Felicity stared. Was that how it seemed?
“The longer you worked for me, the more I noticed: You connected less with people than anyone I’d ever met. You displayed no interest in understanding their lives, interests, or anything unrelated to your job. You were incapable of small talk. Your focus was absolute. In fact, the first few years you were in my employ, I used to watch you in frank astonishment at the way you interacted with people. Because you only had two settings: brutal or awkward.”
Ouch. Felicity’s shoulders sank.
“I know I make the occasional cutting comment, but it’s generally done to remind people I’m not to be messed with. I like to think it’s never cruel—it’s either honest, or it has a purpose. But you?” Elena gave her a look of deep concern.
“Felicity, do you remember when we were based at the Hudson Metro News and an employee’s son fell ill? She wanted to go home to be with him. You told Madeleine the woman should have thought of that before she procreated. That parents play the parent card too often.”
Oh. That. She was only being flippant. She wasn’t even entirely sure she’d meant it. Trust Elena to have overheard that.
“That gave me pause, Felicity. The unnerving truth is, it made me seriously afraid of what sort of a person you were. Despite your skills and expertise, I did not want a Lecoq running my company.”
Felicity was nothing like that evil snake. She opened her mouth to say as much.
Elena put up a hand to stop her. “I’m aware it might have been your idea of a joke, but at the time I wasn’t sure. You are a fine lawyer, Felicity, an excellent manager with an eye for detail, and as clever as anyone I’ve met. But while these are important facets needed to run a corporation, I had to be sure I had someone in charge of my business who doesn’t only put the bottom line first.”
“Cue Living Ruff,” Felicity said.
“Yes. I thought if I sent you to meet people who don’t take anything for granted, you might come away with a bit of personal growth. Or at the very least, some self-awareness that we exist in a bubble filled with experiences so entitled that they have little bearing on the real world. I wanted you to have a wake-up call and return with a bit more appreciation of what you have. Most of all, I needed to see whether those glib lines you toss out that make you sound so uncaring were just a front.”
Elena suddenly looked uneasy. “And in one moment of clarity, it also occurred to me that you might have been trying to mimic me. What if you’d concluded that being cold and harsh was what I wanted from you?”
Shock ran through Felicity. Elena’s personal opinion of her was far lower than she’d even imagined. Did Elena truly think she didn’t care about anyone? Was that how the world saw her, too?
“I’m truly sorry, Felicity, if you’ve been assuming my occasional pointed jabs are what I want to see from my managers,” Elena went on. “And I’m well aware I may come across as indifferent to most things, but it’s a deliberate choice I play to keep people on their toes. But with you, I truly couldn’t tell whether it was a game you played or who you really were. So I had to know for sure. Did you have it in you to empathize with others? Could you make the occasional decision with your heart, not your head? That was the plan. And it seems you overshot even my ambitions.” Elena shook her head incredulously. “You came back owning the charity.”
Well, not exactly, Felicity wanted to say. But for some reason no one ever wanted to hear the boat analogy.
“And I got my donation back, which you’ve no doubt seen I’ve reinvested back in the charity. Further, you ensured Charles Stone would be punished and would make amends. It’s remarkable. You really stepped up. Most of all, you impressed me, Felicity. I’m now in no doubt that Bartell Corp is in fine hands.”
Felicity stopped panicking, and a weight lifted from her shoulders. She’d done right. Still she shifted uncomfortably. Compliments tended to make her break out in hives because she always had to pick them over for their deeper meaning. “Well, it was the logical choice to get the charity and your money back. Double win.”
“The Felicity I knew before all this would have let the charity fold because you’d have decided it was one less headache for Bartell Corp. Or you might have gone to the police to punish Charles for daring to take even a dime from me.” Elena cocked an eyebrow. “Am I wrong? If I had asked you this as a hypothetical before you visited Living Ruff, what would you have decided was the best course?”
“Fold the charity,” Felicity admitted with a rueful smile, “and go to the police anyway, but only after I’d received that refund for your donation.”
“And you know what? That would have still been a sound business option,” Elena mused. “But I would have been disappointed.” She smiled suddenly. “Would you like to stay for lunch? I think we’re going to the place around the corner. It has a lovely salad range, so you’ll be safe.”
Was Elena actually teasing her about her famous diet preferences? And wait— “We?”
“Oh, Madeleine’s around here somewhere.” Elena waved carelessly behind her, indicating the rest of the apartment. “She volunteered to help me pack since she had nothing else going on. I mean, if you can stand lunching with the ‘annoying Australian,’ too?” Elena’s lips twitched up.
