Flash Flood (5 page)

“I’m talking to you.” James’s voice inched up a notch.

“I heard you. What kind of response were you expecting?” Their gazes met. Ryan had encountered hostility before, but not this openly.

“Respect, for starters.”

“Respect? You insulted me, James.”

“I don’t give respect to people who put my friends out of work.”

“Look, I have a job to do at Flash, just like you. People other than you and me made decisions, and we’re involved with the result. Plain and simple. I don’t want to argue or toss barbs back and forth.”

“Sorry, I can’t help myself. The sight of you makes me see folks out of work with families to feed. I don’t get a warm feeling from that. Whether it’s me or not ain’t important. It’s the principle of the thing.”

Ryan sensed his own irritation gathering momentum. “What do you want me to do?”

“Pack up and leave. We who care about Fred can get this thing turned around with Flash. No one needs a big company running our business.” James spat on the sidewalk.

“Sorry, James. I’m staying. We have to work together, like it or not.”

James’s eyes widened. “Want to take this to the parking lot? I’d love the chance to tear into you—break that nose of yours.”

Ryan stood from the bench, his finger holding his place in the book. “I’m not leaving my job here, and I’m not fighting you. If my presence bothers you that much, I’ll go to another restaurant.” He refused to get baited into a sophomoric mentality, and he refused to sacrifice his integrity. If James chose to flatten him, the man could sit in jail, because Ryan wouldn’t hesitate to press charges.

“You’re afraid of me.”

Ryan nearly laughed at the irony; it was James who was frightened. Instead he shook his head. “No, I’m not. You don’t want to make a spectacle of yourself in front of all these people waiting for a table, do you? Aren’t you a family man?”

“Glad to hear you’re so concerned about others. When did that happen?”

Ryan turned and walked toward his vehicle. He’d have drive-through for his dinner tonight.

“This isn’t over yet,” James said. “Some of us are talking.

You’d better be keeping an eye out, because we’re waiting.”

Ryan whirled around and retraced his steps until he faced James squarely. “I suggest you think before you speak, James. Do you need a reminder about who is making the recommendations for job placements?”

Without waiting for James to reply, he made his way to his vehicle and cast his focus on a hamburger and French fries for dinner.

Sunday, 10:00 a.m
.

“I invited Ryan to church, but I don’t see him.” Fred craned his neck toward the parking lot.

Alina glanced around them in the hope that neither Fred nor Marta saw her discomfort.

“What’s he look like?” Marta asked. She stood shoulder to shoulder with her tall husband.

“Blond, blue-eyed, muscular, and a nice smile,” Alina said.

Marta threw her an odd look. “I thought you didn’t care for him. Sounds to me like you listed potential boyfriend material.”

Fred laughed. “My guess is it would snow in July before Alina entertained that thought.”

Don’t even go there, Fred
. “I was being nice,” Alina said. “You know, working on changing my attitude to display a show of respect and integrity.”

“I bet you rehearsed that the whole time you were getting ready for church,” Marta said. “Truthfully, I know this has been hard, and I praise your efforts.”

“It’s all God, because I’d like to run him out of town.” Alina laughed at her absurd comment, then added, “I really am trying.”

“Toss some of your good intentions James’s way. He’s really got it in for the guy,” Fred said.

Alarm propelled through her veins. The last thing she wanted was to see Ryan on the receiving end of one of James’s volatile outbursts. She’d heard about the foreman’s temper, even seen it in action when one of the servicemen neglected to complete a job to James’s satisfaction. “I hope James’s animosity is all talk.”

“Let’s pray so. I keep telling myself any man who’s a volunteer fireman and comes to a Bible study can overcome his dark side.” Fred scanned the parking lot one more time. “Ryan must have changed his mind. We best get inside before the service starts. I haven’t seen James and his family either.”

Alina admitted she wanted to go to church alone—without Ryan. A wicked thought, but the truth. Going through the box of keepsakes had left her feeling as though she’d been tackled by the old emotions. Sitting on the same pew with him would distract her from keeping her love for him separated from good sense—and the real reason for attending church. Worship needed her full attention.

“Are you coming?” Marta asked.

Alina swung a confused glance at Marta, then at Fred.

“Where?”

“Church. Are you all right?” Marta asked. “Sure. My mind was wandering.”

Fred chuckled, and it irritated Alina. It irritated her very much.

Once inside the small red-brick church, Alina settled into the pew beside Marta and Fred. She glanced around at the familiar surroundings: the stained-glass windows that had been there since the church was built in 1928, the cross suspended from the ceiling, the organ on one side and the piano on the other. Each item represented importance to the Sunday worship, but the most important ingredients were the worshipers and God.

Tears streamed down her face as fast as she could whisk them away. Marta placed her hand atop hers, but Alina dare not look her way.

“Things will work out.” Marta leaned toward her. “Fred has connections within the industry that can help you find another job.”

Alina nodded, afraid to speak for fear she’d dissolve into a pool of tears. Her sweet friend believed the emotion stemmed from the upheaval at Flash, and perhaps that was best for now. But Alina knew her tears came from her relationship with Ryan. God wanted her to state the truth, but she couldn’t do it—not now or ever. And the knowledge made her miserable. Granted, the situation at Flash had upset her, but she’d find another job. The circumstances between her and Ryan, though, wouldn’t have a good ending. Once they completed the transition, he’d go back to his world, and she’d stumble back to hers. All she’d have left was a dusty box of memorabilia and more regrets than she had before.

