Laid and Leveraged (20 page)

Michelle
felt
a
wave
of
relief
wash
over
her,
but
there
was
still
just
one
more
thing.

“
But
why
did
you
bring
me
here?
”
she
asked.
He
looked
up
from
his
dinner,
as
if
surprised
by
the
question.

“
To
have
dinner
with
you,
of
course.
Why
else?
”

His
matter
of
fact
answer
left
Michelle
too
stunned
to
comment.
Roger
continued
as
if
he
didn't
notice
her
surprise.

“
I'm
sorry
about
last
night.
I
had
intended
on
staying
with
you
but
just
as
I
was
getting
into
bed
I
got
an
urgent
call
from
my
assistant.
There
was
a
fire
at
one
of
my
overseas
factories.
I
had
to
go
back
to
my
office
to
take
care
of
some
things.
”
He
took
another
sip
of
his
wine,
before
adding.
“
Tomorrow
morning
I'll
be
flying
out
there
to
check
on
the
damage,
so
I
wanted
to
make
it
up
to
you
tonight.
”

At
first
Michelle
felt
elated.
Roger
hadn't
abandoned
her
in
the
night
as
she'd
thought!
He
really
did
care
for
her
and
was
making
it
up
to
her
now
by
wanting
to
spend
time
with
her
before
he
had
to
leave.
But
then
she
remembered
all
that
she'd
done
at
the
office
early.
Michelle
felt
the
color
drain
from
her
cheeks.
She
took
her
wineglass
in
hand,
tossing
back
the
contents
without
really
tasting
it.
She
set
the
empty
glass
back
on
the
table,
wiping
the
excess
wine
from
her
lips
with
the
back
of
her
hand.
Her
behavior
got
Roger's
attention.
He
frowned.

“
Is
something
wrong,
Michelle?
”
he
queried.

She
shook
her
head,
too
afraid
to
confess
her
sins.
Roger
set
his
fork
down
and
took
her
hand
in
his.

“
Michelle,
”
he
began,
his
voice
filled
with
concern.
“
Whatever
it
is,
you
can
tell
me.
”

His
kindness
was
her
undoing.
Michelle
began
to
cry.
She
couldn't
help
it.
She
loved
Roger,
she
really
did.
And
even
when
she
had
reversed
his
policies
she
knew
she
only
did
it
because
she
had
been
angry
with
him.
She
shouldn't
have
reversed
the
policies
because
he'd
been
right
all
along
about
them.
She
ruined
her
company
and
her
relationship
with
Roger.

             
“
I'm
sorry!
”
she
blubbered.
“
Roger,
I'm
so
sorry.
I-I
was
angry
with
you
and...
”

His
expression
was
unreadable,
his
eyes
locked
on
Michelle's
as
he
waited
for
her
to
answer.

“
I
reversed
your
policies,
”
she
finished.
She
cringed,
waiting
for
him
to
explode
with
rage.

He
was
quiet,
digesting
all
that
she
told
him.

“
Roger,
”
she
whimpered.
“
Please,
say
something.
”

“
Don't
worry
about it,
”
he
told
her
softly,
picking
up
his
fork
again.

“
You're
not
angry?
”
she
couldn't
believe
it.

“
I'm
a
little
angry
that
you
disobeyed
me,
”
he
admitted.
“
But
I'll
get
over
it.
”
He
shrugged
before
continuing.
“
Besides,
no
real
harm
was
done.
”

“
But
Roger,
”
she
gasped.
“
I
reversed
everything.
I
even
sent
out
stops
for
selling
the
solar
panel
factory.
It
will
take
months
to
straighten
everything
out
again.
”

Roger
shook
his
head.
“
Don't
worry
about
it,
”
he
told
her
again
with
a
wave
of
his
hand.
“
Nothing
would
have
gone
through.
I
already
paid
off
the
executives.
They
had
strict
orders
to
run
anything
you
told
them
to
do
by
me
first.
” 

At
first
Michelle
only
felt
relief.
Today's
Energy
was
saved
after
all!
She
picked
up
her
fork
and
cut
a
piece
of
veal
before
the
reality
of
what
he
told
her
sunk
in.
Roger
told
all
her
employees
not
to
do
what
she
said
unless
he
agreed
that
it
was
okay.
That
meant
she
was
nothing
more
than
a
figurehead
–
a
puppet,
if
you
will.
She
dropped
her
fork
with
a
clatter,
her
face
growing
hot
with
fury.
No
doubt
everyone
in
the
office
snickered
behind
her
back
today
as
they
agreed
to
do
what
she
said
to
her
face
and
then
promptly
ignored
her.
She
pushed
her
chair
out
and
stood
up
to
leave.