Finding You Page 10
From: james.spencer@scottbarny.com
Sent: January 28, 2013 11:13 AM
To: v.harrison@scottbarny.com
Subject: Redenge
Hi Tina,
I am writing you because I just received great news. Vic told me Redenge accepted our proposal!!! ☺
We made it! Despite Restelli Jr
We already communicated the news to the creative team so they will start the process.
Next Monday you and I will go to Imperia to oversee several things. We will spend the day there.
Now I must go. I have to drive two hours to go to a meeting at You&U headquarters.
Have a good day.
J.
From: v.harrison@scottbarny.com
Sent: January 28, 2013 11:36 AM
To: james.spencer@scottbarny.com
Subject: Re: Redenge
God, I am happy!
I will be ready for Imperia. If you want, I can drive. I imagine you are dead after two weeks in Germany ☺
Tina
From: james.spencer@scottbarny.com
Sent: January 28, 2013 12:01 PM
To: v.harrison@scottbarny.com
Subject: Re: Re: Redenge
No, honey, I am the only one driving my car. You will enjoy looking at the landscape!
J.
Honey? I can’t believe this. Tina, breathe… Here they come, all those signs of emotion: butterflies in my stomach, chills, a shaking from deep inside me. I can see him arriving to that meeting. An Adonis, the face of an angel, beautiful like a greek god, charming smile, resolute stride and sensual movements. Grey suit, one of his white shirts with a light coloured tie. Every woman would fall at his feet. Valentina! Stop these obsessive thoughts.
Emma has already used all the numbers in her rolodex. This week she called everybody, probably even kindergarten mates! At this moment she is not chatting on the phone, so I ask her to have a coffee with me in the break room. We find Claudio there.
“Hi Tina, how are you?”
“I’m fine and you?”
“Great! Did you hear the news?” He asks me, drinking his coffee.
I answer him nodding. “I heard from James via email. At least with Redenge we are ok now.”
His face becomes very serious. “What?” He growls. “What did you say?” His green eyes are darker.
“Redenge signed the contract.” I stammer.
His jaws tighten and he appears deeply upset. Maybe I understand: this story should have remained top secret and there are other people around us. I screwed up! I shouldn’t have said anything.
“Sorry, Claudio. Perhaps I shouldn’t have talked about this.” I whisper.
At that moment he gives me a poisoned glance and full of disdain he says:
“Yes. You shouldn’t have said that.” He throws his half full cup of coffee in the waste basket and quickly leaves.
I look around and thank god nobody seems to have followed our conversation. Even Emma is absorbed in talking to a girl from the accounting department. I wonder why he became so furious.
I didn’t go back to the break room that afternoon or the following days. I prefer to avoid that man. His look and his words left me with a great sense of uneasiness. The only cheerful moment of that week was on Friday. The CEO informed everybody with an email that our agency won a very prestigious Communication and Advertising award. We defeated even Finch & Mood and Andrea Saba’s agency.
Chapter 18
James
When Vic proposed that I go to Germany with him, I accepted enthusiastically. I wanted to get away from Milan. I left in a hurry. I didn’t even leave instructions with Valentina about work. I understood that she is well-organized and knows what to do anyway. Yet I didn’t want to disappear without a trace. So I bought a ten espressos card for her and stuck it to the door where I usually hang my scarf and coat. It’s a place she knows very well, since she always reminds me of my scarf when I leave the office.
I am on the plane returning from Berlin. Vic is checking the signed contract from Redenge which he just received. I am glad to be back in Italy soon. Those two weeks in Germany would have seemed much longer if I hadn’t received Harrison’s emails. With late meetings, business dinners and hours of driving from one company to another, her words gave me a connection to a better world. Her emails always put me in a better mood. What the hell is happening to me, I don’t know. Even Vic is teasing me. One evening, joking and laughing at dinner, he asked me if I was no longer interested in women. He noticed that I didn’t even look at two beautiful girls working in the marketing department of Burassi, who, in his opinion, were coming on to us openly. In fact at that moment I was answering one of Harrison’s emails.
*
As soon as I enter my apartment I call my father. I found a voicemail from him.
“Spencer.” It’s Sunday morning in New York, but he always answers as if he was is in the office.
“Hello dad.” I am still slightly puzzled calling him dad again. “I was on the plane returning from Berlin. Did you call me?”
“Yes. Sorry, I am always a little confused about the time difference there. Also, I am not sure you enjoy receiving my calls.” I can understand his doubts, after all the unpleasant things we said to one another. We really hurt each other.
“Since I have been in Italy I feel the atmosphere between us is changing. You know perfectly well that we can’t easily forget the many years of misunderstandings and harsh words. But, the fact that we can now communicate without yelling seems to me a major improvement. Don’t you think?”
He laughs. “You are right, James. Tell me about yourself. Was the trip to Germany a success? What about Vic? I know he can be tough in business.”
“I realized that! He is a workaholic. Anyway we accomplished a lot. We should have news at the end of this week.”
“Good! I have some interesting news too, if you have five minutes I can briefly explain this to you.”
