Isat in my office, perusing a spreadsheet and crunching numbers on a company based in London that I wasn’t convinced Mitchell and Associates should acquire. The decision could easily be made without flying out to the London headquarters, but this one wasn’t looking robust enough for me.
The market was saturated with these particular pet products, but perhaps Party Pets could raise more awareness toward organic food being brought in for animals. We’d certainly have to change the name and relaunch the company, which would be easily done; however, the owners’ proposal gave me the feeling that company names would be more of a struggle than reaching an agreement on company shares and money issues.
I leaned back in my chair when Summer announced herself, and with my best friend right behind her. I smirked and shook my head when Alex’s flirty eyes held hers for a second too long.
“Mr. Mitchell, I’ve called for the heads of HR to conference room D for the meeting with public relations and the team leaders you requested from the Palm Springs event. It’s in fifteen minutes.”
“Thank you, Summer,” I said. “I think we’re all set.”
“The head of marketing has also set up the video you requested for the meeting as well.”
“Excellent.”
Summer left, and Alex sat across my desk. I swiveled my chair back and forth, studying my friend and giving him a look that told him that he was playing with fire regarding Summer.
“What the hell is that look?” he asked with a smile. “My mother is fine, by the way.”
“I know,” I answered with a smile. “You assured me of that on Saturday. You should’ve stayed longer, though. That’s your mom, for God’s sake.”
“A mom I hardly knew,” he answered. “Or do you forget the part where she walked out on us when I was three?”
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” I smiled and leaned forward on my desk, crossing my arms, “How is it most men seem to have daddy issues, but somehow we have issues with our moms screwing us over?” I shook my head. “I’m glad she’s well. You’re a good man to forgive her for her trespasses. I, however, am never going to fare well in that department. Seeing that addict piece of shit that Avery was with, all it does is fuel my hatred for those selfish mother fuckers.”
“So the rumors are true?” Alex chuckled. “James Mitchell’s got a sweet spot for the hot woman with blue eyes in marketing.”
“I figured all of it would start circulating through the circles and eventually into the company after I brought her to the medical gala this weekend. She was fucking awesome there too.” I smiled, recalling how I loved having Avery there with me this weekend. “Even Forrest, who waltzed in like the bottom feeder he is, tried his hand with her, and she took him down before Jake showed up to handle him. I was in the middle of securing three goddamn companies for us, and all I had was—”
“Jesus, man,” Alex cut me off. “You’re a smitten fool, Mitch.” He started laughing then looked at the clock. “Hey, we only have five minutes for you to spit it out.”
I pursed my lips and shook my head. “The rumors are true. That’s all I can say.” I grinned. “But those rumors are likely not as dangerous as the ones that will start on the top two floors of this building if you and Summer don’t keep your personal affairs outside of work. Avery’s different, and you know that. Summer came from Brakken and Brothers, our only real fucking competition, and her sister still works there. You can’t take chances with my office assistant, and yet here you are, lighting the rumor mill on fire yourself. You’re both being too obvious.”
“Too obvious?” He pulled out a note and waved it in the air. “How about this shit for too obvious, brother?” he said, waving what I saw was the note that I had sent with Avery’s lunch delivery today. “Hey, Gorgeous,” he cleared his throat, mimicking some deep voice that sounded nothing like mine—I hoped, “lunch is on me. I figured this would agree more than the flowers you deserve.” He arched an eyebrow and my unamused expression, “Forever yours, J.”
“How did that make it into your hands?” I asked, wondering if I’d caused Avery any trouble with my note. She did text me thank you for the fish tacos I’d had delivered.
“Well, in Avery’s words or mine?” he asked.
“How did a personal fucking note for Avery end up in my VP’s hands?” I asked, slightly annoyed.
“You aren’t going to believe me, but I’ll tell you anyway,” Alex started. “It looked like a third-grade lunch cafeteria when Summer and I walked through the garden courtyard after lunch. Avery was trying to grab this from some dude’s hand like he was playing keep-away from her after he found Willy Wonka’s golden ticket. I stepped in and took the note from the idiot before Avery threw him to the ground for acting like a dip shit. She was fine after that. She knew I’d handle it.”
“Who was this person?” I asked. “Did Avery do anything that would cause HR to throw this in her face?”
“No, she didn’t do anything wrong,” Alex said. “In fact, HR stepped in after I heard him call her a cunt, and his ass was leaving early today. He’s been fired because of this and subsequent complaints. It turns out, Tyler Matthews, some asshole supervisor in my acquisitions department, has had a few women come forward with grievances since this happened. Avery and your cute little love notes blew his bullshit wide open.”
“What the fuck?” I said, more concerned. “This shit is going to hit the news. What the hell has he done, and for how long? Son of damn bitch, man.”
“I’m handling it,” Alex said. “Calm the fuck down, or you will fire everyone in that meeting. They’re already nervous that you’re going to drop the hammer.”
“What complaints have the other women come forward with? Why didn’t I know about this when it happened?”
“Because HR and I, the Vice President of Mitchell and Associates, did our jobs, and did them efficiently. It’s being handled appropriately.”
I settled down some. “Fuck, man,” I answered. “You know I hate shit like this in our business.”
“Well, it’s in every business with tens of thousands of employees from the US to London. It’s why we have a special HR team. If I couldn’t handle it, I would have called you. Just be glad you and your sappy shit helped to free up women from this bag of dicks harassing them.”
