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asked.
    â€œNo,” Tamara said, plopping into the seat clearly outnumbered. Don wasn’t saying much, but he was there.
    â€œWhat about tea?”
    â€œNo, Mother!” Tamara shouted. Quickly, she took a deep breath and harnessed her irritation. “I want you to tell me what is so important. Why did you want me to come in this early on a Friday morning?”
    â€œAll right, forgive me for being hospitable. My goodness, what’s gotten into you? A little decorum from you would be nice. Common courtesies are still fashionable, my dear.”
    â€œOkay, ladies, let’s take a break before this goes in the wrong direction,” Don interjected. Right on cue, her brother was the consummate mediator. Thanks to the Mitchell family dynamics, he got plenty of practice in the role.
    â€œI have a busy day ahead of me,” Tamara said, which wasn’t true, but she had to find some reason to cut this mini reunion short. Being around Madeline was a death wish. She had to get out. “I only have a few minutes to spare.”
    â€œThen let’s get to the point. We need you here at DMI.”
    â€œMother,” Tamara said with a sharp edge.
    â€œWait. Hear me out,” Madeline said, reaching over and caressing Tamara’s arm. “Between the two of us, Don and I can maintain our family’s presence in this place, but it’s just not right unless you’re going to be here too. Frankly, I don’t want to run DMI with anyone other than you and Don. This is as much your company as it is ours. Besides, Abigail has resigned from her executive vice president position and is leaving in a few months, which will make our senior management team too lean.”
    â€œGood for her if she’s really leaving,” Tamara said, envying the freedom that Abigail would have once she left the Mitchell compound called DMI. But it was shocking that Abigail was actually leaving after being with DMI for more than eight years, having been hired as an assistant to Dave Mitchell after graduating from business school. From what Tamara could gather, Abigail had been loyal to the Mitchell patriarch, then to Joel, and now to Don. Apparently, Abigail’s loyalty hadn’t bought her any perks when it came to romance. She had to get in line behind the hordes of other women swooning over Joel, including his pregnant wife.
    â€œHer departure does create a gaping hole in our executive team,” Don added.
    â€œA hole with your name on it,” Madeline told Tamara.
    â€œBut I’ve already told you, working here isn’t for me.”
    â€œMainly because you haven’t given this place a fair chance. What will it take to get you here?” her mother asked.
    â€œAre you offering me the chief executive officer role?”
    â€œOf course not. That’s Don’s job. But you can have any other role in the company, including mine as head of marketing. Whatever you want. Just name it.”
    Tamara let out a hearty laugh. “You don’t get it, do you?” Tamara wrenched her hands before speaking again. “I don’t want to work here. How else can I say this so you understand me once and for all? What other language can I use? Hear me good,” she said with her voice marginally elevated but intentionally crisp. “I don’t want a job at DMI, period, end of story, finito,” she said, leaning against the edge of the table.
    â€œIs it me?” Madeline asked.
    Tamara let her gaze drop to the floor.
    â€œBecause we can work out our being here together. One of us can work from home or move to another floor. Heck, I’ll rent you out a remote space with a small team to join you. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get you into an executive management seat at DMI, where you and your brother belong.” Madeline had a strange look. “Please don’t let my years of fighting for DMI be in vain.”
    â€œI can’t take this.