“Budgets for hardware purchases for the next quarter will be done by the end of the week.”
Samantha closed her eyes and sighed. “Don’t worry about that for now. We have a bigger issue that needs to be addressed.”
He moved to his desk and sat down on the edge. “What’s going on?”
“The finance team was going through the books, part of their quarterly audit. They found a number of discrepancies when it came to some tech purchase orders. Further investigation showed line items listed and bought that didn’t match purchase requests.”
Zack’s team was responsible for the company’s technical purchases, but there wasn’t a centralized process for oversight. Any manager on any team could buy something IT related through the regular requisition system, and he had no way to know if a tech order had been made until it was reported to him during quarterly accounting. “I told you, we should have a dedicated purchasing department for this sort of thing. Not everyone knows what they’re doing or exactly what they’re ordering. If I had to personally research and approve every order, I’d never have time to do anything else.”
“That doesn’t help with our immediate concerns.”
“Which is what?” Unfortunately, he had quite the imagination when it came to this sort of thing. So many ways for problems to arise and go sideways on them.
“Finance thinks one or more of our vendors might be scamming us. They need someone with technical expertise to go through POs from the past year to identify any problems. If this runs as deep as I think it might, we’ll be suing.”
It was a good thing he was sitting down, because the amount of work she’d suggested was staggering. Tech orders included everything from specialized equipment and server arrays right down to printer cartridges and thumb drives. “Every PO for tech? That would take an entire team of my staff at least a month.”
“You have a week.”
“Samantha, that’s not—”
“One week.”
“What about the budget?”
“Still due Friday.”
What a nightmare. “Do you have any idea what you’re asking me to do?”
If she felt bad about the situation, Samantha didn’t show it. “Get a conference room, order food for them, do what’s necessary to get the facts. I need to know how deep this thing runs, and I need to crush it fast.” She gave him one final look before leaving.
Nolan was sitting at his desk, his eyes glued on Samantha as she bolted through the main office. He waited for the door to close before turning his head to Zack.
“I spoke with Kyle down in Operations, and he gave me some of the details. A purchasing scam?”
“We need to find out if this is a mistake, if a vendor has been defrauding us, or if someone on the inside is arranging this for a kickback.”
Nolan groaned. “How long did she give you?”
“One week.”
“Shit.” He turned and began typing on his computer. “I’ll book a conference room and clear your calendar.”
Zack shook his head. “We also need to get the budget done. Same time frame.”
God, he hated this, being the only one who seemed to be able to solve a fucking problem in this company. Exhaustion would be the least of his concerns given how much he needed to do. Not to mention that he wouldn’t have a moment to get anything done on the gym, which meant Max would be saddled with anything that came up.
Nolan pushed away from his desk and came into Zack’s office. “We’ll work out a plan to get it done. Not that I have training in any of this, but you won’t have to worry about the organizing or running around.”
A small measure of relief washed over him. “Good.”
Zack’s cell phone rang. Fishing it out of his pocket, he saw Max’s name on the display and accepted the call. “Not a good day, buddy.”
“Yeah, kind of shitty on my end too. It might get better, though, if things line up. I think I’ve found a contractor who’d be willing to work with us at a discount. Something about having kids from a high school carpentry class acting as apprentices. Don’t know, but it’s worth checking out.”
“I’ll have to leave it to you. I’m going to be locked in the office for the next week.”
“Shit. Really?”
“What?”
“I can’t. I have to hop on a plane in two hours and head to Calgary for at least a week. Mom’s in the hospital. Her appendix burst, and I need to be there for a few days to help her at home.”
“Your dad can’t help her?”
“Apparently his new arthritis meds are hurting more than helping. He can barely get out of bed. They need me there.”
Zack reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Then let’s reschedule with the contractor.”
“Can’t. He only has these kids for a limited time, and if we go ahead with it, there’s a significant amount of paperwork that needs to happen beforehand. If we don’t get the ball rolling in the next few days, then we lose the kids, which means we get pushed to the back of his queue.”
Zack jumped at the gentle touch of Nolan’s hand on his shoulder. “You need my help.”
“No, I’m—”
“I’ve got you.”
How could three simple words make such a huge difference?
“Was that Nolan?” The humor in Max’s voice came through loud and clear.
“Yes.”
Before Zack could stop him, Nolan took the cell out of his hand. “Max? Hey, yeah . . . Better, thanks. If you email Zack the information, I’ll grab it and make the arrangements . . . No problem at all. I think the gym is a worthwhile cause. I hope your mom is feeling better soon . . . Okay, perfect. I’ll go get it now . . . Sure.” He held out the phone for Zack. “I assume you want managers for the budget, and recommendations from them on team members we can pull to help with the other problem?”
“Yes.” Zack sat stunned. He could only watch as Nolan smiled and moved to his computer to tackle the day’s disasters.
“Dude?” Max’s voice echoed up from the cell. When Zack pressed it to his ear, he could hear him chuckling.
“Yup?”
“You need to seriously marry that man. He’ll have you so organized you’ll be running Compass, the gym, and probably my club within a year.”
After everything that had happened, Zack doubted Nolan wanted anything else to do with him. “Say hi to your parents for me. I hope your mom is feeling better soon.”
