Mary stood in the threshold of Bennie’s office, trying not to be insecure. The boss owned a coffee mug that read I CAN SMELL FEAR, and she hated it when Mary was insecure. Unfortunately, it only made Mary more insecure, and blotches would bloom on her neck like roses in her own little garden of anxiety.
“DiNunzio, what do you want?” Bennie looked up with her usual businesslike smile.
“Uh, do you have a minute to talk?”
“Only just.” Bennie pointed to one of the chairs opposite her desk. “Sit. Talk. Then go.”
“Thanks.” Mary entered the office, sat down, and crossed her legs, which was when it struck her that it was a huge deal to ask someone to make you a partner, and she hadn’t said anything yet, so she could just keep it to herself, for several years.
“DiNunzio, what is it?”
“How are you?”
Bennie frowned. “Fine. How are you?”
“Good. Where’s Bear?”
“Home.”
“Why?”
“What do you want, DiNunzio?”
Mary found her voice. “I was wondering if you’d made your decision yet, about making me a partner.”
“No.”
“The answer is no, or you haven’t decided yet?”
“No, I haven’t decided. I’ll think about it and get back to you.”
Mary thought the boss was being a little, well, bossy. “We agreed that you’d make your decision by September.”
“It’s still August. Don’t jump the gun.”
Mary flashed on what Anthony had said about showing initiative, but it turned out that initiative was overrated. Still, she deserved the promotion, even if she wasn’t jerky enough to say so. “I’d like to know more about what you’re thinking about it and-”
“Quiet.” Bennie raised a palm like a traffic cop. “I can’t talk right now. If I said I’ll get to it in September, I will.”
Mary felt nonplussed. Bennie wasn’t usually this abrupt, and she sensed that something was wrong, though she wasn’t about to ask. She rose and walked to the door. “Okay, well, I guess we’ll talk next month.”
“Wait. DiNunzio?”
“Yes?” Mary turned back, and Bennie’s expression had changed, her features softening.
“Listen, I hate to get personal, but I should mention that I just heard from Karen Wise that Alice Connelly-you know, my twin-quit her job at PLG. It’s just bothersome. I’m so disappointed in her.”
“I see,” Mary said, concerned. “I knew something was bothering you.”
“You did? How?”
“I could just tell. I’ve worked for you for a long time now.”
“Worked with me, not for me.”
Mary blushed. Maybe she really would make partner. “So, do you think you’ll hear from her? If she has no job, she’ll be needing money.”
“That may be true, but it’s not my problem, anymore. I haven’t seen her in a year or so, and I’m so tired of her expecting me to put her life back together, after she messes it up.”
“Remember, she gave you trouble before and she may do it again. She’s resentful of you, and you’re so successful now.”
“I didn’t think of that.” Bennie looked concerned. “You know, Karen told me that she stole money from petty cash.”
“She stole from a nonprofit? That’s low.” Mary was a twin herself, and she knew from experience that being one wasn’t always easy. She and her sister Angie loved each other, but it could be tricky to establish your own identity when somebody else was wearing your face. “Remember, I’m a twin, even though we haven’t really talked about it much. So I’ve been there, to a certain extent.”
“Right. I had forgotten.”
“People do, since Angie’s off always doing missionary work, now that she left the convent.” Mary didn’t add that she’d never talked to Bennie about her twin because the boss wasn’t exactly down with girl talk. “Anyway, I noticed that, in the past, Alice seems to come to you when she needs money, help, or a favor. If she came by on Monday with Rexco here, it might be a problem.”
“Then let’s cancel the meeting.”
“We can’t. It took three weeks to get it scheduled. You should see the emails I had to send, back and forth.” Mary hesitated, then went for it. She was showing initiative all over the place. “Can I make a suggestion?”
“Sure.”
“Maybe we should tell building security to call you if she wants to come upstairs?”
“Do you really think that’s necessary?”
“Yes. I’ll call Steve and tell him to let us know if Alice shows up, and he’ll tell the other guys.” Mary felt good, advising Bennie instead of always the other way around. “And, since Alice has been known to be a little… rough around the edges, shall we say, maybe you should get a restraining order, just in case.”
“Against her?” Bennie scoffed. “Aren’t you overreacting?”
“Better to be safe than sorry, that’s what you always say.”
“But she hasn’t done anything wrong.”
“She has in the past.”
“But she’s changed. She’s at PLG now and-” Bennie’s face fell, and Mary realized that the boss wasn’t so different from her, after all. They both tended to see the best in people.
“Let me draft the papers. You’ll be good to go, if she acts up. You have to let people take care of you, instead of taking care of them all the time.”
“I’ll call Steve. I don’t need taking care of.”
“Don’t worry.” Mary knew Bennie would say that. “I got your back.”
“I’m counting on that, DiNunzio.” Bennie smiled. “I don’t say it enough, but I really do appreciate you.”
“Back at you.” Mary turned and left, before she got choked up or otherwise leaked estrogen. It was as if she was seeing her boss with new eyes, understanding her not as a superior, but as another woman.
And on the walk back to her office, she felt, for the first time, that she and Bennie could be partners.