“No, Alex. It’s very much a requirement.” DeLuca stills in his chair, head coming forward as his eyes fix on me. “Why the reluctance?”
“There’s no reluctance,” I say dismissively. “Only that… I’m not yet married. There’s always a possibility I’ll decide this one isn’t right.” I tilt my head politely. “Will that be a problem?”
He watches me for a long moment before he speaks. “No, it’s not a problem,” he says at last. “So long as you choosesomeone, and soon.” He sniffs lightly. “How long do you think it will take you to close Greenstone?”
“We’ve only just started,” I say in reflex, distracted by the ‘someone soon.’ But at least that takes the pressure off this coming Friday. And off Vicky.
“I’m well aware.”
Of course he is. “A project like this could take—”
“Twelve months. I’ve been doing this longerthan you have.”
I nod, both conceding the point, and recognizing he wants me to stop being evasive. “Nine months is my current estimate, and that assumes I get what I want from Serrano and the others.”
“You’ve got six.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Six months? To acquire a seven-billion dollar organization?”
“Yes,” he says bluntly. “With the combined weight of the Company behind you, that’s not going to be a problem, is it?”
He’s not asking. He’s telling me.
“Absolutely not.” There’s no other answer to give.
I push myself out of the chair, give him a nod, and walk for the door.
“Alexander.”
I turn with my hand on the handle. “Marco?”
“Six months for Greenstone, and six months to get married. Make sure theybothhappen, okay?” He flaps a hand at me. “Take whoever you want to the social, but takesomeone. Doesn’t your Chief of Staff dance?”
“What’s bothering you?” Rita asks as we ride the elevator up to my apartment.
“Why do you think anything’s bothering me?”
“Because for the last two years, I’ve spent all my professional time in your company. Along with a fair amount of my personal time. I know whensomething’s wrong.”
“Nothing’s bothering me.”
She doesn’t buy it. “Is it this Company business?”
The elevator decelerates, coming to stop at my floor, giving me a moment to work out my answer as we walk to my apartment. It’s a place I picked up just after I made partner, chosen for its proximity and convenience to the office. Three bedrooms and a large study, formal dining room, herringbone floors, proper moldings.
I’ve spent more time here than at Westchester, though neither really feel like home. They’re conveniences, nothing more.
Rita follows me in with familiarity. I hit the light switches and the keys go in a bowl on the dresser near the door.
“What did DeLuca tell you about the Company?” I ask in answer to her question.
“Only that it’s an extension of Cadrion Holdings and a big deal. A way for us to leverage some of the capabilities across the group for our own success.”
That’s more than I expected him to say, but discloses nothing inherently illegal. It makes sense for my Chief of Staff to be at last somewhat in the know, but it doesn’t explain why she came out looking pale. “What else did he say to you?”
Rita gives me a smile, then walks into my kitchen and helps herself to two wine glasses and a bottle of red, pulling them unerringly from the right cupboards.
“He said my success is tied to yours.” She opensthe bottle with my corkscrew and pours, then slides a glass across the island to me. “And my failure. He was quite clear about that.”
