I walked toward Rogan’s office. I felt like I was breaking the rules and everyone was watching me. I reminded myself I was the boss and I could go to his office if I pleased. It was perfectly normal for us to talk during the day. I took a deep breath, gathering the courage I needed, and knocked on his office door.
“Come in,” he called.
I pushed the door open. “Are you busy?” I asked, suddenly nervous and hoping he would tell me he was too busy to talk to me. I would slink back to my office and hide for another week.
“Nope, come in.”
I sat down, feeling very anxious. “I was just talking to Beau and he suggested I talk to you.”
“About?”
“I was thinking about what you said about the guys that work at the yard and in the shops and so on. I would like to do something to recognize them for their hard work.”
That got his attention. “Really?”
“Yes.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“I was thinking a lunch would be a nice offering. Originally, I thought about taking them to lunch but Beau pointed out the logistics would be difficult. He suggested we have lunch taken to them. We could set up some tables and maybe extend their lunch break by thirty minutes to give them plenty of time to eat.”
He leaned back in his chair and looked at me. “That’s a really nice gesture.”
“But is it something they would like?”
He smirked. “Yes. They are men that work hard and could always go for food.”
I breathed a little sigh of relief. I was worried he would find the suggestion tacky or insulting. I knew I had grown up very differently than the people that worked there. I didn’t know them well enough to pretend to know what they would like. “Awesome. What kind of food? Mexican? Italian? Barbecue?”
“I think a taco bar would make for some very happy men.”
I was giddy inside. “Then we’ll do that. We can do it for every yard.”
“It’s a very good idea and I know the crew will appreciate it more than you know. I will tell you, when I was working at the yard, the general feeling was we were underappreciated. I’ve done what I can to try and make them feel a little better about things, but it can’t be just me.”
“Absolutely not. I was also thinking about that breakroom.”
“What about it?”
“Look at the breakroom we have compared to those guys. It’s very lacking. Plastic chairs, a small fridge, and an old radio don’t exactly say come in and take a load off.”
“You want to put couches and flowers in it?” he asked, and I didn’t miss the sarcasm.
“No—well, yes. Make it more comfortable but also stocked with bottles of water and maybe some snacks. I cannot imagine working as hard as those guys do. They need to be taken care of.”
He thought about it, tapping his fingers on the desk. “You know you will be adding an extra expense to the bottom line. Those guys will absolutely love it, but it could end up costing a pretty penny.”
“I don’t care. It isn’t like the company is hurting for money. I’m sure we can get a good deal on a vending machine type thing that doesn’t require them to actually pay.”
He shrugged. “I can make some calls, but if you do this, I think you need to fully commit. Giving and then taking away isn’t going to win you any friends.”
I nodded. “I understand and that’s fine. What kind of monthly budget do you think?”
“I have no idea.”
“Is this something you would be willing to take on?” I asked him. I didn’t want him to think I was dumping more work in his lap. “I can do it, but I feel like you are closer to this project. You giving it to them will mean more.”
“I don’t know if it will mean more but I can take this on. It would be my honor.”
“Perfect. Thank you.”
“You know, I ran something like this by your father before. It was a no-go from him. I’m glad you see their value and are willing to give them something I feel they deserve.”
I was practically glowing inside. Whenever he complimented me, it felt like the sun had shined on me. “Thank you for making me see their value. Please, feel free to bring those kinds of things to me. I want everyone to be happy here. I want the crew and staff to be proud to work here.”
He slowly nodded, a sexy smile on his lips. “I will do that.”
“All right then, I’ll leave you to it.”
“When do you want this to happen?” he asked as I got to my feet.
I looked at him and smiled. “Yesterday.”
“Got it. I will get right on it and hopefully have some answers for you by the end of the day.”
“Thank you, Rogan. For everything.”
He gave a small nod before putting his hands on his keyboard and typing. I walked away, feeling confident and proud that I had done something my father didn’t.
He was certainly loved by his employees, and they all respected him, but I did see some areas he lacked. I wanted to step out of the shadow he created and forge my own path. I wanted to take it all up a notch.
I went back to my office and sat down. I used my pen to draw a line through the employee appreciation note. Next on my list was to redecorate my office.
My dad’s masculine style was okay for him, but it was a little dark for me. I wanted to brighten things up. I needed to breathe new life into the place. I wouldn’t change too many things all at once. A little here and there.
It was only an hour later when Rogan appeared at my office door.
“What’s up?” I asked him.
“Got any plans for lunch tomorrow?” he asked with a grin.
“I don’t think so. Why?”
“Because I’ve got it all set to happen tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?!” I gasped. “That was fast.”
He shrugged. “I had some favors to call in.”
“Are you saying I should go out there?”
“I’m asking if you would like to.”
“Do you think they would want me there? I don’t want to impose. This is for them. I don’t want to make it about me.”
