about being around him. Most big men make me uncomfortable; Taye has always made me feel the exact opposite. I feel safe around him. Much like I did when Chase’s arms were around me this morning.
He shuffles through his briefcase and hands me a copy of something. “I just received the agenda last night from the President’s secretary. We’re on the schedule just after lunch. President’s Office speaks first, and then Business Development runs through their latest plans for new affiliations. Then lunch, Contributions, and the Volunteer Department will go over their recent cases. Tomorrow, there’s Marketing, Finance, and general Board items.”
“Do you have any pointers you want to share? I’m afraid I’m going to make a complete fool of myself. This morning I tripped and almost killed myself on the treadmill.” I chuckle and shovel in another bite.
He shoots me a worried look. “Are you okay, Gigi? Did you hurt yourself?”
“Just my pride. A man caught me.” Chase. He keeps popping to the surface of my mind. It’s official; I’m a lunatic. Taye continues to stare, assessing my mood. His head tips to the side in one of his “Tell me, my child” gestures that usually has me spilling my guts. Not this time. “It just rattled me, and I was already nervous about today.” I pat his hand with affection.
“Just do what you always do.” He smiles and sips his coffee. “Dazzle them with your statistics and campaign numbers. You have the Midas touch when it comes to direct mail and tele-fundraising. Just explain what you’ve done differently and the outcomes.” I nod as he finishes. “Just be yourself.”
I roll my eyes. “Oh, come on, Taye. A cliché’, really? Just be yourself? Did you not eat your Wheaties this morning, big guy?”
He laughs and leans back in his chair. “I need to work on my pep talks. You ready? It’s ten to eight. From what I remember, the Chairman despises people who are late.”
Someone else recently mentioned not being tardy. Wonder what Chase would do if I didn’t show or was late to his little 9 p.m. command appearance. We grab our things and shuffle towards the large bank of elevators. The board room is on the third floor with the other convention and meeting rooms.
“At the last board meeting I attended,” Taye says, “the Chairman made a board member wait outside until the first break in the schedule. Then the board member had to apologize to the entire room for being late.” He stabbed button number three on the brightly lit panel inside the elevator and the car rose.
“You’re kidding? The Chairman treats a colleague like an errant child?”
“Well, he’s the founder and Chairman. He’s crazy rich. Donates over half our foundation’s budget each year. Forty million annually.”
I whistle. The elevator dings, signaling we’ve reached our destination. We step into the corridor and a sign on a pedestal states “Safe Haven Foundation Board of Directors Meeting.” An arrow points down the hall.
“Forty million dollars? Damn!” That’s an obscene amount of money. Anyone who can donate that kind of capital to one foundation can’t be all bad. People don’t just hand over millions to a charity without having a huge heart, especially since the work we do is so personal. We protect and help battered women. I shake my head before going back to my indignation. “That doesn’t give him the right to humiliate someone publically.”
“I agree. He’s a bastard for sure; a filthy rich one. You know, he pays for all the board members to stay here in the lap of luxury?”
I wondered how a charitable organization could afford such a swanky location. “Word is, he didn’t want to be seen in a low rent hotel. Would ruin his image.”
I roll my eyes. “Yikes, the man sounds like a jerk.”
Taye laughs. I’m more nervous than before. The Chair sounds like a barbarian. We make our way to the open door at the end of the corridor. Several men and women in
He shuffles through his briefcase and hands me a copy of something. “I just received the agenda last night from the President’s secretary. We’re on the schedule just after lunch. President’s Office speaks first, and then Business Development runs through their latest plans for new affiliations. Then lunch, Contributions, and the Volunteer Department will go over their recent cases. Tomorrow, there’s Marketing, Finance, and general Board items.”
“Do you have any pointers you want to share? I’m afraid I’m going to make a complete fool of myself. This morning I tripped and almost killed myself on the treadmill.” I chuckle and shovel in another bite.
He shoots me a worried look. “Are you okay, Gigi? Did you hurt yourself?”
“Just my pride. A man caught me.” Chase. He keeps popping to the surface of my mind. It’s official; I’m a lunatic. Taye continues to stare, assessing my mood. His head tips to the side in one of his “Tell me, my child” gestures that usually has me spilling my guts. Not this time. “It just rattled me, and I was already nervous about today.” I pat his hand with affection.
“Just do what you always do.” He smiles and sips his coffee. “Dazzle them with your statistics and campaign numbers. You have the Midas touch when it comes to direct mail and tele-fundraising. Just explain what you’ve done differently and the outcomes.” I nod as he finishes. “Just be yourself.”
I roll my eyes. “Oh, come on, Taye. A cliché’, really? Just be yourself? Did you not eat your Wheaties this morning, big guy?”
He laughs and leans back in his chair. “I need to work on my pep talks. You ready? It’s ten to eight. From what I remember, the Chairman despises people who are late.”
Someone else recently mentioned not being tardy. Wonder what Chase would do if I didn’t show or was late to his little 9 p.m. command appearance. We grab our things and shuffle towards the large bank of elevators. The board room is on the third floor with the other convention and meeting rooms.
“At the last board meeting I attended,” Taye says, “the Chairman made a board member wait outside until the first break in the schedule. Then the board member had to apologize to the entire room for being late.” He stabbed button number three on the brightly lit panel inside the elevator and the car rose.
“You’re kidding? The Chairman treats a colleague like an errant child?”
“Well, he’s the founder and Chairman. He’s crazy rich. Donates over half our foundation’s budget each year. Forty million annually.”
I whistle. The elevator dings, signaling we’ve reached our destination. We step into the corridor and a sign on a pedestal states “Safe Haven Foundation Board of Directors Meeting.” An arrow points down the hall.
“Forty million dollars? Damn!” That’s an obscene amount of money. Anyone who can donate that kind of capital to one foundation can’t be all bad. People don’t just hand over millions to a charity without having a huge heart, especially since the work we do is so personal. We protect and help battered women. I shake my head before going back to my indignation. “That doesn’t give him the right to humiliate someone publically.”
“I agree. He’s a bastard for sure; a filthy rich one. You know, he pays for all the board members to stay here in the lap of luxury?”
I wondered how a charitable organization could afford such a swanky location. “Word is, he didn’t want to be seen in a low rent hotel. Would ruin his image.”
I roll my eyes. “Yikes, the man sounds like a jerk.”
Taye laughs. I’m more nervous than before. The Chair sounds like a barbarian. We make our way to the open door at the end of the corridor. Several men and women in
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