Zack’s hand fell to his lap, the call ended, as he watched Nolan work. Had it only been a month since Nolan had come into his life? Watching Nolan’s smooth, sure motions as he typed an email, a phone receiver pressed to his ear, was like watching a dancer move. This wasn’t the same person who’d been freaking out in the bathroom before his interview. Or the same man he’d pressed against the wall at the gym.
A vulnerable Nolan had been a temptation he’d struggled to withstand. A confident Nolan was going to be the death of him.
Because Zack couldn’t pretend that he was doing this new, stronger Nolan a favor by keeping his distance, keeping him safe from Zack’s temper for fear of pushing him over the edge into panic. If there was no reason to keep him away, Zack might be tempted to let him in.
Nolan crossed the threshold of the Compass lobby and smiled as he placed a large coffee in front of Mindy, the security guard. “Good morning, my angel.”
In the weeks after Ryan Cooper’s attack on him and Zack, security had been paying extra attention to them to ensure nothing else happened. Nolan appreciated their assistance and wanted to make sure they knew it. Today, Zack had told him he didn’t need him to come into the office until ten, which didn’t make sense given how many things he could have done in those three hours. With nothing else to do, Nolan had spent a few minutes of his extra leisure time to swing by the coffee shop on his way into work.
Mindy had been working the security desk the day of his interview. It felt like a lifetime ago, when in fact it had only been a little o
ver a month. Unlike on their first meeting, she smiled up at him. “You’re the angel. How did you know I needed this?”
“Because it’s a Tuesday, and nothing exciting ever happens on a Tuesday. Hence coffee.” He put a full tray of additional coffees down in front of her. “For the boys.”
“You don’t need to suck up.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it. Just making sure that the people who keep me safe are taken care of. Have a good one.”
He shouldn’t be this happy, shouldn’t whistle as he walked to the elevator, smiling at the people as he passed. The past few years had taught him to mistrust optimism. But it was hard to be gloomy when things were finally going his way. This morning before he’d left for work, Tina had told him she was finally moving to Vancouver.
“I’m sorry I was a jerk to you. I guess I was scared you wouldn’t need me anymore. They said if I still want the position, they need me on a plane tomorrow. So . . . I guess this is it.”
How could Tina think for even a moment that he wouldn’t need her any longer? She was his big sister and best friend. She would always be the first person he’d call whenever something happened.
By the end of next week, the movers would have her things packed up and he’d be on his own. His heart had pounded in his chest the entire way to work, not from fear but from pure excitement. It was as though he’d finally earned back the right to resume his life as an adult. Tina was excited to be starting her new job, and his parents weren’t calling daily worried about him. Even his job had smoothed out.
His days of dealing with soul-crushing anxiety every time he walked into the building were tapering off the longer he worked at Compass. Maybe, given enough time, he really would learn how to live with this the way his counselor had promised him he would.
No need to get ahead of things. There were still plenty of complications to deal with at work.
He’d spent most of the previous night thinking about what Zack had said to him. Remembering the way Zack had gently moved his hair away and looked without disgust at his scar. In those few minutes, something had shifted deep in his chest, as though a weight had moved from his soul. There hadn’t been judgment in Zack’s eyes, or anything that made Nolan feel like less of a man for the changes to his body.
For the first time since before the accident, he once again felt like a sexual being. Not only as an impulsive reaction, soon to be regretted, but with anticipation and intent.
It was wonderful.
Zack was in the office ahead of him. He dropped his things off on his desk and popped his head into Zack’s office. “I thought you weren’t coming in this morning? I was doing nothing when I could have been working.”
“I’m technically not here.” Zack smiled at him. “I’m doing departmental reviews and didn’t want to be bothered.”
“Oh. Sorry.” He didn’t think of himself as a pest. Maybe he’d have to work on that more—
“Not you. But if people see you sitting at the desk, then they come and chat, even if they think I’m gone. This way you got to sleep in, and I got to work uninterrupted.” He leaned back in his seat. “Come in so someone doesn’t spot you. Shut the door.”
A shiver passed through Nolan. Things had calmed between them after Ms. Rollins had stormed into the office—the benefit of having a common foe. He’d kept his distance though, not sure exactly how he’d respond if things were to get intimate again. He wasn’t uncomfortable or threatened. He was more concerned he’d be the one to take the next step, to react without thinking and kiss Zack. That would be a mistake, for all sorts of reasons.
It couldn’t be excitement that spread through his body as he stepped inside and pressed the door shut. Nor was it anticipation as he cleared his throat and took a seat. It certainly wasn’t arousal, because that would be inappropriate given what had passed between them. Honestly, he didn’t know what he was feeling.
All of that. None of it. “What’s up?” He should have noticed the moment he walked in, but now he was surprised when he saw how tired Zack looked. “How late were you working last night?”
Zack glanced at the clock. “I haven’t gone home yet.”
“Are you insane?” Nolan ignored his protests, grabbed his coffee mug, and left to refill it. On his way back he snagged an energy shot that he kept in his desk for emergencies. “Drink this. Tastes awful, but it’ll give you a boost.”