The woman really did have exceptional hearing if she’d heard Felicity call Maddie that. “I’m sure I’ll find ways to amuse myself.” Felicity smiled back. “I haven’t politely reminded Maddie about her being from a feral dingo-bred clan for at least a year. For some reason, she seems to find that hilarious.”
“Well, then, by all means. Lunch.” Elena’s eyes sparkled.
And that was the moment Felicity felt it. The first tendrils of friendship. Actual, real, not just business-related friendship.
Instinctively, she understood that this was the first time she’d ever properly seen the real Elena—someone who teased her as an equal, shared stories about her own past, and actually explained in full her business decisions.
It felt momentous, in a way: intensely private Elena offering her this gift.
Felicity wasn’t even sure if she’d be worthy of it. She wasn’t great at friendship, obviously. But this offer wasn’t a ticking time bomb. It was something rare and precious. She’d treat it accordingly.
“Oh damn!” Felicity said, startling them both. “Oh gosh, sorry, but I can’t. Cooper—the vet from Living Ruff that I…that I’m seeing”—her eyes darted worriedly to Elena—“we’re supposed to have lunch today.”
“And you promised her first,” Elena mused. “That’s quite all right. My offer was impromptu. I’m not asking you to choose.”
“Oh…er…right.” Felicity fidgeted. Thank God.
“I’m also pleased to hear that you’ve worked out what matters in life.” Elena leaned back, her eyes twinkling. “And I won’t ask you to bring your vet to lunch today, either, because judging by your impressive blush and conflicted expression, it was considerably more than lunch that was promised to her.”
Felicity was pretty sure she was about to die of embarrassment. She rubbed her flaming cheeks. “God,” she squeaked.
“It’s fine. I understand—your girlfriend comes first. But next time you’re in Sydney—for the Australasian Legends of Publishing Ball, I believe—I’ll expect a raincheck on lunch. All right?” Elena’s eyebrow lifted. “I’m sure I can convince Madeleine to make an appearance, too. For old times’ sake.”
“Yes. Definitely.” Felicity exhaled. “I’d like that a lot. Really.”
Elena’s answering smile was one of her rare genuine ones that reached her eyes.
It was curious how Elena seemed to understand these things so well. Had she always been this astute about relationships? Felicity didn’t think so. But maybe Felicity really didn’t know her boss nearly as well as she thought. Maybe one day she would.
That thought filled her with warmth and satisfaction.
* * *
That night, Felicity snuggled up in bed with Cooper and a certain dog, because Brittany had apparently found out her mistress could, in fact, be manipulated through pining and pouting.
Felicity found she didn’t mind sharing her bed as she told Cooper about her conversation with her boss.
With her absent-minded fingers roaming Brittany’s beautiful fur, Felicity said, “Elena wondered if I was too heartless. Too lacking in compassion to run her empire.” She gave Cooper a worried look. “She feared for me. She’s one of the most fearless people in business today. And she was afraid I was too hard.”
“From what you’ve told me, she isn’t as hard as everyone thinks, not when you drill down. I’m wondering if all this time you’ve been projecting onto her your idea of what a successful COO looks like.”
“Perhaps,” Felicity conceded. “She was afraid she’d been a bad mentor, making me think I have to act a certain way. But her reputation is well-founded. I’ve seen her do some brutal but necessary things that cost communities their old newspapers because she could see no way to make a profit. She’d try a few options to see if she could save them, but the numbers weren’t there. So she asset stripped them, keeping only the best staff, which she put to work on her other mastheads. She does that, you know.”
Felicity was suddenly anxious Cooper would only see Elena as a ruthless corporate asshole. “She talent spots. That matters to her most: finding the right people for the right jobs, making all the pieces fit. It’s not just a bulldoze-everything deal.”
“Felicity, why do you care what I think of Elena? She’s going back to Sydney tomorrow. You’ll only see her a few times a year after this.”
“Because she’s one of a tiny handful of people in my life I deeply respect, and I want you to like her.”
Cooper regarded her with interest. “I’ve only ever heard you talk about Elena as worthy of this lofty praise. Who else do you respect?”
“Aside from you? My mom.” She frowned. “That…took a while. I kept seeing her through my father’s judgmental eyes, which shaded how I viewed her. And I honestly couldn’t understand her taking a lesser position than the one she had as a college professor. But I see now that she stepped down to take a charity job where she could shape young minds at an earlier age, really get kids into STEM, especially girls.”
“That’s admirable. So wait, your mom works for a charity, too? Which one?”
