Page 12 of Coming Home for Fall 2
“Mallory, I understand that you’re still angry about being let go,” Donovan said eventually.
“Donovan, I quit.”
“Yeah, but only after I told you that you had to start making sales again or else you’d be fired.” She couldn’t argue with that, so she just let him keep talking. “But the point is, letting you go wasn’t a decision I came to lightly, and I’ve been thinking about it the last couple of weeks. I think it might’ve been a bit rash. If you were willing to come back during this period of transition--”
“Period of transition?” she scoffed. “That’s a very PR-friendly way to put it. And why would you want me back after everything I just said about the company and the supplements?”
“I need someone like you in my corner,” he explained. “Someone who tells me things I don’t want to hear. It’s important for a CEO to have someone like that to keep him grounded, you know? I think if the two of us work together, we can fix all of this. Once upon a time, you were one of our bestsalespeople and once I deal with all this FDA nonsense, we’re going to need to ramp up sales again.”
“I think you’re underestimating how bad things are about to get for you.”
“See! That’s what I’m talking about.” He laughed excitedly, or perhaps it was nerves in his voice. “You’re willing to say what other people aren’t. This is why I need you. You see things for what they really are. I want you there when we start this new chapter, so go ahead and name your price. What about that raise you were talking about before? I’d be happy to sign off on that. And your benefits, is there anything you feel like your health insurance doesn’t cover?”
“Most things, yeah.”
“Make a list!” he said. “I’ll find a way to address all the issues you have. Whatever it takes to get you back.”
She shook her head, her heart and her head battling it out internally. “What if I told you I’d only come back if you made the product safer, stopped selling to vulnerable populations, and gaveeveryonea raise?”
He laughed.
“I’m serious.”
Donovan inhaled sharply. “Let’s be realistic here, I can’t agree to all of that.”
“Then count me out.”
“But–”
“No, no buts.” She smirked and turned the key in the ignition. “Even though it sent my life spiraling, I’m now realizing that getting fired from your company was one of the best things that could’ve happened to me. I have no interest in working for someone who puts profits over people every step of the way, and I truly hope the FDA shuts you down completely. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an appointment I can’t be late for. Have a nice life, Donovan.”
She hung up and tossed her phone on the passenger seat, put the car in reverse, and pulled out of the lot.
*
Mallory should’ve anticipated that her sister would choose a fancy restaurant, and yet it hadn’t even crossed her mind when she got dressed that morning. Walking through the well-lit, sweet smelling brunch spot, she was keenly aware of the paint stains on her jeans and the fadedYankeeslogo on her t-shirt. She wasn’t even a baseball fan; this was just a leftover souvenir from her last relationship. If you could even call it that.
Ariel wasn’t there yet. She’d texted to say she was running a bit late and suggested Mallory grab them a table. The hostess showed Mallory to a high-top in the back of the restaurant, which was perhaps an attempt to keep Mallory out of sight of the other diners, but she didn’t care. She sort of felt like hiding anyway.
“Your waitress will be with you shortly,” the hostess said, handing Mallory a menu.
“Thank you.”
Mallory did her best to get comfortable, despite being so underdressed. She unfolded the napkin over her lap and took a long sip from her glass of ice water. The long drive had given her plenty of time to think about her decision to turn Donovan down, and she was generally feeling pretty good about that choice. Of course, when she opened the menu and saw the price of the food, she had a moment of regret.
I can’t afford to eat anything here…
She tried to do some mental math, and checked the date on her phone to see how many days she had left before she had to make a credit card payment, and sank back into her chair. She put the menu to the side and said she would stick withwater when the waitress came to ask if she wanted something to drink. Alone once more, Mallory took a deep breath, ignored the hunger pains in her stomach, and waited patiently for her older sister to arrive.
Chapter 6
“Have you been waiting long?”
Mallory shook her head, sized up her older sister’s appearance. The last time she’d seen Ariel, which was over a year ago now, she’d been distracted and not so put together. As a general rule, Mallory never judged people for how they dressed or whether or not they’d run a brush through their hair. It was just something she noticed about Ariel last time, since her sister had always been someone who cared about how she presented herself to the world. She recalled being a little worried about Ariel, wondering if she had been able to take time for herself recently or if her life had been exclusively wrapped up in her kids.
But that day, Ariel was practically glowing. It made Mallory smile, then a thought occurred to her. “Are you pregnant again?”
“What?” Ariel laughed as she took a seat. Her smile was bright and there was a gleam in her eyes Mallory hadn’t seen in years. She was wearing a cute burnt orange sweater that looked great with her long dark hair. “No, I’m not pregnant. Why do you ask?”