“Thanks.” Zack’s smile didn’t make it to his eyes as he downed the energy shot. “Shit.”
“Told you. The coffee makes a good chaser.”
Zack breathed in the coffee fumes before taking a sip. “I’m glad you’re here now.”
“Couldn’t get your own coffee?”
Zack scowled at him. “I need your help.”
“Of course. With anything.”
“I need your help to fire people.”
Nolan shook his head. “That didn’t work out so well for us last time.”
“I know. And I appreciate that it’s not an easy thing to do. But I’ve looked at the numbers, and I’m not sure I can cut costs any other way. I don’t have time to pore through and tweak every line item in this budget until I’ve freed up enough to keep everyone on. Not while also sorting through the mess with purchasing.”
Their office was small, and it was Nolan’s job to know what was going on in Zack’s professional life. He’d heard the rumblings from Nancy as well, so it didn’t come as that much of a surprise. That didn’t make the idea any more welcome. “There’s no other way?”
Zack ran his hand down his face. “That’s what I’ve spent the last week looking at. Departmental budgets have come in, and I’ve been reviewing all capital expenditures. No one will admit to not needing something. I can throw it back to them and tell them to slash twenty percent of their nonpayroll expenditures, but I’m not sure I trust them, and I still wouldn’t have time to review their reprioritized budgets.”
“So you want my help to review everything?”
“No, I know this isn’t your area of expertise. But you’re an organizational master. You’ve found files and resources in the past month that I didn’t know existed. If I’m going to find a way to save money, to save these jobs, then I’m going to need your help to dig.”
“What about Chopra’s proposal? Were you able to find any merit in that?”
“No. The prices were lower on hardware, but the technical specs were all wrong. Small changes to accommodate cost can have huge performance issues for our developers. Chopra should know that.” Zack sighed and leaned back in his chair. “There has to be something I’ve missed.”
In the month since he’d started the job, Nolan had experienced an array of Zack’s moods. This was the first time he’d heard pleading. “Anything you need, I’m here to help.”
Zack nodded, looking more than a little tired. “It’s going to mean more late nights. Later than usual. I don’t want your sister to be upset with me that I’m pushing you too much.”
“Tina is moving to Vancouver. She flies out tomorrow, and her things will be following her by the end of the week. I’m officially on my own.”
“Ah. That’s good. I’m assuming that’s good?”
Nolan smiled. “Yes, it’s good.”
“Well, if you feel up to it . . . Don’t worry about transportation, I’ll drive you home if need be. There will also be meals.” Zack looked away and began to sort through the stack of file folders on his desk. “Why don’t you get started with these? Read through and see if they’re missing any supporting documentation.”
Nolan’s brain was still stuck on the whole meals thing. Their last shared meal—the sort-of-date leading to the revelation about Ringside—seemed like a lifetime ago. “I’ll have a report by the end of the week.”
“Thank you.”
His feet carried him out of Zack’s office as if by magic. It shouldn’t strike him as that strange for Zack to offer to drive him home and feed him, especially if they were going to be working extra-long ho
urs. It was the sign of a good employer, the sign of Zack being a good person, wanting to make sure he was looked after. There wasn’t any reason to read more into it than that.
He picked up the phone and gave Tina a call. “Hey.”
“Hey, you. What’s up?”
“I just wanted to let you know that it looks like I’m going to have a late night.”
“Later than normal? God, you’d think you staying until seven most nights would be good enough.”
“Special circumstance. We have a major project to get done and it’s all hands on deck. Sorry to miss your last night home, though.”
“It’s okay. I’ll be back next weekend anyway to make sure I’ve gotten everything out of the place. Let me know if you need a ride.”
“That’s taken care of.”
“The boss?”
“Yup.”
He didn’t need to see her face to know she was grinning. “Ah, it’s one of those late work nights.”
“Tina—”
“No, no, I get it. Just take it easy and make sure he walks you to the door when you’re done.”
“Ass.”
“I love you too!”
He hung up and pulled open one of the files with a sigh. Ruler in hand, he began the arduous task of going line by line through the first of many budget sheets.
Shortly after his conversation with Nolan, Zack had decided to take drastic measures: he’d pulled a team of managers and subject-matter experts together and sequestered them in a conference room with explicit instructions not to leave until they figured out how to cut costs across all their departments with minimal job reduction.
So far, they’d spent two days on the project, and Nolan had spent most of that time either laboring over budget and purchasing paperwork, or running between his office and the conference room. He’d made sure the team had all the supplies and information they needed, ensured food orders had arrived on time, and helped assistants with rescheduling canceled appointments. In his free time he’d coordinated with the contractor for Ringside.
The constant running around had his leg throbbing to the point where he was getting concerned about the amount of painkillers he’d taken. He couldn’t remember being so exhausted since his first week of physio after the accident. Mentally and physically drained to the point that he’d gone past tired to delirious. Everything he saw was hilarious. He’d moved Ralph the spider from the farthest part of his desk to a prime location beside his keyboard. The fuzzy body was large and soft enough to act as a pillow, and if he could get over his irrational fear of the far-too-cute toy coming to life and eating his face, he might even use it as one.
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