“It would be good for you to be there. Show up, relax, and eat tacos with them. That will make them feel valued. If I was them and you came to eat tacos with me, I would feel pretty damn special.”
I would eat tacos with him any day of the week. “Okay.”
“I’ll drive us over. Let’s plan to be there at eleven. We’ll probably be there a couple hours, so clear your schedule.”
“I will. Thank you.”
“Thank you,” he said. “Really, this is a big deal. With the lunch squared away, I’m going to get busy finding a vendor for the breakroom stuff.”
“Sounds good. Thank you.”
He nodded and walked away. It was turning out to be a very good day.
Chapter 23
Rogan
The woman was driving me crazy in those tight jeans and flirty top. I knew she purposely dressed down with the intention of blending in during the lunch. It was a smart move and would earn her a few more points with the crew. They needed to feel like she was genuine, and scaling back on the designer suits was one way to do that.
I had managed to get very little work done all morning. I couldn’t get the image of her ass in those jeans out of my mind. She always dressed a little on the frumpy side. I was sure it was her trying to look older than she was. I liked seeing her look like a normal twenty-four-year-old instead of in the uptight business suits. I was thinking about proposing casual Fridays just so I could see her in jeans more often.
“Ready?” I asked as I stepped into her office.
“I am. I’m excited. I should probably calm down. I don’t want to look totally uncool.”
I laughed. “You’re fine. They are going to be too busy looking at the tacos.”
We walked to my truck. I opened the door for her, just like I had done that night. She climbed in and looked like she belonged. I drove us ou
t to the yard, keeping the conversation focused on the job. It was becoming easier to be around her without feeling awkward or undressing her with my eyes. Well, I was still undressing her, but it was less often.
When we got to the yard, the catering team had already set up tables and chairs under a few canopies. The smell of cumin, onion, and peppers filled the air. A horn blew, followed by Vida making the announcement that lunch was served for all.
Instead of breaking it into shifts, we were shutting down operations for a full ninety minutes. After speaking with the new foreman and the big boss lady, Vida, we agreed it would build morale if everyone could eat together.
It wasn’t long before the tables were filled with very happy employees stuffing their faces with some of the best tacos on the planet. Cora was sitting with Vida at one table while I sat with Granger. We sat at one end, giving us the privacy I needed to pick his brain about how things were going without anyone listening in.
“This is wild,” Granger said around a mouthful of food.
“What is wild?”
“Us eating tacos that we didn’t pay for while we are at work. Did you ever imagine this day happening? I’m being paid to eat tacos.”
I laughed and quickly corrected him. “You are being paid to work and this is your lunch break. Don’t get too used to the idea of coming to work with the sole purpose of eating tacos.”
I watched Cora shake the hands of a few of the guys before they took a seat at her table. Granger waved a hand in front of my face. “I’m right here,” he said.
“I see you.”
“You weren’t looking at me.”
“I don’t like to look at your ugly mug if I don’t have to.”
“That’s not a very nice thing to say to your favorite employee,” he said without looking too upset.
“What gave you the idea you were my favorite?”
He batted his eyelashes at me. “Because I’m the cutest.”
“Not by a longshot,” I muttered.
“These are so fucking good,” he said with an exaggerated groan. “This is rich-people tacos. Poor-man tacos don’t include all the fixings. I might just want to be rich after this.”
I had to agree with him. The tacos and the fresh salsa were amazing. I was bobbing my head up and down in agreement but couldn’t speak. I was eating just as fast as he was. “Maybe I can convince her to do Taco Tuesdays once a month.”
“No.”
“What? Because you just want to come out here and eat all my tacos.”
“They aren’t your tacos,” I corrected.
“I bet if anyone could convince her, it will be you. I think she’s sweet on you. I know you are sweet on her.”
“You’re an idiot.”
I heard Cora’s laugh and looked up to see she was laughing with Vida and the few other women that worked at the yard. It was good to see her fitting in and enjoying herself. If she won Vida over, she was golden.
I watched as she leaned against Vida, both of them laughing and clearly having a good time. She looked so natural. She could have been mistaken for one of the crew. She blended in and I could see the others watching her with what looked a lot like admiration from where I was sitting.
“Damn,” Granger said, pulling my attention back from the other table.
“What?”
“You haven’t taken your eyes off of her since you’ve been here,” he commented. “You have got it bad.”
“I don’t have it bad.”
He was still smiling and shaking his head. “You do. I’ve seen you look at other women. This isn’t it.”
I raised an eyebrow. “What does that mean? I have the same eyes that look at women.”
“Nope. You got little heart-shaped pupils, just like in the cartoons.”
If the tacos weren’t so damn good, I would have thrown one at him. Because they were good and I was hungry and I didn’t want to waste food, I resisted the urge. “Seriously, it is no wonder you are single. I mean, why wouldn’t a woman want to snatch you up? You’re so funny. You’ll keep them laughing for days.”