“Sexually?” I cringed.
“Verbally,” he answered. “And he’s fired. If anything, we’ll put out a public statement and start backing a movement for employees to have a platform to speak out against their hotheaded managers.”
“I’d like to see that happen. Managers take advantage of their positions too easily. I’ve seen management-level pricks lording themselves over employees too often. It’s fucked up.”
“Since that’s all out of the way,” he slid the note over to me, “you can give this back to Avery.” He stood up. “And now that you’re in full-blown dick-mode, we can go deal with the groups that dropped the ball this weekend.”
I left the bullshit of this guy, Tyler Matthews, in Alex’s hands. I didn’t have time for it, and quite honestly, Alex ran this company arm-in-arm with me. I had nothing to flare up over, but it was disturbing to know that there were those in my company who had verbally abused others.
Everyone but Alex and I sat at the boardroom table, the lights dimmed, watching a ridiculous 1980s instructional video. The cold air blew on my neck where I stood at the back of the room, arms crossed and watching each employee who’d pissed me off this weekend. They sat like mannequins, watching this stupid thing. It was seriously some kind of show that came out of a business education class in middle school.
“Why the fuck are we watching this goddamn nightmare?” Alex leaned over and whispered into my ear.
“You’ll see,” I said after the video ended, and the lights slowly brightened.
I walked to the front of the room and stood at the head of the table in front of the fourteen people who’d had a part in fucking up Palm Springs.
“I believe I can read all of your minds at the moment,” I said, eying the group of young and old men and women trying to maintain their composure. “Why in the world,” I said dramatically, “would Mr. Mitchell waste our precious time with such a mundane and highly obtuse video. Am I correct?”
The group stared at me.
I smiled. “It’s a simple question. If you enjoyed the video, by all means, take it home as a gift from me to you. If you found it to be a waste of your time,” I held onto that word, “then you’ll easily understand how I felt when I was doing all of your jobs this weekend.” I grew more solemn, ensuring I eyed each individual. “We all are tasked with a job in this company. Each one of you at this table is accountable for that job. However, apparently I failed to get the entire team’s memo that we clocked out on one of the largest conferences of the year.”
“Mr. Mitchell,” Gary, one of my PR heads, spoke up, “we had no idea about half of what happened, or that Jen was sending all the calls to you.”
I narrowed my eyes at the man. “I so wish I loved hearing excuses. It would make my life so much easier. Unfortunately for you all, I despise them. I like solutions, Mr. Maldonado. So instead of trying to excuse the fact that none of you knew that multiple groups were bailing out on us last minute, leaving me all but vacuuming the banquet hall for the event, I want solutions for why it won’t happen again. Why my time won’t be wasted again,” I pointed at the screen behind me, “as I just wasted thirty minutes of your precious time. Solutions,” I said, eying him and then the rest of the room. “Do I need to bring in the solutions department to educate you all? You, one of my most-trusted groups of associates, who Alex and I depend on greatly for hosting these events?”
“No, sir,” some said.
My God, I sounded just like my father. I hated having to rip into my teams, but I couldn’t let any of this slide. No fucking way. I might’ve sounded like my father, but they had behaved like children. Give them an inch, and they’ll take a mile? Truer words have never been spoken.
“Now, we have an expo coming up in six months,” I said. “I have to be able to depend on all of you up until the last piece of trash is picked up off the floor. The expo will yield one of our highest investment opportunities yet. The media will be there, and many journalists as well. This event cannot fall on my or Alex’s shoulders when things start falling apart. All of you are getting paid nicely to do your jobs. Please remember that when putting this event, and any other event, together and seeing it through until the end. I will never field calls like that again. Does it all make sense on how it was pretty unfair for you all to throw this last-minute stuff in my lap while I’m trying to do my job?”
“Absolutely, sir.”
“That being said, what you did organize was phenomenal. Everything ran flawlessly. I expected no less, and you didn’t disappoint. You’re all creative geniuses, and I appreciate every one of you. I would hate for any negativity to cloud my appreciation for your great talent. That is all, and you may return to work.”
I met Alex in the corner, a tactic we used in pointedly avoiding any kiss-asses after we had to bring it in to remind employees of their jobs and how they have to stay on top of shit. “I need to speak with Avery,” I said to him.
“Then call her to your office. Why are you telling me?”
“Just go escort her up here, please. I thought of something with that pet company in London. I’m going through the proposals. I need to start it now, though, because I have a feeling they’ll hate that I don’t like their company name.”
Alex laughed and waved his hand over as if he were making a rainbow. “Party Pets!” he exclaimed. “Taking your pet to a party in healthy ways.”
I rolled my eyes at him, the room now empty. “That’s why that damn name needs to go. The catchphrases would be ridiculous and distract from what this company could do for animal health and well-being.”
“I’ll go get your girl,” he said. “Handle your shit. It’s Kinder’s tonight, right?”
“Every Monday.” I smiled. “For now, anyway. If Avery and I finally move in the direction I want, then I’ll be passing on eating out. Unless, of course, you’d all like to change the venue to McDonald’s with her and Addison.”
“I can see Jake and Collin now, fighting for the happy meals.”
“Get the hell out of here.” I smiled and was prepping myself to apologize to Avery for any inconvenience that the lunch letter might have caused her.
