cafeteria, the labs and boardroom—including the tiny temporary office that had been set aside for her. Ah… so that’s what the key was for. Upon seeing the tidy little spot, Hunny’s spirits dropped. It looked so cozy... She didn’t want to get cozy.
Gina stayed and chatted as Huntington settled in. Excellent at her job, Gina Morrow still acted more like a social butterfly than a corporate exec which probably explained her success, that and her incredible connections. She had the luck of being born into a very influential, very old Southern family. She’d had the even better luck of marrying someone just as established right out of college.
Twenty-two years later, Gina had made use of all the connections that came with her social status. She’d been in the field, it seemed, for her entire life, and she loved the job. She knew everybody in every industry, including the pharmaceutical business. Additionally, she knew everyone who was anyone within a thousand-mile radius. She could gain entry into just about any social event she desired, and she hoarded favors like Leprechauns hoard gold. If you needed something, Gina Morrow could get it so long as you were specific. Huntington had dubbed her the High Priestess of Networking.
“So, Ms. Morrow,” Huntington crooned when there was a lull in the conversation.
“Yes, Ms. Lewis,” Gina crooned back.
“I have one or two things I’d like your insight on.”
Gina chuckled as if she knew what Huntington was about to say. “Are you positive you want my insight?”
“Positive,” Hunny replied with an arch look. “We need to talk about your boss.”
Gina stood up and closed Huntington’s door.
“That’s a defensive stance if I’ve ever seen one,” Hunny observed.
“I already know I’ll need it.”
“Where in the hell were you when your boss was traipsing around Europe committing heinous acts of conflicts of interest?”
“Oh,” Gina stated with wide eyes. “You heard about Nicky, huh?”
“Nicky?”
“Yes. Nicky Davidson. Short for Nicole.”
“Nicole, Nicky, Peaches, does it really matter?”
“Hey, hey, before you get all bent out of shape, you need to know she started it.”
“Oh, come on, Gina.” Huntington puffed out her cheeks in a dragged-out sigh. “This is not the Playboy Mansion. Can’t the man keep it in his pants and exhibit some professionalism?”
“Huntington.” Gina coughed. “That’s just unfair. You don’t even know Kevin. If he had had any idea she was getting so attached, he wouldn’t have let it go so far. As it stands, he tried to let her down easy. She just didn’t take it well.”
“It wouldn’t have been a problem at all if he had never gotten involved with her. Poor girl.”
“Poor girl?” Gina scoffed. “Nicky Davidson? Are we even talking about the same woman? She’s the one who cheated on Devon McAteer. She’s the one who—” Uncharacteristically, she cut herself short. “Huntington, you’ve got it all wrong.”
Hunny dismissed that statement with a wave of her hand. At this stage, it didn’t matter whether Nicky Davidson shared the blame or not. The woman had been played with, and she was taking her revenge in a big way. Pushing stray, curling locks behind her ears, Hunny said, “This is going to set us back months. Arthur called to tell me about the FDA investigation while I was in the airport last night. That was ahead of the papers today, and it’s in every business section. I was already floored when I saw the magazine article. How could he not know this whole situation was going to blow up in his face?”
Gina argued, “How could he know? We are strict about adherence to federal guidelines. Our labs are tops in the country. I’ve seen the reports. Hell, we all did, in a special board meeting. We passed our inspections. They are calling this a random audit. Wonder how we got picked for a ‘random’ audit.” Gina patted her hair and sighed deeply. “We’ll pass the secondary inspection just fine. There will be an audit then a panel, and Nicky will be nowhere around. It’s just a pain in the butt.”
“It’s more than a pain in the butt. What about the image I’m trying to help you build and maintain. I’m talking about the conservative, controlled, charitable perception the public needs to have of this company. Ads don’t mean anything if the public doesn’t trust you. I don’t want all of my hard work frittered away by some philandering ladies’ man who—”
“Huntington.” Gina chirped in genuine surprise.
“You never mix business with pleasure.” Huntington was instantly contrite for snapping. She hadn’t intended to be curt with Gina, but this sort of behavior was her pet peeve. She was one hundred percent against people at work dating.
“You don’t know him,” Gina mumbled.
“I don’t need to.”
“Okay, Hunny. I don’t want to fight with you about this. I realize it’s a problem, and I’m going to do all I can to help you fix it.”
“I do feel like we have a fantastic opportunity to do something for this company. And even if he doesn’t know it, Kevin Carter may endanger the company he’s worked very hard for by failing to give it the right image.”
“I know, sweetie,” Gina offered. “But, this is not the end of the world. It’s only an industrial hygiene inspection, there’s nothing sexy about industrial hygiene. A very brief write up on it dealt mostly with Nicky. No one’s interested in the story for more than entertainment. The media isn’t holding this against the company. For that matter, no one’s holding it against Kevin either. Nicky is the one who is now scholar-come-stalker. As long as we are clean—and we are—there’s no problem. It will be fine.”
Huntington opted to let it go for the time being. “So do you think we’ll settle this thing this week or not?” she asked in a decidedly lighter tone.
“I should hope so, Hunny. It’s wearin’ me out.” Gina used one hand to shake Huntington’s and put the other to her chest in a marvelously affected gesture.
“Then let’s get to it. We have some phone calls to make and some interviews to script.”
* * * *
Gina left Hunny in her temporary office. Though she knew it was a mistake of mammoth proportions, Huntington called Arthur to give him the direct phone number. At least she would have a brief respite from Rule Britannia! She put her phone on mute as she printed documents for her meeting with Carter. Arthur, it seemed, was trying to give her pointers on how to conduct her first encounter the man who was fast becoming her nemesis.
Huntington half-listened. She’d been doing her job for years, and she’d heard this pep talk from Arthur more times than she could count.
After she got off the phone, she stood and stretched looking around the office. Yep, about the size of a tidy, self-contained cell. She checked her watch. Arthur had managed to talk her through another hour. Honestly, what did he do with his day besides dog her every step?
With a deep breath to bolster her courage, Hunny ventured out in search of the enigmatic Kevin Carter. It was time for their first meeting.
She’d been told at the desk that his office was off one of the laboratories. She checked the light above the door of Lab Two. Green. She pressed on the door, squaring her shoulders as if she were about to do battle.
At first, she didn’t think anyone was there. The lab seemed absent of any organism not growing in a Petrie dish or beaker. It smelled clean, sterile even, the counters were neatly organized with their trays and vials and tubes and fascinating machines all in order. She heard a squeak as the door opened behind her. The hairs rose on the nape of her neck. Huntington recognized him right away. Oh, this was cruel.