I arched an eyebrow. “Really? You’re going to turn them into errand runners?”
“No. But, if there comes a time where I decide I want to buy the office lunch or coffee, your five kids are the people I’ll send. Everyone has to start somewhere. And, let’s be honest, they won’t be in a position to be picky or choosy about what jobs they’re given.”
“I don’t disagree.”
“Good,” he said.
He brought me to the kitchen next. It was a sprawling space with white cabinets and three fridges all in a neat row. The place was sparkling clean. He showed me the contents of the fridge and pantries and explained that there is always something to eat and drink here. He also told me that lunches were supplied by him on Fridays.
“It seems more like a second home than a place of work,” I told him when he took me into his office.
He closed the door behind us but left all the blinds open. Employees were showing up for their shifts, rolling in looking fresh faced and happy to be there. They lingered in the hallways and made small talk and Max never batted an eye. He never popped his head out to tell them to get to work. I wondered if this place even had regular opening and closing hours.
“I like to keep it inviting,” he said. “I have low turnover for a reason. The people I hire are highly skilled, and I don’t have the time to find replacements for them. Even if I did, they wouldn’t be better than the people I have out there on the floor. They’re a good team.”
He took a seat behind his sleek and simple desk. After kicking his heels up on the desk he motioned for me to sit. “Please. Sit down.”
I sat, pressing my knees together and resting my hands on top of them. “Max, I—” I looked down. “I want to apologize. I’ve been short and cranky with you, despite you doing a pretty incredible thing for these kids. I’m sorry.”
He arched an eyebrow and tried to conceal his smug expression. “I deserved it. Look, I shouldn’t have invited you up to the penthouse. That was inappropriate at best. And I should have been here at nine. I’m the one who’s sorry here.”
It was a bit weird to hear those words come out of his mouth. “Thank you.”
He took his feet down and sat up straight. “So, I trust your judgement. I don’t need to meet the kids you choose, you’re free to just bring them in. I was thinking they could start next Monday?”
“Oh,” I said, surprised by his eagerness. “I still need to think a bit about this.”
Max itched his stubble. I could hear the whisper of his fingernails against the short black hairs. “That’s alright. I can give you until Friday.”
“Why the deadline?”
“I need people in those seats, Laura. If it’s not your kids, I need to fill them with somebody, and sooner rather than later.”
“At the risk of losing pennies,” I said, sarcastically.
“I’m rich for a reason,” he said, with a cocky grin.
I crossed my legs and tried not to smile. I didn’t need him thinking I thought he was funny. Because I didn’t. Insufferable was what he was.
At least that was what I was telling myself.
“You don’t think very highly of me after Saturday night, do you?” Max asked.
I studied him. The sharp lines of his face, the smug curl of his lips, the devious glint in his eyes. “What I think doesn’t matter. This isn’t about you or me. This is about providing an opportunity to those who haven’t had any.”
“I agree. Let me make it up to you then. I’ll triple their starting wages and really get them started on the right foot.”
I shook my head. “No.”
“What? Why?”
“Like you said before. Everyone has to start somewhere. I want these kids to get the most useful experience here, not the easiest. If they want more they have to earn it. If they do exceptional work, reward them if you see fit, but don’t do anything unrealistic. They also need to fit in here, and not be seen as the street kids getting a free ride. They need to contribute and be accountable like everyone else. This needs to be a real internship program.”
“I like that.”
I didn’t care whether he liked it or not. It was important to me. I wanted these kids to come out of this office as ready for the real world as possible. The world was likely to knock them down a thousand more times by doing them any favors.
“Thank you,” I said. At least he was respecting my wishes. I pushed myself up to my feet and straightened out my jacket. “I’ll think on this for the rest of the week. You’ll hear from me by Friday.”
Max stood as well. “Sounds good. Let me know if you need anything else from me to help you make your decision.”
I flashed him a white smile. “I won’t.”
He laughed. “Of course not.”
Chapter 13
Max
I tapped my index finger impatiently upon my desk as I scowled at my inbox. No new messages. It was Wednesday afternoon. Laura had already had practically three full days to consider my offer and I hadn’t heard a peep from her.
It was starting to get on my nerves.
No matter what way I looked at it, this was a great opportunity for these kids she loved so much. It would get their foot in the door in an industry where the earning potential had no cap. I was the perfect example. My people were well paid and lived very comfortable lives. I took care of them and their families because I knew their worth. Each and every person in my office was irreplaceable, and they knew it.
And I made sure they fucking knew it. It was, in my opinion, the most crucial aspect to running a successful business. Especially one the size of Nova Corp.
I was staring at my inbox when Casey knocked on my office door and pushed it open. “She still hasn’t emailed you?”
I shook my head. I could feel my features drawing inward into a scowl and tried to relax.
“Well, I’m sure she will. You guys agreed Friday was the last day, right?”
I nodded. “Yeah. She’s just such a go-getter. To be honest I was surprised she hadn’t confirmed first thing Tuesday morning.”