“Tease all you want, but I’ll have you know there are plenty of women who want to get with this,” he answered. “I’m a hot commodity.”
“You’re a hot mess.”
“Don’t be jealous.”
“I’ll try not to be.”
“See?” he said. “There you go again.”
“What now?”
“You were just looking at her! You don’t even know you are doing it. That’s when you know it’s bad. Your tongue is hanging out and you have that starry-eyed thing going on.”
“I’m keeping an eye on her. I don’t want anyone giving her any trouble. I’m not looking at her with stars in my eyes. Are you drunk?”
“Nope, not yet.”
“I just need her to be treated well,” I told him, trying to make an excuse for my constant staring. I didn’t realize I was doing it.
“Trust me. That’s not going to be an issue after this. If you were hoping to buy her some goodwill, you succeeded. No one can turn down tacos. I don’t even know if a bonus check would have been received as well as these tacos. The caterer said if there are leftovers, we get to take them home. I’m really hoping someone stops eating or turns vegan. I want these all for myself.”
“This wasn’t my idea,” I corrected his assumption. “This was all her. She wanted to do something nice for the crew. In fact, she has a couple more things up her sleeve.”
“She wanted to buy us tacos?” he asked as if it was too much to believe.
“Yep. She came to me yesterday and asked if I thought it was a good idea. I did.”
He folded up another taco and took a healthy, man-sized bite. “It’s a very good idea. She can buy me tacos any day of the week.”
“Don’t push it,” I warned him.
He grinned, knowing he was purposely pushing my buttons. “I take it things are getting better at the office?”
“Yes, they are. How about here? Everything still good with the new guy?”
“Absolutely. Truly, it’s never been better. There is a lot less tension and stress. The guys are in much better moods and we just seem to work better.”
I nodded with approval. “Good to know.”
“Your little lady friend is shaping up to be a hell of a boss.”
“She isn’t my lady friend,” I corrected.
“She’s pretty,” he continued as if I had not said anything. “Really pretty. Young but I guess that doesn’t matter much these days.”
“Stop,” I hissed. “Don’t let anyone hear you talking like that.”
“Shit, you don’t think anyone else has noticed she’s pretty?”
I felt a twinge of jealousy at the thought of others admiring her. My eyes went over his shoulder as I watched her talk with animated gestures. She was having a good time. I couldn’t explain why that made me happy. I liked seeing her laugh. I liked watching her eat and talk. Hell, I just liked watching her in general.
I looked at Granger, forcing myself to stop staring at her. “She’s their boss.”
“But she’s a pretty boss,” he countered.
I groaned. “You are relentless.”
“Rogan,” Cora called.
“What’s up?” I asked without getting up.
She stood and moved away, indicating she wanted to talk to me away from the crowd. I held up a finger, letting her know I would be right there.
“Be careful,” Granger whispered. “You don’t want anyone to see that boner you are sporting.”
“Shut the fuck up,” I growled and got to my feet. I was not sporting a boner. Not anymore.
I walked to where she was standing. “I wanted to say a few words. Did you want to say anything? It seems like a good time since we have them all gathered in one place.”
I nodded. “Sure. Good idea.” I grabbed one of the chairs and climbed on top of it. “Can I have your attention please?”
The conversatio
ns died down and I had all eyes on me.
“Thank you all for letting us have lunch with you today.”
“Thanks for the tacos,” someone shouted.
I smiled, nodding. “They were pretty damn good, huh? But it isn’t me you need to thank. I want to introduce the new CEO. Some of you have met her, but for those of you that haven’t, meet Cora Mallet. She is the one that came up with this idea.”
There was a round of applause.
“Before I hand things over to her, I want to let each and every one of you know how much I appreciate you all. You guys bust ass every single day. You do it without being thanked nearly enough. I’m telling you all now, thank you. And please, keep up the good work.”
“Woohoo, Rogan!” Granger shouted, fist pumping the air.
I frowned at him before turning my attention to the rest of the small crowd. “Thanks, Granger. Everyone, please welcome Cora.”
There was more applause as I climbed off the chair. I moved to stand behind her, expecting Cora to stand where she was and say her piece. Instead, she made her way to climb onto the chair as well. I grabbed her hand, helping her up, and realized my mistake almost immediately.
Touching her was dangerous. I quickly pulled my hand away once she was established on the chair.
She had everyone’s attention. That was a good sign. In that moment, I knew she was going to be just fine. These people were hers. They would follow her and do what she asked, just like they had with Ben. Knowing she had their support and respect made my job a hell of a lot easier. I felt like I could relax a bit. I didn’t need to run interference for her or make excuses.
She was going to be a damn good leader. I just needed to get out of her way.
I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride as I watched her up on the chair. I knew her father would be very proud. I bet he was looking down from where he was and doing a slow clap. His little girl had just stepped into the big shoes he had left behind.
It was a day I knew I would remember for a long time to come.
Chapter 24
Cora
Backing You Up Page 14