything I could to make it look like I have the authority to sit in this chair, I still look like I am a five-year-old in the middle of a game of pretend. I take a deep breath and try to psych myself up.

I think : I am CEO Annalise now, not to be confused with the boss's daughter that hangs out in the office ordering expensive coffees. I’m in charge, damn it.

"Are you in here?"

I spin, and find my mother poking her head into the office. She doesn't knock or announce herself. When she sees that I am, in fact, in here, she barges all the way in, slamming the door behind her.

God, she's upset again. What is it this time? I wonder.

I slide out of the chair as my mom approaches. She stops when she sees me and her eyes narrow.

"What are you wearing, Annalise?" she tuts in disapproval.

She is dressed, as always, in the mode of Audrey Hepburn à la Breakfast at Tiffany's. Today, it’s a knee-length, black silk dress, bared arms, with diamonds on her wrists and at her earlobes. A sleek, black, quilted Chanel bag is hooked over her arm. I'm sure that if she didn't realize that people would look at her funny, she'd be wearing elbow-length gloves and carrying a long plastic cigarette holder, too.

She pats her hair, which is in the same elegant knot that I wear. I sigh. No matter what I wear, my mother never actually approves of my wardrobe. I’ve tried so hard for years to figure out what Mom is seeing when she criticizes me.

Is it really my haircut or my bland-bordering-on-dowdy dress that’s bothering my mom? Or is it a need to criticize? Either way, I don't know what to say to her question, so I try to change the conversation.

"How's Daddy today?"

My question gives her pause.

"He was taken to the hospital for more scans. I talked to Dr. Stein about the likelihood of your father waking up and running this company. Dr. Stein keeps blathering on about waiting and having patience." Her lips twist with disgust as she looks down at me sitting behind Dad’s desk. "I can't believe that you and your father made this little agreement behind my back."

I shake my head slowly. "I keep telling you, Mom. I had no idea that he named me as his successor. I'm as perplexed as you are."

Mom cocks her hip and looks testy. "You need to be out husband hunting. You were born and raised to find someone from a well-to-do family. The older the generational wealth, the better. This CEO business..." She wrinkles her nose. "It's ridiculous. You should let Donald Young step into the role. That's what vice presidents are for!"

My cheeks burn. "We agreed that I could try this for a bit, Mama."

She shakes her head and huffs. "When are you going to learn that you should listen to me?" She walks over to me, smooths my hair back and examines my face. "You need to get some Botox." She touches the tiny lines just outside my eyes. "I can see the beginning of crow's feet, darling."

Her touch is strangely hot. I'm not really used to either of my parents touching me and it makes me extremely antsy.

Breaking away from Mom, I walk to the office door. "I really have to work now, Mama."

My stomach flip-flops at the not-quite-lie I just told. I'm trying to fill my dad's shoes here; if I can't tell a fib to my mother, then I’ll be up a creek without a paddle when it comes time to sit at the negotiating table.

One step at a time, I guess. My first step just happens to be lying to my mom.

My mother floats over to the door, her lips making a moue as she looks me up and down.

"You need a better wardrobe, darling." Mom reaches out and fidgets with my sleeve. "I'll send someone shopping for you."

"I don't need you to do that." My voice has an edge to it. Exasperation, my oldest friend. I'm usually much better at hiding it, though.

"Don't be silly. I'm your Mama." She clasps her hands before her. "I'll send someone to redecorate this office, too. You need new things, not your father's stuffy old junk."

"Hmm." My favorite sound. Totally noncommittal, to help fend off my mom and my dad. "I have to go. I need to freshen up my makeup now, so..." I open the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mama."

She gives me a staid smile. "I'm sure you will. And don't think I'm going to forget your husband hunt for too long, Annalise. As soon as I find some compatible matches for you, you are going to be introduced to them. That's final, darling."

She leans forward and says, "Kiss kiss!" Then my mom leaves my office.

Note that at no time during her little gesture of affection did she actually touch or kiss me. It's always been that way.

I peek out the door at the floor full of cubicles. The company has about thirty-five employees up here, and another fifteen or so downstairs in the geology lab.

Hushed conversations stop when the employees realize that I am watching them. Then comes a sudden burst of activity. The copier starts going. There is a lot of typing and throat clearing, accompanied by several people noisily shuffling papers.

At this point, I have to wonder if the workers at my company are actually working or whether they are just slacking off ninety percent of the time. Or if it’s the third option: that they are still so nervous when I'm around that they abandon their real work for this playacting.

