“They were all there,” he said with a great deal of pride. “Ben was one of them. He was kind, and even after he made his money, he was still just Ben Mallet. He sipped shitty coffee and ate the usual country fried steak with gravy. He didn’t get all high and mighty.”
“I believe it,” I said with a small laugh. “Ben was a very humble man.”
“He certainly was. We used to come here in the beginning years of the company. We’d strategize and plan. When things got rocky, we found ourselves right back here, working through one problem after another. This place holds a lot of fond memories for me.”
My eyes drifted to the group of men that had pushed together several tables and were all talking and laughing. “The old coffee crew?”
“Yes. I think it’s about time for me to consider retiring. Not right away but in the next couple of years. I don’t want to spend my last days on this earth sitting in an office. I want to live a little.”
“I don’t blame you.”
Our breakfasts were delivered. Thankfully, it was a traditional bacon, eggs, and hash browns plate. I was waiting for Beau to get to the real reason he brought me to the restaurant. I could feel him stalling. I would give him a few more minutes before I demanded he tell me what was going on. If I was fired, I wanted to know sooner rather than later.
“I wanted to talk to you about the changes coming,” he started.
I leaned back in the chair, anxious and nervous to hear what was coming. “What kind of changes?”
“Cora Mallet will be taking over as the CEO.”
My left brow arched. “Cora, the young woman who graduated college a month ago and has worked at the company as long? That Cora Mallet?”
He nodded, sipping his coffee like it wasn’t a big deal. It was a huge deal to me. “She’s new and she is going to need our help. You and I will need to guide her and help her find her way in the new position.”
I was pissed. I shouldn’t have been. It wasn’t my company and it was inevitable one of them would get it. “She doesn’t even know what we do,” I complained.
“She does, but you are right. She is very green. I’m counting on you to help me guide her. She’s going to struggle, but with me and you, we’ll teach her how to do things.”
I didn’t want to fucking teach her or anyone else. “How is this going to work?” I asked. “She doesn’t have the first clue what we do or how to do it. She barely even knows the staff.”
“Rogan, this is why we’re talking. Ben would have wanted us to guide her. I don’t think he planned on dying so soon. This should have been his time with his daughter. He had been looking forward to grooming her to take over. Trust me. I know he would love to be the one in our shoes. Things don’t always work out as planned. We can’t hold that against her. She is a bright young woman and she will do great once she learns the ropes.”
I wasn’t quite so convinced. “It’s going to be a lot of work. Is she going to be willing to take our advice? From what I know of her, she can be stubborn.”
Beau smiled. “That’s a good thing. She gets that from her father. We don’t want some pushover at the helm. She needs to be strong. We want someone tough and capable, just like her daddy.”
“When does this happen?”
He cleared his throat. “She’s holding a meeting today. Everyone will be in attendance. This is the chance for me and you to support her. We need to show we are on board with this change. Between the two of us, we will get the rest of the team to fall in line. I expect there are going to be a few people who don’t take kindly to a young lady being their boss. Those people can either get on board or leave.”
I knew that last bit was directed at me. He was throwing his full support behind Cora and I was expected to do the same. If not, I would be revising my resume. “I see,” I murmured.
“Rogan, I know you worked closely with Ben. You knew him better than I did in many ways. You understood the technical details of the operation. With my finance experience and your knowledge of the daily operations, we are positioned to make her an even better, more effective CEO than her father was. I know you only want the best for the company.”
He was guilting me. “I do,” I agreed.
“Then are you ready to head back to the office?”
“I suppose,” I said, still struggling to wrap my head around the details.
“It might be a little bumpy, but we’ll get there. I’m just glad it’s you walking this road with me.”
“Me too. I mean, I’m glad you’re here to help guide us through this transition.”
He looked at me, completely serious. “She needs us,” he said in a somber tone. “The young woman just lost her father and a company fell in her lap in the span of a week. This is going to be tough on her. She’s alone in the world. Her brother will give her as much support as he can, but it’s me and you she will be leaning on. She needs to be able to trust you.”
“I understand,” I said. I had seen her grief and knew she was struggling. I just hoped she was ready for the job. It was a big job, and even without the grief she was dealing with, things were going to be difficult for her.
He paid our bill and we headed back to the office. I knew it was the idea of change that was bothering me the most. No one liked change. I just prayed Cora wasn’t too caught up in that shiny new degree she had. Sitting in a college classroom, learning about how to run a business, and actually running a business were very different. She was likeable enough, but if she started making a lot of stupid moves and tried to change things, it was going to be bad.
By the time we made it back to the office, everyone was already gathering in the conference room. I saw the looks of confusion and apprehension. None of them knew what was coming. The rumors had been circulating all day yesterday. Some worried the company would be shut down. Others suggested I was taking over. When they found out it was the young new hire, I had a feeling there were going to be some unhappy folks.
“Good morning, everyone,” Beau said in his typical authoritative voice. “Thank you all for making time to join us here. We’ll be getting started shortly. Right now, I’d like to touch base with all of you. How is everyone feeling?”
