The Creepshow: A Novel Page 9

  “What does this mean for the other Asian funds?” Wanda asked. She pushed away thoughts of Tricia. Maddie was right; this was practically normal business at Whilt. Her main concern had to be the tainted funds.

  “As far as I know, you’ll be inheriting those if you agree to it.”

  “And if I don’t?”

  “Whilt doesn’t like rebellion. But I think you know that.”

  They were both silent for a minute. Wanda, to her own surprise, remained calm. She had expected that answer after all. Now the question was: Would she accept the situation or not?

  She stood up and thanked Maddie, but Maddie shook her head.

  “There’s no reason to thank me, Wanda. I simply confirmed the bad news you probably had anticipated.”

  “You think I should quit, don’t you?” Wanda thought back to those earlier warnings and their conversation about the company’s attitude toward women with babies.

  Maddie reached for Wanda’s hand and squeezed it.

  “No. I think you should fight.”

  Chapter 17

  The evening would be lighthearted. Wanda promised herself that as she hiked up the five flights to Max’s apartment under the stars. Beneath the rafters in Montmartre, overlooking the charming city she ignored most of the time. She had felt shameful dropping a squirming Nelly off at Galina’s.

  “Is this terrible parenting?” she had asked.

  “Don’t be ridiculous!” Galina had waved her away like a bothersome fly. “Go have fun for once. Honestly, the past few months have been so much about work that you’re becoming a boring date, my friend. You and Max need time alone to build your relationship. Now go on!”

  Galina’s words had managed to get a smile out of her even though that had become a rather rare expression for her these days. Then she’d smiled again when Anya ran into the room and threw her arms around Nelly. The baby’s eyes immediately lit up, and Wanda knew that all was well.

  Max kissed Wanda tentatively as if unsure whether she would turn and run back down the stairs or continue what they had started in Normandy. She leaned into him. She would continue what they had started.

  Max ushered her into the loft with slanted skylights on each side offering a view of the city from two angles. Wanda imagined accepting Max’s invitation and moving her and Nelly into this small space. Then she blushed as if he could read her mind. But Max was too busy hanging up her coat and handbag to notice her discomfort.

  Keep the conversation casual if you don’t want this evening to turn into a Whilt-fest, Wanda told herself.

  “How was your day?” he asked.

  “Quiet. I kept to myself.”

  Max nodded and opened a bunch of takeout boxes on the coffee table. Just because sushi was cold didn’t mean it couldn’t be a wintery comfort food.

  “Did your boss give you any problems? After all that you told me, I worried—”

  “It’s OK, really,” she interrupted. “Things will work out. They always have. He didn’t even speak to me, so there isn’t much harassment in that.” But her words were empty, used only to avoid a conversation about Whilt.

  She sat on the couch, her eyes on her black wraparound skirt as Max handed her a plate and fork. Her thoughts wandered back to the conversation with Maddie, but she stopped and scolded herself. How could she be thinking about work when this man she had fallen for like a ton of bricks was sitting right next to her? What was wrong with her?

  Wanda chewed on a salmon roll and tried to bring herself back to some form of normal.

  “How are things going at the hospital?” she asked. He hadn’t told her much of anything about his new job.

  “Intense—exactly the sort of work I was looking for.”

  “The rush of emergency care? I guess you don’t go from an exciting medical trip to treating the sniffles in a neighborhood doctor’s office.”

  He grinned.

  “There are different challenges, I suppose. Right from the start, though, I was interested in hospital work.”

  “Any more missions on the horizon?” Wanda regretted the words as they slipped out of her mouth. There, he now knew just how interested she was in having him around.

  A serious expression replaced the grin.

  “No, there were so many complications over there—on various levels. It’s time for me to start anew here.”

  His words, as simple as they were, troubled her. Had he become involved with someone over there? Had he so quickly replaced her, even for a short while? She yearned to ask the question, yet didn’t want to know the answer.

  His hand suddenly found hers, and their fingers entwined. She felt his warmth, saw it in his eyes. She told herself she was being paranoid and ridiculous.