“Sounds to me like she’s making you sweat it out,” Casey winked.
“You are quite possibly right.”
“Stop scowling at your screen. You have a call with that new online banking company in fifteen minutes. You should prepare.”
“Prepare?” I smirked.
Casey rolled her eyes. “You should at least pretend to prepare. Anything is better than what you’re doing right now.”
I listened to Casey’s advice. Well, sort of listened.
I spent the next ten minutes giving my desk a quick clean out. When everything was tidy and organized the way I liked it, I dropped back into my chair and dialed into the call room I’d set up for my new client so we could talk privately. We discussed the ins and outs of doing business together, and from just forty-five minutes on the phone with him I learned of several vulnerabilities in his current security software. After pointing them out to him, he told me I had his business. Cost didn’t matter. He needed to guarantee that his clients and their information were protected, and I was the only one he trusted to get the job done right.
He was a smart man.
After the call I stretched my back and checked the time. It was nearly five.
Getting up, I walked to my office door, which I threw open. Casey was working away at her desk and looked up at me as I cleared my throat. She cocked her head to the side. “How’d your call go?”
“Better than I could have hoped.”
“I’m glad,” she smiled.
“I think I want to celebrate. We’re all about to make a bunch of money. Put me on the intercom,” I said, leaning over her desk.
Casey picked up the phone and punched a couple of buttons. Our ears were assaulted by a brief but fierce tinny shriek as all the phones in the office switched to speakerphone. I leaned over further so that I could speak into the phone. “This is your captain speaking, ladies and gentlemen,” I said.
Casey started to giggle and I shot her a big smile. “I am pleased to inform you that our flight is landing early. Please wrap up any last minute things you have to attend to and meet me at the front of the plane. I will be escorting you all to a local pub called Lou’s, where those interested can partake in drinks and shots on yours truly. That will be all.”
Casey ended the call. Far down the hall, past the waiting room, break room, and communal kitchen, I could hear the office staff whooping and hollering. I knew already that it was going to be a good night and I was glad for it.
I needed the distraction.
Part of the reason I was annoyed with not having heard from Laura was that I was waiting on her. I thought about it every day. Hell, this morning I’d woken up and rolled over to check my phone to see if she’d emailed me. Something was seriously wrong with me. I was never controlled by the presence of another person, but things were different where Laura Wessex was concerned. She’d always had an unexplainable power over me. She probably didn’t even know it, either.
Which made it all the more infuriating.
Casey got up from her chair and went to get her jacket from the hook near the office doors. “So Lou’s, huh?”
I nodded. “Hell yeah.”
“Why that choice?”
“Because he doesn’t put up Christmas decorations.”
Casey shook her head as she pulled her coat up over her shoulders and then flipped her hair out from under it. “So predictable, Max. You do know that some of us actually like the holidays, right? Or even love it all?”
“I’m aware.”
“You just don’t care?”
I grinned. “You know me so well.”
“That’s my job,” Casey said.
We stood and waited near the front doors as people from the office came out and joined us. Most had their jackets on already. Some had to stop and pluck theirs from the rack Casey had just taken hers from. Once we were all ready to leave we struck out and headed six blocks south to Lou’s Bar.
Lou’s was always a good choice—especially when you were showing up with a big crowd. It was rarely ever busy, and if it was the place was so well run that they handled the influx of bodies really well. Tonight the place was quiet, at least for now. When we arrived, the six or so people inside turned to look at us file in one after the other, until we were all inside. There were forty-seven of us. Some had opted to stay at the office, while others took the opportunity to get home early to their families.
Of course, I could see the appeal in that. It must be nice to have a partner to return to at the end of a long day. Or children who greet you with sticky hands, toothless smiles and unconditional adoration.
My apartment would greet me with emptiness and echoes.
I was in no particular rush to get there.
Making my way to the bar, with my crew in tow, I ordered a round of beer for everyone inside, including the six other patrons. That lifted the mood, in that special way that only a ‘round for the house’ call could do. Immediately the bartender, and even Lou himself, started pouring beers and passing them down the bar. I crammed a hundred dollar bill in the tip jar. He knew what this routine was and that he was going to make bank tonight.
Once everyone had their beer and began claiming tables, I found one near the jukebox. Oh yes, Lou’s had a jukebox. I dropped down into a chair after spinning it around so I could sit in it backwards. Draping my forearms over the back of it, Casey and two other office guys, Daniel and Lee, took up the other two chairs. Lee had been pining after Casey ever since I hired him two years ago fresh out of ‘App Development’ school. He was a quick learner, with a keen mind and the ability to solve coding bugs like no one I’d ever met.
Besides myself.
He was integral to the team, but he was tiring for poor Casey, who never seemed too interested in his attentiveness to her.
But it was always entertaining for me.
Lee was leaning on the table across from Casey when I pulled out my phone to check my emails one last time. Nothing. I wasn’t surprised.