There were the usual fines and goods from around the room. My eyes went to the clock on the wall. Just when was the new queen of the company going to grace us with her presence? I hoped this wasn’t going to be the usual way things went. Tardiness was unacceptable. That was something I knew Ben would have already taught his young protégé.
Chapter 8
Cora
I buttered the toast, my hands shaking as I held the bread. I dropped it on the plate heaped with fluffy scrambled eggs and pushed it toward Oakley.
“Thanks,” he said, grabbing a slice of toast.
“You’re welcome,” I murmured as I carried my plate to sit next to him at the massive center island in the kitchen.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
I blew out a breath. “Nauseous, hence the toast only.”
“You’re going to be fine.”
“This is my first day as the boss. This is a big deal. What if they don’t like me?”
“First of all, they will like you. Everyone likes you. You are a nice girl.”
I looked at him and rolled my eyes. “A nice girl? You make it sound like I’m going to my first day of kindergarten.”
He took another bite of his toast before holding up a finger. “I wasn’t done. Second, it isn’t your first day. You’ve been working there.”
“As a grunt,” I retorted. “I was a step above the coffee girl.”
“Third,” he said a little louder. “You’re the boss. You are the head honcho. What you say goes. You are the youngest billionaire in the history of Texas.”
“You don’t know that,” I argued.
He grinned, taking another bite. “It seems legit.”
“I don’t want to go in there and have people think I’m a spoiled brat or that I’m stuck up.”
<
br /> “People are going to think what they want about you. There is little you can do to control other people’s thoughts. You are powerful, but you are not God.”
“Stop,” I scolded. “You know what I mean.”
“I do and I’m sure it is going to be a little bumpy in the beginning, but you will be okay. You are a strong woman. I’m here for you. Beau and Rogan are going to help you as well. Whenever you are feeling overwhelmed, lean on one of us.”
“Thank you. I just feel like I have a lot of pressure on me. Dad left some pretty big shoes to fill. I’m not sure I can fill them.”
“You don’t have to fill them. You just have to do your best to make those shoes yours.”
I frowned at him. “I don’t know what that means, but I am going to do my best not to be a complete failure.”
He slapped my back, nearly making me choke. “Lucky for you, the company is doing well enough that even if you fuck things up the first few months, it will still recover.”
“Thanks. That’s comforting.”
He grinned, looking very proud of himself. “You’ll do fine. Now go. You don’t want to be late on your first day.”
I looked at the watch on my wrist. It had been a gift from my dad a few years ago. “Shit, I’m going to be late.”
I slid off the stool and rushed for the door. I hopped in my little Porsche and started down the driveway. The Porsche was my graduation gift from my dad. I’d told him it was too much but he was very proud of me for earning my degree and graduating at the top of my class. It was a sweet ride and I loved driving it.
I pulled into the parking garage, claiming my CEO spot. I headed upstairs via the elevator, taking deep breaths to calm my nerves. Show no fear. Be cool. Be confident. It was everything my father would have said to me if he was there.
I made my way down the hall, dropping my briefcase off in my dad’s office. I took a few seconds to collect myself. The office was dark, but the door was open. I heard voices coming down the hall. I wasn’t ready to see anyone yet. I stepped to the side, leaning against the wall.
“I heard she is some spoiled brat,” one of the voices said. “I just got this internship. It was supposed to open doors for me. Now I’m stuck with an internship that won’t mean shit for my resume. No one is going to take it seriously with some overprivileged kid running the show.”
I heard another voice. “I don’t know if she’s going to be bad, but I wish it was someone that knew what the hell they were doing.”
The voices faded as they headed toward the conference room. I told myself not to get mad. I was used to people making assumptions about who I was. I had been dealing with that for most of my life. My father was one of the wealthiest men in the state and people always passed judgment on us before ever meeting us.
Their words only made me want to do better. I tugged down the fitted jacket that was part of my power suit ensemble and stepped out of the office. I strode down the hallway like I owned it. I supposed I did own it. When I stepped into the conference room, few people noticed me.
“Can everyone find a seat or find a spot on the wall?” I asked in a loud voice.
The many conversations continued. I looked over and saw Rogan watching me. He was waiting to see what I would do instead of offering to help. I was not going to be ignored.
“Excuse me!” I nearly shouted. That got their attention. They all looked at me. “Please, find a seat.”
Rogan gave me a slight nod. As if I needed his approval. I did appreciate it, but I didn’t need it. “My name is Cora Mallet. As you all know, I will be taking over the business.”
I heard myself talking and realized I probably sounded a little bitchy. I didn’t care. I needed to be strong or they were going to roll right over the top of me. That much was clear, judging by the conversation I overheard. I needed them to know I was the boss. If I was soft and appeared weak, they would take advantage.
