Truly Yours Contemporary Collection December 2014 Read online

  “Obviously I chose the wrong promotional firm, and now I doubt we’ll have the new Web site ready by October first.”

  Seating herself again, she leaned back in her chair, her fingers again massaging her temples. “I had great expectations about Mr. Kendall’s proposal. Now I’ll have to start all over again and find another company. I still can’t believe the substandard Web site he tried to sell me. It looked like amateurs created it.”

  “Even I, with as little knowledge as I have, could have done a better job than that.”

  Surprised by his words, Eleanor lowered her hands. “What do you know about building Web sites?”

  ❧

  Robert flinched at her question. Why had he blurted that out? What was he thinking? Knowing El, she’d keep at him until she got an answer that satisfied her.

  She rose, circled her desk, and came to stand directly in front of him, her arms linked loosely across her chest. “I asked you a question.”

  Now I’ve done it. I have to tell her the truth. As a Christian, I can’t lie about it. “I’ve always been fascinated by the Web. You know how I love computers and anything to do with them.”

  “That’s your answer?” She tilted her head slightly and gazed at him. “Why do I get the impression you’re keeping something from me?”

  He pasted on a plastic smile and shrugged.

  “You made a statement, Robert. You said even you could have done a better job than Mr. Kendall’s company. What did you mean by that?”

  Two

  She tapped the tip of her spike-heeled shoe impatiently. “I’m waiting.”

  Robert glanced at his watch. “I thought you said you had some work to do.”

  “You’re avoiding my question, Robert Rachette.”

  He lifted both hands in surrender. “Okay, you win. I didn’t want to tell you, but I’ve been working at a second job for the past two years. I know how you frown on your employees holding second jobs, but with all the expenses I’ve had since my wife died, I’ve had no other choice.”

  She gave him a haughty look. “My employees can’t be at their best unless they give their full, undivided attention to working for me. That includes you, Robert. You’re responsible for all the money that goes through Scrooge’s. You need to be on your toes and have a clear head. The idea of you taking on a second job is ludicrous.”

  He hung his head. “You’re reacting exactly as I knew you would. That’s why I didn’t want to tell you.”

  “You should have come to me before doing something as foolish as taking on a second job.”

  “I did come to you! Several times, and each time I asked you for a raise I got the same answer you gave me today: No! I was desperate, El. I have a family to support. My mom is no longer physically able to help with the children. My family’s financial needs increase every year, yet other than the blanket cost of living increase we all got three years ago, I haven’t had an actual raise in nearly six years.”

  She fidgeted with the diamond brooch on her designer suit. “I—I hadn’t realized it’d been that long.”

  “You and I have been friends as long as I can remember. You promoted me to assistant of accounting at Scrooge’s after Everett died, knowing I was nothing more than a lowly accountant without a CPA certification. Six years ago, you made me head of the accounting department and gave me a twenty percent raise. That’s the last one I’ve had.”

  Eleanor started to say something but pursed her lips together instead, her gaze still pinned on him. He wished he knew what was going through her mind at that moment, but she was a master at keeping her true feelings hidden, a trick she’d told him she’d learned when her father would find her and beat her.

  “I hate to say this—it makes me sound ungrateful—but I’ve considered leaving Scrooge’s and finding work elsewhere.”

  Eleanor reared back, her eyes rounded in surprise. “You’d leave me? After all I’ve done for you?”

  Robert paused, giving deep thought before responding. He certainly didn’t want to be fired, but he had to stand his ground. He’d let her dominate him for far too long. “The way I see it, our business relationship is a two-way thing, El. Yes, you gave me the opportunity to advance, despite my lack of being a Certified Public Account, but I’ve done a good job here. Like you, I’ve put my all into my work. I’ve never shirked my duties. In fact, I’ve gone way beyond what you’ve asked of me. But there comes a time when a man has to evaluate where he is and what he’s doing. I have to think about my future and the future of my children. They are such good kids, and they ask so little of me. I want to be able to do things for them. Maybe, one day, send them off to college for the education you and I never had.”

