Chances Are Read online

  “I’m sorry. I had no idea. But she was one of the higher paid employees, and I thought it best to start there.”

  “That’s very interesting. I can see the merit in such an approach.” Tal was amazed it never occurred to Newington the director’s salaries were also among the highest paid employees. Part of the problem with the previous hierarchy was too many directors.

  Newington sat back in his chair; he crossed one foot over his knee and placed his skinny hands on his thighs. It seemed to Tal he was completely relaxed now, probably thinking everything was going to be fine. He didn’t have a clue. Tal took pleasure in his enlightenment.

  “Mr. Newington, please clear out of this office immediately, and if you still have an office at the main branch, clear that out also.”

  Newington sat up in his chair and dropped his leg to the floor. “I don’t understand.”

  “Let me speak more plainly then. In case you hadn’t already received notice, you’re fired.”

  Newington’s mouth gaped open. “On what grounds?” he demanded.

  “The bank you worked for no longer exists,” Tal said. “Now get out of my sight, but before you go, turn in your security badge to the secretary I saw sitting out front and ask her to come in here.”

  “What! But you can’t do this to me. I have an employment contract.”

  “Not with Reynolds Bank you don’t.” Tal narrowed his eyes into an intimidating gaze, making sure he understood Tal was not a person to cross. Lowering his lashes, Newington got up and gathered his coat from the coat tree beside the door before he left the office.

  Tal didn’t bother to watch him go; he turned on the computer and looked though the desk drawers while he waited for the secretary. Only a few minutes passed before the short woman with streaks of gray in her red hair entered the room. Tal got up to shake her hand.

  “Hello,” he said. “I’m Talbert Reynolds, President of Reynolds Bank, and you are…?” Tal took off his jacket and hung it on the metal coat tree.

  “Hello, Mr. Reynolds. I’m Barbara Medcalf. I’m secretary to both the branch manager and her assistant. At least I used to be. Both were laid off earlier today, and I guess I’m now Mr. Newington’s secretary?” She phrased it as a question. “But he just dropped his badge on my desk without an explanation. So I’m not sure…”

  Tal sat down. “Please have a seat, Ms. Medcalf.”

  “Mrs.,” she corrected him.

  “Mrs. Medcalf, Mr. Newington is no longer with this bank. I’ll be acting branch manager until I can get Ms. Michaels back.”

  Mrs. Medcalf raised her already wrinkled forehead. “Wow. Lots of changes going on around here mighty fast.”

  “Yes. And unfortunately, there will be more to come. First, can you tell me when Ms. Michaels left the bank?”

  “She left shortly before you arrived.”

  “Do you have her home phone number on file?”

  “Yes sir. I’ll get it for you.”

  “Thank you. Wait, would you also pull all the personnel records for this bank’s employees, please?”

  “Mr. Newington already requested those. I put them in the file drawer of the credenza behind you.”

  “Would Ms. Michaels’ home number be in her file?

  “It should be. If it’s not, let me know and I’ll find it for you.”

  “Thanks. That will be all for now. I’ll call you if I need anything else.”

  Tal sat back in his chair and thought about all the things he still needed to do at this branch, and all the other things on his plate as a result of the recent merger. Uncharacteristically, none of them tempted him for long. His mind remained stubbornly focused on the sultry woman with the box.

  She had to be Ms. Michaels, according to her file and the nameplate on the door, Ms. Kayla Michaels. Kayla. A little exotic, kind of like her. He liked it.

  He found the files in the credenza and searched for Michaels. There was a yellow sticky note on the front of her file. It had one word written in red ink on it. Terminated. Tal took the note off and threw it in the trashcan.

  “We’ll just see about that,” he said to the empty room.

  He read through Kayla’s file, but it told him nothing he didn’t already know. She was a stellar employee, just the type of person Reynolds Bank liked to keep around. She would go far in bank management with his company.

