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I left him alone as he went to the bedroom to change, paging through the complimentary Seattle Times. Oliver came back dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a white polo shirt. He plopped down next to me and kissed me on the cheek.
“You seem tired,” I said.
“I am. What Gabe told me was horrible. His wife and daughter both have cancer. His wife has breast, and daughter leukemia. “
I put my hand over my mouth as I sharply inhaled. “Jesus Christ, that poor man.”
Oliver grasped my hand, gently squeezing. “I was right, he was embezzling but for a good reason. He couldn’t afford the medical bills. He was stealing because he didn’t want to go bankrupt. He has two young sons also.”
“Did he tell you immediately?” I asked.
His jaw ticked with tension. “No. In front of the accounting team he tried to play it like it was a glitch in the software. They knew better and so did I. I took him into a private room, and he broke down, telling me everything that was going on. He didn’t know what else to do.”
I put my other hand over his. “How are you handling it?”
He sighed. “I put him on leave with full salary.”
“And the money he embezzled?” I asked.
Oliver pursed his lips. “He would get that much in a yearly bonus. He won’t get one this year in order to replace what he took.”
This was a lesson for me. Sometimes you had to make the hard choices but it wasn’t always what it looked like on the surface.
“Can you trust him?”
“I told him if he has financial issues due to his family’s illnesses, he’s to come to me. I don’t condone what he did but I’m giving him a pass this time. He’s a good employee and this is the only blemish on his record.”
I kept his gaze. “It’s a pretty big blemish.”
“Sometimes you need to look deeper. I’m not always in it to make money. There’s the human factor in business. You’re dealing with people not objects.”
“You’re a good man.”
“I have so much. I can afford to help others when they need it.”
“Do you donate to charities?”
“All the time and all over the world. We’re working on projects to bring fresh water to millions of people in Africa and Asia along with solar power for electricity. Fox Asset Corporation funds several programs to feed and house the impoverished. I believe in giving back.”
“I know. You give so much to me.”
Oliver glanced at the bag on the table. “Speaking of which, what’s in the bag on the table?”
“Why don’t you check and see,” I said, a smile playing at my lips.
He raised an eyebrow but went to retrieve the bag, bringing it to the couch. “What are you up to?”
“Just open it and stop being suspicious,” I teased, leaning back to watch his reaction.
He carefully pulled out the white tissue paper, balling it up and placing it on the coffee table. His eyes widened when he removed the black box with "Vacheron Constantin" engraved in gold on the top.
He looked up at me, curiosity and surprise mingling in his gaze, before opening the box to reveal the watch I had bought for him. Made of eighteen-carat white gold with a black alligator band, it was a statement of elegance and opulence. And a test.
“This is gorgeous,” he breathed, his voice filled with awe.
He took off the yellow gold Rolex he was wearing and replaced it with the Vacheron Constantin, admiring the way it looked on his wrist. “I love it. Thank you for this gift.”
“It was expensive,” I said, testing the waters.
