Page 15 of Last First Date

I heard a sharp gasp from behind me. A couple of the planners were standing in the doorway with files in hand. Their expressions were a combination of horror and happiness. I turned back around to stare down my boss. The look Knox shot me was enough to send a shiver down my spine. Shock and disbelief clouded his features, as if the mere audacity of my suggestion had caught him off guard. In that moment, I was reminded once again that Knox was not Richard. The consideration and respect that Richard afforded my opinions was not happening here.

"Close the door," he said in a deep voice full of anger.

I knew I was about to get my ass handed to me. I braced myself for the storm, determined to stand my ground. If worse came to worst and he decided to fire me for daring to speak up, I would go to Richard to get a reference for a new job. I refused to bow to the whims of a man whose leadership style seemed to lack both wisdom and empathy. He saw dollar signs. He didn't see people or their smiles or lack thereof. Knox was all about proving something to the world and he didn't care how many people he destroyed on his way to the top.

I closed the door and stepped toward his desk, not bothering to sit down. He took a moment, sizing me up with a piercing gaze that felt more like a challenge than an assessment of my abilities. He didn't like being challenged. I got that, but sometimes, a guy needed to be put in his place. I kept my chin high, staring right back at the man. He wasn't going to intimidate me. I had put up with his bullshit long enough.

"What's your problem, Waverly?" he finally spat out. "I think you might have forgotten who I am."

"That would be impossible," I shot back. "My problem is that you're pushing the team beyond their limits. The events you've booked are stretching us thin, and it's affecting the quality of our work. Richard always valued a thoughtful and well-paced approach, not a chaotic sprint that leaves everyone gasping for air. You're all about quantity, not quality. There's a reason this company is number one. We had a damn good leader who valued people. A leader that listened and understood that shoving twenty more weddings on the schedule wasn't feasible."

A sardonic smile played on Knox's lips, his dismissive attitude evident. "Richard is not in charge anymore. This is my business now, and I'll run it how I see fit. If the team can't keep up, maybe they're not cut out for this."

The condescension in his tone fueled the fire within me. I refused to let his disregard for the values that had defined our success undermine the dedication of the team. He had no idea how much work went into every event. A lot of our clients were repeat customers because they formed real relationships with their planners.

"Running a business isn't just about pushing for more and more events. It's about creating a sustainable and thriving environment. If you burn out the team, you'll end up with mediocrity instead of excellence."

Knox's eyes narrowed, a flicker of irritation crossing his features. "You think you know better than me, Waverly? You're just an assistant. Your job is to assist, not question my decisions."

The challenge in his words only strengthened my resolve. "Assisting doesn't mean standing by silently when I see the ship headed for an iceberg. I owe it to the team, to Richard's legacy, to speak up when I believe the course is wrong. I've been assisting a good leader for a few years. I know what a good leader looks like."

"Are you suggesting I'm not a good leader?"

The tone was asked in a low voice devoid of any emotion. His glare was icy and unflinching, his stance rigid as he met my defiant gaze. He thought I was going to back down. The man had another thing coming.

"Leadership isn't about amassing power and making everyone beneath you quake with fear," I replied with a calm voice. "It's about listening to your team and understanding their needs."

The silence that filled the room was deafening as he digested my words. His expression remained unreadable, only adding to the tension. I knew I was walking on thin ice, but there was no turning back now.

"And who, Waverly," he drawled out my name with a sneer, "gets to decide that?"

"Leadership isn't something you decide for yourself," I retorted. "It's demonstrated through your actions and determined by those who follow you."

He leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking under his weight. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared me down. In the back of my mind, I was already updating my resume. I tried to hold my tongue, but the man infuriated me.

8

KNOX

This was the moment I had been waiting for—the opportunity to finally assert my authority and rid myself of the defiant thorn that was Waverly. The disdain between us had been palpable from day one. Whether fueled by her loyalty to my grandfather or a general aversion to my presence, Waverly made no effort to hide her feelings. I had no intention of coddling an assistant who seemed more interested in challenging my every decision than supporting the transition of power. She actually thought she was going to walk away from this unscathed. That's because she thought she had my grandfather's protection.

The silence that stretched between us was heavy with unspoken animosity. I expected to see a flicker of fear or nervousness in her eyes, a sign that she understood the precariousness of her position. But instead, I was met with a gaze that held a surprising level of defiance. Waverly was not one to back down easily.

"I think you might be forgetting one crucial detail. This isn't a democracy. This is a company. And in this company, I am the final authority. Not the team, not you, and certainly not Richard. Everyone needs to understand my grandfather has retired. I'm the man in charge."

Her lips thinned into a tight line as she listened to my words, but she held her ground, refusing to be intimidated. “That may be true, but even in a company, you need people willing to follow your vision. Pushing them beyond their limits will only result in resentment, not loyalty. There are headhunters that constantly chase down the planners. Everyone wants to hire a planner from Elite Occasions."

"Are you saying they're all going to quit?" I asked with a smirk.

"No," she snapped, the word sharp and brittle. "I'm saying you'll lose their respect and their loyalty."

"I don't need their respect, I need their compliance," I retorted after a tense pause. My tone was icy as ever, matching my demeanor perfectly. “They can find another job if they don't like how I run things.”

"You can't just run a business into the ground, Knox," she snapped. "People love this place because our planners love their job, and it shows in their work! They're passionate about what they do. But you're grinding them down. They're too afraid to say no to anything, and it's affecting the quality of our work."

She wasn't backing down. It was not the response I had anticipated. Instead of cowering, Waverly was fighting back. She seemed to be enjoying going toe to toe with me. It was a strange sensation, to have someone challenge me. It wasn't a feeling I was accustomed to, or one that sat well with me.

"Is that what you think?" I asked, my voice a dangerous whisper as I leaned forward to rest my elbows on the mahogany desk separating us. "That I'm just 'grinding them down'?"