  Her name had come up before when he first reviewed the branches and determined which ones to close. Based on her track record with the bank, it had already been decided a position would be found for her within the management structure of Reynolds Bank. The one thing the file didn’t say, and what he hadn’t known before, was how attractive she was. How attracted to her he was.

  He found her home phone number and address. It was the same address he’d heard her give the cab driver. He wasn’t sure if she had enough time to make it home yet. He’d wait half an hour before he tried to call her and get her to come back.

  The phone rang, after the fourth time the voicemail picked up. The recording said, ‘Hi this is the Michaels’ residence, we’re unavailable right now, please leave a message.’ It was a man’s voice.

  Tal hesitated for a second after the beep. He found the sound of a male voice a little disconcerting. He hadn’t seen anything in her file to indicate she was married. Maybe it was just a roommate or a brother or even a friend, since he announced it was the Michaels’ residence. Tal felt a sharp, unfamiliar pang in his chest at the thought the man on the recording might be something more to Kayla. His voice came out gruffer than he intended.

  “Ms. Michaels, this is Tal Reynolds. I’m President of Reynolds Bank and there’s been a misunderstanding. Your resignation is not accepted. Please call me as soon as possible at the bank so we can discuss this. I’ll be here tonight until seven.”

  Chapter Two

  Kayla just missed the phone. It stopped ringing the moment she opened the door. She should have been home some time ago, but there was an accident on Route 7 and the cab had to take a detour, but so did everyone else.

  The box in her arms seemed to weigh more by the second. She set it down on the blue-pebbled marble kitchen counter, and glared at the blinking green light on the wall phone. She didn’t bother to check her messages because she didn’t feel like listening to some stupid solicitation. Who else called before one in the afternoon? She prayed it wasn’t her sister. She had turned her cell phone off in the cab just in case Nessa called. If she had called the bank and spoken to anyone there, then Kayla really didn’t want to answer the phone. Not that her sister wouldn’t be sympathetic, but she hadn’t processed the information herself yet, and didn’t want to deal with her volatile sister. Who would think nothing of going down to the bank to give the guy from corporate a piece of her mind.

  But odds were good it wasn’t Nessa. There was no reason for her to call. Her sister already knew Kayla wouldn’t need a ride home because she was supposed to pick up her car from the mechanic’s shop today.

  She opened the stainless steel refrigerator and took out the last bottle of white peach tea. She drank it all in a few gulps, reminding herself to add it to the grocery list, and to call the mechanic to let him know she’d pick up her car tomorrow. Another expense she didn’t need right now, but she’d need her car to go to the store and to look for another job. She didn’t want to think about trying to find a job in a crappy economy, especially one in a crippled financial industry. She headed for her bedroom to change into something more comfortable.

  Kayla had been lying on her back on her bed, staring at the fan in the center of her tray ceiling for ten minutes, trying to make sense of it all and coming up empty, but she was proud of herself for not crying. She’d get through this. She found her mind shying away from the scene in the bank to what happened in front of the bank. Specifically, to the man who helped her.

  He was by far the best looking man she’d ever seen, black or white, and he was white. Although she’d dated a half-Ethiopian and half-Italia
n man before, she’d never dated a Caucasian man. Not that she was adverse to it by any means, especially if it was this guy. He was like having a combination of all your favorite-looking men wrapped up into one and presented in a most delectable way. At least his face was perfect: high sculptured cheek bones angled into strong jaw lines, a nose that flared slightly when he inhaled sharply, and a lower lip a touch fuller than the upper.

  While his face was the thing of fantasies, with the bulky jacket on, she couldn’t tell what the rest of him looked like. She’d found though, the body didn’t always match the face and vice versa. Not much could match this guy’s looks. The man should be labeled: tall, dark, and disruptive to your peace of mind.

  She sighed. Thoughts of her extremely good looking Samaritan could only make her feel better for a minute. The truth was she’d never see him again. She just wished she’d had the nerve to give him her phone number or ask for his.

