“That reminds me,” Steve spoke up. “Could you please get me my pills for my foot out of the cabinet there.”
He rose up slightly on the barstool and pointed at the end cabinet. “The doctor said they were for infection. I think that may be part of the reason I felt so bad. The nail went straight through the whole foot. It came right out of the top of the shoe.”
Steve could tell that Christy was thinking back to what Tim told her. He enjoyed playing his new role. He wondered what could possibly be going through Christy’s mind.
Christy opened the cabinet and took out the prescription bottle. She glanced at the date printed on the label as she removed one of the pills. It was dated the prior day just like Steve said. It appeared to her that Steve’s story was real. If Steve was telling the truth, then Tim must be the one who is lying, she thought.
Christy filled a glass with water, and then handed a pill and the water to Steve. She was getting more and more concerned with the distinct possibility that Tim was lying to her. She tried to conceal her apprehension as she walked over to the phone.
“I’m going to call in the sushi order,” Christy said. “I’ll get an order of tuna tataki and a couple of rolls for you. Would you like me to order you anything else Steve?” she asked.
“Maybe get me an order of miso soup. That should make me feel better.”
“Sure Steve. I will get one for each of us,” said Christy, as she dialed the phone. She called in the order and then headed off to the bedroom to change into a more comfortable outfit. The more she thought about the day’s events the more certain she became that Tim was trying to remove her from his plan.
He thinks he doesn’t need me anymore, Christy thought. He has all the documents and all of the contracts that I got for him. He has all of the information he needs, so now he wants me out of the picture. Christy began to think Tim was feeding her wrong information to mess up her relationship with Steve. She thought back, and felt sure that Tim started to act differently after she told him that she had a plan to sue Steve for the condo and half of his net worth. He wants to keep it all for himself, she thought.
Christy decided she needed to keep her cool and not overreact to Tim’s double cross. Above all, she was certain she needed to keep her relationship going with Steve. In the end, the deal with Tim would net her an additional twenty five thousand dollars. That was peanuts in the long run, she thought.
To get what she really wanted, she needed to stay with Steve. She needed to keep Steve happy. She needed to be Steve’s friend and ally. At least for a few more months, she thought. The money from the plan with Tim paled in comparison from what she expected to swindle out of Steve. She decided she needed to rethink her options.
Chapter 33 - New Day
The morning sun was yet to peek over the calm waters of Tampa Bay when Steve Peterson awoke on Wednesday morning. He had slept quite soundly considering the many uncertainties in his life and his long afternoon snooze.
Steve stretched his limbs and let out a moan. He felt relaxed and surprisingly refreshed. A quick check of the clock showed that he had well over an hour and a half before he needed to get up. But Steve knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep any longer. His mind was already churning away uncontrollably with new ideas and plans.
The bed covers were tossed aside. Steve wanted to be sure he had enough time to review the untouched inter-office documents that remained on the nightstand from the night before. His adrenalin started to flow, and his heart raced. There were many tasks that needed to be accomplished before Thursday morning’s meeting.
Steve stepped down gingerly onto his foot to try it out. The swelling was gone and most of the pain was gone. A new thought popped into his mind and took control. Steve headed straight to the kitchen. There was only one thing on his mind; hot steaming coffee.
Steve measured out the suggested amount of ground coffee beans onto the filter then added another three tablespoons for good measure. He loaded the filter and grounds into the hopper and flipped the switch to start the coffee brewing. Then, he was off to the other side of the condo, to the master bedroom.
The door creaked slightly as Steve entered the darkened room. He carefully made his way over to his dresser and removed a pair of underwear and socks. Slowly, he proceeded to his walk-in closet where he selected a shirt, pants and matching belt. He took the selected items back to the guest wing where he showered and dressed without the danger of waking Christy.
The gift box from Laura sat in the corner of the guest room. Steve removed the new pair of shoes and tried them on. They were a perfect fit and he liked how they looked. Steve thought they were as comfortable as his loafers.
Steve grabbed the corporate documents off of the nightstand and headed back to the kitchen. Images of Laura began to flash through his mind. He hoped the planning board approved the clinic space during their meeting. That way, he would have an excuse to give her a call. The worries drifted from Steve’s mind, replaced with thoughts of Laura.
The rich coffee aroma hit Steve’s nose. He threw the documents onto the counter and quickened his pace. Laura’s image was now joined by the thought of a hot, steaming cup of coffee.
Steve took a few quick sips as he walked over to the counter bar. He knew he needed to get through the documents that sat before him. He forced the remaining thoughts of Laura from his mind and began to intently read through each line of the documents.
Everything in the documents appeared to be in order. Steve found no hidden surprises and no new setbacks. Steve poured himself another cup of coffee and started planning out his counter attack of Tim’s plot.
Steve felt he was prepared for the Thursday morning meeting. He hoped he considered all of the possible attack scenarios from Tim and the other conspirators. In his mind he was ready to begin the battle.
