him to undertake as part of his staff evaluation during the merger.
Under the guise of seeing where staff cutbacks needed to be made, he was also tasked with investigating who could most likely be responsible for what could be unwitting or deliberate leaks to HIT’s largest business rival. Orson suspected that the rival company, DuBecTec, was accumulating data to undermine his company with a view toward making a hostile takeover bid in the next few months. He had instructed Kirk to look at everyone on the payroll very thoroughly. Everyone including the very appealing Ms. Sally Harrison.
Kirk took another sip of his beer and watched her across the room. She’d barely sipped her drink yet but swirled the toothpick in her martini around and around. Just then, as he was watching, she removed the toothpick from her drink and, using her teeth and her tongue, drew the cocktail onion off the tip and crunched down. His entire body clenched on a surge of desire so intense he almost groaned out loud.
Sally Harrison was a very interesting subject indeed, he decided as he willed his body back under control. And before he left the bar tonight, he would definitely find a way to get to know her better.
* * *
Company merger. For the best.
Even though she was going through the motions, saying all the right things as her friends excitedly told her about their recent honeymoon, Sally couldn’t stop thinking about her father’s shocking announcement over dinner tonight. If she hadn’t heard it straight from the horse’s mouth, she would have struggled to believe it. She still struggled to believe it. And the fact that her father hadn’t shared a moment of what had to have been an extensive forerunner to the merger with her raked across her emotions.
It was a harsh reminder that if she was the kind of person who actually stood with her father, versus sheltering behind him, she’d have been a part of the discussions. Not only that, if she’d been the kind of person she ought to be, confident and charismatic instead of shy and intense, this entire merger might not even have been necessary.
Her whole body trembled with a sense of failure. Oh, sure, logically she knew that her dad wouldn’t have entered into this planned merger if it wasn’t the best thing for Harrison IT and its thousand or so staff worldwide. And it wasn’t as though he needed her input. As chairman of HIT, he held the reins very firmly in both hands, as he always had. But, until now, HIT had been the family firm, and darn it, she was his family. Or at least she was the last time she’d looked.
Of course, now the company would be rebranded—Harrison Tanner Tech. Clearly things were about to change on more than one level.
She could have predicted her father’s response when she’d questioned the secrecy surrounding the merger.
“Nothing you need to worry about,” he’d said, brushing her off in his usual brusque but loving way.
And she wasn’t worried—not about the company, anyway. But she did have questions that he’d been very evasive about answering. Like, why this particular other company? What did it bring to HIT that the firm didn’t have already? Why this man, whoever he was, who was being appointed vice president effective tomorrow? And why did her dad want her to be there during the video link when he and the new vice president of the newly branded Harrison Tanner Tech would make the merger announcement simultaneously to the whole staff? She couldn’t think of anything she’d rather do less. Aside from the fact that she hated being in the public arena, how on earth would she look her colleagues in the eye afterward and possibly have to face their accusations that she’d known about this merger all along? Or worse, have to admit that she hadn’t. Just the thought of it made her stomach flip uneasily.
Her father had always told her he worked hard so she didn’t have to. She knew he worked hard. Too hard, if the recent tired and gray cast to his craggy features was anything to go by. It was another prod that she hadn’t pulled her weight. Hadn’t been the support he deserved and maybe even needed. Not that he’d ever say as much. He’d protected her all her life, which hadn’t abated as she’d reached adulthood. To her shame, she’d let him.
Thing was, she wanted to work hard. She wanted to be a valued member of HIT and to be involved in the decision making. She wished she could shed the anxiety that led to her always hovering in the shadows and allowing others to run with her ideas and get the glory that came with those successes. Okay, so not every idea was wildly successful, but her phobia of speaking in groups had held her back, and she knew others had been promoted over her because of it. Her personality flaws meant she wasn’t perceived to be as dynamic and forward thinking as people in upper management were expected to be.
When her crippling fear had surfaced after the death of her mom, and when years of therapy appeared to make no headway, her father had always reassured her that she was simply a late bloomer and she only needed time to come into her own. But she was twenty-eight now, and she still hadn’t overcome her insecurities. She knew that was a continual, if quiet, disappointment to her father. While he’d never said as much, she knew he’d always hoped that she could overcome her phobia and stand at his side at HIT, and she’d wanted that, too. She’d thought he was still giving her time. She hadn’t realized he’d given up on her. Not until today.
This latest development was the last straw. Her father had always included her in his planning for the firm, even implemented an idea or two of hers from time to time, but this he’d done completely without her.
The shock continued to reverberate through her. The writing was on the wall. She’d been left in the dark on this major decision—and in the dark was where she’d stay going forward unless she did something about it. She couldn’t make excuses for herself anymore. She was a big girl now. It was past time that she stretched to her full potential. If she didn’t, she’d be overlooked for the rest of her life, and she knew for sure that she didn’t want that. Things had to change. She had to change. Now.
Gilda and Ron were still laughing and talking, sharing reminiscences as well as exchanging those little touches and private looks that close couples did all the time. It was sweet, but it compounded the sense of exclusion she felt at the same time. In her personal life as well as in the workplace, the people around her seemed to move forward easily, effortlessly, while she struggled with every step. She was happy for the others, truly—she was just sad for herself.
When they both looked at their watches and said they needed to be on their way, she didn’t object. Instead she waved them off with a smile and stayed to finish her barely touched drink.
She should go home to her apartment, get an early night—prepare for the big announcement tomorrow. Should? It felt like all her life Sally had done what should be done. Like she’d spent her life striving to please others. But what about her? Change had to start from a point in time—why couldn’t that change start now? Why couldn’t she be bold? Accept new challenges?
“Ma’am? The gentleman over there asked me to bring you this.”
A waitress put another Gibson on the table in front of her. Sally blinked in surprise before looking up at the girl.
“Gentleman?”
“Over there.” The waitress gestured. “He’s really hot.”
“Are you sure it was for me?” she asked.
“He was quite specific. Did you want me to take it back?”
Did she? The frightened mouse inside her quivered and said, oh, yes. But wasn’t that what she would have done normally? In fact, since she’d dismissed her personal security, wouldn’t she normally have left with Gilda and Ron