God, please help me be strong. I keep making one mistake after another, and I’m not glorifying You. Help me to be You when I deal with Ryan. Is it possible to be his friend and not feel this horrible ache in my heart? I’m sorry for my caustic words. I really need You to guide me through this
.

Monday, 8:00 p.m
.

Ryan sorted through the deluge of e-mail. One day of not checking his mailbox, and every member of Neon had to copy him on a post or request information. In addition, many of the personnel worked via e-mail on Sundays. Ryan vowed a long time ago to keep the Lord’s Day free from work. Sometimes he traveled on Sundays, but he made it a point to avoid working—not to be legalistic but to show reverence for the day. He’d been invited to attend church with Fred and his wife yesterday, but he attended a different one to avoid Alina. He hadn’t figured out if that decision was godly or not. When he’d thought about it long enough, he realized if his presence upset Alina, then it was best he stay away.

He continued to collect e-mails; the number pushed at the one hundred mark.
Nice to be needed, but today the idea of hibernation has a lot of merit. This onslaught of messages must be why I haven’t dared take a vacation since I started working for Neon
. Today’s meetings in Columbus had been routine except for a closed session with some of the top executives.

“We want to reiterate how much we want you as part of the team here in Columbus,” the chairman of the board said. “You have the communication skills necessary to head up a division that would act as a liaison between the needs of the acquired smaller companies and the parent company. You’re a great team player, an asset for any corporation. As a VP, you’d have very little travel and a substantial pay increase.”

“I appreciate your offer, and I’ve been giving it a lot of thought,” Ryan said. He should have said he’d been praying about the offer, but he refrained.

“We need an answer by mid-April. Although we don’t want to look for another person to fill the position, we will need time if you choose not to accept the job.”

Stress and pressure. Just what he needed on top of everything else clouding his mind. “I understand. If I accept, what happens with the transition at Flash?”

“You’d finish that assignment before assuming your new duties.”

“You’ll have my decision, possibly sooner than your deadline.” Ryan weighed the pros and cons of the job. Mostly he came up with pros, and the cons were his insecurities about taking on more responsibilities. The bottom line was that God called the shots, and Ryan had no idea what He wanted.

He scrolled down through his e-mail, reading the messages that looked important, saving the others until later, and deleting the junk. His cell phone rang, and he snatched it up, eager for the diversion. Fred greeted him.

“Before I go to bed, I wanted to check in with you about our eight o’clock meeting,” Fred said.

“Is there a problem?”

“Possibly. Flash always has a Tuesday morning Bible study for those who want to participate. It’s at seven thirty and usually runs forty-five minutes.”

“Why don’t I join you?” Ryan chuckled. “After last Friday, being a part of a Bible study with the group who hates me might make the next three months a little easier.”

“That bad, huh? I got wind of a few of the remarks, and I handled them from my end.”

“Job security is a big issue, and I don’t blame them for feeling hostile. I’d feel the same way. Anxiety has a way of bringing out the worst in people. It’s the wanting to slit my throat that bothers me.” Instantly Ryan regretted his words. “Hey, Fred, forget I said anything about Friday. Those folks have every right to their opinions. And I’m serious about attending the Bible study, unless you think it might make the others feel uncomfortable.”
Like Satan tuning in for tips on how to make a believer’s life miserable
.

“Fine, Ryan. I think it’s a great idea. We’re discussing First John, chapter three, verses eleven through twenty-four.”

“Thanks. I’ll read it beforehand. Would it help if I brought bagels or a fruit platter?”

Fred laughed. “I have the food part covered. Seriously, is James or Alina giving you trouble? I’ve discussed the situation with both of them, but I can again.”

“Absolutely not. I’ve worked with men like James before. And I believe after the talk Alina and I had, we’ll be able to work together without any serious issues. Fred, this is my job. Trust me in that I can handle situations that arise from the buyout.”

“All right. But if anything comes up with any of my people, I’ll talk to them. What I hope they realize is that Neon is not the enemy. The flip side of this is I could have closed down the business, and none of them would have a job.”

“Unhappy employees happened to be my major in college.” Ryan pushed his “happy” voice. “The work will get done in the allotted time. I’m sure they’ll come to realize what you did is for their benefit as well as the customers’.”

“But I won’t have any of them causing problems on my watch. Good night, Ryan. See you in the morning.”

Once the phone lay on his desk next to his car keys, Ryan opened his Bible to 1 John. He well knew the passage—all about loving each other.
“Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”
He cringed. Some well-meaning person could easily use this verse to criticize Ryan’s job of downsizing Flash Communications. He didn’t plan to attend the Bible study to gain support for the transition; he always needed a fresh word from God. Ryan wondered if Alina embraced Christianity and if she would be there. They had attended church together a few times but never discussed the importance of God in their lives. Never lived it either. Going to church was more of “the thing to do” than the meaning of life. Another regret.

Ryan closed his laptop with the realization that his presence in the morning could make matters worse. The last thing he wanted at a Bible study was to open a can of VWMD—verbal weapons of mass destruction. So dare he go, or should he have his own quiet time with the Lord?