  Who was she kidding, the guy probably collected phone numbers like stray dogs collected fleas, and if he wanted hers he would have asked for it. Still, for a moment there, she did feel a strong connection to him, and she thought he’d felt it also. Too bad she’d never see him again, there being no reason for her to set foot in that part of town any time soon. The thought of which took her back to her predicament.

  The merger had caused a lot of changes, reassigned jobs or outright termination. Apparently, this prick Newington managed to keep his job and had a role in getting rid of others. She’d been warned by corporate headquarters there was a strong possibility her branch would be closed, but damn, if she never had to see the bastard who fired her again it would be fine with her. The smirk on his face when he told her the bank was closing and her job wouldn’t exist anymore told her he enjoyed firing her. Some folks just got off on power tripping.

  For the first time since she was sixteen, she was without a job. At thirty-three years old! How could such a thing happen to her? Before she could break down and cry, she picked up the phone and called her mechanic.

  She was lucky they wouldn’t charge her for the two extra days they’d have to keep the car. She was supposed to pick it up yesterday, but couldn’t get out of the office early enough. The recent merger caused a lot of work to be done at the bank. Not her problem anymore. After she disconnected her first call, she dialed her voicemail.

  The voice on the other end of the phone caused the skin all over her body to tingle. It almost sounded like the guy on the sidewalk, but it couldn’t be. It was the voice of Talbert Reynolds, the new owner of the bank. My God! Midas himself. That’s what the banking world called him, the man with the Midas touch.

  While other banks were in trouble his wasn’t. Whatever he did put the banks in the black. She’d originally assumed that meant he just went around having flunkies get rid of people to keep the books balanced, on the surface. But his message said there’d been a misunderstanding. Maybe she wasn’t supposed to be fired after all. She didn’t waste any time punching in the number he left to return his call.

  “Hello, Mr. Reynolds, this is Kayla Michaels. I got your message.”

  At the sound of her husky voice over the phone, his heart rate increased. Tal leaned back in his leather armchair and closed his eyes, picturing her as he had first seen her. His groin began to stir and he had to shift in his seat. Opening his eyes, he forced himself to concentrate on the conversation. “Ms. Michaels, Kayla. May I call you Kayla?” He didn’t wait for her to answer. “Please, call me Tal.”

  “Yes of course, Mr. Rey…I mean Tal. What’s this all about?”

  “Would you be able to meet with me tonight? Say around seven.”

  “Ah…that’s late. Can’t this wait until morning?”

  “I’m afraid I can’t meet with you any earlier. I’ll be tied up in meetings for the rest of the afternoon and I’d like to resolve this matter between us tonight.” Tal wanted to resolve both the business and the personal side of things. He never shied away from an opportunity. Dinner would give him an opportunity.

  “Mr…I mean Tal. I don’t understand. Mr. Newington asked for my resignation and explained everything, so I don’t understand what’s going on.”

  “Mr. Newington is no longer with this organization. He acted precipitously. He had no authority to do what he did. Disregard whatever he told you. Let’s meet later this evening. We can have dinner and I can explain. I’ll make reservations anywhere you want me to.”

  Tal held his breath.

  It would be easier for her to come into the office tomorrow. He could give her back her job then, along with a proposal to continue to work for his company on an executive level. But this really needed to be resolved as quickly as possible, and it was also personal. He wanted to see her tonight. He wanted to get to know her, and had every intention of contacting her after she had driven off in the cab. This just gave him another reason to see her sooner rather than later.

  “Can’t I just come into the office tomorrow and we talk about this then?” she asked.

  “I’d prefer this business taken care of sooner rather than later.”

  “All right,” Kayla said. “Why don’t we meet at TenPenh in D.C.?”

  “Fine. I’ll make reservations there in my name for seven. I’ll meet you then.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you there.”

  Kayla hung up the phone and stared at it. That was odd. This man had a seductive voice. The hair on her arms still stood at attention. He sounded a lot younger on the phone than she thought he would be. She’d just assumed he would be at least sixty; all the other bank presidents she’d ever met seemed to be sixty and then some.

