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“Well, the former CEO, Dottie Hessler, was incredible. I finally got the nerve to schedule a meeting with her. I was going to go above Casey’s head and ask about getting a job on the marketing team.”
“But you’re still getting coffee? She didn’t agree?”
Spencer drops her head. “She passed away a few weeks ago. My meeting was scheduled for next week, actually.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
She shrugs. “Just wasn’t meant to be. I’m not worried about it at the moment. Right now, we’re all mourning. If the office seems a little gloomy, that’s why. Dottie will be sorely missed. She was the kind of CEO who would hold doors open for entry-level employees and actually ate in the lunch cafeteria with us. That was her thing. She always tried to be around and approachable.”
I’m not remotely surprised to hear this about Dottie. “That’s really nice.”
“Yes, and I don’t mean to make the leadership team sound awful. Casey’s a douche, and unfortunately, I report to him. But the other department heads are great. I don’t know who you report to, but most of them will do a monthly career mapping meeting with you. My advice for you here is to speak up and ask for what you want. There’s a lot of opportunity to climb, and if they know you’re hungry to grow, they’ll help you. What department did you say you’re in?”
After that article was released, I assumed everybody at the company already knew about me in the worst way, but I suppose not everybody subscribes to gossip media. Not to mention there was no picture with the article. “I report to Dex Hessler.”
“Ah. Lucky.” She winks. “Total dreamboat. He’s fantastic eye candy. He used to never be here, but I’ve seen him at headquarters a handful of times since Mrs. Hessler passed. Actually, your boss is here today. I saw the entire exec team in some big meeting upstairs.”
My stomach drops. “What time is it?”
“Ten-forty.”
I grumble. “You saidupstairs?”
“Yes. All the executive meetings are on the fourth floor.”
“Shit. I need to be at that meeting. I thought it was the third floor.”I swear Dex said third. Dammit.
“Oh, come on, I’ll take you. Stairs are a little faster if you’re late.” She leads the way down the hall. After climbing the stairs at warp speed, and banking a sharp left, Spencer points to a large meeting room with windows for walls at the corner of the hallway. I can see Dex sitting at the head of the table with an empty chair beside him.Fuck.So much for good first impressions. The entire board and executive team are already seated, eyes fixed on a PowerPoint presentation projected on the board behind them.
“Thank you, Spencer,” I say, moving toward the glass door.
“Wait, Lennox, may I ask you for a little favor?” she asks in a hurry.
“Sure.”
“If you get a chance to talk to Mr. Hessler, would you mind putting in a good word for me?Spencer Riley.I think I’m going to give it a few months and then see if I can apply for the marketing team again. Casey would never approve a transfer.I’m the only one who makes his coffee right, apparently. So, I need his boss to sign off. It’d help to have a good reference.”
I smile at her. “I like your odds.”
Dex
I press my lips together, trying my best not to laugh as my poor wife sneaks in late to the leadership meeting. She pushes open the door slowly, so as not to interrupt our CFO, Casey. He’s droning on about call center efficiency and how they’ve managed to increase our profit margins by a whole percent thanks to first-call resolution. Unfortunately for Lennox, the door needs a hearty coat of WD-40 and creaks miserably as she pushes against it.
With every tiny step she takes forward, the door wails. Eventually, she must decide, “fuck it,” because she hurls the door open with gusto and scurries to the chair right next to me.
Casey continues talking, but now all eyes are fixed on Lennox.
“Sorry to interrupt, but may I have the room?” I ask.
Casey nods, abruptly ending the presentation no one was really paying attention to, and then takes a seat across the table.
“I’d like to introduce everyone to my wife, Lennox.” There’s a low murmur of awkward “hellos” and “welcomes.”
Normally, Lennox approaches everything she does with what I’d call blind ferocity. Complete confidence even when she’s ill-equipped. But right now, her knee is jiggling so hard she’s shaking her chair. The only time I’ve seen her nervous like this is the first time she went scuba diving in the ocean. I place myhand on her leg under the table, gently squeezing and massaging until I feel her quad relax.
“Everyone in this room is aware of the complicated nature of my grandmother’s intentions with the future of this company,” I continue. “Lennox has graciously agreed to step into the role of CEO in the interim. I’ll be in the role of president until she feels comfortable handing her shares back over.”
I’m expecting smiles…maybe some encouraging nods, but as I look around the room, it’s clear why Lennox is so nervous. We’re met with scowls, pinched eyebrows, and shifted gazes. Reading a room is half my job, and every warning alarm is going off, telling me this is bad.