"My sister, Edna, refuses to allow me to be the lead in the play. She wants you to do it, Penny."
"If Judge Edna wants me to play Lady Macbeth, I'm not going to cross her. Some people might be afraid of witches and zombies, but hell hath no fury like Judge Edna. She rules her courtroom with an iron fist."
"Ain't that the truth? Rehearsals start next week," Ida called over her shoulder as she went to go talk to Hazel.
"Don't you want a sandwich?" I asked Garrett.
"I have protein bars at my office. Aren't you done yet?"
"No. You can't rush this," I said, picking up the pumpkin-spice donut Danish. The caramelized sugar crunched under my teeth as I bit into it. I closed my eyes and chewed slowly. When I opened them, Garrett was watching me, expression unreadable.
I held out the donut Danish to him. "Want a taste?"
"No, thank you."
"They have metal straws, you know," I told him as he sipped his coffee with obvious distaste.
"That's even worse. You'd never be able to keep them clean."
8
Garrett
Iate three CLIF bars for lunch. I should have ordered a sandwich, but my whole day had been ruined. I seethed as I fished chunks of the paper straw out of my coffee. Then I forced myself to calm down. The only way to fix the situation was to have a composed, level head. I forced myself to relax my shoulders. This would have been easier to do if Penny hadn’t been sitting there right in the corner of my vision.
Clear head. Dispassion.
Start with the most pressing matter. That would be acquiring Thalian Biotech. I had that under control. I’d had a meeting with Bronwyn yesterday about the numbers. Sebastian would see how much his company could expand with the resources of Svensson PharmaTech at his disposal.
Next: my license.
I could wait out the whole sentence or do community service. Neither was desirable. Table it.
Next: the straw ban.I need plastic straws. This is America. I should be able to purchase a plastic straw, surely.But I didn't have time to waste searching the internet for them. I looked over at Penny. She was scrolling slowly through her phone. I needed to find something for her to do. I emailed IT to bring a laptop for her then walked slowly around my desk.
Penny hurriedly closed her phone when she noticed me standing over her, but not before I saw that she was looking at office Halloween decorations on Pinterest. She smiled up at me sheepishly.
"Since you're here, you can help me," I informed her.
Dennis from IT knocked on the doorframe. "Here's your computer. It's all set up and ready to go."
"Thank you," Penny said, smiling sweetly at him. His face went red, and he started stammering. Budding workplace romance? Not on my watch.
"That's all for now, Dennis. Penny, I will take you on a brief office tour." I turned the opposite direction from where Dennis had gone. Penny trotted after me.
"This is the breakroom. There are healthy food items. Svensson PharmaTech is about physical well-being. We don't allow donut Danishes or the like in the office."
Penny nodded enthusiastically and took notes. "No joy, no candy, no donuts. Got it!"
"That wing over there"—I pointed through the window to an adjacent building—"houses Research and Development. My brother Parker runs that division."
I led Penny back to the C-suite offices. "Across the hall is Mace's office. Sitting on the couch is Mace's intern, my younger brother Adrian. It is unclear what value he brings to the company."
"I do stuff!" Adrian protested.
"I would find a desk for you," I told Penny, "but we are very tight on space. We are opening a new facility in downtown Harrogate next year, which will free up floor area here. For now, you will work in my office."
Mace's assistant's office was free, but for some reason, I didn't want Penny over there. Besides, all of Archer's things were in there. It wouldn’t do.
