―Paulo Coelho
Confrontation
After my dinner meeting with Sage I tried to go home and put her threats behind me, but to no avail. I knew Sage well enough to know she was more than capable of derailing my project and the more I thought about it, the more hopeless the situation seemed.
I lit a fire and made a rum hot chocolate, but the usual things that soothed me lost their calming effect. My imagination was conjuring visions of ruinous outcomes not only for me personally, but I could also envision an unending parade of litigants tainting the reputation of the university.
It seemed all I could picture were nightmare scenarios for me and my team.
It must have been after midnight when I was finally exhausted enough to fall into a fitful sleep. I awoke on the couch in the morning feeling stiff and sore and totally out of sorts.
I didn't have time for my usual breakfast and ended buying a takeout coffee and bagel at Tim Hortons and consuming that on my drive to work.
I did, however, take time to phone Norm Lockwood and arrange to meet him at Hart House for lunch. He knew me well enough to commiserate with my struggles with Sage and was well aware of her deadly venom.
"So she's up to her old tricks?" he said over lunch, shaking his head at what I was telling him.
Norm spent many nights over drinks with me, offering support, when I was trying to recover from my first bout with Sage. He knew very well how malignant she could be.
"I'm particularly concerned," I told him, "because she focused on the screening part of the clinical trials and I put that in the hands of a graduate student."
"Henry Carson isn't a mere graduate student," Norm reminded me, "he has his doctorate in Psychometry and is amply qualified to assess candidate suitability. You're allowing Sage to get to you and play with your mind."
"But she threatened to go to Dean Edwards with her 'concerns' and you know how anxious the Dean gets when it comes to public relations."
Norm waved his hand dismissively. "The Dean is concerned about legitimate complaints not spurious allegations. If Sage blows things out of proportion she could be reprimanded. If it makes you feel any better, I can have Arthur Little who's an expert in this field review your screening procedures."
"Would he be willing to do this?"
"I've known Arthur since back when I was in his graduate seminar—he will be more than willing to assist us."
"I feel better already," I smiled.
"And under no circumstances," he added, “should you allow Sage to get involved in the project. The girl is toxic and still wants to control you."
"That's my feeling as well. She's always got an agenda."
I went back to the lab feeling reassured, but when I walked in, Eve immediately confronted me.
"Can we talk—in private?" she asked.
I was taken aback but quickly replied, "Of course, come into my office."
She looked pale and upset and it worried me.
When I shut the door and we were seated she confided, "There was a woman here who said you asked her to assist with the project. She wanted to see our clinical trial screening protocols and got quite huffy when I refused. I told her I couldn't release that information without consulting with you directly."
"You did the right thing. What name did she give?"
"She told me her name was Sage Meadows and the two of you had discussed the matter over dinner last night and you gave permission for her to consult with us."
"I did have a dinner meeting with Ms. Meadows but I did not give her permission to access any information about the project."
A look of confusion clouded Eve's features. "She said that you were good friends and she was offering her expertise as a favour."
"Nobody other than this team should have access to this lab or any aspect of our protocols."
"So, what should I do if she turns up again?"
"Tell her to leave and if she refuses, contact campus security."
Eve blushed and obviously felt awkward. "I just wanted to let you know,” she explained, “so now I've got clarification."
My tendency was to tell her the truth about Sage but that would prove even more awkward. I didn't want to have to go into intimate details of my private life or our past relationship.
It was simply best to state the facts that Sage had no authorization and leave it at that, but inwardly, I was seething. I couldn't believe she had the nerve to try to gain access to our data.
I had intended to politely refuse her 'offer of help' but now I realized I would have to be more assertive about drawing boundaries.
I made up my mind to no longer allow her to intimidate me. But I had a feeling that this confrontation would only be the beginning.