Magnetic (26 page)

*******

Stacy seldom carried her cell phone on her person, but she’d developed a habit of keeping it with her when Layne left. The past three days, she survived on text messages and late-night phone calls. As she finished mowing Layne’s backyard, she looked at it and smiled seeing Layne’s latest text.
I miss you
.

“Are you keeping the plants on the inside watered, as well?”

Stacy looked up at Molly, who was standing a few feet away. “Yes, I am,” she said with a smile that wasn’t returned.

Molly cocked her head to the side and folded her arms. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

“Yes, I take care of my cousin’s, too.”

Molly pursed her lips as she looked around the backyard. “Are you staying here while she’s gone?”

“No, but Bob and Deb next door keep an eye on her place if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Fine,” Molly said with a nod and turned to walk away.

“I won’t hurt her.”

Molly stopped and turned. “You had no problem hurting Ronnie.”

“That’s not true, and I think you know that. You just don’t trust or like me. You don’t know me, either.”

“I know Layne and Ronnie, and that’s all that matters to me,” Molly replied coolly.

“But if it turns out that I’m good for Layne and make her happy, will you let your guard down and get to know me?”

“Why do you care?”

“It’s important to Layne.”

“Take those sunglasses off and look me in the eye when you answer my next question.” Molly met Stacy’s gaze when she moved the glasses onto the top of her head. “Do you have legitimate feelings for Layne?”

“I do,” Stacy said, her gaze unwavering. “I can’t tell you I’m in love, but what I feel grows stronger every time I’m with her.”

Molly stared Stacy down for a moment and sighed. “I want to make threats and tell you all sorts of terrible things I’d do to you if you hurt her, but I’m no good at it.” She straightened and stood tall, which wasn’t very high. “Even a house cat can do damage if angered.”

“I get your point,” Stacy said with a smile.

“Don’t get too relaxed. I have my eye on you.” Molly pointed two fingers at her own eyes, then turned them on Stacy. “That philodendron on the side of the driveway needs water.”

Stacy nodded. “I’ll take care of it. What do you suggest for the canna lilies? They’re looking ratty.”

“Cut them to the ground, they’re full of worms. Keep the new leaves that come back coated in pesticide.” Molly stabbed a finger at Stacy. “Don’t try to charm me with plant talk. I’m not there yet.”

Stacy grinned at the smirk that flittered across Molly’s face before she turned and walked away. “If you kill those indoor houseplants, you’ll see the angry house cat I warned you about,” Molly called over her shoulder.

Chapter 29

“…you’ve all done a marvelous job instituting and enforcing the updated policies. I’ve seen many of you using the positive reinforcement techniques that we’ve discussed in class, and it’s exciting to witness it in action and see the results we all want. Naturally, you’re going to encounter something that falls outside of normal procedure from time to time. I strongly encourage you as managers to meet and discuss these issues among you and come up with a solution as a team. I’m always available to give advice if you need it, as is Alana
Mayeaux
. We won’t stop working for you when our job here is complete. Call us anytime you need assistance.” Layne smiled at the group. “Our time together has taught me and my team a few things, as well. Thank you for working with us.”

Layne’s speech was met with a polite round of applause. She and Alana shook hands with each of the managers as they filed out of the conference room. “This one was easy,” Alana turned to Layne, “but we’re going to have our hands full with Lansing and Associates in Austin.” Her shoulders sagged as she delivered the news. “David wants us on a flight there tonight. Travel has already emailed us the arrangements.”

“What?” Layne pulled her phone from her jacket pocket and frowned at her mail.

“He called right as we began this meeting, that’s why I stepped into the hall. He claims he’s up to his ass in alligators and needs backup.”

Layne was infuriated at having her plans overturned. She’d been looking forward to going home to Stacy. In the past, she met unplanned events with enthusiasm. That’s why I was David’s tiger, Layne thought.
‘Was.’ What am I now? My personal life is changing, but my professional life can’t be allowed to suffer for it.

“Let’s get back to the hotel and get our things together. We’ll go to Austin and kick some butt,” Layne said with a conviction she didn’t feel.

*******

It would be late by the time Layne arrived in Austin, so while she and Alana raced across town in a cab to catch their flight, she sent Stacy a text.

I know you’re at work right now and probably won’t see this until later. I’m sorry to tell you that Alana and I are on the way to Austin to handle a problem. I’ll let you know as soon as I know I’m coming home. Miss you
.

“That’s really cute,” Alana said with a grin as she stared at Layne’s phone.

Layne turned it away. “Have you no respect for privacy?”

Alana shrugged. “I already told you I have a peeking problem.”

*******

The tiger was pissed off, her scruff was up, claws flexed and extended. Layne’s pupils dilated as she waited for her moment to pounce.

“Gabe Lansing enlisted your services, but
ol
’ Gabe doesn’t work in this office anymore. The buck stops with me now.” Albert Curly looked as though he was tempted to throw his feet up on the conference table but thought better of it. “Bottom line, we run the show, and we don’t want you here. You’re not going to get the open door you expect, so I suggest you tell Gabe that we’re doing fine and don’t need your so-called expertise.” Albert grinned when the other two who sat on either side of him chuckled.

