Page 104 of Kiss and Tell

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I have a plan.”

Thirty-Four

I clutchedmy thick file folder full of papers in both hands. Despite the rapid pounding of my heart, my hands were steady. I’d been practicing this for days. I had it all laid out. All I needed now was to do it.

With a deep, calming breath, I walked into the meeting room.

My boss Charlotte was there. So was David, one of the firm’s partners and the People Manager.

And so was Peter.

I strode in, head held high. Peter smirked when I walked in. I returned it with a tight-lipped smile of my own.

David looked put out. Charlotte gave me a small nod.

“I think the meeting can start now,” Peter said.

“We’re still waiting for two more people,” I said.

Peter frowned, looking confused.

“I only invited you, Charlotte and David to this meeting,” he said.

“I went ahead and added a couple more,” I replied.

The elevator doors opened and two people walked out, one man and one woman. The man was Peter’s boss.

The woman was Valerie Courtice, one of the only two women on the management team — and a founding partner of my company Courtice and Cooke.

Peter’s eyes went wide and round.

“What is this?” Peter asked faintly. “I didn’t invite them to this meeting.”

“That’s because you didn’t call this meeting,” I told him. “I did.”

Peter’s mouth opened, gape-faced.

He’d booked a meeting with me, my boss and David to talk about some shoddy work I’d been doing recently, no doubt trying to scare me. I’d purposely screwed up on the proposal I’d handed him — but I’d made sure my boss had the correct one.

I’d asked David to move Peter’s meeting up a half an hour earlier so I could invite some people myself.

The high-level executive and founding partner entered the room and looked around at the assembled gathering.

“Can anyone tell me what this is about?” Valerie Courtice asked, looking impatiently at her phone. “The meeting invite was vague but insistent.”

Peter cleared his throat and stepped forward, trying to take control of the situation immediately.

“I’m sorry to have wasted your time,” he said. “Your presence isn’t necessary. This is a simple performance review.”

I stepped forward as well, making sure to stand in front of Peter.

“I’m afraid that’s incorrect,” I said. “I called this meeting because I need to report on something very disturbing that’s been happening.”

The two looked disconcerted. Peter’s face turned red as he began to sweat.

“I’m going to show you some documents,” I said.

I laid out everything I had in my file. A copy of every email. A copy of every piece of paperwork. A copy of every proposal, every presentation, every spreadsheet.