Well, interesting news indeed! My father asked me to return to New York in early March to be part of a big project involving a collaboration between Spencer Corporate and Global Media. With advanced technologies new borders have been opened up the field of communication. As a joint venture our companies could become the leaders in the market. The only problem is that we must win a competition conducted by the American government and there are many strong contenders. After listening to him, I remain silent for a few seconds.
He adds: “James, this would only be business. I know we have problems between us… but I thought it was worth a try. But you don’t need to do it, if you don’t feel comfortable.”
“I know, dad. Tell me the truth. You already knew about this competition and for this reason you wanted to acquire Global Media. Right?” I hear a sigh on the other end of the phone.
“Yes.” He answers. I have been such an asshole! I tried to ruin my father’s deal. “But that is fine, James.” He continues. “I am almost happy, if that was the price to pay for bringing us closer. Listen, I don’t want to put any pressure on you. Take a month to think about it.”
“I don’t need to think about it. I accept. You can count on me and Global Media. At this point you will be forced to accept the resignation I sent to Spencer Corporate a month ago.” I laugh.
“You always have the last word!” He laughs too. “I tore that letter up, while thinking of filing a lawsuit against you for breach of contract!” Only one month has passed and those unpleasant memories seem so far away. He continues: “From a legal point of view you didn’t give the company enough notice. But we can fix this by changing the notice’s terms, so you will be free by the end of February. In this way we wouldn’t have a conflict of interest.”
“I need to finish a few things here and by early March I will be in New York.”
Only two weeks ago I would have jumped for joy at the idea of returning to New York. Not now. On the contrary, I have the feeling I am leaving something important behind.
*
I text Harrison.
Hi, just returned from Berlin. See you tomorrow at 8:00 am at your place. Be ready. Have a nice evening. J.
I take a shower, when I finish I check my phone. No answer from her. I eat something keeping my iPhone handy. No reply. While watching TV, I think I hear a ring, check my phone again. False alarm. Finally at 10:00 p.m. I received her text.
At eight? Thank you for the generous notice. I was beginning to worry. Not hearing from you I thought I needed to bring your passport to Germany! See you tomorrow. I will be on time. Good Night, James.
I don’t understand if she is ironic or sarcastic. Maybe she doesn’t like to be bothered on Sunday evening. But this is not the first time. Well, she wished me good night so she probably isn’t too upset.
For two weeks she has emailed me every day, wishing me good morning and good night. I confess, I liked it. It is a nice ritual that I wouldn’t give up easily. Now I can turn off the light and sleep.
Chapter 19
Valentina
At 6:00 a.m. I am already up. I didn’t sleep much. At seven I am ready, staring at the street, waiting for him. Maybe I will make another coffee. I brush my teeth again. I check the time, still ten minutes. Finally I see his black SUV parking in front of my building. I lock the door and go down the stairs. Here he is, James Spencer, smiling at me with the adorable dimples. My heart jumps into my mouth. I never saw my boss wearing casual clothes before: jeans and a light grey sweatshirt with hood and sneakers. Also his hair is different, untidy. Handsome like always. Oh god, I missed him so much. I want to kiss and squeeze him, but I can’t.
“Good morning,” I say, while he opens the car door for me. “How are you?”
“Good morning to you. A little tired.” I almost say that if he wants I can drive, when he anticipates me. “Not too tired to drive!”
I put my seatbelt on. He looks at me seriously and says: “Listen, if you feel a panic attack coming, please tell me. I will stop immediately.”
I smile. “No need. It won’t happen.”
“How can you be so certain?”
“I trust my instincts.” Nonsense. I just learned how to trust him.
Driving, he updates me on the progress he and Vic made in Germany. He seems really enthusiastic. His good mood is contagious. At some point he asks me:
Harrison, what’s going on with you? It’s two hours now that we have been in the car and you haven’t asked me yet what the reason for this trip is.”
“Do you think I am so naïve? Our destination is Castelvetro Imperiale, Restelli’s family home town. We have an appointment with Father Massimo to look at the church’s oratory that needs restoration which will be financed by Redenge.”
Satisfied, I turn toward him and I notice surprise in his eyes. “I have my sources” I add smiling.
He is concentrating on the road. He seems serious now. I expected at least half a smile.
“I presume Calligaris is your source.” He pronounces Claudio’s name with disdain.
“No, thank god! I learned this from one of the girls in marketing.”
“Has something happened that I should know about?” He stares at me and I look down. “So?” He insists.
“You are right when you say you don’t like him. I don’t know… There is something unconvincing about him, I admit.”
“You didn’t answer me. Has something happened when I was away?”
“Not really. It’s only that his attitude changes very quickly. One moment he is very kind, the next he is hostile. Actually, he reminds me of someone.” I say jokingly.
“Listen, I am not someone who has any right to prevent you from seeing whoever you like, but I repeat, I really don’t like that guy. There is something about him that I don’t trust. Take my advice and stay away from him.”
I can’t reply. We have arrived at our destination. A young man comes out from the rectory and walks towards us. He must be Father Massimo. He introduces himself. A sincere and warm smile. He vigorously shakes our hands. He shows us with pride the beautiful church, then brings us to see the oratory. A few years ago heavy rains seriously damaged the ancient structure which was already in need of repair. The walls are all dangerously cracked. The small soccer field adjacent is a disaster: the gates are rusty and the ground is just a pile of dirt.
