Murderous Endeavour

Chapter Five

“I’m sorry, but have you lost your mind?”

Diana stood in front of Alina Myers, the white-haired beautiful magazine-cover-worthy CEO of Addict. Only thirty herself when she started the corporation, she’d snapped Diana up from Elizabeth Arden as her right-hand girl when the brand was only a fledgling operation with one small warehouse in Cranbury, New Jersey. After all these years, Diana had come to see her not only as a mentor but as a friend.

Diana smiled as she looked past her at the skyscraper across the street. As her right hand, Diana had the office next to Alina’s with just as nice a view. Yes, Addict had been good to her. But she’d been good to it too. Loyal and indispensable. A rock. She’d built this company to the success it was. She had nurtured it and given it what it needed to grow.

And now, she needed this.

“I know, it sounds crazy. But I’ve been batting the sabbatical idea around for a long time.” Well, really for only a day . . . to be honest. But when it’s right, it’s right! “And I’m ready to take it. I do feel like the company will be in good hands with Phil.”

“Yes, I agree,” Alina said, almost too readily, tapping her gold-accented pen on the pad in front of her. “But . . . we’re right in the middle of finishing up the fall line. Can’t you give me a little bit of a notice? We can plan your last day for the fall.”

She shook her head. “Unfortunately, I have a bit of a schedule to—”

“All right. When did you want your last day to be?”

“Well . . . tomorrow.”

Rarely was Alina Myers struck speechless, but she was nearly there now. She practically choked on her gasp of surprise. “Tomorrow?”

“Yes.” If Alina was looking at her like she’d suddenly sprouted wings and horns now, the whole I need to make it to the ball, Cinderella-thing, probably wouldn’t go over much better. So she fudged it. “Yes. There’s a little scheduling issue that . . .”

She stopped when Alina held up a manicured hand. “That’s altogether unacceptable, Diana. You have to understand. There’s paperwork to fill out. Plans that need to be made. You’ve served me well for over twenty years, but as much as I’d like to grant that to you, it’s really putting me in a hard spot.”

“In twenty years, have I ever asked you for anything?” Diana asked.

Alina sat up behind the massive desk and closed her silk blazer over her camisole. She shook her head. “No, Diana, you’ve been a model employee, and I’m as grateful as anyone can be. But if I make concessions for you, I’ll have to make them for everyone else. For Phil, whenever he wants to go to Vegas and blow his life’s savings. For the others, for every little whim they have. You’re talking about an entire year here, Diana. That’s going to affect the business in big ways. Big ways.”

“But Phil—”

“Phil doesn’t have the insight you have. For him, it’s a job. For you, it was your life.”

“I know.” That was true. It was her life. For so long, it was everything she thought about, besides her family. Sometimes, she hated to admit, instead of her family. And what had it gotten her? She had money, lots of money in the bank, socked away for a comfortable retirement, but she’d never had the time to enjoy it. Not in the way she really wanted to.

Now, she could feel that opportunity slipping away . . .

She took a deep breath and said, “I’m sorry you feel that way, Alina. If that’s your final decision, then I’ll have to tender my resignation.”