Page 55 of Body

Chapter 13

A text from Chase first thing Tuesday morning makes me giddy.

To: Gillian Callahan

From: Chase Davis

Business is booming. Will be in LA until Wednesday afternoon. Dinner at 7:00 p.m. my place.

Even in text messages, he’s bossy, but I know it’s just his way. He has full control over his life and everyone around him. Not having full control over me and our relationship throws him off balance. Until now I’ve never felt in control of anything in my life. I spent years being controlled by a man I thought loved me and even more years trying to heal from it.

Before I can respond to Chase’s text, Taye calls me into his office. His tone is not the laid back, easy going one I’m used to. It’s more the stressed out and upset variety.

I enter Taye’s office but my smile is quickly wiped by his demeanor. “Sit down, Gillian. We’re waiting for Ms. Peterson to arrive.” I’m sure my mouth just hit the floor. Ms. Peterson is the Director of Human Resources and based on his tone and stiff spine something bad has happened. I scramble to think what I could have done to upset him. Enough that the Director of HR is warranted.

“What’s this about?” I ask Taye.

“I’ve been asked not to discuss the situation until Ms. Peterson arrives,” he says tersely.

He doesn’t look at me, and he’s really tense. His jaw is clenched and sweat beads on his forehead. He makes a point shuffling papers around his desk as if he doesn’t know what to do with his hands. But what is really unsettling is that he still hasn’t looked at me. Something is wrong, really wrong. I rack my brain. What could have brought this on? Why does the Director of Human Resources want to meet with me? I draw a complete blank.

Ms. Peterson enters Taye’s office briskly and takes a seat across the small table from me. Her blonde bob accentuates her face but her blue eyes are cold and unfeeling. She wears a deep red power suit with a white silk blouse. Tiny pearl buttons run down the center. The woman is quite pretty. She’d be beautiful if she smiled every so often.

“Ms. Callahan, some troubling information has been brought to our attention. I felt it was in the best interest of the Foundation to bring it to light promptly.” Her eyes burn into mine and I clasp my hands in my lap, worrying my fingers together nervously. She pulls out a newspaper and opens it to a section in the center and sets it on the table. A picture of Chase and I, taken at the charity event this past weekend, half fills the page. Above it the caption reads, “Billionaire Chase Davis, a Bachelor No More?” In the image, Chase is clearly kissing my neck as I lean against him. His hand is around my waist affectionately holding me to him. My eyes are closed and I’m smiling. It’s a candid shot some photographer snapped. Probably the one that Jack threw out that evening. I can’t look away from the picture. It’s one of those images of you and your mate looking so happy you’d want to frame and treasure always. Seeing it splashed across the San Francisco Chronicle is obviously a problem.

“That is you, Ms. Callahan, is it not?” Her tone is harsh. I look at Taye, and he’s staring off into the distance. His hands are clasped tightly. He’s uncomfortable with this meeting and definitely angry. I’m not sure if it’s at me or on my behalf. I hope the latter.

I nod at Ms. Peterson, not knowing what to say. Then she drops the bomb.

“This behavior is unacceptable for a Foundation employee.” As if my head wasn’t connected to my neck it slams backwards my mouth opening and closing ready to verbally battle. Before I can say anything in my defense, she continues. “Mr. Davis is Chairman of our Board and the Foundation’s largest donor. His donation each year pays all of our payroll and overhead.” Her beauty is suddenly diminished by the putrid pinched look she’s giving me and the accusation in her voice.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Peterson. Where are you going with this?” I ask.

“Are you in a relationship with Mr. Davis?” she asks bluntly. Her mouth pulls together in a sneer and her jaw clenches.

“I don’t know how that’s any of your business, but, yes, we are seeing each other.” I’m not ashamed of my relationship with him, and I have no reason to be. It’s not conventional to date someone on the Board, but he’s a volunteer, not an employee. I do not believe this falls under any fraternization policies. Come to think of it, there are plenty of employees dating one another. I’m not sure how this is a problem.

“I’m going to make this very clear, Ms. Callahan. This relationship does not look good for the Foundation. It’s ethically inappropriate.” She adjusts her hair and folds the newspaper. “This relationship puts the Foundation in a negative light. We cannot have members of the staff dating members of our Board.”

“What are you saying?” The question is meant to sound confident but it comes out weak and breathy.

“You have a decision to make.” Her face twists into a grimace and she holds up her hand displaying three fingers. “One, you break off your relationship with Mr. Davis.” She pulls that finger down. “Two, you continue your relationship and he’ll have to step down as Chairman of the Board.” Another finger falls.

At that moment, everything around me starts to sway and shake. My world as I know it is crumbling like a wall on the edge of a cliff that’s just been hit by an earthquake. Each piece slipping off the ledge and falling into the ocean’s murky depths. I’m certain my face has gone pale and probably looks frightened or shocked. All of which I’m feeling in spades. Tears prick the edges of my vision but I don’t let them fall. Ms. Peterson’s grin holds an evil curl as she puts more nails into the coffin of my life and career. “Or, three, you quit or be relieved of your position with the Foundation. Your choice.” I dab the corner of my eye with a finger. “I’m going to ask you to leave for the rest of the week and return on Friday with your decision. You’re being suspended with pay for three days. This should give you ample time to determine what’s best for you. We are doing what’s best for the Foundation.”

Ms. Peterson seals my fate by standing and turning to Taye. “Mr. Jefferson, is there anything you’d like to add?”

He shakes his head. “No, Ms. Peterson I believe you’ve covered it. Thank you.”

She nods and walks out of the room, a pep in her step. The entire conversation took less than fifteen minutes. Her heels dig into the carpet as she stomps away in her pristine red suit.

And that is that. She didn’t say one kind word about my work, just that I was damaging the Foundation by having a relationship with Chase. Everything I’ve worked for, two years of my life have just been tarnished, damaged yet again by my choice in men.

I shake my head and reach the door. “I guess I’ll get my things.”

“Gigi wait,” Taye says.

“Oh, now it’s Gigi, huh? Not Miss Callahan? Taye, you didn’t stick up for me when she was gutting me. All the work I’ve put in, everything, it counts for nothing.” The tears fall and I wipe them away and leave his office. I storm to my desk, grab my purse and practically run out of the building.

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