Gossip, Weddings, and Manipulation

Chapter 26 - Truth

I walk into Tara's office ready to confront her.  I walk in and shut the door behind me and I lean against the door.

"I know the truth," I say waiting to see her reaction.

"The truth about what?" she asks still typing on her keyboard.

"Don't play games with me.  The last time I hid something from you hit the roof.  This time I'm coming directly to you.  I know the truth."

Tara stopped typing and moved away the computer terminal, "Look I was going to tell you."

"When were you going to tell me?" I ask.

"Look I was going to tell you after Laurel told Ron.  I think she needed to tell him before I told you, I mean it wouldn't be right for you to hear it before Ron.  I mean he has more at stake here, it's not like you don't have a big stake, but all things considered he has a bigger stake."

"I'm not following you, what does Ron have to do with this?"

"Well, I'm leaving to join Laurel's new company.  She needed to tell Ron first that not only did she turn down his offer, but she turned down Vince's offer too.  She decided life is too short and that she should start her own company.  And, I agree.  And then she gave me this wonderful opportunity to be the CTO.  I mean I get to build my own team and be part of something from ground up.   It's a wonderful opportunity for me.  Please don't be mad at me Vivek."

Tara stood up out of her chair and started pacing the small space behind her desk.

"Look I'm not going to take any staff from here.  Unless, you're planning on letting anyone go.  If you are we'll take them.  If not, don't worry about it.  You have my word, I won't poach any talent.  I mean I have some talent in Toronto that I know would love to come to the US," Tara kept babbling, clearly nervous about telling me.

I sat in the chair on the other side of her desk a little shocked from what she had told me.  Seeing me sit, Tara followed suit and sat back down in her seat.

She reached her hand over and placed it on my hand, "I'm really sorry you heard this from the grapevine.  Did you hear it from Ron? Because, I was going to tell you directly after Laurel told Ron.  But, I didn't realize Laurel had already told Ron."

I just stared at Tara.

Finally, Tara stopped tapping her finger and looked at me.

"Say something.  You're making me nervous."

I didn't know what to say.

I cleared my throat.

"Thanks for telling me, but that's not what I came in here to talk to you about."

"It isn't?"

Our assistant knocked once on the door and then opened the door to the small office, "Ron wants you both in his office right now.  And he's not happy."

"We're coming," Tara said and shot up out of her seat.

We both walked silently to Ron's office.  What I had to say to Tara required privacy and didn't have anything to do with Ron.  How many secrets did Tara have? This wasn't the secret I had meant to confront her about.

As soon as we walked into Ron's office, Ron started, "So is it true you're leaving?" he asked looking directly at Tara.

"Yes, Ron, I'm leaving.  Look you weren't going to keep both of us.  You don't need two people heading up Engineering.  This will make it easier for you.  You don't have to choose between Vivek and I," she said definitively.