  “But you and I have done all right, haven’t we?”

  “Let’s face it, El. If it weren’t for old Everett Scrooge falling in love with you and asking you to marry him, probably neither one of us would still be working here.”

  For only a brief moment, Eleanor seemed to smart at his words, and then she brightened, recovering like she always did when an impossible problem needed solving. “Enough of this kind of talk. You are not leaving me, Robert Rachette. You and I are a team. We’ve always been a team.”

  He gave her a teasing smirk. “Yeah, you’re the head coach, and I’m the water boy.”

  A smile curled at her bright red lips. “You know that’s not true. You’re a very important part of my business life. Now, tell me about this other job of yours. Exactly what do you do?”

  Though she seemed genuinely interested, he still felt uncomfortable talking about it. He’d been so sure she’d fire him if she learned he had been moonlighting. “A few years ago I decided I would do everything in my power to make sure my precious daughter would get the medical attention she deserved,” he began, watching her carefully while trying to decide how much he should say. “I noted the Internet was beginning to burgeon with Web sites, both commercial and private. I purchased a used computer so I could work at home and began learning the HTML computer language, with the idea that I might be able to work at home evenings and weekends, creating and maintaining Web sites. Cal Bender, one of the men at my church, owns a small Web hosting business. When I confided in him what I was doing and how I really needed to find a way to subsidize my income, he hired me. Since I’ve always had a great interest in the Internet and have used it to research my daughter’s birthmark, I was already pretty Web site savvy, so it didn’t take long for me to catch on to his company’s way of doing things.”

  Her balled fist went to her hip. “Why didn’t you tell me this before? You knew I was planning to revamp and enlarge Scrooge’s Web site. I could have used your input!”

  “Because I knew you’d be upset if you found out I was working outside of Scrooge’s, that’s why. I sure didn’t want to invite the possibility of getting fired!”

  Eleanor proceeded as if she hadn’t heard a word he’d said about getting fired. “Is any of your work up on the Internet?”

  He nodded, still hesitant to reveal too much about his part-time job. He, better than anyone else who worked for her, knew how quickly she could be angered into doing something rash. And, like she’d told Mr. Kendall, she was not known for giving second chances.

  She took him by the hand and pulled him toward the computer on her desk. “Show me.”

  “Remember? You said you had work to do. I don’t want to keep you from something important.”

  “At this point, nothing is more important to me than getting the new Web site up before my October 1 deadline.” She moved to one side and gestured toward the chair.

  Knowing arguing with her was futile, he sat down and typed in the URL address for the most recent Web site he’d designed and completed. “This one is for a tool and die company. Not very glamorous, I’m afraid.”

  Eleanor leaned over his shoulder and stared at the screen. “You did that?”

  Robert flinched. Oh no! Here comes her criticism. Although quite proud of the Web site, he f
elt as though he’d laid himself bare by letting her see it.

  She leaned even closer, scrutinizing the screen with an intensity that unnerved him. Then, smiling up at him, she said, “It’s wonderful, Robert. Clean lines. No wasted words. Easy navigation. That’s what I wanted for our Web site.”

  Floored by her compliment, he allowed himself to smile. Maybe he could risk talking about it. “See over here on the left side? I’ve added links to the various sections. It took me weeks to catalog thousands of parts, but now a customer from anywhere in the world can order as many or as few parts as they need from this Web site and have them shipped overnight. For their business, being user-friendly and having their customers able to find exactly what they needed with a touch of a finger was their number one priority. Yet they wanted their site to spell quality.”

  Eleanor maneuvered herself up closer and scrolled to the shopping cart icon at the top right corner of the page. Instantly, a detailed but well organized order sheet appeared. Her eyes widened. “Robert, this is so much better than anything Mr. Kendall had to offer. I must say I’m impressed!”