  She’d never had a dinner meeting before with the president of the bank. She had been to management meetings and conventions, either by herself, or with her team, or business dinners with other bank managers, but never a one on one with the top tier. This new company certainly did things a little differently. Dinner meetings were probably par for the course for guys like this. He operated on a level way beyond her.

  Kayla had only met the president of her bank a couple of times at the annual company picnic and a few times at management required seminars, but she never sat down to have a meal with the man, much less been invited to call him by his first name. In retrospect, maybe she should have suggested some place really pricey. Nah…TenPenh was a fav, maybe next time. Yeah right, like there’d be a next time.

  She wondered what he looked like. It dawned on her he didn’t know what she looked like either. She would just have to show up at the restaurant a little late to make sure he was already seated. That way she only had to ask for his table. Better he be the one waiting for her.

  The delicious aroma of Asian spices assailed her as she followed the hostess past several occupied tables. When the woman stopped and stepped aside, Kayla got her first look at the man seated at the table with his back to her. He turned at their approach.

  “My God!” A surprised Kayla exclaimed. “It’s you!”

  Tal stood up, towering over her. “Hello Kayla.” He took her hand, squeezing it, like they were already friends. “So we meet again. I’m glad you came.” He gave her a small smile.

  Kayla felt a zing travel from her hand straight to her toes. A little shell shocked, she reluctantly released his hand since he didn’t seem to want to let hers go. She grabbed the edge of the table to help support her wobbly legs as she scooted into the booth.

  If the man looked fine in a long leather jacket, he was absolutely stunning in a tailored gray suit, no tie and a lavender-colored button down shirt, with the first two buttons undone. She caught a peek at a bit of slightly tanned chest. He looked like no bank president Kayla had ever seen.

  From the breath of his shoulders and arms, he appeared muscular without being bulky; even in the suit he had great definition. More like a soccer player than a bouncer. Kayla wished he had on a short-sleeved shirt so she could get a better look.

  Better yet, what would he look like in the raw?

  The
hostess cleared her throat to get their attention. When Kayla glanced at her, she grinned knowingly at them before handing them menus. Probably because of the way they seemed to be devouring each other with their eyes. As hard as she eyed him, he eyed her right back. “Your waiter will be with you in a moment,” the hostess said and left them alone.

  Regaining her senses Kayla said, “It is you. You…you’re Talbert Reynolds?”

  “Tal, please.”

  “Tal. Okay. Now what the hell is going on?” Kayla sat back in her chair and folded her arms across her stomach. She felt like she was on an episode of an old television show, Candid Camera, which she used to watch re-runs of. It was a show where the producers played embarrassing jokes on gullible unsuspecting people, and got their less than flattering reactions on camera to show to the entire world. She kept waiting for somebody to jump out from under the table with a microphone in hand and yell surprise!

  “Is this some kind of joke?” she asked.

  “No,” Tal shook his head. “No joke. I am the President of Reynolds Bank and, as you know, my bank recently merged with yours. My running into you this morning as you were leaving was just a fortuitous accident. You being asked to resign was a mistake I’m trying to rectify.”

  Kayla was reeling from finding out the man she’d been thinking about all day and the new bank president were one and the same. “What do you mean rectify? And was this a mistake before or after you ran into me on the street?”

  “It was a mistake from the time Mr. Newington showed up at the bank. You should have been scheduled to meet with me earlier today. That’s why I was at the bank. But I was running late, and Newington arrived earlier than I did; he didn’t realize I was coming today instead of in a couple of weeks.”

  “Oh, right. In all the turmoil I had forgotten it was you I had a meeting with. I thought Newington showed up this morning on your behalf. He basically told me I had less than thirty minutes to clear out my desk and turn in my resignation. At least he told me in person. I understand he called my assistant manager and told her not to bother coming in at all, her position was terminated.”