He nodded with his shoulders sagging. He knew he was defeated. “I understand,” he said. “I’ve got someone coming in an hour to help me get this stuff out of here. I guess it’s all yours.”
“Yes, it is,” I said. “Good luck with your retirement.”
I walked out of his office and ventured around the rest of the large space. It felt so massive and impersonal. It resembled a warehouse with carpet. I couldn’t imagine clients feeling comfortable in the environment. Taxes were very personal. It wasn’t generally something anyone liked to discuss with twenty people at once.
That was another change I wanted to make. I finished my self-guided tour and found myself in a break room. A rather lavish break room.
I scanned the assortment of fresh donuts and muffins sitting on the counter. I opened the fridge and found it stocked with bottled water, Diet Coke, and Sprite. I was guessing I was paying for these things.
I looked at a bowl of fresh fruit sitting on the table. Someone was trying to pretend to be healthy. It looked like a hotel continental breakfast setup. I opened the cupboard and cringed. There were at least six different boxes of tea. A variety of K-cups were stashed in the cupboard as well. These people were definitely well taken care of.
I left the breakroom and headed for the conference room. I had seen enough.
Chapter 5
Saige
I didn’t know how I was going to get through this. He was the same arrogant prick I remembered. In fact, I was certain he was even more arrogant. I was surprised he didn’t snap his fingers and demand I jump to do his bidding.
“Jody, I need you to help me get everyone into the conference room,” I said.
“When?”
“Right now,” I told her.
“What about clients?”
“We’re clear until this afternoon.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
I headed across the office floor. I needed a minute to get myself together. I pushed open the restroom door and welcomed the solitude. I stood in front of the mirror and sucked in a deep breath. I had hoped when I saw him again, the old feelings would be gone.
I didn’t expect him to be so damn hot. The guy was pompous and just a little rude. He was also stupid gorgeous. How could he get sexier? I was certain he had somehow gotten taller and bigger. And those eyes. I remembered the way he looked at me just before he kissed me. His light brown eyes were nothing like the man. His eyes were soft. He was not.
The square jaw, broad shoulders, and trim torso told me he was still swimming. I remembered way too much about the man. He’d been a competitive swimmer in high school. He took me swimming once and showed off his moves. He’d been naked at the time. The last thing I was looking at was his swim stroke. How was I going to work with him and not think about sex?
I needed to focus. Nash would start off hot and heavy, but he wouldn’t last. We were his new toy. He’d get tired of us and move on. I could go back to running the firm. He’d pop in, do his thing, and leave us alone. I just needed to keep my cool. I could do this. I liked my job. I needed the paycheck.
I walked out of the bathroom and felt calmer. I was ready. I had only taken a few steps when I heard my name. “Hey, Lana, what’s up?” I asked. “Did Jody tell you guys we need to be in the conference room?”
She grimaced. “Yes, but I’ve got a problem.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Daniel has a fever,” she said. “The school nurse just called. I need to go pick him up.”
“Oh no, poor guy,” I said. As a single mom, I could empathize with her. I hated when I got a call from the school. Everything stopped until I was told he was safe and not suffering from some horrible accident. It was the curse of being a mom. No one could keep your child safe like you could.
“Do you mind if I go? I know this is a bad day for it, but he’s sick.”
I opened my mouth to tell her I would handle it but didn’t get the chance. Apparently, Nash had developed stealth-like powers. “Is it a high fever?” Nash asked.
Lana looked confused. “No, but—”
“Don’t they give them Tylenol and they lie down in the office or something?” he questioned.
“Well, yes, but—”
“Then I would imagine he’s fine,” he said with no feeling. “There’s nothing you can do that hasn’t been done. I need everyone in the conference room.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I had never heard such selfish, horrible things said to a person, let alone an employee. Lana looked like she was going to cry. “Okay,” she said and rushed away.
Nash turned to follow Lana. “Nash, wait,” I said.
He stopped and turned around. “Do you need something?”
“Yes,” I hissed. I walked away from the conference room, forcing him to follow. I didn’t want anyone to overhear what I had to say.
“Saige, I need to get in there,” he said impatiently.
“You can’t do that!”
“Excuse me?” he questioned. “What can’t I do?”
“You can’t talk to people like that,” I said. “She needs to go.”
He shrugged. “I am the boss. I can talk to them anyway I see fit. It wasn’t like I said her kid was going to die.”
I couldn’t believe how callous he was. The man was truly the most selfish person. “Wow,” I said for lack of a better word. I just couldn’t with him.
I walked into the conference room. I could only imagine what he was going to say to the people. It would be a miracle if none of them quit after he got through with his little speech.
I stood near the back of the room. I felt it was safest for all parties involved. I needed some distance between us. The man had a knack for pushing my buttons. Everyone looked at me and then him. He had a commanding appearance. When he walked into a room, people looked at him. You couldn’t not notice him.
“Thank you, everyone,” he said. “I’m Nash Aarons. As you’ve probably figured out, I’m the new owner of the firm. I am not going to pretend to know anything about taxes, but I do know business. You will all be in the same job you’ve been doing. I have high standards. I do not accept anything less than the best. My companies I own are the best.”
He paused for a second and looked at his new employees. “I don’t listen to excuses. I don’t tolerate tardiness or half efforts. If anyone does not like my way of doing things or think my standards are too high, I know there are plenty of firms out there looking for employees. It’s tax season. I’m sure any of you would find a job quickly. I won’t settle for anything less than the standards I have set forth. Does anyone have any questions?”
I scoffed. There was no way anyone was going to ask him any questions. He said the words, but his demeanor made it clear he was not interested in what anyone actually had to say. The arrogance oozing from every pore made me want to scream.
“All right then,” he said when no one spoke up. “I know you all have a lot of work to do. I don’t want to hold you up. Saige will continue on as manager. I will be taking over the owner’s office. If you have any issues or questions, talk to Saige.”