I observed the people in the office without them knowing I was there. They were chatting and talking and not a one of them was on the phone or dealing with a client. I saw one woman holding her phone, and from my view, it looked like she was checking social media.
I was growing more irritated by the second as I watched the staff. It pissed me off. I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and looked over to see what it was that drew my attention. It was the receptionist with a very sexy woman following her.
The woman, who I assumed was the boss, was walking toward me with a stern expression. Her dark hair was cut short, brushing just above her shoulders in thick chunks. The black skirt she was wearing was tight with a hem that hit just above the knee. Her beige blouse was tucked in, showing off her stunning curvy figure.
She walked closer and I realized I was looking at Saige Conway.
It couldn’t be. She was still here, and she was in charge. I shouldn’t have been surprised.
She came to a stop in front of me. Her pale blue eyes were locked on mine. We stared at each other for several seconds. I didn’t have to wonder if she recognized me. It was apparent.
“Hello,” I said.
“You requested to see me,” she said tersely.
“I asked to see whoever was in charge.”
“And I’m here.”
I smirked. “Yes, you are.”
“What can I do for you?” she asked again.
I looked at the receptionist and waited for her to get the hint. She nodded and walked back to her desk. I turned my attention to Saige. “I’d like to talk in my office,” I said.
She quirked one eyebrow. “Your office? Do you have an office nearby?”
“I have an office here.”
“Where?”
I wasn’t sure if she was purposely being obtuse or if she really didn’t know. “I don’t know where. I would like you to show me.”
“Mr. Aarons, I can’t show you because I don’t know.”
“Where is the old owner’s office?”
“George?”
I shrugged. “If that was his name, yes.”
“George is in his office.”
“My office,” I corrected.
She narrowed her gaze, her lips pursing together. “He is in his office until the end of the day. For now, you don’t have an office.”
I clenched my jaw. “Fine, we’ll talk in your office.”
She forced a smile. “This way.”
I walked behind her and checked out her ass. A woman wearing a skirt that tight knew guys like me were going to look.
She stepped into her office and waited for me to walk in before closing the door. “Have a seat,” she said and walked around to sit behind her desk.
“I’d like to talk about operations,” I said.
“Okay.”
I stared at her for a few seconds and wondered if I should address the elephant in the room. Did I acknowledge what happened between us? The way she was looking at me with something slightly above disdain told me it was better if I pretended it didn’t happen.
“I’d like to start by saying all decisions will need to go through me,” I stated.
“All decisions?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“How exactly are we supposed to run all decisions through you when you aren’t here? We make decisions all day long. Are you asking me to call you every time the copier runs out of paper?”
She hadn’t changed. Saige was always a stubborn woman. She was convinced she knew better. Maybe she did in some things, but this was my business now. She was going to be a challenge. I needed to make sure every employee understood I was the owner. I was the boss. Saige was the lady in charge of day to day, but it was ultimately me.
“I’m asking you to run all decisions by me,” I said firmly.
Her lips pressed together again as if she was trying to keep the words inside. “Keep your phone handy.”
“I will. I’d like to have a meeting. Now.”
“Now?” she asked.
“Yes. Now. Is there a conference room?”
“Yes, there is,” she answered.
I waited for her to pick up the phone or do something. “I’ve got things to do later.”
She wanted to say something. I could feel the tension in the room. I liked tension. I had long grown used to making people uncomfortable. It didn’t bother me a bit. I found people said more when they were tense.
“Right, let me jump right on that,” she said with sarcasm. “Generally, we try and give people a minute before we demand they jump through hoops.”
“I’ll give you ten,” I said and got to my feet.
“Yes, sir! All the troops—I mean the staff—will be in the conference room in ten minutes.”
“The conference room is where?” I asked from the doorway.
She pasted on a bright smile that was more teeth than anything else. “There’s a map hanging on the wall by the fire extinguisher. There’s a little arrow marking where you are. You can find your way from there.”
She was sassy. Sassier than I remembered. I walked out of her office and quickly located the fire extinguisher with the map. The office was a lot bigger than I remembered. George had done well and grown the business, but I was going to make it a lot bigger. I was going to take the tax firm to the next level.
I didn’t miss the stares from the employees that now looked just a little worried. No one was chatting and little Miss Social Media had put her phone away. I wandered around a bit before making my way to my office. My future office. I knocked once and waited.
“Come in,” someone called out.
I opened the door and tried not to cringe. This was going to be changing. The office looked like it was straight out of nineteen sixty. “George, it’s nice to finally meet in person,” I said.
George’s head popped up. He looked at his watch and then me. “Oh shit,” he muttered and jumped to his feet. “You must be Nash.” He extended his hand. “I didn’t realize how late it was.”
“It’s fine,” I said. There were a few boxes on the floor and another on his desk.
“I’m just doing some last-minute packing. I’ll introduce you to Saige Conway. She’s the tax director. She runs the show really. I’m just the figurehead. Correction, I was the figurehead. I guess that’s you now.”
“I’ve met Saige,” I told him.
“Oh good. She’s going to be your most valuable asset. The people here all respect her. She does a great job and runs a tight ship.”
I nodded as he spoke. “Good to know.”
“Look, Nash—Mr. Aarons—during negotiations, I was very clear about what I wanted for the company.”
This was nothing new. Owners always got cold feet after the ink was dry. “I read your statement.”
“I’m hoping you will honor your word and keep the staff,” he said in a quiet voice.
I appreciated someone who cared about their employees, but I cared about running a successful business. “I have no intention to randomly fire anyone. I’m just about to hold a meeting to talk to the staff about my expectations. If my expectations cannot be met, then I’ll need to make some changes.”