But what the hell does all this have to do with me, and why in the world is Griggs hovering over the whole situation while looking positively triumphant?
Griggs makes his way around the table to stand beside me. For a moment, it appears that he’s intending to place a hand casually on my shoulder, and so I shoot daggers of fire through my eyes, then hazard a quick glance from my knee to his balls. He seems to get the message, and instead he pulls out a chair and gestures for me to sit.
“I’m fine standing,” I say.
“Suit yourself,” he tells me.
“Only one problem with Dennis’s big plan to retire early,” Buck asserts jovially, leaning forward and placing both hands on the table. “Somebody’s gotta run this place.”
Well, yes, that’s true.
“Griggs, buddy,” Buck says, patting him heartily on the shoulder, “as the newly minted chair of the Staffing Committee, why don’t you take the reins?”
“Absolutely.” Griggs nods, turning to face me. “We’ve called you in here today because we want you to be the interim generalmanager, Holly,” Griggs says, with that overly amiable Southern drawl he loves to put on. “Starting right now.”
My head spins, and I lean on the heavy oak conference table for balance. What the hell kind of game is this man playing? And how am I ever going to make it stop?
“I’m honored,” I reply, one hand grasping the edge of the table. “Though I do have some questions—”
“You’re the only person who can do it,” Dennis interrupts, “the only member of this staff who knows the place well enough to step in right away.” Of course, this is true, but still. “With you,” he says, gesturing toward me, “the transition will be seamless.”
Again, he’s right. No one will really miss Dennis, though he’s a perfectly nice man. He just doesn’t actually do much around here. In fact, I’ve wondered more than a few times why he showed up at all. Probably to get face time with the members of the Midnight Society—the biggest of the club’s bigwigs. And look where that got him. Poor guy.
“We’ll offer a thirty-percent raise, effective immediately,” Buck tells me. “And, since you’ve submitted your GM application,” he continues, “we feel confident that you’ll slide right into the job permanently, once the dust has settled.”
Permanently.The word reverberates in my mind, and I recall what Luisa said—well, yelled—to me on Saturday night as we were watching Eli get handcuffed and taken to jail. Am I stuck here forever? Will I always be trying to prove to myself that my mother was wrong? I never, ever have wanted to fit in with the members of this country club, and I certainly have no intention of becoming one of them. But why haven’t I found the courage to try something new? Is it because of my co-workers and how much I adore them, or is it because I’m afraid?
I set aside my worry for a moment to focus on the practical: I need a raise. My mind frantically races to crunch numbers, determine how long I’d need to hold on to the job to potentially cover Aidan’s tuition and Eli’s legal bills—but even with the significant salary increase they’re offering, it’s not enough.
“Make it forty-five percent and I’m in,” I tell them, my voice strong and unwavering. “I should earn as much as Dennis.”
I’m thanking my lucky stars that Janey also gossips about salaries, and that I’ve become pretty good, over all these years of negotiating with vendors, at doing quick math in my head.
“She drives a hard bargain.” Griggs laughs, then looks directly at me. “But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
Motherfucker.
“She’s highly qualified,” Dennis interjects, “with much more experience than I had when I took the job. I think the salary increase is merited.” And for the first time in our relationship, I find myself wanting to hug that dull, sweet man.
“It’s settled, then,” Buck says. “I’ll have our lawyer draw up a contract.”
“One more thing,” I tell them, looking directly at Griggs. “If I take the job, I’m bringing Reginald Lewis back as chief of security. He’s excellent, the best there is.”
Griggs’s jaw clenches, but he stays silent.
“I always liked the guy.” Buck shrugs. “Sure, let’s give him another chance.”
I let out a sigh of relief. Janey can help me track down Reginald. Who knows if he’ll want the job, but at least I can offer. And my raise will help Eli pay for an excellent lawyer. I’ll need to figure out how to talk to Joel about it tonight at dinner. I’m sure he knows a good criminal defense attorney.
Even with so much uncertainty—with so many unanswered questions rushing through my mind—I still feel triumphant. I’m about to be the first woman to run this place in its hundred-and-forty-year history. And, sure, I’ll only be interim at first, but I’ve successfully negotiated an excellent salary, my work will be worth every penny of it, and in light of Saturday night’s turn of events, I definitely need the money.
Maybe, if I really pinch pennies, I can chip in and help the Castillos find a new place to live. I’ve never met them, but it just about does me in when I think about that family being evicted, all because of Griggs. Plus, I’ve relied on the generosity of others a time or two in my life, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. That’s how life works, or at least how it should work.
Dennis struggles in his chair to extend his right hand towardme, and I reach out to shake it. “Congrats, Holly,” he says, his voice feeble. “You’ll do great.”
“I’m sure she will,” Buck says, and then he turns to face Griggs. “Why don’t you go on and give her the keys to the kingdom, buddy,” he says, patting Griggs on the shoulder—again. “No need for Dennis here to exert himself any more than necessary”—he tosses a pitying look in Dennis’s direction—“in his condition.”
“It would be my pleasure,” Griggs drawls, then steps to the other side of the table to retrieve a full set of master keys, which he then dangles in the air, and I listen as their subtle metal clink cuts through the thick silence that has suddenly descended on the room. “I’m really looking forward to our close working relationship, Holly,” he says.
