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“And you still haven’t learned? How many times do we have to have this conversation? When you make important calls at my request, you tell them who you are and who you work for. Me,” she snapped. “Do you understand how under the wire we are here? I don’t have time to go over this again. It’s every single time.” Each word was enunciated and she took a deep breath, walking to the phone.
Willard’s fists flexed and I turned more in my chair. My pulse jumped as I kept all of my instincts ready. He was mad. That was clear. But I didn’t expect him to do much of anything. Then again, I wasn’t sure.
“You know, maybe if you would have given us some time to prepare instead of taking vacation at the last second, we could have had everything ready for you. You always just come and go when you please.”
Lily’s hand paused in reaching for the receiver and she slowly turned toward the man who had his chest puffed out. The room grew eerily silent around me. I had no doubt everyone was listening. Willard hadn’t shut the door and they weren’t necessarily talking quietly.
“I beg your pardon?”
“You didn’t even put in for vacation. You just disappeared. If one of us did that, we’d be fired.”
“Well, he’s toast,” someone whispered a few spaces over.
Lily crossed her arms over her chest, advancing at a leisurely pace. “I think it’s time we part ways. I’ve given you a year and even the smallest things are becoming a chore for you to remember.”
“You can’t fire me.”
“I think I just did.”
“For telling the truth?” he said, his voice rising.
I stood, but stayed firm, allowing her to take the lead. It was a hell of a thing when everything in me said I needed to protect what was mine.
“No, you’re right on that account. I should have put in notice. Emergency situations are a little hard to plan for, so I apologize for that. As for you being fired, that has everything to do with your job performance. I understand you try very hard to be a good worker, I just think that maybe this position isn’t for you. I’ve given you more than enough time to learn and you still forget the basics. With what we have at stake, I can’t afford to allow this to go on anymore. I’m sorry, Willard, but I have to let you go.”
“You…bitch. I have a family. You can’t fire me.”
The hardness stayed on her face and she turned to the window, looking right at me. Still, she didn’t soften.
“Don’t make me call security. You need to leave my office and get your stuff together.”
Willard stormed from the room and one minute, I was looking at Lily, the next, blinds slammed closed, disrupting my view. I sat, hating that she was in there dealing with this alone. Lily wasn’t cold like that, no matter how much she projected it. There was no way she enjoyed what she’d just gone through. Which only meant one thing—she was in her office now, probably in tears, and I was supposed to sit here like I hadn’t just witnessed any of it.
Fuck. My hand clamped to the desk and I tried stopping the anger as it grew by the second. Slade strolled casually from the office at the end of the hall, stopping at Willard’s door. I couldn’t see inside, but from the silence and Slade moving on, apparently there wasn’t much more of a threat. He checked his watch before knocking and walking in. I could hear her voice, soft, sweet. She was on the phone, probably with the owner of that company. I didn’t get to hear much as the door closed behind Slade.
Silence continued and seemed to turn into a living thing as Willard walked through with a box and waited for the elevator. I couldn’t see from my angle, but I knew when he disappeared inside. The buzz throughout the room grew and I twisted my mouth as I let it all sink in.
“The Ice Queen strikes again. I wondered how long it would be before the next. At least he lasted longer than the others.”
“He was her personal assistant, though,” the woman said. “He doesn’t count. It’s the team members that she goes through like candy.”
Two men came to her door, knocking. When Slade called out, they headed inside. A woman pushed through at the last minute and I turned away from it all, going back to my numbers. More laughter rang out from one of the cubicles and I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Was this what everyone looked forward to? Lily and who she would fire next? Did she terminate a lot of people? What sort of drama went on in this office building? Did it always revolve around her? There were too many questions and I wasn’t sure of the answers, but I knew in a few hours, I’d find out.
Chapter 41
Lily
The smile on my face couldn’t have got any bigger. I kept my back to Slade and the team on purpose, trying my best not to show my excitement through my posture. When I delivered the news, I wanted it to hit them as a shock. I damn sure deserved at least some satisfaction. To get ahold of the owner was usually impossible, but my name and reputation were taking me far. I used it to my advantage every chance I got. I was a damn hard worker and the news I was about to deliver was proof.
“Thank you, Mr. Volstin. It was a pleasure talking to you.” I turned around, placing the receiver down. Slade’s eyes widened while he shook his head.
“Well?”
I shrugged, collapsing into my chair to stare at my team. They fidgeted and looked nervous, trapped in the same room as my brother and me. It was bad enough watching them when it was just me, but Slade’s appearance had them squirming. They knew he wanted Volstin and they also knew how he’d react if he didn’t get it.
“Well…” I hit my mouse, making my screen come alive. I pulled up the calendar and typed in the time of the appointment. “You, Mr. Roberts, have a meeting with Mr. Volstin tomorrow at ten a.m.. He’ll have his lawyer present. If he likes what he hears, he’s willing to sell.”
A smile lit up my brother’s face. “Excellent job, everyone. I knew you wouldn’t let me down. Be ready by nine, Lily, you’re coming with. Also,” he spun, looking over the team, “you, you, and you,” he said, picking out Patrick, Charlie, and Vanessa, the leaders. “Team up and discuss who’s moving to Atlanta. We’ll have Volstin by tomorrow and that’s where I’m building the headquarters to the new Slade Industries.” His smile grew bigger and he turned, strolling from the room. The team was right behind him, shutting my door and leaving me in silence. For the first time since I’d arrived, I felt myself completely relax. The break between accounts was my down time and come tomorrow when Slade bought out Volstin, I’d finally be able to get the breather I’d been hoping for. At least, until my brother set his sights on something new.
