Wella and Ian both turned around to see Jessica Greginsky leaning on the door frame, Ripley blocking her entrance.
“Mrs. Greginsky? I’m honored…Ripley it’s okay…please come in….” Ian managed to get out. “I’d shake your hand ma’am, but I’m a little tied up at the moment.”
Wella pulled a chair from under the window as close to Ian’s bed as she could. “Here Mrs. Greginsky, have a seat…” she pulled a comfortable seat from the window closer to the bed.
“Thank you, Wella. Young Justyn…”
“Ian, Mrs. Gregisnky, please just Ian…”
“Fine, Ian. I prefer Jessica myself, but I’m filthy rich and people seem to feel the need to feign respect with the whole Mrs. Greginsky deal…and even that was two or three husbands ago.”
“Well, I have to admit, I am a still little uncomfortable with Jessica, so may I continue to disrespectfully call you Mrs. Gerginsky, for now?”
She laughed jovially. “I love your sense of humor…I was coming to tell you that I was going to miss it and see if I could talk you out of leaving us.”
“I appreciate that, but I don’t have any intention of leaving.”
“In fact, Mrs. Greginsky, Ian and I were just discussing conference calls for our daily power meetings and seeing how much the hospital would allow of work related visits.”
“Are you sure you are strong enough for that, son?”
“I am dying here of pure boredom and we have a lot of work to do…”
She frowned a bit and shifted her weight on the back of the chair.
“Is there something wrong, ma’am?” Ian asked.
“I’m just a little confused. Simon Kent just spent the better part of the morning relaying to your wishes to myself and the board…”
“How would Simon Kent know what my wishes were?”
“You didn’t have a heart to heart with him yesterday afternoon?”
“With all due respect, yesterday afternoon I was still unconscious.”
“I can verify that Tippy Shores called me at 7 PM last night to tell me Ian was finally awake and already screaming to go home.” Wella backed him up.
“Tippy Shores? She was here? Kent says there has been no one to visit you, that when not at work he’s been keeping a vigil by your bedside.”
“I’ve been sleeping, too damn…sorry…much, but as you’ve noticed there is a guard posted outside my door with a list of who’s come and who’s gone, and I can assure you that not only is Simon Kent’s name not on that list, Ripley’s got a shoot to kill order.”
Ian looked at the Board Member’s confused face. “My relationship with Simon Kent has strictly been business, even that has been limited to a few terse exchanges in the office. Outside of the office we have no relationship at all. I have no idea where Mr. Kent gets his information about my wishes.”
“I got no problem, calling a spade a spade.” Wella spoke right up. “That ass has done nothing but try and make trouble for Ian from moment one.”
“How may I ask?”
“I cannot prove or even say that he has deliberately tried to sabotage any effort Ian has made, but I was in his office delivering mail when Kent was informed that Ian would be arriving. His exact words were, “That little hayseed won’t be around long, I’ll see to that personally.”
“He would say something like that in front of you?”
“No disrespect Mrs. Gregisnky, but hell yeah. As far as Kent and many others are concerned if you push a mail cart or answer a phone, you don’t exist. You’d be surprised what I know, what I’ve heard and what I’ve seen in ten years of pushing that thing around.”
“Wella is almost solely responsible for helping me understand how things work at the network, especially how to get things done quickly and efficiently. I wouldn’t have survived without her.”
Jessica Greginsky nodded her head. “I shouldn’t be surprised. One day you and I will have a very long talk young man. I’m just grateful that the one I had planned to have with you turned out to be a needless waste of energy.”
“Well, thank you for taking time out to come and see me. Won’t you stay a while and chat?” Ian said.
She stood. “No, Ian, I think I’d better head back. I’ve got a number of phone calls to make to correct some misinformation.”
“Is there anything I can do?” Wella offered.
“No, Wella. You continue to run things in Ian’s behalf. I have utmost confidence that you will keep things quid pro quo. In the meantime I think it’s best I head this off at the pass before it becomes a stampede.”
“Mrs. Gresinsky, has Simon Kent by any chance managed to…” Ian was cut off in mid-sentence.”
She walked over and gently took his hand. “You get well. I’ll handle Kent.”
“But…”
“I personally assure you that the board will not and would not make any assumptions based on the word of Simon Kent. However, I do want to make sure that everyone is aware of my personal chat with you before the press conference tomorrow. No sense in feeding any rumors Kent has tried to start with misinformation he himself has given as fact.”
Jessica Greginsky smiled and turned to Wella. “Wella, dear, I know I’ve said this before but I am very serious. Let’s you and I get together for a girl’s night. We women have been invisible in this business for much too long. It’s time we strong, single gals still in our prime went out and made some waves.”
“Why Jessica Greginsky,” Wella smiled. “You have got yourself a date.”
“You keep this one in line.” She pointed at Ian. “Get him healthy and get him back to work. I’m going to go swat a big gnat that should have been zapped a long time ago.”
She turned back to Ian. “Once I’ve batted him out of the air, do you want to pull his wings off yourself or may I have the honors?”
“Don’t be mean now.” Ian smiled. “Just pull one wing off.”
“I like you, my boy.” Jessica tossed her bag over her shoulder and laughed. “I really, really like you. Wella, dear, I’ll drop by tomorrow and we’ll make plans.”
She whisked off with a wave.
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