I could only imagine what he was going to say to the people. It would be a miracle if none of them quit after he got through with his little speech.
I stood near the back of the room. I felt it was safest for all parties involved. I needed some distance between us. The man had a knack for pushing my buttons. Everyone looked at me and then him. He had a commanding appearance. When he walked into a room, people looked at him. You couldn’t not notice him.
“Thank you, everyone,” he said. “I’m Nash Aarons. As you’ve probably figured out, I’m the new owner of the firm. I am not going to pretend to know anything about taxes, but I do know business. You will all be in the same job you’ve been doing. I have high standards. I do not accept anything less than the best. My companies I own are the best.”
He paused for a second and looked at his new employees. “I don’t listen to excuses. I don’t tolerate tardiness or half efforts. If anyone does not like my way of doing things or think my standards are too high, I know there are plenty of firms out there looking for employees. It’s tax season. I’m sure any of you would find a job quickly. I won’t settle for anything less than the standards I have set forth. Does anyone have any questions?”
I scoffed. There was no way anyone was going to ask him any questions. He said the words, but his demeanor made it clear he was not interested in what anyone actually had to say. The arrogance oozing from every pore made me want to scream.
“All right then,” he said when no one spoke up. “I know you all have a lot of work to do. I don’t want to hold you up. Saige will continue on as manager. I will be taking over the owner’s office. If you have any issues or questions, talk to Saige.”
I raised my eyebrows at him.
“She’ll be in the office and will be the one you need to speak to. She’ll report to me.”
I nearly chewed my tongue off trying to keep my comments professional. “You guys know you can talk to me,” I said.
I could feel their fear and apprehension. Nash was doing very little to put them at ease. I met his eyes. There was a smirk on his lips. He was enjoying this. He liked messing with people. It was going to take more patience than I had to deal with this man. I couldn’t believe I ever thought I could love him.
“Thanks, everyone. I’ll check in later. That’s all I have.”
No one moved. Again, I could feel their stress. Nash looked at me and then walked out. It took a second before anyone talked. Then it was everyone talking at once.
I held up my hands. “Guys, we have a full day. Let’s get back to work. We all want to get out of here at a decent hour, right? Let’s go.”
Everyone got up and filtered out of the room. Lana was on her way out of the room when I stopped her. “Lana, go get your son.”
“I can’t,” she said. “I can’t lose my job. I have to work.”
“I’ll take care of your stuff. Your son is more important.”
She looked stressed. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. I know I wouldn’t be able to focus on work if my son was sick. I’ll take care of things here.”
“I can see if my mom can watch him,” she said.
“Lana, go,” I insisted.
“Thank you.”
I went back to my office. I was going to be working right through lunch. I was not about to let Nash dictate parenting. He didn’t have any idea what it was like to have a sick child that needed you. Sometimes, work was not the most important thing in the world.
I didn’t mind jumping in and helping out when it was necessary. It was kind of fun to do some of the normal stuff. I liked filling out forms. I was a nerd. I had always been a mathlete. I loved numbers and trying to figure out mathematical problems.
It was close to the end of the day when I heard Nash’s voice. “Shit,” I muttered. He was back.
I was really hoping he would be gone for the day. Forever. There was nothing he could possibly do at the office. He wasn’t an accountant. I knew firsthand he didn’t know shit about taxes. He hired