How could I answer her? Truthfully, I’d been a little concerned myself, but I couldn’t seem to pin Julia down to talk about bonuses. As I’d discovered over the past several months, Julia definitely had quirks when it came to managing operating expenses and reports. There was no reason I shouldn’t have had access to everything, and yet she kept an important group of records off limits to me.
The financial files on her computer were password-protected and her personal file cabinet was always locked. I wasn’t sure she even knew how to balance her own checkbook, so it seemed strange that she would withhold some of the financial records from me. I tried to convince myself she was probably waiting for the normal probation period to end. Telling yourself something is one thing, but believing it is quite a different animal.
Probation had ended months ago. No matter how hard I tried to justify it, I couldn’t think of any reason routine information should be confidential.
It bothered me so much, I told Tree how frustrated I was. She digested everything, then said, “Put it in perspective, Girl. Know what I say? The hell with Federal Association of Correctional Reform, the hell with Consulting Resource Services and the hell with her. This job is probably just a stop gap for you, anyway. Here’s what I’d do in your position. I’d collect my checks, earn my bonuses and leave anything to do with business behind me at the end of the day.”
Well, that all sounded good, and deep down I knew she was right, but frankly the less I had access to records the more curious I got. It’s in my nature.
During one of my Friday night dinners with Matt, I finally asked his opinion. He shrugged those big, strong shoulders of his and said, “Don’t knock yourself out over it. Julia has her own way of doing things and it’s not healthy to question her.” Was I imagining it or did his last words smack of a veiled threat?
“What do you mean not healthy? We work for a government corporation, not organized crime. I should be able to ask questions about my job without worrying that I’ll be swimming with the fishes.”
He laughed and held his hands up, palms out. “No, no, nothing like that. Don’t go getting paranoid on me now. What I meant was don’t jeopardize your job, that’s all. I like having you around. Ask too many questions and she’ll find a way to get rid of you.”
I shook my head. “But, you can’t get fired if you work for the government. At least that’s what I heard.”
He leaned over and lowered his voice. “It may be what you heard, but trust me—if she wants you gone, she’ll find the way. Look at it this way, Sweetie. I’m just giving you a word to the wise. Don’t believe everything you hear. If Julia decides you’re nosing around in her business, what prevents her from eliminating your job description? Once she does that, you’re out the door. That’s what she did to someone in D.C.”
“How could she do that?”
“Oh, it’s one of the ways of getting around regulations. Most of the supervisors would never stoop to that, but we’re talking about Julia. She simply eliminated the job description which meant termination. Without the job, there was no reason to keep the person. She made sure the poor woman’s qualifications wouldn’t allow her to transfer to any available job openings. Don’t underestimate her. Not for a minute.”
He stopped to take a generous sip of wine and squeezed my arm. “A week or so later, she created a different position to fill the void. It was similar with a title that didn’t sound anything like the old one and included some requirements the woman wouldn’t qualify for as a rehire. The job was covered and she got rid of the pest. Poor Myrna. That’s what she called her—The Pest. She got hustled out the door faster than if she was being chased by a pack of wild dogs. Think about it. How many FACR employees are like you and me? You know, how many actually question things?”
I shook my head, murmuring, “Not very many.”
“Okay, so she and Bruce can pretty much do whatever they please, as long as they cover their tails.”
Point made. As I said, I’d begun to realize Julia was one of those people who is amiable on the surface, but an unhappy bitch underneath. Maybe it served her right to have to deal with Lena. I told myself they were birds of a feather.
I don’t remember which of us opened the subject, but it was probably me. Matt is fine about sharing what he knows when I ask him, but I can’t remember him ever being the one to offer spicy gossip without a prompt. What he told me about Julia and Bruce was spicy enough to make me wonder if it was the wine speaking.”
“Julia went into a real tailspin after Bruce got married, you know.”
I did a mental finger-snap. All of us had suspected they had a history, so of course I pumped him for more information. He gave me an earful.
We never got around to discussing the unpaid bonuses, but I’d gotten way more information than I thought I would.
The next evening I placed a conference call to Cameron and Kate. God bless unlimited long distance, because I’m sure we were on the phone for over an hour. There was so much to tell them about Julia and her long-standing affair with Bruce.
Somewhere in the middle of the conversation I said, “Watch out, girls. According to what he told me, Julia was very attractive before she nearly ate herself to death after Bruce and his wife got engaged. He said she was sure Bruce would ask her to marry him, but he’d been seeing the woman who became his wife behind her back.”
Cameron’s voice was laced with venom. “Doesn’t surprise me.”
“Well, Matt said it was particularly hard for Julia, what with his fiancé coming from high society. Every move they made was splashed all over the D.C. papers. Some of Julia’s friends avoided her, not knowing what to say and others gave her sympathetic looks and offered pats on the back. Meanwhile Julia gained about eighty pounds by inhaling comfort food non-stop.”
“I’d never do that for any man,” Cameron said. “I work too hard to look like I do. I’d run up some big credit card bills, though, buying anything and everything I wanted with the excuse that it was to make me feel better. How about you, Kate?”
Kate was silent for a few minutes, then said, “Nope. Not my thing. I’d take a few weeks off, go to Italy or Spain. Then I’d find the best looking hunk I could, make mad, passionate love the whole time and knock that two-timer right out of my dreams.”
I’m not sure where it came from. Maybe a ghost of the resentment I felt for Ryan, but before I knew it, I shouted, “As for me, I’d get even. I brought them up to date on the Conned Cougars, ending with, “The trap is set. Now all we have to do is wait for him to make his move on Stephanie’s assets. We are going to make him absolutely miserable.”
Funny how our true natures come out in the heat of the moment.