So, I composed a new message and sent Laura a quick email just to check in and ask if she had any questions. It gave me some peace of mind after I hit send, so I turned my volume off, slipped the phone back into my pocket, and sipped the foam off my beer. It was going to be a good night and I wasn’t going to look at my phone until I needed to figure out a ride home for everyone.
Lee, a good looking young Korean man, tipped his head at Casey as she drained her glass of beer. His eyes widened a bit. “Can I get you another?” he asked.
Casey nodded, “Sure.”
Lee scrambled up out of his chair and hurried back to the bar where he would add another beer to my tab. If he was smart he’d come back with a shot or two, but I was pretty confident his strengths lay in coding, not impressing women.
Daniel nudged me in the upper arm. “This was a great idea. Thanks for taking us out, man. It’s been a hell of a week for me. I needed to blow off some steam.”
“I know how you feel, man,” I said.
“Yeah?”
I nodded. “The holidays always do this to me.”
Casey interjected. “Don’t spoil things for Daniel. This is his first Christmas working for you. You don’t need to shit on his parade already.”
“Nobody is shitting on anyone’s parade,” I said.
Daniel looked back and forth between us and pressed his hand flat to his chest. “I hate Christmas, too.”
“Ass kisser, oh my God,” Casey accused. “You’re just saying that to get in with the boss.”
“Am not.”
“Are too,” Casey said.
“Children,” I chuckled. “Simmer down. We’re all entitled to our opinions, right? Daniel and I can’t help that ours are just a little more—what’s the word? Realistic. Christmas is just a big money grab.”
“You’re a fine one to be complaining about money grabs,” Casey said flatly.
“She does have a point there,” Daniel said.
I turned to him. “Whose side are you on, Daniel?”
Daniel stumbled over his words a bit and, when he realized he was digging himself a hole and would be hopelessly caught in a crossfire between me and Casey, he shut up and drank his beer.
I laughed at the look on his face. “I’m just pulling your leg. Casey can’t help herself. She loves Christmas. I caught her humming Christmas carols in the elevator on the first day of November for God’s sake.”
“No!” Daniel gasped.
Casey rolled her eyes. “Oh please. I’m not the only one. Where the hell is Lee with my other beer? The two of you are soul suckers. Christmas is what you make it, and you two make it miserable.”
“It’s easier,” Daniel said. “No expectations, no disappointments.”
“That is just sad,” Casey said.
“Maybe,” Daniel admitted with a shrug. “But I’ve been conditioned by my past experiences. Christmas is best when it’s over.”
“Amen,” I said, lifting my beer.
He and I both drank while Casey sat back and crossed her arms, shaking her head. “Idiots.”
Lee returned with four more beers and quickly became the MVP of the evening. He also brought shots with him, and once those were down the hatch the discussion of Christmas faded away and the celebrating got underway. People fought to get to the karaoke machine, but parted like the sea for me when I decided I wanted to choose a song.
There were perks to being the boss. Like choosing the music and the type of boss you wanted to be. I liked that my employees were also my friends. I liked being able to take them out for a good time.
And I liked that I’d found one other person in this damn city who hated Christmas as much as I did.
Chapter 14
Laura
I crossed my legs under myself on the white sofa in my office and planted my hands on my knees. Leaning over, I peered down at the photographs of all the kids I worked with who were over the age
of sixteen and qualified for the paid internship at Nova Corp.
There was a total of thirty five kids and the task of bringing that number down to five had been more than a little difficult. I sighed and looked up at Ella, who was sitting on the matching sofa across from me. She gave me a weak smile and tucked her hair behind her ears. “I know it’s hard.”
“It sucks,” I groaned.
“Well, the good news is that there’s a chance you can talk Max into keeping this program running. Maybe once this internship is done you can move some of the other kids into the same positions.”
“Talking Max into anything is a pain in the ass. Trust me, I know.”
“Well then I guess we just have to hope it works out so well you don’t have to do any persuading.”
I nodded absently as I raked my eyes over the photographs one more time. We’d both selected the top five kids we thought would benefit the most and be successful in this program. I was confident they were the right choices. Max’s coding and security software business was right up their alley. They were all computer and math kids with an affinity for problem solving and logical thinking. There was no doubt in my mind that they would love working at Nova, and that Max would see their value and feel confident recommending them to future employers.
That was, after all, what this whole thing was about.
“I think we should stick with the five we picked out from the start,” I said, rubbing my hands from my knees up to the middle of my thighs. “Trust our guts.”
“I agree. This is going to knock their socks off.”
I grinned. I’d been smiling like an idiot all evening as we sorted through the portfolios of each kid and narrowed it down to our top five. Sure, it had been hard, and I struggled with a lot of guilt, but I was really excited for them. This was a huge step in the right direction and the potential to keep the program going brought me more hope than I’d felt in my soul since I was back at school, back before I really knew how hard and cruel the world could be.
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