It’s almost noon and Father Massimo invites us to lunch. James tries to decline the invitation, afraid of making trouble for him. But when he learns that some ladies of the town have cooked regional recipes for an army, he can’t refuse.
After coffee, my boss also has a local liqueur, Father Massimo and James start to look at cost estimates for the renovation. Father Massimo is very excited when James tells him the amount budgeted will completely cover all the work. He can’t stop thanking us. At that moment we hear the sound of young voices coming from outside. Through the window I see children of all ages running around the soccer field.
“It is catechism day and children come here early to play.” Father Massimo explains to us. “Come. I want to introduce you.”
I look at James who seems as embarrassed as I am.
“Boys,” all the children come towards us, full of curiosity, “I want to introduce you to Valentina and James. Do you remember that last week I told you that today was an important day?” The older children nod. “Valentina and James just gave me very good news: our oratory will soon become more beautiful! We will put grass on the soccer field, so when you will fall, it won’t be so rough. Are you happy?”
I can’t describe their joy. Some children scream, others are jumping, the ball re-appears on the field and they start to play with enthusiasm. One of them comes to James and shyly asks if he wants to play. For the first time I see my boss blushing.
“Go ahead, Spencer. Nobody from the agency is watching you!” I say.
“It is not that…” I look at him, surprised to see uncertainty in his eyes.
“Haven’t you ever played soccer before? I can’t believe it!”
He shakes his head and bursts into laughter.
I take off my sweater and throw it on a bench.
“Father Massimo, let’s show an American how we have fun in Italy!”
James and I are on the team with the best players, Father Massimo with the youngest ones. After a few kicks and some practice at passing the ball, my boss is loosening up. There are thirty minutes of frantic running, scoring and stolen goals. We won. The children seem more enthusiastic about skipping catechism than winning!
After a cup of tea and a slice of delicious cake we hit the road.
*
While driving James says: “For someone who never played soccer in his life, I wasn’t so bad!”
“Well, that little six or seven year old kid with the red sweatshirt scored three to your zero goals…” I am teasing him. “James, even I scored a goal!”
He’s laughing. “Don’t turn the knife in the wound! It was my first time. You shouldn’t be so cruel to a poor man who went to colleges which emphasized other sports. In fact, you must know, my dear Harrison,” my heart skips a beat hearing him saying my dear, “that I am really good at tennis, horse riding, ski-ing, swimming, and I could go on and on, but I don’t want to show off too much.”
I remain silent, looking out the window, lost in thought, when I feel his hand touching my hair. I turn, I place my cheek on his palm and close my eyes. With his fingers he’s caressing my face. I can’t say how sweet it is to be touched by him. The cell phone rings. He puts his earphones on and answers.
“Spencer. Hi Vic… Everything went fine, we are coming back…What?” His voice raises. “No, I didn’t leave anything. I haven’t been to the office for two weeks… I will ask her. Yes, we will stop by, but will get there around 10:00 p.m. See you later.” He closes the conversation and throws the earphones on the dashboard. “Shit! Not a moment of peace. Always something!” He turns toward me. “Your colleague worked late today. She went to help the girls in marketing. When she
returned, she found our offices a complete wreck!”
“Emma! Is she ok?”
“Yes, only scared to death. The office is a disaster… Vic says that all the folders have been opened, there are papers everywhere. He wanted to know about our laptops. Emma’s computer has disappeared.”
“I brought my notebook home on Friday. I had some work to finish.”
“Mine is also at home. Do you think Emma’s computer could contain some confidential, important information?”
“No. I have all the sensitive files on my computer. Did they search only our offices?”
When he says yes, I really begin to worry.
“Vic asked me to stop by the office to do an inventory of everything we are missing. I am sorry, but I am afraid a long night is ahead us.”
*
As soon as I see the state of our office I am really shocked. A complete mess. Papers are scattered everywhere on the floor, all the drawers are open, even the pen holders are upside down. They searched everywhere, not only James’s office. Also Emma’s desk and mine are destroyed. Before arriving in Milan I called Emma to be sure she’s ok. She is really frightened. She told me that all that damage had been done in less than an hour. James disappeared into his office with the CEO and the security guard. I start to gather papers and pile them on my desk. I close drawers and pick up pens and pencils from the floor. Tomorrow I will have a lot of work to straighten up this unbelievable mess.
“Such a disaster! Tina, are you ok?” Claudio is looking at me with apprehensive eyes. I don’t answer. I really don’t know what to say. He comes behind the desk and begins to caress my hair.
“I was with Vic when the security guard called. But I understood that nobody was here—”
“In fact I wasn’t at the office when it happened. I just arrived.”
He embraced me saying: “Thank god you weren’t here. When I think that something could have happened to you, I—” James opens the door to his office. When he sees us, he freezes. Claudio releases his embrace, but keeps his arm on my shoulder with a protective air. I am too tired to try to understand what’s going on.