Page 8 of Degrees of Control
“No, day by day it’s getting a little better. Now that all the legal stuff with Torzial is over, I’m just focusing on the company,” she says.
“Did Chase send you an update on the project, yet?”
“Yes, in fact, I was just skimming over it when you called. It seems to be moving rather quickly,” Jenny says.
“Chase was right, since the national outcomes from the Houston model came out the phones haven’t stopped ringing.”
“They certainly should be,” she says.
“The design phase for the Chicago facilities is coming along nicely. We demonstrated the exam room simulation to the project team before our trip. I included the cost of each model, not only to build but to run in terms of energy consumption. They settled on the option we were hoping they would. The savings came in well above what was projected. We’ll end up saving approximately 3.5 million for the Chicago project alone,” I say.
“Kate, that’s wonderful. What an accomplishment,” she says.
“Thanks, Jenny. The second facility in Chicago will be modeled off the first, and as we’ve discussed, should significantly decrease the amount of effort we need to put into that phase. I sat in on a conference with Chase today and we reviewed the Houston data. It’s delivering some pretty fantastic quality outcomes. There is significant interest and Chase has asked us to put a long-term strategy and project plan together for the national expansion,” I say.
“I didn’t think it would happen so quickly, but we should be in good position to move quickly. We’re definitely going to need more space, though. Chase sent me a note while you were in Aruba, letting me know The Prestian Corp towers in Chicago and New York both have floors that could be utilized for Torzial. He thought it would be ideal, since he envisions the two of you traveling to New York quite often,” she says.
“I agree. It would make perfect sense for Torzial to have a location in both Chicago and New York,” I say.
“Christy has already started the process of screening applications for a few of the additional positions we’ll need, but we’ll require much more support.
“How did the conversation go with Chase about keeping her on as head of human resources?” I ask.
“Good, actually. The entire department will become Prestian Corp employees, and we’ll lease services instead of having duplicate units. Christy will remain in charge of our division, with a bump in pay and a new title. She was pretty happy about the arrangement and has already started coordinating interviews for the expansion. I asked her to reach out to you to find out how you wanted to handle all of your open positions,” she says.
“Sounds good, Jenny. I’d like to get the lean consultants on board as quickly as possible. In the meantime, I’ll put the finishing touches on the training material. On a personal note, Chase and I are engaged if you haven’t heard already,” I say, smiling at the squeal on the other end of the phone and filling her in on the details before disconnecting.
CHAPTER THREE
The wind off LakeMichigan is beginning to pick up and the temperature is starting to drop. I reach for the remote control and turn on the overhead heaters on the deck to warm the air. A couple hours later, I feel satisfied that the training and onboarding plan will allow for quick and efficient expansion. I change into one of my new dresses, a long sleeve, cream colored sweater number that fits the curves of my body perfectly. I couple it with a large brown leather belt and my new brown slouchy boots before wandering downstairs.
I find Chase and my father in the great room deeply engrossed in conversation. They look up as I walk in and the exchange immediately discontinues. I try to hide my annoyance, but I see Chase’s eyebrows raise in question. I turn towards the bar and pour myself a glass of wine before taking a seat beside them.
“So, do we have a script for Saturday night or are we just going to wing it?” I ask.
Surprise flashes over my father’s face and Chase attempts to hide his amusement from my dad.
“Carlos, your daughter likes to be made aware of situations so she isn’t taken by surprise. Reminds me a lot of you at times,” Chase says.
“Katarina, we haven’t finalized plans for Saturday, but there will be a set of guidelines for people in attendance and scripting for individual conversations,” he says, watching me guardedly.
“Were you working on the plans for Saturday night when I came in?” I ask.
“We were talking about Saturday night, but not with any degree of detail. We have a lot of work to do to ensure things go smoothly,” my father says evenly.
I raise my eyebrows in question and swirl my drink. Chase is watching us, amused at the exchange and father-daughter standoff. I am about to question him further when Mom walks into the room. She has changed into a clingy bright blue cashmere dress with black boots. Her short auburn hair is spiky, and her blue eyes are shining brightly. It’s clear that Carlos has lost interest in anything but her.
Chase comes to stand by my side placing his arm around me, caressing the top of my shoulder blades with his thumb. The tension I feel at being kept in the dark begins to subside and I find myself leaning into him as my body starts to relax and heat under his touch. I start at the sound of my mother’s voice. “What do you think, Katarina?” she asks.Think about what; Chase’s hand rubbing my body and my moistening panties? Jeez, pay attention.
“What did you say, Mom?” I inquire, attempting to suppress a scowl at the smile on Chase’s face.
“I was asking if you would like to go shopping for Saturday night?” she says.
I am at a loss for words. They have obviously not made Mom aware of the plans, and I would prefer not to be the one to tell her. I feel Chase’s hand squeeze my shoulder and look up. He moves his head side to side slightly.Is he telling me not to go?How does he know what I’m thinking?
“Mom, I just went shopping with Jenny before Chase and I went to Aruba, and as you can imagine, I have plenty of clothes. You can’t shop with Jenny and walk out of a store empty-handed. Besides that, I’ve taken a lot of time off work lately, and Jenny and I are in the middle of finalizing the structure for the Prestian Corp division of Torzial. Maybe you and Dad could go shopping this time,” I suggest.
Chase looks down at me and winks, while his fingers extend around the back of my neck underneath my hair, spreading warmth throughout my body. My lips part and I can feel my body’s physical reaction to him. I barely comprehend the overall conversation as he guides me into the dining room behind my mom and dad.