  His emotions feeling somewhat mixed, Robert watched silently while she moved through several more pages. El was famous for her left-handed compliments. They always seemed to end with a “Yes, but. . .” Though she praised something, she always added a criticism or suggestion to make it better. She could never leave well enough alone or admit someone’s idea or work needed no improvement.

  Finally returning to the home page, she looked up at him, a glint in her eye. “You must do our Web site.”

  After taking a moment to recover, Robert stared at her, astounded that she would even consider such a thing. He pointed at El. “You,” he said, pausing for emphasis, “want me”—he pulled his hand back and tapped the end of his finger on his chest—“to do Scrooge’s Web site?”

  Her brows lifted as she gave a ladylike shrug. “Why not?” The question rolled off her tongue as easily as if she were asking if he wanted cream in his coffee. “You already work for Scrooge’s, Robert. You’d be the perfect one to do it. From the looks of this Web site, you certainly have the know-how. Besides, I’d be right here by your side to give you my input.”

  That’s one of the reasons I wouldn’t want to do it, even if I were qualified. Having you breathing down my neck would make me a nervous wreck. “Look, El, I know you were disappointed with the proposal Mr. Kendall gave you, but I’m sure there are dozens of other companies out there who are more than capable of doing an excellent job. You need to talk to one of them.”

  “But I want you to do it!”

  “I’m a number cruncher, El. Doing an Internet catalog for a parts company is a far cry from doing a high-fashion, upscale department store Web site like Scrooge’s.”

  Eleanor cupped her fingers around his wrist and lifted her beautiful, clear blue eyes. “At least give it a try.”

  He gave his head a slight shake and tried to pull away. This was the same technique she’d used when they were kids. All she’d had to do was place her tiny hand on his wrist and lift her big blue eyes to his, and he’d melt. And the sad thing was—she knew it. He could never refuse little El, and that weakness had gotten him in trouble many times. “I couldn’t do it justice, El. Besides, I have my own work to do.”

  “But you have time to work a part-time job?”

  Frustrated, he shook his head. “No, El, I don’t have time to work a part-time job, but I have to work it so I can make ends meet. There’s a big difference. Thanks to my friend who owns the hosting business, most of the time I can work my part-time job from home where I can be near my children and not have to hire a baby-sitter. That job is a godsend.”

  He could almost hear the gears in her brain turning as Eleanor gazed into his eyes. Expecting she would drop her idea was pure fantasy. Once Eleanor made up her mind about something, nothing could make her change it.

  “What if. . .” She tilted her head coyly, the same way he’d seen her do when she’d first caught the attention of Everett Scrooge. Eleanor was a master at using her feminine wiles, after all else failed, to get her way. “What if I paid you whatever that hosting company is paying you? Would you do it then?”

  “In addition to my regular salary?” He wanted to kick himself the minute the question had come out of his mouth. He knew he’d opened the door for something that could be a real pain. Pleasing Eleanor Scrooge was nearly impossible. Ask any employee.

  “Well, I was going to have to pay Mr. Kendall’s company.”

  Robert decided to play her at her own game. “And you’re going to pay me whatever you would have had to pay him?” He could tell she was uncomfortable by his question. He could see it in her eyes, and he had to stifle a smile. He rarely offered Eleanor a challenge, and it felt good.

  “You already work for me, Robert. Since you’ll be working in addition to your regular forty-hour week, I’ll have to pay you at the overtime rate. Surely you don’t expect more.”

  Determined not to let her have her way and talk him into something he didn’t want to do or feel qualified to do, once again, he tried to pull away, but her fingers held fast. “Look, I’m already committed to Cal. He hired me and took a chance on me when I really needed a part-time job, then spent many hours teaching me the things he knew and had learned the hard way. I owe him, El. I can’t just walk out on him. He’s depending on me.”

  “You owe me, too, Bobby.”

