Synergy: New Adult Romantic Suspense (U-District, #1)

by Ashland, Jodi

  Jade sat down, clasped her hands together, and waited for a response. When she got nothing, she continued. “As senior managers of this company, I expect you to be able to give me answers. I expect ideas and respectful debate on how we can improve this business. If you are unable or unwilling to participate in this process, I am happy to replace you with someone who will.”

  “No offense, Jade, but most of us around this table have been working at this company since before you were born,” Timothy said. “You don’t have any experience running a company. Why don’t you let Bryce handle operations and let the rest of us do our jobs?”

  Jade’s nails bit into the tops of her hands. “And what job is that, to run this company into the ground?” Her pulse accelerated. “My grandmother trained me for this position since I was old enough to talk. I finished my first year of the Executive MBA program at Stanford University with grades at the top of my class, and Bryce is COO because I made the recommendation to my grandmother before I left for Stanford.”

  The entire table, except Stan, looked at Jade in shock.

  “You’re only twenty-two, how could you—” Timothy stopped when he realized he’d spoken aloud.

  “How could I possibly have been in a graduate degree program?” Jade leaned forward, clasping her hands together. She looked directly at him. “That was easy. I took community college courses and finished my Associates degree the spring I graduated high school. I graduated from UW with a Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems a week before my twenty-first birthday, then I was off to Stanford.”

  Timothy pulled on his collar. “I just assumed—”

  “You know what they say about making assumptions, Timothy.”

  Timothy’s jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed.

  Jade looked everyone in the eye. She would no longer allow them to walk all over her. No, she was an up-and-coming version of her grandmother: strong, determined, and feisty.

  “It’s time you all started to take me seriously as your CEO.” Jade continued. “At eight sharp on Monday morning, I expect each one of you to do a twenty-minute presentation about how your department can help increase the quality and timeliness of our product orders. There will be another twenty minutes of Q&A for each of you.”

  Stan leaned forward. “Everyone here knows you’re the CEO of this company, Jade. Why don’t you reschedule this task for next week? You can’t expect us to work over the weekend on such short notice. We already have plans.”

  Many of the managers nodded their heads in agreement.

  “I can, and I do.” Jade tried to ignore the rapid beating of her heart. “As senior managers of this company, you are expected to put in the time necessary to make this a profitable business, instead of one that is floundering, and has been floundering, for years. If this doesn’t fit into your schedule, please let me know right now.”

  “I’m sorry, Jade, but I’m otherwise engaged this weekend,” Stan said.

  Jade’s belly flipped. She was glad she hadn’t eaten lunch yet. Stan was really going to force her hand, but she was ready for this. “That’s unacceptable.” She stood and walked to the phone on the credenza. “Marge, please send security in to escort Stan Templeman out of the building. He has been terminated, effective immediately.”

  “What?” Timothy pointed to Jade. “You can’t do this.”

  “She just did.” Bryce said.

  “Bryce, tell her she can’t do this. Stan has been at this company as long as Gloria. Jade can’t just replace him like this.”

  “I can’t do that,” Bryce replied.

  “Why not? You have the authority to go to the board of directors and overturn her.”

  “I can’t because I agree with her, Timothy.”

  Jade hadn’t expected Bryce to back her up. It was nice to have an ally, even if only this once.

  Stan squeezed his eyes shut when the two security guards entered the room.

  Timothy turned to Linda, the Human Resources manager. “She can’t do this, can she?”

  “Washington is an ‘at will’ state, meaning an employee or employer can terminate employment at will.”

  Stan raised his hand to stop Timothy and then left without looking at her.

  Jade took a deep breath, walked back to the head of the table and stood. “If anyone else does not feel up to this challenge, I expect to have your resignation in Marge’s inbox by eleven a.m. sharp Monday morning. Any resignations I receive at eleven-oh-one or later will be accepted with no severance. Are there any questions?”

  Some of the managers looked down at the table in front of them. Others let their angry eyes bore into hers. Bryce looked at her in what? Admiration?

  “If anyone wants to resign now, please leave the room.” Jade waited. No one left the room.

  “Bryce, I would appreciate a recommendation for Stan’s permanent or temporary replacement on my desk by the end of business today.”

  “Will do.”

  It was time for the other part of the management team’s reorientation. “Roz, please hand them out.”

  Roz handed each manager a small book.

  “This is your homework assignment tonight. It’s a book about organizational change. This company is going to go down a different path. We are going to drive a culture of idea generation and look into new possibilities. If you decide you are unable to make this journey after you’ve read this book, please turn in your resignation to me on Monday. I hope you’re all ready to embrace change and new possibilities. Are there any questions?” Jade paused. Utter silence.

  I didn’t think so.

  “That will be all for today. I’ll see you bright and early Monday morning with your ideas.”

  Jade stood where she was, watching the room clear. She wasn’t going to be the one to leave first and give them the opportunity to start complaining to one another. She kept her hands at her sides, hoping no one noticed they were trembling.

  “Man I thought your Gran had big cojones,” Roz said to Jade before she left the room.

