“The business offices are on the third floor.
I’ll make sure someone gives you a space to work. But I’ll be working here.”
“Really, Derian,” Donatella said
condescendingly, “how far do you plan to take this charade? You don’t know
anything about the business, and even if you did—”
“I’ve already been this route with Martin,
and I don’t really have time or the inclination to repeat myself. I plan to run
the agency in Henrietta’s absence. If you have an issue with that, you can take
it to my father.” She grinned, the kind of grin that said, Go ahead, make my day.
“He can take it to the board. I’ll be happy to fight it out there.”
Martin would not want a public schism. He was
chairman of the board, but at least half the members were elected by the
shareholders, and he would not tolerate any show of weakness to those who might
conceivably challenge him in the future. His image was all important, and he
would want to appear unassailable. Derian wondered if Martin had any idea his
attempts at training her to win in the business world would one day be used
against him. She smiled at the thought.
“Your aunt,” Donatella said with a touch of
distaste, “has run this business like a charity for far too long. The staff is
bloated, half of the clients are marginal producers if that, and the agency’s
catalog is hopelessly outdated. Nothing short of a complete overhaul will bring
this business into the twenty-first century. Do you really think you’re capable
of that?”
Derian held on to her temper. She didn’t mind
being insulted, but she wouldn’t stand for Henrietta being criticized when she
wasn’t there to defend herself. “You’d be surprised,” she said softly, “at
exactly what I’m capable of doing. If you’d like to find out, you can try
standing in my way.”
Donatella lost the staring contest and rose
with a huffing sound. She gathered papers and pushed them into a large black
shoulder bag. “This is a ridiculous, childish maneuver that will only compound
the problems at this institution. I expect you’ll discover you’re in well over
your head very shortly. Call me when that happens.” Her thin smile blossomed
crimson, as if infused with fresh blood. “At that point I think the board will
be delighted with anything we suggest, so you’ll be doing us a favor when you
fail.”
Derian stepped aside as Donatella stormed
out. An unexpected wave of satisfaction rolled through her despite Donatella’s
prediction. She hadn’t expected winning a round in business to be as satisfying
as pulling down a large take at the tables, but it was. Maybe she’d been
missing out on something all this time.