Page 26 of VOGUEish

“Where is everyone else?” Finley interrupted. “We’re missing half the team. Surely, we can wait a few more minutes for them to arrive. Our clocks are set ten minutes fast in this building.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “Technically they’re not late yet.”

Chandler waited patiently for her to finish. “Finley, I’m not sure where you come from, but where I come from, interrupting the leader of a meeting isn’t viewed with favor.”

She gave him a belligerent frown. “Well, where I come from, firing a perfectly fabulous fashion editor just because you’re too rigid to pivot isn’t viewed with favor either.” Her eyes widened as a thought must have hit her. “Is that why the others aren’t here? Did you fire them?”

“I did not.”

“Then did they quit?” she persisted.

Chandler leaned back in his chair and considered the question. If they’d quit, he’d not been informed. Not that it would surprise him. Amanda was a powerful force in the fashion magazine world. She could have persuaded them to walk out. “Finley, if you will relax and give me three minutes to get this meeting started, I—”

“You don’t know where they are, do you?” Finley challenged.

Chandler made eye contact with the others in the room. How long would Nonna put up with Finley’s mouth before releasing her? “The reason I’ve called this meeting is to introduce you to the new owner. She gave me the list of names of those she wanted at this meeting.”

“You’re saying the others weren’t notified?” Finley pushed.

At that moment, Nonna strolled out of his office, looking like the powerhouse she was in a dark purple suit with a starched white blouse and high heels. She marched into the meeting room like a regal queen ready to reign. All that was missing was her crown.

She stopped next to Chandler’s chair and placed a hand on his shoulder. He stood and moved aside so she could sit at the head of the table.

She gave him a soft smile and took a seat.

He remained standing behind her. While he was no longer a part of Naked Runway, it was important he was there to support her. Over the years he’d worked for Glamour, Inc., he’d done this quite often. Not always with Nonna, but with others who’d been put in charge of running a new-to-Glamour company.

“Good morning, everyone. My name is Ms. Birdie Fairway. The new owner of Naked Runway. If my name sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve heard of me. I am the owner of Glamour, Inc. Chandler is one of my employees. For those of you who have not heard of Glamour, we are a company that buys out struggling companies and either revives them or sells them off. Every time a new company is bought, Chandler is sent in to get the pulse of the company and to make the necessary personnel changes for the company to be successful under new leadership. Let me be quite clear when I say I am aware of everyone he has terminated, and I support his decisions.”

“Do you know where the rest of the team is this morning?” Finley asked. “Did Isabella cause them to be fired as well?”

Nonna stared long and hard at Finley. Long enough the woman squirmed and glanced away. “They are no longer with us. They chose to find work elsewhere.”

“With Amanda?” Finley pushed. “Is she starting her own company?” Finley grabbed her phone and glanced at her screen as if she thought she might have missed an important text.

“I am not privy to their plans,” Nonna replied, “beyond their decision not to continue their employment at Naked Runway.”

Finley pushed back from the table. “In that case, I quit as well.” She glanced at the other editors. “Are you with me?”

When none of them stood, she rolled her eyes. “Trust me, you’ll live to regret your decision. Amanda will make sure of it.” Then she stormed toward the door.

Chandler blocked her exit. “Finley,” he spoke softly. It wasn’t his intent to poke a bear.

She glared at him. “Go ahead. Call security. Have them escort me out like a common criminal the way you did Amanda.”

“That won’t be necessary,” he replied. “I’m leaving. I will escort you myself.” He glanced at those still sitting around the table. “I did not set you up to fail. If you’re at this meeting, it’s because you proved to me you are loyal to the Naked Runway brand. Not to the former editor or even Amanda. It is with that loyalty and hard work that you will move this magazine into its next chapter. I am confident Naked Runway will continue to dominate at the award ceremonies. I wish you nothing but the best.”

CHAPTER NINE

Isabella watched Chandler leave. Ill will toward him hung so thick in the air, she found it hard to breathe. Or maybe that was directed at her because she’d been the reason Amanda had been fired. Ugh. Her instincts had been right. If she had any hope of being accepted here, she had to sever all ties with Chandler.

“Let me address the elephant in the room,” Ms. Birdie said the moment the door shut. “The rumor Isabella is to blame for Amanda’s dismissal is unequivocally not true.”

The tension released from Isabella’s neck.

“Nor is the rumor true that she and Chandler are an item just because a few of you witnessed her exiting a taxi with him on her first day.”

Isabella startled. She’d not even been aware of that bit of gossip. Thank goodness Ms. Birdie had squashed it.

“At least, that rumor is not currently true,” Ms. Birdie finished.

---