In any event, it makes me wonder how things get done around here.

Lori Parker, Gellar Industries' general counsel, opens her office door and looks around. She spots me, arches a brow, and then waves me over.

I love Lori. She's been in her position since the company was founded and she's a red-haired firecracker.

I close my office door behind me and stride over to her. Lori steps back to let me in. Her office is decorated in bold pinks and delicate creams. It has a leather couch and a matching leather chair, with soft looking blankets tucked into both. I always feel at home in this room, as opposed to my father's sterile office space.

I give Lori a quick hug as I head over to the couch. Over my shoulder, I glimpse a wedge of city view just outside the window.

"How's tricks, kid?" Lori asks. She goes to a mini-fridge beside her desk and opens it, then offers me a Pellegrino. I shake my head.

"Do you think the staff is scared of me?" I ask.

She takes the chair and opens the Pellegrino. "Maybe. I think a lot of the office staff are wondering if they'll get fired."

"I'm not exactly intimidating. I'm five foot two, and a hundred and fifteen pounds soaking wet."

She smiles, but her eyes stay cool.

"I think you are underestimating your father's hold on them. He liked to belittle and scream at them for the smallest infraction. So, I think they are just trying to figure out if you're like your dad or not."

I glance at the window. "Maybe I need to schedule one-on-one meetings with everyone.”

Lori shrugs. "You could do that. But I think you'll be more interested in the news I just received."

"Give it to me, then." I beckon her.

She takes a long sip of the bubble water, nodding her head all the while. "Do you know ViaLife?"

I purse my lips. "Yeah. They sell commodities. Oil, precious minerals, copper... coffee...."

"That's the one. Do you know who owns them?"

She's looking at me expectantly. Heat floods my cheeks. "No... Should I?"

"Nate Fordham is the CEO."

My eyebrows leap up. I've met Mr. Fordham a number of times. He attends the same charity galas, yachting regattas, and ballet patron dinners that my family does. He's never spoken directly to me, but I remember him well nonetheless.

Tall, black hair, silvery eyes, a perfect Tom Ford tux. And a tongue that would shame the devil with the wild things Mr. Fordham says. My father and Mr. Fordham always end up clashing any time that they're in the same room.

"Doesn't my dad hate Mr. Fordham?" I venture.

Lori snorts. "That's an understatement if I ever heard one. Mr. Fordham is your father's rival."

I try to frame my next question carefully.

"Isn't Daddy a bit old for rivals?"

A laugh bursts from Lori's mouth. "He didn't seem to think so." She schools her expression. "Mr. Fordham was in the room when your father had his aneurysm."

I scrunch my face up. "It sounds like they were spending more time together than rivals usually do."

Lori crosses her arms. "Maybe. Apparently, your dad was only there because of the poker game that Mr. Fordham puts on regularly."

"Oh. Dad does love a chance to gamble on literally anything." I huff a sigh. "Why do you bring Mr. Fordham up? Does Daddy owe him or something?"

She hesitates, then nods. "You could say that. Mr. Gellar ran out of funds at the poker table. So, he wagered something that he knew Mr. Fordham wouldn't turn his nose up at." Her expression darkens. "He proposed that Gellar Industries would undergo a merger with ViaLife if Mr. Fordham won."

The hair on my nape rises. "He did WHAT?"

Lori reaches out a hand and rubs my knee. "Relax. It's not the end of the world. Yes, a merger will be complicated. But it'll also give our company a fresh infusion of cash. And some resources that we really need. ViaLife is known to be flush."

I gape at the general counsel. "Are you insane? I'd rather give up the role of CEO than let someone else make decisions for the company on my behalf."

"Annalise, listen." Lori leans toward me. "We talked just last week about how you wanted to expand worker benefits. Weren't you saying something about more paid leave?"

I frown. "Well, yes. We don't currently offer any paid maternity leave benefits. Which, in my view, is criminal."

"And I said that we couldn't afford it. But with this merger, we could adopt ViaLife's leave policies. And we can use a cash infusion in the research and development department. You know that the department head has been begging me to get her more money for months now. With a merger, we could make strides with our ground-penetrating radar."

I make a sour expression. "My mother will have something to say about it, no doubt. Both of my parents think that mergers are a sign of weakness."

Lori smiles at me. "But neither one of them are in charge now. You are."

"That's true," I say, thinking about it. "But it might be the killing blow where my father is concerned."

"He should have thought about that before he bet the company in a poker game," Lori says, matter-of-factly.