Sean's Reckoning - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,32
also kept himself from really living.
Chapter Seven
“What the devil is this?”
From her place at the reception desk Deanna heard the shout of the senior law partner in his office. She exchanged a glance with Ruby.
“Mr. Hodges sounds like he’s on a real rampage,” Deanna said in a whisper. “I wonder what it’s about.”
Before they could even speculate, the intercom on her desk buzzed.
“Deanna, Mr. Hodges would like to see you,” Charlotte Wilson said, her tone somber. “Have Ruby cover the desk for you.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Deanna said, her palms sweating. She gave Ruby a shaky smile. “Pray for me.”
“Don’t let the man bully you,” Ruby advised.
Stomach churning, Deanna walked down the corridor to the suite of offices belonging to Jordan Hodges. A glance at Charlotte’s face was not encouraging. The secretary, who usually maintained a facade of icy reserve, looked as if she wanted to cry.
Deanna stepped inside the office and waited.
“Don’t just stand there. Come in and close the door,” her boss said, regarding her with a scowling expression.
She shut the door and crossed the room. “Is something wrong?”
“I’ll say something’s wrong,” he said, his expression grim. “I found these papers on my desk just now.” He waved an envelope in her direction. “They were supposed to be across town on the desk of opposing counsel. Care to explain why they’re not?”
Deanna stared at the envelope in confusion. True, it was her job to see that the outgoing mail went out each day, but she wasn’t the one who addressed it. “I have no idea. What does it say on the envelope?”
“The address label is quite clear,” he said, waving it under her nose.
She snagged a corner of the envelope and studied it. Sure enough, it was addressed to a lawyer in downtown Boston. “Sir, I know I’ve been a little frazzled lately, but if this envelope had come across my desk addressed like this, it would have gone out,” she said confidently. “It wouldn’t have gotten mixed up with the incoming mail.”
The color in Mr. Hodges’s face had finally begun to return to normal. He sank into his chair. “It’s not like you to make a mistake like this,” he agreed, studying her with concern. “You say you’ve been frazzled. Is something wrong I should know about? Your boy’s okay?”
She was surprised by the question. She rarely mentioned Kevin around the office. “Kevin’s fine.”
“Something else, then?”
Deanna hadn’t wanted to get into her personal problems at work. She never wanted her boss to think that she had so much going on that she couldn’t concentrate on her job. It was a sure way to get fired.
“It’s okay,” he encouraged her, pinning her with a steady gaze. “Just tell me.”
No wonder the man was considered a shark in court, Deanna thought. He was relentless and he managed to cross-examine a witness with that same look of compassion on his face that he had right now. She could almost believe that he really cared about what was going on in her life.
“I really don’t think there’s any need for me to burden you with my problems,” she said.
“Nonsense. Tell me,” he said even more emphatically.
“It’s just that there was this fire a couple of months ago,” she said hesitantly.
“A fire? Where?”
“My building.”
“How bad was it?”
“Pretty bad,” she admitted, then added with some reluctance, “We lost everything.”
Shock spread across his face. “Why on earth didn’t you say something?”
“We’ve been doing okay. We’re living with Ruby temporarily. I’ve been adding hours at Joey’s to try to get enough money so we can move into our own place. To be honest, it’s possible that it’s catching up with me.”
“You’re working a second job at Joey Talifero’s restaurant?” he asked, clearly shocked.
“Actually I have been for some time.”
He shook his head. “Well, one thing at a time. We’ll deal with your need to work a second job another time. As for the fire, why wasn’t I told about it? I assume you told Charlotte.”
“Actually, no.” Mr. Hodges’s executive secretary was the last person she would have shared her personal problems with. “I don’t like to bring my problems to work. I never want you to get the idea that this job doesn’t have my full attention.”
He regarded her with unmistakable dismay. “Deanna, how long have you been here now? Five years, isn’t it? Ever since your son was born.”
She nodded.
“And every single evaluation has given you high marks for being a responsible employee, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Then why on earth would you be afraid to come to me when