Page 19 of By A Thread
“But it’s over now,” I guessed.
She nodded. “Years too late. So much damage could have been avoided. But the past is in the past. It has no bearing on the present and future. I brought my son on to take his father’s place and tasked him—perhaps unfairly—with cleaning up his father’s mess. As you saw last week, the strain is getting to him.”
I was busy wondering exactly what Dalessandrawasn’tsaying when that last bit of information landed.
Oh, shit.
“Charming is yourson?”
She looked bewildered. “Who did you think he was?”
“I thought he was your date. I told him you could do better than him,” I said.
Dalessandra laughed again.
Again, I heard the swivel of chairs from the other side of the glass.
“Dominic is my son.”
Maybe I could empathize just a tiny bit with the man being called in to clean up a family mess. But still, I wasn’t an asshole about my situation.
“So, why, on my first day as an admin, am I in your office?” I asked. I felt like I was missing a few very large, important puzzle pieces.
“Because my son owes you a job, and Russos always pay their debts.”
More mystery. The woman seemed like a vault of secrets.
“Okay,” I said, drawing out the word Linus-style.
Dalessandra leaned on her elbows. “And if by some chance you manage to take the temperature of our staff and find out if there’s something I can do to make our environment more stable…” She held up the palms of her hands. “Then I hope you’ll feel inclined to discuss it with me.”
And there was the ask.
A vague one.
I felt like we were communicating in code… and only one of us had the code… and the other one of us was me.
“I’ll do what I can?” It came out more like a question. But it was the answer my new boss was looking for.
“Good. If there’s anything you need, please tell me,” she said, picking up her reading glasses and sliding them on.
“I do have a few questions.”
She peered over the frames at me. “Yes?”
“Can Charm—your son fire me?” I asked.
Her smile was feline. “No. Dominic can’t fire you.”
“Okay, then. Do I have to be nice to him?”
She leaned back in her chair, considering. “I think you should have the relationship you feel most comfortable having with my son.”
7
Dominic
My mother’s assistants were glued to whatever was going on in her office and didn’t see me approach.