  Now that she was alone, Jade sank into her chair. Firing Stan was one of the hardest things she’d ever had to do.

  Bryce walked back in to the conference room.

  She sat up straight, but not before he saw on her face what it had cost her to fire Stan.

  “Sorry,” Bryce said, while she composed herself. “I just had a question for you. It can wait until later if that works better for you.”

  “What is it?” She was unable to mask the irritation in her voice. She didn’t want him to see her like this.

  “You mentioned you’d made the recommendation to Gloria to make me COO. I was wondering why?”

  Oh.

  She hadn’t seen that one coming. “My grandmother asked me who I would choose to help me run the company someday. I thought it was a test. She liked to quiz me, give me business challenges, then tell me where I was right and where I was wrong.” Mostly wrong. “It was part of my training.”

  “Why did you choose me?”

  Jade’s cheeks grew hot.

  Because I had a major crush on you.

  “Because, I… watched you. Despite being young”—she decided to throw that in his face to compensate for her blush—“you have the respect of the employees. You don’t sit in your office all day like most of the managers. You walk around, talk to the employees, and have a feel for the company. But most of all, Gran had nothing but high regard for you.”

  Bryce sat on the edge of the table. “Gloria started giving me stretch assignments, outside of my normal area of comfort. I didn’t understand it at the time.”

  She smiled. That was so like Gran.

  “She made me manage a six-month engineering project. I thought she was kidding when she first told me, but while I was managing the project, I learned a lot about engineering, more than I wanted to. We made process improvements we’re still using to this day. Gloria immediately threw me into another one in manufacturing and another in finance.” A spark lit up Bryce�
��s eyes. “Of course, I was to get my normal job done as well as do an outstanding job on the assignments she was giving me.”

  “Of course.” Jade knew perfectly what her grandmother would have expected of him.

  “Thanks for the recommendation.”

  “Thanks for backing me up today.”

  “You made the right decision. I’ll always back you up when you make good business decisions.”

  “So you thought Stan needed to be fired?” Why didn’t you mention it?

  “Stan was… getting in the way.”

  “I agree. It’s one of the reasons I asked my finance professor to act as a consultant to analyze our financial situation and make recommendations. Unfortunately, the laptop with the data I’d planned to share with him was stolen, just before he was hit by a drunk driver. ”

  Bryce’s eyes dilated in surprise. “Bad turn of events.”

  “Zach is ordering another laptop for when the professor recovers. Or I might have to find someone else.”

  “I’d be interested in seeing any recommendations.” He stood to leave.

  “Anything for you, Bryce.” She bit the tip of her finger. And I mean anything.

  CHAPTER 14

  GOSSIP WAS WHAT JADE WAS AFTER when she walked up to Roz’s desk and leaned her hip against it. “So what’s the latest news?”

  Roz stopped typing. “After you fired Stan… plenty.”

  “Go on, I want to hear it all, the good, the bad, and the absurdly ugly.”

  “Word is, you really ticked off the managers, but you got their attention. I think they’ll take you seriously now.”

  “I should hope so.”

  “Some of the employees heard what you did for Chad.”

  “What, getting rid of obsolete inventory? I understand why Chad would be happy, but why would anyone else care?”

  “’Cause you listened to him and finally did somethin’ about it.”

  “That I did. Stan wasn’t very happy with me.”

  “I know. Hey, I found this in your mailbox.”

  Jade reached for the open envelope and pulled out the paper. On it, in bold capital letters, were six words. KEEP YOUR NOSE WHERE IT BELONGS. She turned to Roz. “Did you read this?”

  “Yup. Didn’t know who it was from. Someone’s not happy with you.”

  “So what’s new?” Jade scrunched the paper into a ball and threw it in Roz’s trash bin. “Any other news?”

  “Sara and Jason have a bet to see who wins the most arguments between you and Bryce.”

  “Really? Is anyone else aware that Bryce and I have frequent disagreements?”

  “Nah, not really. Sara sits down the hall and Jason practically lives in Bryce’s office.”

  “So, who’s in my favor?”

  “Sara.”

  “And who’s winning?”

  “Seems to be about even.”

  “Yeah, I think I win as many as I lose. Bryce really gets upset with me.”

  “You seem to have a talent for windin’ him up. He’s Mr. Cool with everyone else.”

  Oh, really. She’d have to ponder that. “Thanks, Roz.” Jade walked into her office and paused. Something felt out of place. She scanned the room. Nothing was missing. The picture, it’s crooked. Was there an earthquake? Jade wheeled her chair to the wall and carefully balanced on it.

  “You asked for my recommendation for Stan’s replacement.” Bryce surprised her, catching her off guard. Jade’s chair swiveled away from the wall.

  “What are you doing?” Bryce raced over and grabbed hold of her legs. “You’re a walking time bomb.”

  “I can’t help it if I’m vertically challenged.” Jade reached for the picture to straighten it. Bryce loosened his grip on her legs, but he didn’t let go. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of his hands on her bare skin. She took her time adjusting the frame. “You said you’re here about Stan’s replacement.

  Bryce cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah, I’m recommending Donald Haley.”

