Page 66 of Degrees of Innocence
I walk to the opposite side of the room, and look out the window trying to put some distance between us.
“I’m not sure where to start.”
“Katarina?”
“So much has happened that I don’t even know where to begin. I was at Torzial and overheard people talking about us.” He’s moved behind me again and now I am between the window and his body, so I turn to face him. “They said some pretty callous things about me, in fact, called me a little gold digger.” His eyebrows rise in concern and he looks as though he is going to say something.
“No, please, last week that would have upset me greatly. I know it’s not true and so do you and that’s all that matters to me. But a lot more happened today, Chase.”
“Go on,” he urges.
“I saw the newspapers and some of the tabloid articles. I couldn’t bring myself to read all of them, though.”
He moves to pull me closer and I put a hand on his chest. The sight of him with all of those women in his arms is too fresh.
“I’m sorry, Katarina. I was hoping to show them to you later this evening. The pictures were taken over a lot of years and put together to project a particular image and point of view,” he says.
“The articles also made reference to you being a drug trafficker. Then I went to the mailroom and people were talking about us and the fact that you are a suspect in a drug trafficking operation. I don’t know what to think, Chase. I need you to tell me what’s true and what’s not.”
“I see,” he says, the deep green eyes penetrating and holding mine captive. “Is that all?”
“No, actually, it’s not all. One of the Torzial workers also said Mark made reference to Martel Design getting a large contract with you on the Prestian Medical facility and they’re worried that Torzial will no longer be needed for the project. I went upstairs to talk to Jenny after I heard that, hoping she knew something that would put some perspective on it, but then I overheard her on the telephone with you. All I know is what I heard Chase. She apparently wanted you to explain this to me so I didn’t ask her for details. I don’t want to step over any boss and friend lines,” I explain.
“What do you think happened with the Torzial contract, Katarina?”
“I don’t have a clue, Chase. I thought you were pleased with the work Torzial has done, specifically the work of the team in Aruba. You even told me you were happy with the outcome. I wasn’t intentionally eavesdropping, but I overheard Jenny’s conversation with you. I don’t know what to think right now.”
“The contract negotiations Jenny and I were discussing have absolutely nothing to do with Martel. When we were in Aruba and the caregivers expressed their desire to have a medical facility in the heart of where their sickest and most socio-disadvantaged patients were, I put out a few feelers. There is land available in that area, and our offer was just accepted, which means we will be designing and creating two facilities in the city of Chicago.”
“That would eliminate so many of the transportation barriers that we currently have, but what does that have to do with the Torzial contract?”
“I contacted Jenny to revise the existing contract and have a full-time consultant dedicated exclusively to the Prestian Medical facilities. Your other accounts will be given to different members at Torzial if she agrees to the contract.”
“Why would you talk to Jenny about something like that, instead of me?” I demand.
“Katarina, the Prestian facility is more than a full-time job and now there will be two running simultaneously. You can’t possibly think you can continue to manage the other projects you have for Torzial.”
“Chase, this is not your decision to make. I am a grown woman and this is my career. How dare you?”
“With all due respect Katarina, it is my decision to make. I want a full-time person dedicated to the Prestian facilities. This project is going to need to be up and running fast as soon as we get state approvals. The fact that I want you in that role is due solely to your skill set and abilities and not our personal relationship which is why I did not discuss it with you.”
“You are absolutely infuriating. You think you can just snap your fingers and I will do your bidding? Well, newsflash, I am not about to give up my other projects and you should have asked me before you talked to Jenny.”
A voice from the intercom interrupts my thoughts. “Mr. Prestian, Martel Design has arrived and they are in conference room six.”
“What are they doing here? I thought we weren’t meeting with them until later in the day,” I say.
“Katarina, you saw the note Mark sent about the design. He’s apparently still intending to pitch us a prefab design and I didn’t think you would want to be included in the conversation. I moved the meeting up to spare you the discomfort. However, since you’re here now, why don’t you join us?”
“Please let the team know I will be there momentarily,” he says into the intercom.
“Chase, this doesn’t change anything about the contract. I am not giving up my other projects.”
“The Prestian Medical Center facilities are going to be the biggest projects in the state. I want you in charge of their efforts, but dedicated only to them. Why don’t we agree to disagree and talk about this after our meeting,” he says, walking toward the conference, leaving me no choice but to follow in his wake.
He guides me to one of the open seats around the table and sits in the chair next to mine. Mark Martel and a few others from the design team, including Terry, who was at the event, the hospital president, and Brian, the chief operating officer are already in attendance.
Mark pulls up a presentation on the overhead and starts the meeting. “Martel Design is excited to be part of such a great community venture. We know this is one of the most important projects in the state and understand the urgency of getting shovels into the ground quickly,” he says, moving through key points on the PowerPoint before revealing the next slide, which displays four options for the facility layout. He walks through what appear to be completed designs for the new facility demonstrating the layouts and attributes of each of the four models. The designs have not utilized the information from the event. The departments which should be located near each other are not, and the lab still has an enormous wait area. It’s clear now why I was not invited to the meeting. He finishes his presentation and asks the team for their questions and thoughts.
