She raised an eyebrow and clearly did not believe me. “Yeah, it looks like it,” she scoffed.
“Do you want to tell me why you are here?” I asked with every ounce of my impatience showing. “Is it to try and get the rest of my staff to quit?”
“No, I’m here to make you a deal.”
“What makes you think I would want to deal with you? I already tried to offer you your job back. You didn’t want it. In fact, if I remember correctly, you had quite a bit to say about working here and for me.”
“I’m here to suggest a way we can make this work.”
“Make what work?”
She pointed at the paperwork. “I can get this train back on the tracks. We need each other to make this work.”
“I don’t need anyone.”
“You say that, but we both know you are wrong,” she said without missing a beat. “You need me to help you run this place and get you over the finish line. Without me, you are going to destroy the reputation of this firm. No one will leave their business with us if you screw this up.”
I raised an eyebrow. “If I screw this up? I didn’t quit without notice because I didn’t like someone. I didn’t walk out and leave the clients and the staff in the lurch because someone took away my donuts.”
“You know it was so much more than that,” she said with a glare. “I’m not trying to rehash all of that. I’m here to offer you my help. If we work together, we can save this firm. If you don’t want my help, fine, but you will fail.”
“I don’t fail,” I said without missing a beat. “Won’t happen.”
“It will happen.”
I mulled it over for a moment. I did need help. I could feel myself drowning. I was the captain of a sinking ship. It was an uncomfortable feeling I did not relish. I had a choice to make. My pride was telling me to go down with the ship. The more sensible side of me was saying take the help and deal with the aftermath later.
“Why?” I asked. “Why are you willing to come back now after I went to your house and personally asked you? Is this a game to you? Are you messing with me?”
“It isn’t a game, and I am not messing with you. I’m willing to come back and work for a couple of months to get you through this season and set you up for success. I’ll train my replacement.”
I studied her. I sensed there was a but. There was more to her little offer. I had been in business a long time and I knew when I was being worked. “Why? What’s in it for you?”
“I’m going to start my own firm,” she said. “I’d like to learn from you about the business side of things. I know what I’m doing when it comes to managing people and actually doing the work, but I’m not all that familiar with whatever it is you do in here.”
“You want me to train my competition?” I asked.
She smiled. “I guess you can think of it like that. I’d be going out on my own. I’m not sure I would really be your competition. I can’t compete with this place.”
I didn’t know if I believed her. “Are you trying to poach my clients?”
“No, and they aren’t your clients,” she said. “If you don’t bring me back, you don’t have to worry about me poaching your clients. It will be one of the other firms.”
“Have you heard something?” I asked.
“No, but I will,” she replied. “This isn’t exactly surprising. I’m gone. You’ve lost several key employees. This accounting community is small. Everyone knows you are sinking. I’m offering you a lifeline.”
Just the mere thought of someone helping me made my skin crawl. I was more than capable of taking care of myself. “You’re assuming I need one.”
“You do,” she stated. “It helps you and me.”
I didn’t like it. I was certain there was something else going on. “And when you quit again, then what?”
“I go on my way and you run this business any way you see fit.”
“I’m not going to help you get better than me,” I said and immediately regretted it. I sounded like a petulant child. “You are asking me to help you become the best. I would lose clients and money.”
“You don’t have to if you hire the right people and figure out how