  “Let’s not talk about work,” he said. “After twelve hours at the hospital, I don’t like bringing it home with me.”

  “Do I talk about work too much? I’m sure I must.”

  “Well if you do, it’s not with me.” His eyes sparkled mischievously.

  “I’m trying to break the habit. That place is like a two-pack-a-day addiction.”

  “It makes you feel that good?”

  “Do two packs a day really make your body feel good?” she asked.

  “Well said, Doctor.” He laughed so that the dimple in his right cheek appeared. The dimple she saw every day when she looked at Nelly.

  ~~~~

  Max was gone by six a.m., off for another long shift. In her half-asleep state, she remembered his lips grazing hers, his hands running through her hair as he slipped into the darkness. Now she was under the shower, alone with memories of him and their night together. But they would quickly be interrupted by Whilt. Somehow or other, any train of thought led to that destination. And she was tired of it, tired of fearing the next arbitrary decision, the next unfair judgment.

  She towel-dried her hair and looked at herself in the steamy mirror. The dark circles under her eyes weren’t from last night, a passionate night that had lasted nearly until morning. The only trace of that was the glow in her cheeks. No, those circles had become permanent—Whilt-induced fatigue.

  As she dabbed on concealer to hide the worry marks, as she practiced the indifferent look she would wear on her face, she made her decision. It wasn’t the echo of Maddie’s words or Galina’s that convinced her. It was the realization that whatever she did would be wrong in the eyes of Whilt managers. So she might as well do what she pleased.

  Chapter 18

  It was four o’clock by the time Louis agreed to speak with Wanda. In the meantime, she had settled down to admire the trend she’d first noticed a few days earlier: Her funds were recovering. Truly recovering. The strategy she’d hastily put in place several weeks ago was starting to bear fruit. She smiled in spite of the conversation she knew was awaiting her in Louis’ office.

  “What’s going on?” Louis asked now as she sat across from him. He leaned on his desk, one eye on the cell phone that lit up with new messages every few seconds.

  “Well, first, I thought I would let you know that my work is paying off. The funds are recovering. Ilcap Prestige is up three percent, and the others are up one.”

  “We’ll need more than that to please our investors—”

  “Louis, you said the funds had to be in positive territory by the end of the quarter. I told you that was impossible, yet I managed to bring the funds back a week into the new quarter. You do realize Thomas had decimated the performance of these funds, don’t you? It’s not a problem anyone could fix overnight.”

  “There are certain problems that can be easily fixed overnight, Wanda, but you refused that option.” He smiled wickedly and covered her hand with his. “It’s never too late, you know.”

  “I can’t believe you said that.” She pulled her hand away with disgust. Wanda regretted wearing the green V-neck sweater that dipped a little low as Louis’ eyes followed the stitching.

  Louis sighed and looked up at her once again. “Is that pitiful fund improvemen
t what you wanted to see me about, Wanda? It could have waited.”

  Wanda took in a deep breath. She would remain calm. She had to remain calm. Management had set an impossible goal, and now that she had pretty much fulfilled it, Louis was calling it pitiful? Her thoughts earlier that day had been right on the mark: Whatever she did wouldn’t be good enough. Because they are looking for any excuse to force me out!

  “No, there’s more. I’ve decided not to take on the Asian funds.” Her voice didn’t waver, didn’t crack. A strange sense of confidence swelled within. No matter what Louis’ reaction, she had done the right thing.

  Louis’ face went blank. Then after a few seconds, he wrinkled his brow.

  “What do you mean ‘you decided’? You can’t decide—”

  “I can decide. According to my contract, I was hired to manage European funds only. If you want that to change, you have to change my contract, and I have to agree. And I’ll tell you right now: I won’t agree.”

  “I’ll have to discuss this with upper management.”

  Wanda stared at him through narrowed eyes. He hadn’t argued or begged or criticized. He hadn’t mentioned that it was such a shame she had done so much research in China only to abandon the project. He hadn’t asked why she had made this decision. As soon as she had mentioned the word “contract,” as a matter of fact, his cheeks had turned red. Wanda had a feeling she would no longer be dealing much with powerless Louis. Instead, she would be dealing with those who directed his every move.

