I groan under my breath in approval as I shuffle through some papers on my desk. She is still standing there, and now she takes some steps towards me.
“It’s just that I know how you like your coffee, and all the other little things you probably don’t notice through the day.”
I look up at her sharply then. The tone of her voice has changed, and I wasn’t expecting it. Erica is always so reverential and business-like in our interactions.
I can’t encourage this tone. This wouldn’t be the first time that a junior employee has made flirtatious advances towards me. I need to nip it in the bud before it goes any farther.
“Susan has been working for me for five years. I’m pretty sure she understands my requirements better than most people around here,” I say, and Erica stares at me, looking a little stumped.
“Yes, of course, I just wanted to make sure you don’t mind…”
“Take the day off. Shut the door on your way out,” I say, and she clamps her mouth shut. The look on her face is that of someone who has just been slapped.
I don’t want to encourage her. The last thing I need is a corporate scandal.
She says nothing more and turns to leave my office. There’s a knock on the door just then, and I look to see Calvin standing there with a big grin.
“You got a minute?” he asks as he steps in.
Erica does what she’s told and shuts the door behind her. He must have noticed the thickness in the atmosphere in my office because his brows furrow and he looks around.
“All okay in here?”
“Yeah, fine, what’s up? I need to get through a few phone calls,” I say as he takes the chair across from me. Calvin is my COO, the Chief Operating Officer. We have been friends for years, and sometimes, when I’m in a good mood, I will admit that I couldn’t have achieved this degree of success without him by my side.
“I’ve been going through a few recent portfolios. Have you seen this one?”
He slides a folder across my desk and I grab it and flip it open. I read through some initial details.
“Crawford Consultants. No. What is this?” I flip through the pages and things start becoming clearer to me. “All right, it’s a staffing company.”
“Yeah, headhunters, hiring consultants, that sort of thing. I’ve been hearing their name mentioned around the place. Someone recommended them to me when I was looking for a new assistant accountant for the finance team. Apparently, they offer a pretty in-depth and personal service.”
I look up at him and shrug.
“So? Are they on the market?” I ask.
“I haven’t looked into it, but they can be. Right?”
“What is your interest in this?” I’m a little confused. Calvin is great at managing the different departments and running the operations, but he has never taken any special interest in acquiring new companies for our portfolio.
He is smirking at me now, and I know something’s up.
“You’re not reading it closely enough,” he adds.
I look through the pages again. I really don’t have time for whatever game he thinks he’s playing.
And then I see it. I don’t know how I missed it the first time around.
Her name is printed right there on top.
Blaire Crawford.
Founder and CEO of Crawford Consultants. Established three years ago. A relatively new company that has witnessed great success in a short period of time. Blaire used to work for a similar multinational corporation before this. She’s clearly very good at her job.
In the six months that she has lived next to me, I have never tried to find out what she does, and for good reason. I don’t want to get involved in her life any more than I already am.
I look up at Calvin and notice that he’s smiling.
“Okay, so what does this have to do with me?”
“You complain about her, sounds like she’s really got your goat. This could be your chance of getting back at her!”
I shut the folder and slide it back towards him.
“Don’t be an idiot, Calvin. I’m not a man of vengeance,” I say, but I match his smile, and he nods his head.
I watch as he stands up.
“You’re welcome,” he says before he leaves my office.
4
Blaire
I’m at a meeting with our biggest client to date. We have recently been hired by this new swanky hotel to hire a big percentage of their staff, across all departments and boards.