Big Ben (See No Evil Trilogy #1) - Nana Malone Page 0,48
everyone. I’ve met most of you in meetings over the last couple of weeks. Glad to be on board. Before going on vacation this week, Jessa asked me to present today, so I’d like all of you to turn your attention to...”
I could hear the words she was saying. I understood that she was directing people to the PowerPoint on the board, and she had the clicker. Why did she have the clicker?
Clearly, she’s giving a presentation you wanker.
I frowned. But it was my job to present the priority projects.
My frown deepened, and I interrupted. “Ms. Ashong, what are you doing?”
She blinked at me. “Mr. Covington, I’m giving the presentation on the direction we’ll be moving, what’s currently on everyone’s plate right now, and suggestions for how to streamline.”
I gave her a brittle smile. I was pissed off that she thought she could take over my meeting.
Well, it is her job.
That spike of rationality got smothered quickly. This was mine. It had always been mine.
Then why did you hire her?
I had no fucking idea. I was pissed off and annoyed. For someone who had me all twisted up, she didn’t look at all perturbed.
“Oh, sorry sir. I thought that you would want me to. But go ahead.”
I took the remote from her and stood. That’s right, my meeting. She gave me a soft smile. Why the fuck was she smiling at me?
You’re losing it. Calm down. Focus on what you need to do.
“All right, as you know we’ve got the Paris property going. We’re waiting on final bids from Wes, and then we’ll finalize. Also, I went over the Peterman file and what we’ll do is have Max Peterman and his crew take over on the twentieth for that site. We’ll get their estimate and—”
Olivia raised her hand. “I’m so sorry to interrupt sir, but Max Peterman can’t lead on that project.”
I frowned. “What? Why the hell not?”
“Because his wife is having a baby the week before. He sent notification via email. He’s got his foreman ready and willing to go, but you weren’t happy with the results the last time his foreman ran a project for us. What I am suggesting is an alternative. We’ll have a crew work on the luxury villas. It was a separate crew anyway, because that was going to require special permits. We’ll keep that moving and on track instead of waiting. And then after Peterman’s paternity leave, he and his team can resume in two months.”
I could only stare at her and try to decipher her words. She’d clearly asked me something because she was waiting for a response. I shook my head. “What?”
She spoke more slowly, and I was well aware of everyone around the table staring at us. She stood and took the remote out of my hand and clicked. “You see, on this file, I circled when he would be ready to start. That means that the luxury villas would be built, mostly fitted, except for plumbing, and we have a separate team to do that and the electrical, which will be wired into the main system, so we can have Peterman’s team do that as normal while he’s on leave. He would start here”—she clicked the calendar—“eight weeks from now, and the whole team will be able to function while he’s gone. There will be no starts and stops. This will be more efficient and means we can finish ahead of schedule.”
She clicked again, showing what that did to the calendar on the project.
I blinked at her. “Right.” Why hadn’t I known about Peterman?
I handed the rest of the meeting over to her. After all, she had all the slides, and well, I felt fucking obsolete at my own company. This was my meeting. My team.
It’s her job now.
God, I was losing it. After just a hint of this woman’s perfume, I couldn’t think right. Jesus. I was no better than a goddamn teenager.
When the meeting was over, I scowled. “Miss Ashong, please stay behind.” She had just stood but eased herself back into her seat and turned around slightly so she could face me.
When everyone was gone, she crossed her arms. I didn’t know if it was a protection of herself against me or if she was irritated. Either way, it made my anger simmer to life. “What the hell was that?”
“That was you trying to take over my meeting.”
I blinked hard. “Your meeting? Whose name is on the building?”