  ~~~~

  “It’s time to celebrate!” Galina said as she wrapped her arms around Wanda. “Should I open champagne?”

  “Because I stood up to the Creeps?”

  “The Creeps?”

  “Whilt management.”

  “That’s fitting.” Galina started to get up, but Wanda stopped her.

  “No. No champagne. No celebration.”

  “I don’t mean to be flippant, Wanda. I’m simply overjoyed that you’re taking a stand, that you aren’t letting that company intimidate you, that you aren’t letting that asshole harass you.”

  “Thanks.” Wanda shrugged. “Now what?”

  “Now I want you to see Daniel Lambert, an excellent labor attorney who has successfully represented many employees against their employers.”

  “I’m not suing anyone, Galina.”

  “This isn’t about a lawsuit, at least not yet. But you have to be prepared.”

  Wanda shook her head and got up, pacing in front of the bay window. She ignored the beauty of the Eiffel Tower, sparkling in the darkness beyond.

  “Why do you always treat everything like a possible case?”

  “Because everything is a possible case.” Galina grinned and rose to meet Wanda in the center of the room. They faced each other in a friendly standoff.

  “OK, you win,” Wanda said, sighing. “I’ll follow your advice. I’ll take this guy’s number and add meeting with him to my to-do list. But if this ever reaches lawsuit stage, I want you involved, Galina. Sabbatical or not.”

  “We’ll figure it out.”

  Just then, Nelly began to cry. Wanda scooped her out of the baby lounger and cuddled her against her chest, but the tears continued.

  “I shouldn’t have left her overnight,” she mumbled half to herself.

  “Don’t blame yourself, Wanda,” Galina said, rubbing Nelly’s soft curls with one hand. “She will get used to your work schedule, you know.”

  “But that wasn’t my work schedule, it was—”

  “It was having a life,” Galina said, her voice firm. “You have a right to some adult time.”

  “You say that, but you’re staying home with Anya.”

  “We’ve had this conversation before.” Galina sighed. “I have the opportunity to stay home, and it’s great, but who says it’s the best way? There are pros and cons in each situation—and for everyone involved.”

  Her eyes looked faraway, the expression that took over whenever they spoke of the sabbatical. So who is doing the right thing and for whom? Wanda thought. Galina staying at home for her daughter, or me, with my all-consuming job? There wasn’t one answer. There wasn’t an answer that would make everyone happy all of the time.

  “I just feel like I’m doing everything wrong sometimes,” Wanda murmured into the baby’s neck.

  Galina folded them both into her arms.

  “You’re not. You did the right thing at work, and you’re doing the right thing as a mother too.”

  Chapter 19

  They climbed the five flights to Rich and Deb’s apartment, to the party much like the one that signaled the start of their reunion a few months ago. The pulse of music, the scent of cigarettes and the buzz of voices greeted them. The front door was open, with revelers spilling into the hallway as usual.

  Wanda slipped out of her coat, revealing a shimmery short black dress and silver beads that fell to her waist.

  “You look amazing,” Max whispered in her ear as he tossed their coats on a chair serving as an overloaded coatrack.

  Wanda smiled, another genuine smile. Despite her troubles at Whilt, at least Nelly, Galina and Max had been able to make her smile. But she didn’t want to think of Whilt now.

  She squeezed Max’s hand and led him over to a corner where Galina and Charles were speaking with a bunch of friends from the firm. Introductions were made, pleasantries exchanged, and then the lively conversation about one of Charles’ cases continued. Wanda settled into Max’s arms, against a soft cushion, and both of them sipped glasses of wine that Deb had brought by.

  Galina was immersed in the discussion, and commented with such passion and knowledge that Wanda and the others remained glued to the spot, as if they could listen to her all evening. Her eyes sparkled, her whole being came alive.