This wasn’t uncharted territory for Calloway. They’d had their share of unwilling clients, and they’d dealt with each one with reason, cajoling. David looked at Layne expectantly because she could charm the mortar out of a brick wall when she wanted to, but on this morning, she didn’t.

“Mr. Calloway, do you have Mr. Lansing’s phone number?” Layne asked with her hand poised above the intercom sitting in the middle of the table.

David blinked in surprise.

“That’s not a good idea, pretty lady,” Albert said as he sat up straighter. “You do that, and it’s going to cause a full-scale war between us all.” He pointed to the two sitting beside him. “We’re unified and ready to meet Gabe head-on.”

“And why should that matter to me?” Layne asked with a bored expression.

“Because he’ll fire you rather than having to replace all of us at the same time,” Albert retorted.

“You’re worried about us being fired after you’ve succinctly stated that we’re not needed?” Layne smiled as she crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair. “Let’s look at the nuts and bolts of this. Your sales are down thirteen percent from last year at this time, customer satisfaction is down forty-seven percent. Lansing produces one patented product. Other companies have tried to manufacture a rival but have failed to produce a product that can outlast the Lansing Hydraulic Pump. Your product is sound, and you have a large market in the petrochemical industry. The reason Lansing is failing is not the economy, it’s mismanagement. You were promoted to director of operations last year, and for the first time in the company’s history, your profits are down. You are right, Mr. Curly, the buck does stop with you, and Mr. Lansing knows it. Calling us in to rectify that should mean to you that this is your last hope before you find yourself in a very long unemployment line.”

Layne tapped her fingers on the table. “I’m not going to beg to help bail you out of something you’ve gotten yourself into,” she said with a cold smile. “I have better things to do with my time. So we’ll get out of your hair and explain to Mr. Lansing the same things I just told you, but I can guarantee when the wheels of our plane touch down on the runway in New Orleans, you’re going to be looking at the want ads.”

The bluff had been called, the cards laid out on the table, and Albert Curly paled but was not willing to acquiesce easily. “And you think by coming in and teaching our secretaries how to smile and our people to sound cheery on the phone will change all that?”

“On the flight from Seattle to Austin, I went over your company portfolio and relayed the data I learned, but you haven’t taken the time to review ours?”

“Sister sunshine, I don’t have the time to study pamphlets on manners. I have a company to run,” Albert said with a chuckle, but this time, his associates didn’t share in his humor.

“If I take the time to work with you,” Layne began and held up a finger, “and that’s a big if. The first thing we’ll do is teach you how to conduct research. If I were in your shoes and I considered Calloway the adversary, I would’ve already studied everything I could. But it’s not just research, it’s implementation, and frankly, I don’t think you have the ambition or fortitude.” Layne stood. “All of this I will explain to Mr. Lansing. A week from now when I return, if you’re still here, I expect your full compliance. You can start by showing me that you’re willing to rise to the challenge by addressing me properly. My name is Ms. Stone,” she pointed to Alana, “that is Ms.
Mayeaux
, and you already know Mr. Calloway. Have a good day, gentlemen.”

No one said a word as the three of them left the building and approached David’s rental car to which David handed Alana the keys. The gesture meant he was upset, and Layne was about to get an earful as soon as they left the parking lot. David proved that to be true the minute Alana pulled onto the highway.

“What the hell was that, Layne? Lansing specifically told me that he wanted to rehab Albert Curly, who happens to be his nephew, for fuck’s sake!” David threw up his hands. “Well, we’re done here!”

“Let me talk to Lansing,” Layne said calmly from the backseat.

David turned sideways so he could glare at her. “And what are you going to tell him? We can’t do the job he hired us to do?”

“We can do the job. Larry, Moe, and Curly back there cannot. I did my job, David. I went over the sales reports and researched Lansing from its inception. Gabe Lansing is a businessman. He’s been running this company successfully for almost twenty years. Do you honestly think he’s going to let it fall in the crapper because he wants to throw his nephew a bone?”

“You better hope you’re right because I’m not going to throw mine away because you have a bad case of PMS.”

Alana braked hard, hanging David in his seatbelt. “My bad,” she said coolly, “I thought that guy was going to swerve into our lane.” She winked at Layne in the rearview.

Layne’s tone was calm and collected. “You asked for the tiger, David. You got it.”

*******

Gabe Lansing was more than willing to meet with them that afternoon in his home. Layne virtually turned his kitchen into a boardroom where she spread out charts and graphs on his kitchen table. The facts spoke for themselves, and by the end of the day, she’d convinced Gabe to hang on to Calloway and jettison the dead weight that was killing the company he created. Gabe Lansing came out of semi-retirement that evening.

Chapter 30

Stacy’s motorcycle was parked again in front of Layne’s house when Molly took her afternoon bike ride. She frowned when she noticed that the row of Japanese fringe lining the back of the flowerbeds had been trimmed so that the lower limbs no longer touched the mulch. Molly had wanted to do that since she and Layne had put in the new flowers, but with the heat, she lacked the strength. She chewed her bottom lip as she climbed off the bike. She’d looked forward to working in Layne’s yard to show her appreciation for all that Layne had done for her, and now Stacy was taking over. This was a whole new reason to resent the player.