  He hated it when she batted those long eyelashes at him. There she goes, using that persuasive, childlike tone of voice on me—the one I could never refuse. “Believe me; I appreciate all you’ve done for me. I know I could never have advanced to the position I’ve attained with Scrooge’s without your help, and—”

  “I didn’t just help you get that position, Bobby. I’m the one who put you there. I’d hoped I wouldn’t have to remind you. Promoting you was the first thing I did when I inherited this business, or have you forgotten?”

  “I remember, El.” Robert swallowed at the lump in his throat. She was right. Her words were true. If El hadn’t vowed to repay him for saving her life when they were children, he’d probably be working at some dead-end job for minimum wage. Though he wanted to provide for his family in the best possible way, he’d never been confident in his capabilities, preferring to stay in the background and letting others take credit for his work. “I’ll be forever grateful to you. But, El, you have to remember—I have access to all of Scrooge’s financial information. I know what the other employees make, especially those who are on commission. The amount of responsibility I carry with this company doesn’t begin to match the wages I’m paid.”

  “You’re a salaried person, Robert. Salaried persons rarely make as much as a commissioned salesperson. You know that.”

  How many times had she offered that excuse when he asked for a raise in pay? “I do know that, El, but it doesn’t seem fair. Though I’ve never talked to anyone at another company in the same type of position, I’m reasonably sure they make far more money than I do.”

  She lifted her chin proudly, an indication she was about to counter his statement with an irrefutable answer. “I operate Scrooge’s as frugally as possible. I admit that. But to be competitive in this day and age, especially with the advent of the Internet, I have to keep operating expenses to a bare minimum. Surely you, who, as you’ve said, has access to those records, can see that. Even though our profits have risen considerably since I took over the helm, so have our expenses.”

  Robert clamped his fingers over her hand and pulled it from his wrist then stepped away, needing to put some space between them, away from those pleading blue eyes. “I’m sorry, El. You’ll have to find someone else. I don’t have the time or the talent to build your Web site.”

  Eleanor stared up at him, her jaw set in a way that told him he was losing the battle. “Robert,” she said slowly, her gaze pinned on his. “I hate to do this, but you give me no choice.”

  Panic seized his heart. Sur
ely she wouldn’t fire him for refusing to build a Web site, would she? Eleanor was impulsive, no doubt about it, but she was also one of the most business-savvy women he’d ever heard of. Though her personal life had been one of complete chaos, she had a head for business that would put many CEOs to shame.

  Her eyes narrowed menacingly. “You are going to build Scrooge’s Web site, Robert. As your employer, I’m ordering you to do it.”

  Even though she had threatened to fire him if he refused to build the Web site, surely she wouldn’t do it. How long would it take him to find another job? He doubted Cal would need him on a full-time basis. Not yet, anyway. And what company would want to hire him when they found out Eleanor Scrooge had fired him?

  Her hands went to her hips. “Did you hear me, Robert?”

  He stared at her in disbelief, not sure what to say or how to react. He’d called her bluff, and she’d met it head-on. “I—I heard you, El,” he answered meekly, his heart racing.

  “I’m asking you point-blank, and I expect a direct answer. Are you going to obey my orders, or am I going to have to fire you?”

  “I can’t, El. I’m not—”

  “No more excuses. I want an answer.”

  He sucked in a deep breath. Why couldn’t she see it? He wasn’t qualified to build the kind of high-quality Web site she wanted. If she were unhappy with him for refusing to do it, he could only imagine how upset she would be if he produced a product she considered inferior. “I’m sorry, El. I’d like to do what you ask, but I can’t.”

  She wagged a finger in his face. “By refusing to obey my orders you’re forcing me to fire you. You do realize that, don’t you? I cannot allow insubordination. Are you saying you refuse to build the Scrooge Web site?”

  Robert clutched the edge of the desk. “Please don’t do this to me. You know I’d never refuse you anything, but the Web sites I’ve worked on so far have been simple compared to what you’re asking me to do. Why can’t you understand that?”