“Of course not.” I close my laptop and grab my purse.
She sticks her lower lip out appreciatively. “Nice flowers.”
I flush. “Thanks.”
The restaurant she takes me to is a block away from the office. It’s a delightful Japanese place that specializes in sushi and tempura. The interior is bright with natural wood and paper lanterns, and the air holds faint whiffs of sweet vinegar, hot oil and ginger. The place is bustling with the lunch crowd, but a hostess in a bright red and yellow yukata smiles widely at Jana and takes us to a private room in the back.
The hostess takes off her wooden Japanese sandals and gestures us in. Jana removes her stilettos, and I toe off my pumps and follow her into the room. It’s big enough for a party of four. The flooring is Asian straw matting that feels cool against my soles. The seats have high backs, but no legs. The table is very low, but there’s a square hole dug into the floor where we can lower our legs.
We’re immediately served cold, unsweetened barley tea. Jana orders a sashimi lunch set, and I get seafood and veggie tempura since I’m not brave enough to do raw fish.
“It’s unfortunate things have changed. No more lunch drinks,” Jana says casually. “You might’ve benefited from a couple.”
“I don’t understand.” What did I do to make her think I’d need a drink?
“I saw the little byplay between you and Dennis.”
“Oh.”
“You know him?”
“Well…yeah.” I clear my throat. “We grew up in the same town. I actually dated him in high school.”
Jana nods. Our food arrives soon after, and she picks up a slice of red tuna and dips it into wasabi-green soy sauce. She uses her chopsticks as expertly as she navigates the market. I’m slightly awed.
“Is that going to be a problem?” she asks suddenly.
I startle, then realize she means me and Dennis. “No. We aren’t that close anymore.”
“Good. It’s best you don’t talk to him or have any other contact.”
“Why not?”
“He’s a dishonest son of a bitch, and he did something he shouldn’t have. He’s lucky the only thing Gavin did was fire him. He could’ve been criminally charged if Gavin wanted, and trust me, the boss and the DA’s office are tight.”
The shrimp tempura turns to dust in my mouth. I can’t
believe Gavin would be so vindictive about the small lie about who Dennis’s father was. He seemed so nice during dinner at home…but then that was with his pregnant wife. He might not show his ruthless side to family and friends.
“We can tolerate mistakes, but we don’t tolerate betrayal.”
“Betrayal?” I repeat, dumbfounded.
“He tried to finagle a job at another firm…using our client list and market positions.”
I gape at her. “But how…? He’s—was—just an intern.”
“I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. He got access somehow, and I’m pretty sure this means we’re going to implement more enhanced security protocols. I’m certain he had help.” She eats another piece of red tuna, her eyes on mine.
The way she’s studying me is a little alarming. “Jana…do you think I had something to do with it?”
“No. If I did, you would’ve been escorted out with Dennis. But keep your head down and don’t do anything that draws unnecessary attention to yourself. And do eat your tempura before it gets cold. It won’t be nearly as good.”
I reach for another piece, my mind churning. Dennis has his share of faults, but betraying his employer seems crazy. He said he really wanted to work at OWM. Why throw it all away on a stunt like this?
Jana offers a few pieces of advice on how to handle some of the divas at the firm. I try to pay attention; it’s important, plus I feel like she may actually quiz me later.
“Most significantly,” she says, “if you can’t handle something, you come to me. Actually, come to me about everything. I hate surprises.”