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“You look like shit,” Charlie says as he steps inside.
“What are you doing here?”
“I brought something for you.” He hands me a paperback book with a pair of intertwined hands on the cover.
I just stare at it, frozen. Why the hell is Charlie giving me Lisa’s book?
“I’m more of a nonfiction guy myself, but overall, it was pretty good.”
My jaw drops open. “You read this?”
“I did. It was a sweet story. Steamy in parts, but overall it had solid character development. Brynn loved it.”
“Brynn loved…wait…you know who wrote this?”
“I do. She’s very talented. I’m lucky I found her.” Charlie winks.
I can feel my temperature rising exponentially as Charlie smirks at me. What the hell? “Talk. Now.” I glare.
“Lisa brought that to the office Monday. She wanted me to read it, so I’d know how she’s been supporting herself for the past few years, and then decide if I still want her to work for me. Apparently, she’s under the impression she might be putting Engage at risk with her side job. Oops, I mean full-time job. Engage is the side job at this point.”
“She’s right,” I grumble. “If her pen name got out and people connected the dots, that could reflect poorly on Engage.”
“In what way?”
“Are you serious? A romance writer at an education company doesn’t raise a red flag for you?”
“Not really. I’d much prefer a romance writer to someone who wrote psychological thrillers. Brynn’s told me about a couple and they’re terrifying. That’s a mind that might not be suitable for education. Romance is harmless.”
“I can’t believe you’re saying this right now,” I fume. “It’s not harmless. Nothing is harmless. There’s sex in romance books. That doesn’t mix well with education. You’re under intense scrutiny from investors and industry leaders right now, who are all ready to pass judgement about the company’s future. What do you think they’d say if one of your trusted staff was found to dabble in the erotic arts?”
Charlie snorts. “Stop being so dramatic. It’s just sex. Teachers have it, too, you know. Besides, it’s a story written with a pen name. It’s not going to do any harm.”
“And if the pen name comes out? What does it say about the kind of people you hire?”
“That my employee has a varied skill set. Or that I’m not paying her enough. Both of which are true, by the way.”
I shove a hand through my hair. “Don’t you get it? Even with a reasonable explanation, the mere mention of scandal could do damage beyond repair.”
“So you’re saying I should fire your girlfriend?” Charlie raises his eyebrows.
“No. Of course I don’t want that. But I don’t want anything to jeopardize your dream, either. It’d just be safer if you were further along, not subject to all the investor scrutiny. I’d feel a whole lot better about things if people weren’t actively searching for red flags.”
“You think that’s what they’re doing?”
“It’s what I do. I have to make sure there’s nothing that might do harm, to me or my other investors.”
“So, what, you do background checks on every employee?” Charlie scoffs.
“No, not unless I have reason to think I need one. But that’s the point. You don’t know what someone will want to look at.”
“You don’t think the pen name provides any buffer?”
“Sure, it does. I just don’t know if it’s enough,” I say.
Charlie chews on his lip as he processes everything I have to say. Finally, he responds, “I hear what you’re saying. And I appreciate you looking out for me, at the expense of your happiness no less, because I’m sure this warning of yours could do irreparable damage to you and Lisa. But all I can ask of people is that they give their best when they’re working for me. I can’t dictate what they do outside the office, or even what other work they take on since most of them are contractors at this point. Lisa does great work. If her pen name comes out and people question her ability to write both romances and education documents, I have a track record of her success I can point to that will clearly indicate she can do both.”
I’m both relieved and terrified by that answer. I don’t want Lisa to be forced out of Engage, but people expect me to look out for any risks, and yes, I see one in her books. Maybe not a deal breaker, but a risk nonetheless.
