"You can't see it the way I do," he said. "If someone came into my office and basically did everything I needed without asking me a single question or even involving me, I'd give them a spot bonus." He barked out another laugh. "You, my friend, yelled at the genius running your shit, called that genius an idiot, and compelled her to quit all in one afternoon."
"I did not call her an idiot." I frowned at my untouched whiskey. "I mentioned she doesn't have the knowledge or experience to make hiring decisions."
Rob held up his hand for the barkeep's attention. "I need sustenance if I'm gonna help you unpack your problems." He chucked the menu toward me. "What do you want? I'm getting the Reuben because we're only eating iceberg lettuce at my house right now and I'm feeling a little anemic these days."
"That's awful."
Rob snorted out a laugh. "I'm counting down the minutes, man."
Once we'd ordered, he shifted in his seat and set his hands on the bar top like he meant to diagram his analysis of my problems. "First things first, you have to get comfortable with other people having a hand in your work. Yeah, there are times when it might be quicker and less stressful to do it yourself but that's not a long-term strategy and it will choke out your growth. Teach people what to do and then get the hell out of their way."
"Did you spend two years getting an MBA to learn that pearl of managerial wisdom?"
"Fuck you. I have an MFin and you know it." He lifted his beer, saying, "And I learned that pearl from my last boss who refused to pay people if I wasn't going to let them do their jobs."
"When you put it that way," I grumbled.
"And it's not my place to say this but if Zelda can work out a way to get Carlo off your back, let her run with it. You can't have your father's business strategy holding you down."
"He'll never go for it," I argued.
"Take a page from the Book of Diana and act first, ask forgiveness later."
"I have a feeling I'm going to be apologizing later regardless," I said.
"Oh, hell yes," Rob replied. "Based on your synopsis, I'd bet you'll be apologizing and groveling and buying a field of flowers tonight. And you'll need to explain you're the only idiot in the situation."
A server set our plates down, plunked a bottle of ketchup between us, and promised to return with another round. I didn't need any more whiskey as I'd only gazed at this one but I knew Rob would put the surplus to good use. Better still, he was buying. That was what he'd vowed when I flung myself into one of his office chairs and told him we were having an off-book meeting today.
"You had to know something like this would happen when you hooked up with her," he said between bites. "I wouldn't be able to pull it off, man. Being the boss and the boyfriend? I'd rather originate GSE debenture debt all day."
"Let's not talk derivatives, okay? Especially not the government-sponsored variety. My day has been rough enough."
"Happily." He balled a paper napkin in his hand. "But the fact remains, you work with Zelda, you sleep with Zelda, and you live with Zelda. That takes a whole new kind of managerial finesse unless you want to fuck up your entire life."
I stared down at my plate while Rob plowed his sandwich. I didn't have that finesse, not a single drop. And I'd effectively fucked up my life today, I knew that much. This was why I'd wanted to isolate Zelda in one discrete corner and prevent the lines from blurring but I couldn't enforce that any more than I could keep my mouth shut in bed.
What a fucking mess I'd made. And instead of finally getting one evening without clients or bridal gowns getting in the way, I was here with Rob, dousing my problems in whiskey and french fries.
I'd known I was fucking it all up before I grabbed my things and stormed out like the tyrant Zelda accused me of being. But I'd still felt an overwhelming urge to keep anyone from destroying the carefully constructed system I had in place. I needed things to work a certain way and I didn't know what I'd do if it collapsed on me.
Zelda probably knew what to do. She probably had plans and structures to handle that