Company Ink (5 page)

He’d regretted being short with Violet the moment he opened his mouth. She was clearly a woman to have on his side. And as he entered his building, he groaned when he thought of how he’d treated her. If he wasn’t careful, he’d end up alienating the only other person in the store whose favor actually mattered.

Ben took long strides into the Pig ’N’ Whistle, a long-standing Irish pub on the Upper East Side. It was five o’clock, so the place wasn’t yet crowded; he was exhausted from another day at the bakery, but this visit was more business than pleasure. Then again, his brain couldn’t have been more filled with nonsense, so he figured a beer would do him good anyway. It only took a cursory glance to spot Tommy, a longtime friend who happened to be doubling as Ben’s newly appointed divorce lawyer tonight. He took a seat at the booth, noticing the large manila envelope immediately. He gave Tommy’s fist a pound, not taking his eyes off of the envelope.

“So she had the process server bring the papers to you?”

Tommy nodded, pushing a double shot of Johnnie Walker at Ben. “I took a look at the papers. She’s coming at you hard, bro.”

Ben sipped, welcoming the whiskey’s burn as it numbed his throat. “I can imagine. What’d she cite, irreconcilable differences?”

“Actually, she filed for a fault divorce,” Tommy answered. “It’s the complete opposite of filing based on irreconcilable differences, which most cases are handled under, even the most difficult ones. She’s filing on grounds of cruelty and adultery.”

Ben responded by tossing back the rest of his drink, closing his eyes as his head swam. “She’s trying to ruin me.”

“It certainly seems that way,” Tommy replied empathetically. “And let me tell you, she doesn’t have a single shred of proof unless she knows people willing to lie in court. Either way, it looks like she’s going for the jugular.”

“Great.” Ben sighed. “What’s next?”

“Simple. We’ll contest her petition and file a countersuit. I can probably even get you out of paying alimony if you can prove somehow that she cheated on you based on that prenup you sent me.”

Ben shook his head. “I don’t have time for this nonsense, Tommy. I also don’t want to spend the next year fighting a battle when all I want to do is get on with my life. I spent seven years funding her entire life, damn it. I’m done.”

“I get it. You’re pissed off, you’re hurting—”

“Of course I am,” Ben interrupted with a frown. “But what am I supposed to do? She left me for my best friend and took everything out of the apartment. Then I found out the guy who’d been my lawyer since before I met Elena had been passing information to her the entire time.”

“I was wondering why you finally took me up on my offer.”

“Well, now you know. My sister’s boyfriend, Nate, works at the same firm. He caught Elena having a private meeting with
my
lawyer. Nate told Lisa, Lisa told me—I called you right after I fired the guy. And here we are.”

“Jesus, that’s dramatic.” Tommy motioned for the waitress. “How are you holding up at the new job?”

Ben shrugged. “Could be better. I was such a jerk to the production supervisor yesterday. She walked in while you and I were on the phone. I couldn’t check my attitude, and she caught some of it.”

“Easy, bud. You don’t wanna end up isolating yourself. Wynne’s seems like a real good opportunity for a fresh start.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I feel horrible, actually. She didn’t say a word to me today.”

“Who?”

“Violet—the production supervisor.”

A small smile appeared on Tommy’s face. “What’s that? Right there, what’s that?”

Ben looked perplexed as the waitress swept in and placed two fresh whiskeys in front of them. “What’s what?”

“That look in your eye.”

Bringing the glass to his lips, Ben said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Tommy nearly burst into laughter. “Shit, are you into her?”

Ben took a sip and placed his glass on the table. He pursed his lips and remained quiet as he considered whether or not to say anything. Realizing the long moment of silence had already incriminated him, he sighed.

“All right, fine. I
might
like the girl’s work ethic.”

“Easy bro,” Tommy warned. “Getting involved with a co-worker is a bad idea in the first place, and you’re adding divorce to the equation.”

“Relax, we’re not involved. In fact, I’m pretty sure she hates me. She’s this driven, determined thing, and she’s full of piss and vinegar.”

“As in, she’s not falling for your charming restaurant-manager gimmick,” Tommy interpreted with a satisfied nod. “What does she look like?”