  “Donald. Do you think he’s qualified to be CFO?” Bryce was staring out the window. She looked down. His face was directly level with her ass. She suppressed a chuckle.

  “No, I’m recommending Donald replace Stan as director of Finance. I don’t feel this company is large enough for three high-level executives. With our shares, you and I run this company. I don’t want Donald to feel he can overstep his bounds.”

  Jade couldn’t argue. Stan had overstepped his bounds frequently. “Can you help me down?” She held out a hand to him.

  The chair started to swivel. In a swift move, he wrapped his hands around her waist and eased her to the floor.

  Bryce’s lips were a whisper away and his hazel eyes penetrated deep into hers. His jaw clenched.

  He was irritated, but there was something else. Could it be? Her breath caught, as if the world had stopped moving. A ten-point-oh on the Richter scale couldn’t jolt her out of that moment. It was his taking a step back that started her lungs working again.

  “I’ve—” He gritted his teeth and focused on the window again. “I’ve asked Linda to bring you a copy of Donald’s resume and personnel file. I met with her and she agrees with my recommendation.”

  Why won’t he look at me? “I’ll review it, but I’m sure I’ll agree. Donald has been here, what five, six years now?”

  “Just over five.” Bryce put his hands in his pockets and started fiddling with his change.

  “Well, he’s the only one who could explain to me why our profits are declining. I’m still diving into the details, but at first glance, what he said makes sense. I think he can help us dig our way out of this mess.”

  “I sure hope so. The bank called for Stan after Donald sent them our statements this morning. They aren’t happy with our financial position, and asked why Stan was fired. They want to speak to you and asked Donald for your credentials.”

  Jade’s eyebrows drew together. “I’ll call the bank back right away.”

  “Sounds good. Anything else?” Bryce said.

  What did I do to make you so angry?

  “No nothing else, thanks for the quick recommendation.” Jade glanced at her doorway, where Linda from HR stood. Crap. Now she wouldn’t be able to figure out what was going on with Bryce. “Linda, please come in.”

  Linda nodded to Bryce as he passed her. “I have Donald Haley’s offer letter for you to sign.” She walked in and handed Jade a folder.

  Jade took it, noting that Linda made no movement to leave. She was meticulously dressed in a navy blue pantsuit, and her short brown bob with wisps of gray didn’t have a hair out of place.

  “Please have a seat. Is there something you’d like to talk about?”

  “If you have a moment, I’d like to discuss Stan.”

  Jade refrained from rolling her eyes. She felt a lecture coming on. “What about Stan?”

  “In the future, when you plan to fire, or hire for that matter, I would appreciate it if you’d consult with me first.”

  “I mean no offense, Linda, but why should I need to consult with you first? I’m the CEO. I have every right to hire and fire when I see fit.”

  “Of course you do. However, there are times when you terminate an employee that we need to make sure the company is protected from any liability.”

  “Liability? But you said Washington is an ‘at will’ state.”

  “That’s true. But it might not stop Stan from suing for age discrimination.”

  “Age discrimination?”

  “Yes, employees age forty and older are in a protected class. If he can show that you felt his age was negatively affecting his performance, he can sue the company for age discrimination.”

  Jade’s shoulders slumped forward.

  “I know Stan very well, and I don’t think he would do that. But it’s just one example of why you should consult with me. This is my job, and I keep up with state and federal laws so you don’t have to. I’m a resource for you.”

  “Sorry,
I didn’t realize.”

  “Of course not. How could you? I need you to fill out this form documenting the reasons for Stan’s dismissal. Try to include dates and specific examples as much as possible.”

  “Okay.” Jade stared at the form. More paperwork she had to do.

  “As Bryce may have already mentioned, I concur with his recommendation to promote Donald, if you care about my opinion.”

  “Yes, of course. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. I know this is hard on you. College doesn’t train you for interpersonal relationships in the workforce. I’m here whenever you need me.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “I’d also like to recommend that the next time you fire someone, you do it behind closed doors.”

  Jade shook her head. This was just another mistake of many she was making as CEO. She buried her face in her hands. Was the company really worth all this hassle?

  CHAPTER 15

  HE STOOD IN THE SHADOWS, waiting. It was time to send Jade a clear warning.

  She was poking her nose where it didn’t belong and making decisions she shouldn’t be. And she hadn’t given him enough time to reduce his take of the profits to offset the loss of inventory. If she’d just left well enough alone, he wouldn’t have to be taking this step. He prayed, she’d get the message, stop meddling, and let him get things under control before he had to kill her.

  He’d gotten away with murder twice, maybe three times, if the professor didn’t pull through. But his luck was bound to run out.

  The metal flashlight felt substantial in his damp hand. He wiped his palm on his pant leg. Twice now he’d almost dropped it, and he had to do this right.

  He shifted back and forth on his feet and glanced at his watch yet again.

  Where the hell is she?

  JADE STRETCHED her neck from side to side. She’d spent hours creating new database queries and looking at Synergy’s financial information in different ways. If she didn’t find out what was going wrong and fix it, the banks might take over her grandmother’s company.