Page 153 of Sinclair Duet
“I haven’t been at it long,” she said, “but I’m doing my best.”
After we said goodbyes, I thought how odd it was that Rosemary considered the time frame not that long, when I was sure I hadn’t been in these halls for weeks or months. “Hi, Pam,” I said to Millie’s secretary.
“Ella, Millie is on a call. As soon as she’s off, she’ll be ready to see you.”
“Okay.” I looked around, spotting two chairs next to one wall. “I’ll wait for her.”
Pam nodded.
I pulled my notebook from my bag, the one with the notes from the weekend in Ashland and about the coalition. Each entry refreshed my memory. The names of the companies and the CEOs. Next was the list of the main revenue sources and their budgets. I was deep down the rabbit hole when Pam called my name.
“Ella, Millie’s ready.”
“Thank you,” I said, gathering my notes and standing. The few steps to Millie’s door were as if I were walking through quicksand. I couldn’t pinpoint my trepidation, but it was present.
“Hi,” I said, spotting Millie behind her desk.
“Please, Ella, have a seat.”
Taking a deep breath, I took the same seat I had when Millie railroaded me into the campaign; now I was here to argue that same campaign’s worth.
“Congratulations,” she said.
Okay, we’re going to start with this.
I lifted my left hand. “I spoke too soon. Damien and I are engaged.”
Millie opened her eyes wide and pursed her lips. “The two of you didn’t marry?”
“We did.” I sat taller. “We married in Florida. We’ve now been made aware that there’s an issue with our marriage license.” I shrugged. “Therefore, we’re back to engaged.”
“Ella, this spontaneous, irrational behavior isn’t like you. Is there more to this story?”
“There is a lot more. However, I don’t see how any of it is pertinent to my position with Beta Kappa Phi or as campaign manager for the campaign you basically forced upon me.”
“I didn’t force you.” She shuffled papers on her desk. “I believe your behavior is relevant. As a representative of Beta Kappa Phi, your integrity could be in question.”
Perhaps it was the lack of sleep. Maybe it was the entire world crashing down, but I wasn’t in the mood for a lecture on my integrity.
“Millie, my integrity is not in question. I’ve known Damien for years.”
“You don’t just marry someone?—”
I lifted my hand. “Millie, if you’re talking to me as a friend, I will tell you I appreciate your candor, but you are uninformed. You don’t possibly have enough knowledge to pass judgment.” Her lips pursed. I went on, “If you’re speaking to me as my boss, I believe you’re crossing the line. What I do in my personal life is not up for debate. Give it to me straight: are you killing the campaign?”
Millie sat taller. “I’ve been in contact with our legal department. While they understand that whom you marry or are engaged to is your business, they would like a statement from the coalition that there is still confidence in your ability to act for all the companies.”
“I’ll get a statement.”
She shook her head. “That isn’t necessary.”
“You just said…”
“Julia Sherman called me this morning.”
I let out a breath.
Millie went on, “She has faith in you and your abilities. She also corroborated the information you gave me last night. The coalition agreed with you working at Sinclair Corporate for the reason you mentioned. She stated that the coalition has upheld Mr. Sinclair’s promise of working with Beta Kappa Phi.”