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Only problem with this meeting: Genesis will be in attendance. I hadn’t seen her since she strutted by the conference room, and at the thought of gazing at her from afar, my heart races like an out-of-control drone against my ribs.
“Why don’t you have a seat, Mr. Brown, and we can watch it together. I may have questions.”
I want Mr. Brown, a man in his late fifties with thinning hair and a cheerful disposition, to stay. I’m hoping his presence will keep me from salivating over Genesis’s image like some creepy stalker.
“Sure, Mr. Grayson. That’s a good idea.” Mr. Brown sits in a wing-backed chair in front of my desk and I join him in the other. I turn my laptop so we both can watch the meeting unfold.
People file into the conference room, some in groups of two or more, some on their own. Genesis and her friend Natalie arrive last. Just my luck, those two take the best seats for facing the camera.
I’m betting most employees view those seats as a drawback. Like most people, they don’t have a problem with speaking their mind, they just don’t want to be front and center while doing so.
The conference room is full to the brim with the twenty or so that showed up. Mr. Brown assures me that even though there are many people, the meetings rarely last over thirty minutes.
I tell him that is great efficiency and he beams with pride, as if he personally keeps the meetings short.
The round table begins with the person seated closest to the door. One by one, the employees say what they’ve been working on for the past two weeks. I’m sure when it’s Genesis’s or Natalie’s turn, they will tell the others that the QA team will grow. That’s what I told them I’d planned for their teams when I first came to STS.
Sin’s sunny smile enters my mind and that’s all it takes to set my mind adrift on a sea of Sin.
A sweet voice, Sin’s voice, pulls me from the erotic daydream of my hand around her throat as I pump between her thighs.
“Natalie and I would like to announce that the QA team is expanding with six more positions. “We plan to begin the interviews within the next two weeks.”
The smile the news brought to her face is short-lived as Greg Sumpter, a meaty man with a jowly face and thick fingers, stands up so fast his chair bounces against the wall. He’s the man Gramps told me to fire. I waited until I saw him in action before I made my final decision.
And decided I have.
I don’t like Greg. Not because of his appearance. I’m a dick, sure, but not a shallow one. I don’t like how he talked over the people who’d disagreed with him. Greg has this loud braggy-braggart voice that squashes the exploration of new ideas and ends creativity.
So far, he is the only employee I’ve come across at STS who acts like their shit doesn’t stink. That’s good, because if I find any others, they’ll get fired right along with him.
Meanwhile, Greg, who is sweating like he’s stolen something, points a sausage-like finger at Genesis and says, “Who approved this? I’ve been asking for another FTE for a year and haven’t gotten one. Why does QA need more people, anyway?”
Genesis lifts her chin in defiance, her only display of annoyance. “We’re getting six new full-time employees because our department is expanding. You didn’t hear about it because you were on vacation until yesterday. If —“
“Damn right I was on vacation.” Greg pounds the table, flattening his papers in the center. The people around him shift in their seats and lower their eyes. “I was due some downtime, so don’t throw that in my face.” He crosses his arms and runs his gaze around the room until it lands back on Genesis. “Don’t y’all think it’s strange that Little Miss Turner here always ends up getting her heart’s desire?”
Genesis is quick to respond, her voice low with suppressed anger. “It isn’t my desire. The new owner expanded the department. I’m just doing my job by supporting his decision. If you disagree, you can—“
“What did you do to get him to do so? Whatpositiondid you take?“ The room lapses into silence for a good full minute. In the meantime, I rise from my chair, intent on breaking Greg in half. No way will I let that bastard smear Sin. Not while I’m breathing.
Mr. Brown stops me. “Mr. Grayson, this has been a long time coming. I’ve wanted to fire him forever. I couldn’t because he is Mr. Williams’s nephew. Now that he can no longer hide behind his blood-relation, I’m dying to tell that bastard he can kick rocks.”
It takes me a second to process what he’s said. The anger pulsing in my ears nearly blocked it out. After a deep breath, I give him the go ahead, surprising myself by letting Mr. Brown take control.
Mr. Brown hurries toward the stairs. I give him credit for not waiting for the elevator. This meeting needs to stop before things get out of hand.
I turn back to the screen, watching as Genesis stands up for herself. “What are you implying, Greg?”
He swivels his thick neck. “Oh, so you want me to spell it out?”
“Yes, by all means.” She leans back in her chair, cool as fuck, and I want to kiss her for remaining aloof and classy.
Greg points at Natalie, then at Sin. “You two...ladiesare the only women in this company who have secured management positions. Why is that? The only way I can figure is that you two—“
Mr. Brown sprints into the room, his chest heaving with exertion. Frankly, I didn’t think the man had it in him. He must have done some type of parkour in order to appear on the eighteenth floor so fast. “Greg, come with me, please.”
With a sneer on his thin lips, Greg gathers up his papers, hitches up his polyester pants, and follows Mr. Brown from the room.
