AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I nod, staying quiet because it seems like the safe thing to do until I know why she’s called me in here.
“And while you haven’t been the lead on all of them, you’ve overseen their executions, repairs, and updates, right?”
Oh, God. Am I going to get in trouble for doing my jobtoowell? Fuck my life.
“Yes, but I didn’t mean to overstep. I always asked the lead before I did anything,” I say a little too quickly.
Joslin finally grins. “I know, McKenzie. You’re not in trouble, so don’t have a heart attack. That’s paperwork I don’t have time to fill out.”
I wait for her to laugh at the joke, but the sound never comes.
“So, why am I here?” I finally ask, leaning a little closer to the desk.
Joslin folds her hands in front of her and frowns. “Global Tech is doing some restructuring.” She pauses when her computer dings.
She takes her sweet time reading whatever just popped up on her screen, and I’m nearly dying in my seat while I wait for her to finish that damn sentence.
Her eyes land on me again. “My apologies. It hasn’t been a great day for everyone around here, but hopefully, it’s about to be for you.”
My face scrunches. “What do you mean?”
Joslin leans back in her chair, relaxing for the first time since I walked into her office.
“I’ve been charged with cutting the dead weight around here and finding proper replacements. As much as it pains me to do this, because I don’t want to lose you from the ground level—”
She cuts off again, and her attention is back on her computer.
I want to grab this woman by her suit coat and shake her. She said I wasn’t in trouble, but it sure as hell sounds like I’m getting canned.
If that happens…Global Tech is about to see a whole different side of McKenzie Chase.
She begins to mutter. “Stupid, stubborn men. I swear, sometimes I hate my job.” Then, she looks at me again and forces a smile to her face. “Again, I apologize for the interruptions.”
Damn, Joslin is being too…considerate? Professional? I don’t know what, but it’s damn sure not her normal. I’m totally getting fired for some stupid bullshit.
“As I was saying, I’m not looking forward to replacing you, but when Frank came to me with this proposal, I knew you were the right person for the job.”
I raise a brow and let out a breath. “So, you’re not letting me go, but I do have to transfer departments?”
I wasn’t sure this was better.
Joslin pulls another paper from her desk and hands it to me. “Yes and no. You’re getting a promotion, and while you won’t work in the weeds of coding any longer, you’ll still be working under me, right here on the fourth floor.”
As I accept the paper, I try to focus on the words while she keeps talking.
“The work you’ve been doing this year hasn’t gone unnoticed, McKenzie. Not by me or any of the other managers in our department. You’re a lot like I was when I was in your position, and I’ve only pushed you so hard because I can see what you’re capable of. Look this over and tell me what you think.”
I hold the sheet between my fingers and scan the contents. A promotion is the last thing I expected or have even thought about, especially one that has me supervising other employees. This one also comes with a pay raise and plenty of other bullet points lined out. Mentions of my own office—no more cubical city—quarterly bonuses, and project management duties capture my eye, and… What’s that?
“What does ‘volunteer hours’ mean exactly?” I ask, looking up at Joslin.
She peeks at the paper where I’m pointing. “Oh, that. All employees in supervisor positions are encouraged to volunteer somewhere locally at least twenty hours a year. You can use work hours to get them done as long as you’re not behind on any projects.”
Volunteer? More like volun-told.
“If you’re unsure where to spend your time, I probably have something for you,” she adds when I merely continue to stare at the sheet, not missing the number of zeroes in my new salary.
I wasn’t prepared for this kind of offer, but the more I read over the information, the more I’m smiling and nodding.
