“Yes, they will be, after three,” I said with a smile. “You can either get a full day’s work in or lose a full day. You will lose a full day of work if you bring those men back in here.”
“You can’t disagree with me,” he said.
I actually laughed. “Um, actually, I can. You might own this business, but you do not own me, and you do not own the constitution. I can disagree with you. I will disagree with you. I can almost guarantee that.”
I noticed the quirk of his lips. He was amused. A little pissed but amused. “I’ve never claimed to own anyone.”
“Your actions speak differently.”
“I am doing what is best for my company,” he said. “It’s unfortunate you don’t see that. You are someone that knows numbers. You know this company has been operating at half-capacity for years.”
“It has not,” I protested. “I really don’t think you understand what happens here. You can’t just make money happen.”
“No, but we can be more efficient and bring in more clients without bringing on more staff.”
I took a deep breath and licked my lips. It was hard to look at him and not remember what it was like to have his hands on me. I didn’t want to think about it, but damn, he was right there. He was looking at me like he remembered those moments as well. I wasn’t sure he did. I had convinced myself it was nothing more than a passing fancy. He didn’t want me. That was pretty damn clear when he married that woman.
“What do you want?” I asked him. I was exasperated. The day had not even started, and I was already over it.
“We’re going to lunch,” he announced.
I blinked several times. “What?” I asked. I sounded like Jace, but it was the only thing I could say.
“We need to talk, and we need to talk outside of this place. There is too much chaos here.”
“I’m fine,” I said. “Talk. What’s on your mind? I’m all ears. In fact, I stayed up half the night thinking about what wisdom you might impart on us today.”
“You are very sarcastic,” he said. “You know you are my employee. I own this place. I am your boss.”
“Yes, you are. How is your office coming along? I heard there were quite a few people in and out of there yesterday.”
“It’s coming along just fine. I need to meet with someone in an hour. I’ll be back here at eleven thirty to pick you up for lunch.”
I couldn’t believe how heavy handed he was being. What was he thinking? “What if I have lunch plans?”
“You do have lunch plans, with me.”
Arrogant. I expected nothing less. I wasn’t sure I could really argue with him. I wanted to. I wanted to tell him to kiss my ass, but I did need my job. I needed to pay the mortgage. “Fine, I’ll go to lunch with you, but I don’t see why we can’t just talk here.”
“Because I do better when I’m not dealing with a lot of outside noise. I think you are a little too close to the situation. It will do us good to get out of the office. Maybe we’ll be able to talk instead of snap at each other.”
“Like you said, you’re the boss. You run the show. I’m just your dutiful employee.”
He smiled and got to his feet. “Yes, you are.”
He sauntered out of my office and I had to resist the urge to throw my stapler at him. How could I possibly deal with him on a daily basis? I could barely stand seeing him for five minutes a day. Now I was going to be stuck eating a meal with him. Who in the hell did I piss off? This was cruel and unusual punishment. No one should have to have lunch with their ex.
Chapter 10
Nash
I was using my power and influence. I knew it and I didn’t care. I did not like the way things were starting off between me and my new manager. It was not healthy for us or the business. There was no way the tension between us was going unnoticed. They were going to revolt. I could feel it. That really didn’t bother me because I knew I could hire a whole new team tomorrow. It would be a setback, but it wouldn’t be the first time I had a hundred-percent turnover.