“Gorgeous, of course,” Ben answered wistfully. “Tall, curvaceous, and she’s got this wild, black hair. Everything about her screams strong and sexy—she’s like a warrior princess with an apron. And can I admit something without you busting my balls?”

“I really can’t promise anything.”

“She knows how amazing she is,” he replied with amusement. “It’s not arrogance, though—just confidence. And it scares the hell out of me. She’s got a strong personality, and I’m not really sure how to handle it. She’s hot, talented, smart—she could have me on the ropes quickly if I’m not careful.”

“I can’t even rip into you, dude. A woman with a presence like that is kind of scary. I know Elena wasn’t like that.”

Ben shook his head. “She wasn’t. Oh, she talked the talk. But when it came right down to it, she was a bundle of insecurity. Most of the girls I dated were like that anyway.”

“And this girl?”

“Violet couldn’t care less. And if I said something she doesn’t agree with, I’m pretty sure she’d let me have it.”

Tommy took a deep swig of his whiskey. “It’s just as well. You’ve got a pretty hard fight ahead of you if we don’t come up with a decent strategy.”

Ben folded his arms over his chest. “Well then, let’s figure this out. Get Elena out of my life.”

• • •

Violet took hesitant steps toward The Rock, not entirely sure she was ready to begin another day. Today would mark Ben’s tenth day with the company, and he’d certainly been a challenge. He’d spent about half of his time around her with an attitude the size of Everest. And he’d split the other half between being completely aloof and, on the opposite end of the scale, charming enough to have every single girl in the bakery giggling like idiots. But Violet was exhausted with his back and forth, and she wasn’t buying any of it.

He’d walk through the bakery, praising all of the counter staff and eliciting smiles from everyone in the store. In fact, Ben was on his way to being beloved among her co-workers. He’d stop at her station with a smile and ask how her day was going. The first few times she’d engaged happily, discussing the bakery and odd things like breakfast and favorite coffees while he watched her ice special orders. But icing practice with Ben was going as well as if Violet had handed a bucket of buttercream to a two-year-old. Not only was he getting more on his clothes than on the actual cupcake, but the harder she pushed, the sooner he lost interest. He would then disappear into the office and, by the time she got down there to continue his training, he was often tense and irritated.

She’d spent days fighting off the urge to give him as much attitude as he’d given her. She’d also spent days telling herself that she didn’t have to go to Wynne—yet. And today, Violet was at the end of her rope. If he didn’t at least get his act together where the production schedule was concerned, Violet would pay Wynne a visit at the corporate office. Not one to kick up drama, she strongly hoped she wouldn’t have to. But she didn’t know what kind of face Ben would be presenting and was beginning to develop the opinion that he was either a phony or a complete lunatic. Whatever the reason for his behavior, she had no time in her life for either. And the last thing she wanted was to be seen as a person who couldn’t effectively train someone.

Resigned to a nose-to-the-grindstone mentality for the day, she didn’t look up when he walked through the door, and she barely made a sound when he greeted her. Her interaction with Ben throughout the day consisted of no more than a few words, depending on what the situation called for. To her delight, she found the day going by quickly. This would be the best way to deal with Ben’s bipolar behavior going forward. And by the time Wynne arrived at two o’clock, Violet was in a much happier mood.

Wynne stepped into the manager’s office where Violet was sitting at her desk, surrounded by paperwork with a fresh, hot caramel latte in her hand, her strong, lengthy gams folded beneath her, and her signature wild raven curls sticking out at all angles from the bun at the top of her head. For the first time since Ben started, she was thoroughly at ease. Sensing her mentor’s presence, Violet looked up. A wide, happy smile stretched across her face.

“Hi, Wynne!”

Wynne beamed. “Well, hi to you, too! Someone’s in a good mood.”

“I’m feeling great. How are you?”

“Better now, I think,” Wynne replied. “I’ll be honest with you. I came down here because Jay was a little worried about a change in your attitude.”

Violet could’ve been knocked over by a feather. “A change in my attitude?”