The thought of just completely canceling the proposed split of the ownership of the company to Tim and his group had crossed Steve’s mind several times. It seemed like it was a very simple and foolproof way to eliminate all threats to both him and the company. Steve and Joe had even proposed the idea to the outside law firm that Steve was working with to finalize the re-write of the corporate voting rules.
The firm immediately spoke out strongly against the idea of canceling the ownership split. They pointed out that the details of the split had already been discussed with all individuals and were well documented. The split of the company was the major topic at the last quarterly meeting of Peterson Software. If Steve acted to end the proposed split now, the firm felt that Tim and the group would have excellent grounds for a lawsuit against Steve and the corporation. The lawsuit would put the entire corporation at risk. Steve and the company could end up worse off than they were now.
The firm researched similar legal cases. They all proved the firms opinion. They suggested the only way that Steve could legally pursue action against the group was if the group actually tried to abuse their power. The group would have to act out against the company before Steve could legally retaliate.
To have the group act against the company, Steve knew that Tim would have to believe that Steve was unaware of his plan. If Tim suspected that Steve knew about the plan, the trap that Steve was planning wouldn’t work. Steve would have to do a little work to build Tim’s confidence.
Steve swallowed down the last few drops of his second cup of coffee. He glanced over toward the microwave and checked the time. Joe would be arriving in about twenty minutes.
Steve went back to the guest room to get his briefcase out of hiding. He removed all of his personal legal papers and checkbook and hid them in the closet. Steve grabbed up the remaining corporate documents and prepared to go meet Joe.
When Steve returned to the kitchen he was surprised to find that Christy had still not come out for breakfast or even a cup of coffee. He walked to the master bedroom to check on her.
Christy was curled up in the bed. She was still asleep. Without Steve to set the alarm the night before, she had again forgotten
.
Steve walked over to the side of the bed. He gently gave Christy a slight shake to wake her up. She moved slightly, but remained sound asleep.
“Christy, it’s time to get up,” Steve said softy. He bent over and gently shook her shoulder. Christy pushed Steve’s hand away and mumbled a few unintelligible words. Steve shook her shoulder again with a little more force.
“Christy, you have to get up now. You forgot to set the alarm clock,” he said. His voice was much louder.
Christy slowly rolled over. She let out a mournful cry as she put her hands up over her face. She rubbed her sleepy eyes then glanced up at Steve.
“What time is it?” she asked.
“It’s ten minutes to eight Christy,” replied Steve. “You have to get up for work.”
Christy focused in on Steve. “Steve, you are all dressed for work already. This is early for you. What is going on?” she asked.
“I am going in to the office a little early today. Joe is picking me up and driving me to the office since I don’t have my car. He has to get there early to review the month end financial reports that were produced last night.”
“Oh Steve, I could drive you in if you don’t mind waiting around for a while,” said Christy sleepily.
“No thanks. I have a lot of things I need to catch up on after being out sick all day yesterday. I need to get in early.”
Christy’s memory of the prior day’s events became clear as her mind began to awake. She knew she had to begin to lay the foundation for her new plan at building up her relationship with Steve. If things were turning with Tim, then Steve was going to be the only game left in town. Christy propped herself up onto her elbows and tried to look serious and concerned as she turned to Steve.
“Steve, I started thinking about some things last night before I fell asleep and I think we really need to talk. I believe that something may be going on at Peterson Software that I should tell you about,” said Christy. She tried her best to sound sweet and sincere.
Steve assumed that Christy was having second thoughts about supporting Tim. Maybe she was even feeling a little guilty over her underhanded actions. Steve was worried that she might be ready to spill the beans on Tim’s plan. Whatever it was, it was way too early for him to be having the conversation with her. Steve wouldn’t have everything in place until later in the day. He needed a little more time to prepare.
“I really need to get into the office after being out all day yesterday,” he explained. “How about we talk about it as soon as we get home tonight?” he asked. “Then we will have all the time we need.”
“That would be great,” said Christy. She thought the extra time would allow her to better lay out her plan of attack. “Tonight after work we will talk. I think what I have to say may be very important for you and the company.”
Christy sat up and slid over to Steve. She leaned in and attempted to kiss Steve on the cheek. Steve pretended he did not see her. He moved away from her before she had a chance.
“Great, I’ll see you right after work and we can talk,” Steve said, as he started toward the bedroom door.
“Hey, I see you are finally giving up on the old loafers. Those new shoes look good on you,” said Christy, as she spied Steve’s new shoes. “They look very professional. It’s about time you tried something new. They are a nice choice.”
“Yeah, time for something new,” replied Steve as he left the room.
Chapter 34 - Back to Work
Joe turned off Bayshore Boulevard and pulled up in front of Steve’s condo building promptly at eight o’clock. Steve was standing outside at the curb, ready and waiting. The car barely came to a stop before Steve opened the door and hopped into the passenger seat.
“So how did it go last night?” asked Joe. “How did you make out with Christy?”
“It went well,” said Steve. “I think she may be ready to turn on Tim.”
Joe was surprised at Steve’s answer and his calm behavior. “Really?” asked Joe, as he gunned the gas and pulled back onto Bayshore. “So soon?”
