I mumble some response as I work to breathe deep after that dang reminder of the dream last night I somehow managed to forget until now.

When Natalie comes in. I ring Leo to let him know she’s here. “Good, come in.”

I sit behind Natalie, pen ready. I’m relieved I can follow along without much work. It’s a longer meeting than I thought it would be, Leo goes over how to terminate Harden. Harden settled, they talked about two other new employees and their progress.

I check my watch. Elizabeth Ward is due in almost fifteen minutes. Even though I don’t say a word, Leo nods at me. “That will be all, Natalie. Good work.”

Natalie leaves with a look at me that tells me to call her. I nod, as I stay behind. “Would you like me to type up my notes and give them to you when I’m done?”

“Type them up yes, give to me, no. Just save them in the individual employee file, on my personal server.”

I’m barely in my seat when security calls to let me know Ward is here. Natalie sends me a text to call her ASAP. Without responding I toss my cell in a drawer seconds before the elevator opens to Elizabeth Ward.

I beep Leo to let him know she’s here. He gives the okay, and I show Elizabeth into his office.

The change in Leo over the next half hour is unbelievable. This is a new Leo entirely, smiling, charming, laughing, teasing and I want to scratch Elizabeth Ward’s eyes out for seeing this side of him. Jealousy, sharp and pointy, flares bright inside of me. It’s a challenge to focus on what they are saying when I can’t take my eyes off Leo.  Leo asks me a question, and I freeze, I hadn’t been paying attention. That damn dark eyebrow goes up. I barely have time to stutter out an apology before he’s back to Elizabeth.

Trying desperately to find that ice deep down, I’m able to get back on track. Leo wanted her to be in charge of a job work center on the southside. There would be GED classes and testing available in addition to accredited certificates and community college credit hours as well as the usual resume assistance and computer classes. The plan is for apprenticeships and internships, and even childcare with a portion of it focused on helping young women. The center would be a nonprofit with initial funding provided by both Leo and Markhoff at twenty-five million each.

It’s so hard to hate him right now when he’s not quite the asshole I think he is.

***

Leo

––––––––

Walking Elizabeth Ward to the elevator, I am satisfied by her happiness and effusive thanks. Dmitri owes me twenty dollars, I managed not only to hire her. I turned her from an angry shrew into a purring contented kitten.