Wynne took a seat next to her, watching her with a maternal concern. “Jay tells me you’ve been less exuberant and more introverted. He also tells me that Ben doesn’t seem even close to confident with production and … I was just wondering if maybe I’d put a little too much pressure on you.”

The tone of Wynne’s voice told Violet she was by no means in trouble, but that didn’t stop her blood from boiling at Wynne’s and Jay’s assumption that she was giving less than her all. It was
exactly
what she’d been concerned about—that Ben wouldn’t pick up on the job as fast as Wynne wanted, and it would somehow be Violet’s fault.

“He said that, did he?”
Stay calm.

Wynne placed a hand on Violet’s forearm. “If giving you the task of helping train Ben is too much, it’s okay. You’ve been nothing but a rock star—sometimes it’s easy for me to forget that you’ve only been here a few weeks.”

Violet put her pen down, shaking her head gently. “Wynne, I’m not having any problems with my workload. And I would gladly help train Ben if I thought he were at all interested in learning from me.”

The words left her mouth before she could stop them; she regretted them less than a second later. She wasn’t the type to throw anyone under the bus, but Violet realized quickly that her slightly snarky comment did exactly that. Her eyes closed involuntarily, and she took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say that. I’m sure he’s swamped with things that don’t involve having a hand in what I do. I know I could definitely teach him more if he’d hang around while I was doing production, but he’s being pulled in a lot of different directions.”

Wynne smiled. “Don’t worry, he’s not in any trouble. And don’t think for a second that I believe you’re giving me anything less than your usual best. That said, a person’s first reaction, however blunt and unexpected, is usually the most honest one.”

“Wynne, please don’t think that I—”

“Vi, relax. These are things I need to know, so I can make sure he gets the training he needs. He’s got all of this amazing management experience, so it’s important that we all band together to get him to translate his fine dining skills into the bakery. And I don’t want revolving-door management. I want someone who will stay with us while we grow. The only way I can control that is to make sure my team is well-trained and happy from top to bottom.”

Wynne patted Violet’s shoulder affectionately before walking to the office door. Violet watched her uneasily, her forehead pressed against the heel of her hand.

“Trust me, please. I know what I’m doing.”

Violet dropped her head into her hands as the office door closed with an ominous thud. She knew all about Wynne’s reputation for succinctness as much as anyone in the store did. Ben, however, having spent only a couple of days around the boss, could end up misconstruing her brevity as a reprimand if she happened to mention their conversation. And there was no doubt in Violet’s mind that Wynne would mention their conversation. Violet pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger for a moment, letting the tiny pangs of nervousness subside before continuing to look through the online orders to see what she could feasibly add to her own morning schedule before adjusting the evening and overnight lists.

She was just finishing up the production lists for the overnight bakers ten minutes later when Ben stormed into the office. The noisy burst of energy that injected itself into the room made Violet start. She spun around, jolted into a standing position, and was met with Ben’s angry, yet somehow devastatingly handsome, glower.

“Are you trying to get me fired?”

Violet’s eyes widened in response. “Of course not!”

He certainly looked fit to burst. “What the hell did you say to Wynne?”

“It doesn’t matter what I said to Wynne! You’re not in trouble, are you?”

“No,” he replied, still speaking loudly. “But she questioned my commitment to the company. Is this about production? Are you sabotaging me because I won’t spend an afternoon talking cupcakes with you?”

His last few words were dripping with disdain and, frankly, it pissed her off. She placed her hands on her hips and nearly stood on her tiptoes in an effort to be as dominating as he.

“Sabotage? Let me tell you something, homeboy. I don’t need to sabotage anybody—I’m one of the most valuable players in the entire company. For that matter, I don’t
need
you to spend the afternoon
talking cupcakes
, as you so eloquently put it. Wynne thought it would be good for you to be exposed to someone with my pastry background since the bulk of your experience is in upscale restaurants. If you want to figure things out on your own, be my guest!”

“Yes, Violet,” he said sardonically. “I want to figure things out on my own!”

“Fine,” she replied, the volume of her voice jumping a notch. “Then do that! And while you’re at it, you can figure out how to stop being an absolute jerk to me. We’re supposed to be on the same team, and you’ve been nothing but bipolar.”