“Yeah. She must have some other big plan in store for me,” said Steve. “She probably figures her scam with me will be worth more than what Tim has agreed to pay her. You should have seen her this morning. She was sweet and all lovey-dovey. She must have something big up her sleeve.”
“Do you think you are ready for her?” asked Joe, as steered the car out onto the main route toward the office.
“I’ll be ready for her tonight after work,” said Steve. He voice sounded confident. “I am still working on a couple of last minute things.”
“Well, you sound pretty sure of yourself,” said Joe.
Traffic was light. Joe made good time. During the remaining short ride, Steve reviewed his strategy for Thursday’s meeting. He wanted to be sure that Joe was in full agreement with the plan. He also wanted to be sure he didn’t overlook anything. Joe liked what he heard.
The parking lot at Peterson Software was almost empty. Joe and Steve were a few of the first to arrive at the office. Joe sped to the main entrance to drop Steve off.
“I have to go over and get my reports from the data center,” announced Joe. “They are probably still on the printer. You call me if you need anything. OK?”
“Sure Joe. Thanks for the ride.”
Steve quickly got out of the car, eager to get the day started. He threw Joe a wave, and then sprinted to the main entrance. The night security guard was still on duty. He met Steve at the door.
“Good morning Steve,” the guard called out. “Boy, you are getting to work early today.”
“Good morning,” responded Steve. “Yeah, I have a lot to catch up on today.”
“There must be a lot to do, with the sale of the company, right?” asked the guard.
Steve shook his head as he heard the words. “I am not selling the company,” he said with a casual tone. “The company is not for sale. When Joe Jackson comes through here in about fifteen minutes, you be sure to ask him about it. He will tell you.”
Steve walked over to an awaiting open elevator and pressed the button for the 5th floor. The security guard’s comments caused him to let out a breathy laugh as the elevator started. I guess I better write that memo to the employees today, he thought. A rough draft of the memo’s wording started to take shape in his mind. By the time the elevator stopped on the fifth floor, the memo wording was nearly complete.
Steve walked out onto the marble flooring in the elevator alcove. He felt awkwardly alone. The solid soles of his new shoes generated a muffled tap-tap echo around the unoccupied floor. Steve stood for a moment and gazed out into the deserted space.
Since finding out about Tim and Christy and their betrayal, the office no longer felt the same. It seemed colder, more sterile, and a lot less friendly. It no longer felt like his home away from home.
Steve’s mind churned away as he tried to make sense of the last few days. For a brief second or two, he thought about going into Tim’s office and checking for any evidence of his plot. The idea was dismissed even though he felt the chance of being caught was very slight. Steve didn’t want to do anything that might tip his hand to Tim.
Steve proceeded directly to his office and his desk. His spirits lifted when he spied the large blue bow that had adorned the top the gift he received from Laura. He set his briefcase on the floor alongside the desk and picked up the bow. A slight smile spread across his face as he remembered Laura’s sweet face. For a moment, all thoughts of Tim and Christy vanished.
Steve placed the bow back onto the desk and sat down. The red message light of his phone indicated that there were sixteen messages waiting. Steve decided to begin his day by going through his voice mail.
The first eleven messages were calls with updates on open contracts. Steve jotted down a quick note or two from each call and then it was on to the next message.
The twelfth message was from Tim Burke. Tim called to inform Steve that the group could get together at a
ny time on Friday to discuss the product ideas developed in the boardroom. Steve shook his head and then moved to the next message.
The thirteenth message was from Kevin George. It was wordy and rambling. Kevin apologized for telling Tim something about someone who was out sick.
“I am sure that somehow Tim was behind that gem,” Said Steve, as he moved on to the next message.
The fourteenth message was from an outside legal firm that Steve contacted to review the last minute changes to the corporate voting guidelines. They called to report they had just had one minor modification in the wording of the new section.
Steve opened his day planner and flipped the pages toward the back of the book in order to get to his to-do list. He jotted a note under entry number five to remind himself to change the errant passage in the document.
The next call was from the real estate agent that sold Steve his condominium. Steve had requested some information on rental units in the area and the response came back to Steve’s liking. He moved his pen up to item number three on the to-do list and added a note to call the agent back in order to confirm the rental unit.
The fifteenth call was from Tim Burke. He wanted to know if there was anything he could do to help Steve get ready for the Thursday morning meeting. Steve shook his head as he pressed the button for the next message.
The last message started to play. It was a call from Jim Hart. The call came in the prior night at ten thirty. Jim called in to report that the planning board meeting had ended and the board approved the changes to the homeless shelter contract including the additional space for the clinic.
The good news painted a broad smile onto Steve’s face. He leaned over and placed a check next to the number one item on his to-do list. Laura is going to be ecstatic, he thought. He couldn’t wait to share the good news with her.
Steve dialed in the number for Laura’s practice. As expected, the call went to her voice mail. He left Laura a message about the great news and asked her to give him a call him as soon as she got in.