  “No wonder she hardly ever lost a case,” Max said.

  Wanda nodded, but her thoughts were one step ahead, to her friend’s future. How could Galina wait a couple of more years to return to law when it brought her such joy? And why couldn’t she admit that she regretted the decision to stay home? The perfect Galina had the right to make a mistake or change her mind. Wanda had told her that in the past, on less important issues, and Galina had always laughed. But this was different. Wanda had sensed her friend was dissatisfied with witnessing life at the firm rather than experiencing it. And over the past four years, the situation had deteriorated. Except for occasions when Galina could put her analytical mind to work, she seemed as wilted as an old flower. This realization washed over Wanda. It hadn’t been in her imagination.

  Galina had been fighting this since she left the firm, and Wanda had been so absorbed in her own problems she hadn’t realized the depth of her friend’s distress.

  Of course, Wanda could say she tried to address the problem; she tried to coax Galina to take on her case. But that wasn’t really sitting down with her friend and having a heart-to-heart conversation about how happy (or not) she was with her life. That’s what we need to do, Wanda thought. In the coming days, she would do it. Galina didn’t have a monopoly on problem solving.

  Wanda lifted her wine glass to her lips just as a pair of black high heels stopped in front of her. Her eyes traveled up the long legs to the clingy blue dress, the matching blue eyes and the long blond hair.

  “Max, I’m surprised to see you got over us so soon.” Max and Wanda stood up, a simultaneous motion as if they were one, and then stepped apart, letting this woman a step closer. Eyes turned in their direction.

  “Justine, I don’t think this is the right place—”

  “The right place to say you lied when you said you weren’t ready for commitment? You seem to be committing just fine to this woman.”

  She shot a patronizing smile in Wanda’s direction. But Wanda, who couldn’t take one more betrayal, didn’t hang around to hear the rest. She moved forward blindly, only stopping to pull her coat off the top of the pile near the door. She ran down the stairs, then hailed a cab in record time. Sh
e wasn’t sure if she heard footsteps or voices behind her. She had blocked out the world.

  Chapter 20

  Where are you?

  The message from Max lit up her cell phone at one a.m. as she burrowed deeper under the dense comforter at Galina and Charles’ apartment. She’d swung by their place to pick up Nelly from the nanny who’d been watching her and Anya, but instead she decided to stay. She felt safer there. She borrowed one of Galina’s nightshirts and moved into the guest room—at least for the night.

  The next message: I’m at your door, and you’re not here. I’m worried. I’m sorry. It’s not as bad as it seems.

  Wanda snorted and switched off her phone. She blew her nose into another tissue and added it to the stack she’d started on the nightstand.

  A gentle knock at the door. Galina, of course, who had followed in the next available taxi and was now kneeling at the bedside, pressing her cheek against Wanda’s forehead. Wanda’s tears returned in full force, stirred up by Galina’s sympathy.

  “That’s OK, cry it out,” she instructed as she rubbed Wanda’s head.

  Wanda mumbled a few unintelligible words about being foolish enough to think Max was falling in love with her and naïve enough to believe he had been chaste during his medical mission. “I hate him for this, for making a fool out of me!” Then she regretted her words and melted into tears once again.

  Galina sat up, pulling Wanda into a seated position with her.

  “I’m going to make some tea. You sit tight and have a good cry. I’ll be right back, OK?”

  Wanda nodded. Tears continued their path down her cheeks but with less fury than a few minutes earlier. Her thoughts settled too, less cluttered and more organized in her mind. You’re in love with him, that’s the problem. Otherwise, you wouldn’t care this much. And that thought sickened her. How much easier it would be if it was only a matter of hurt pride and rejection.

  Galina brought her tea and toast. Even through her stuffy nose, she had smelled the toast, its buttery aroma filling the air. Galina always remembered her favorite comfort food. But now, as Wanda stared at the plate, she doubted she could swallow anything. Galina pulled a pearl-colored chair up to the bedside.