“I wanted to take a few minutes to introduce myself and let everyone know who I am and what my plans for the future are,” I started. I scanned the room and spotted the young guy near the back and knew he was the intern. I stared directly at him. “Let me put your minds at ease. I don’t plan on making big changes. My father had a successful company and I plan on following his recipe for success. I know I seem young and I’m sure some of you think I’m just an overprivileged kid who got a company handed to her. I did get the company handed to me, but my father has been grooming me to take over since I was about ten. I recently graduated from college and am excited to put my education to use.”
I looked at Beau, who was now standing next to Rogan. Seeing the two of them gave me the courage to go on. I turned back to my captive audience and finished the speech I had prepared earlier. I hoped it was enough to keep everyone working and happy. I knew I couldn’t please them all, but I didn’t want anyone to go away and think I was a horrible boss.
I dismissed the room. I stayed behind, as did Rogan and Beau. I was prepared to be given feedback on my speech. I was sure I made some mistakes and they were going to tell me to temper my attitude. When the last person was gone, I turned to them both.
I extended my arms to the sides. “Well?”
Beau offered me a smile while Rogan just stared at me. I couldn’t read his expression. I didn’t know if he was angry, happy, or indifferent.
“You did fine.”
“Was I too harsh?”
Beau shook his head. “No. You were strong. It is going to take a strong leader to lead this company.”
I nodded, feeling the adrenaline wearing off. “I am going to try my hardest.”
“I’ll be here to guide you. If you have questions about accounts or business decisions or anything at all, you can come to me.”
“Thank you, Beau.”
I looked at Rogan, who remained silent. I waited for him to give me his opinion. He said nothing.
“Rogan will be showing you around. He’ll take you down to the yard and introduce you to the group out there.”
“Oh,” I squeaked. “When?”
Rogan shrugged a shoulder. “We can go now unless you have something pressing to do.”
“I’m good. I don’t think I have anything on my schedule for the day. My dad’s secretary—” I stopped talking. I couldn’t remember her name.
“Anna,” Rogan said. “Her name is Anna.”
“I know her name.” I scowled. “She and I spoke over the phone yesterday. She was going to keep my schedule clear for the next day or two while I ironed out the details.”
“Good,” Beau said. “That’s perfect. I’ve got a few things we’ll need to go over, but for now, everything is handled. Take your time and ask questions.”
“I will. Thank you for helping me through this. And thank you for holding things down this last week.”
“Absolutely,” he said. “I’ll let the two of you get out there. I know they are all anxious to meet you. Rogan is a familiar face to them and will make sure they treat you with the respect you deserve.”
That didn’t sound promising. “Thanks.”
“I’ll go grab my keys,” Rogan said.
“Can you meet me in my office? I need to change my shoes.”
He looked down at my heels. “You brought another pair of shoes?”
I smiled, proud of my foresight. “My dad always said to be prepared for a yard visit. I brought them in yesterday.”
He nodded with approval. “I’ll be right there.”
He walked out of the conference room, leaving me alone with Beau.
“Was I too harsh?” I asked again. Beau had known me since I was a little girl. He would tell me the truth.
“You were not too harsh. These people are going to be second-guessing you. The only way to earn their trust and respect is to prove you are worthy of the job. My job is to make sure that transition is as smooth as possible.”
“Thank you, Beau. I know I will be leaning on you a lot. This is all so much. I don’t want to let my
dad down.”
He offered a small smile. “There is nothing you could do to let him down. He was always proud of you and will always be proud of you.”
“I better go change my shoes,” I told him.
I walked out and headed for my office. I pulled the shoes from the small closet that still held my father’s spare suit in case of a spill or tear. I pulled on the flats, took a look in the mirror, and wiped away a smudge under my eye.
“You can do this,” I whispered.
I heard a sound and turned to see Rogan standing just inside the doorway. I was a little embarrassed to get caught talking to myself but brushed it off.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“I am.”
I followed him out of the office, a little nervous about being alone with him. The guy was hot. I always knew he was attractive, but now that I was back from school and taking my first step into the real world of adulthood, I realized he was crazy hot. I wondered if he had a girlfriend. Was he sleeping with anyone who worked in the office? There was no way women didn’t notice him.
For just a brief moment, I let myself pretend I was going to dinner with him. I wondered what it would be like to touch him. Kiss him. Do all the things I did in my dreams with him.
When I had that dream, that fantasy, I’d had no idea I would be his boss. I supposed I suspected it, but I didn’t know for sure. I could not have any more fantasies about him.
Our relationship needed to be strictly professional.
Chapter 9
Rogan
It was weird to have a beautiful woman in my truck and not talk to her. Usually, I would be flirting, trying to put the woman at ease and make sure she had a good time. I was with my boss. I was with Oakley’s little sister. Awkward didn’t begin to describe the way I felt. Judging by the tension in the truck, she was feeling just as awkward.
I turned up the radio a bit to drown out the silence. She leaned forward and turned it down. I glanced over at her, questioning her without saying a word. It was sacrilegious to mess with a man’s radio in his own fucking truck.
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