Page 5 of Punish Me

The group grows solemn, and I know I’ve got my work cut out because I have a team missing their previous COO with whomthey had a close relationship, in mourning of their former CEO’s unexpected passing, and a hostile new COO who shares a past with me that she refuses to acknowledge.

Fuck!

“We’re glad to have you on our team, Brynlee,” I say.

She smiles, looks at her iPad, and mutters, “Thank you,” before glancing around at the rest of the group and acknowledging them with a broader, more genuine smile.

I blow air through my nostrils before I stand and begin my speech.

“We’re in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment that requires lots of last-minute decisions. As most of you know, there have been changes in OSHA regulations regarding safety protocols and building materials that will impact our projects across the board with a focus on education, multi-family high-rises, and healthcare and hotel facilities,” I say, ticking each item off my fingers. “As a result, we’ll be implementing changes across the company. This will require forming several special project teams to which I will assign leaders.

“The leader of each team will be reporting to Brynlee,” I say, glancing at her as she looks down at her iPad. “Brynlee, in turn, will report back to me on the progress of each team. She will meet with each team lead weekly and follow up with me.”

“Have you already designated who the leaders will be? Will it automatically be assigned to the directors?” Ben asks.

“No.”

“That’s how it was allocated in the past,” Cristina says.

“Again, this is a new day. I will not pretend I’m coming in to fill Mike’s shoes,” I say. “One of the things that Mike said to me during my mentorship was whenever I had the opportunity to head something up, I should make it my own. He said I couldn’t go wrong if I ran it with the same passion and dedication as I would in running my business.

“It’s impossible to fill his shoes, so the only thing that I can do is come in and make the department my own by doing what I do best. Finding the cracks, finding what’s broken, and then fixing it. We will always be a work in progress, never arriving at a destination.

“Why? Because if we arrive, then we’ve done our jobs and worked ourselves out of a job. That’s not my intention. I’m seeking continual improvement in an ever-changing environment. Regulations, specifications, trends, and materials are always changing. We have to be ahead of the change. We need to not only manage and navigate it, but we also need to influence the direction of that change. Therefore, I’ll be seeking leaders who don’t just think outside of the box but who know how to deconstruct it, constantly destroying our former structure and incessantly creating a new one using fewer resources and less cost where possible. Creative destruction.”

There are some groans and whispers, and I dare to look at Brynlee’s expressionless face. She’s not looking at me but just beyond my shoulder. There once was a time when the girl thought I walked on water. I don’t know how to get through to this woman she's become.

“I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not always the easiest person to work for. I can be demanding. Sometimes, getting in touch with me for hours when I’m out in the field is hard in my new role, which will be required more than ever. In other words, I have no time for handholding. I need leaders who can make important decisions without relying on me. Brynlee will be my right hand during this process, so she may not always be available. She and I will meet with Adriana and Chris to hand-select the leaders for each team.”

“What are the qualifications?” Ben asks.

I glare at him. “If I need to repeat to anyone what I’ve already expressed, I trust you’ll understand those are not the people leading these teams.”

Brynlee cuts her eyes my way before she rolls them and stares down at her iPad, keying on it. What the fuck is so important that she’s always looking at that goddamned iPad when I turn her way?

“Brynlee, do you have anything you want to add?”

She inhales deeply and exhales loudly. “No. Sir,” she says in a stilted manner, pausing between each word. “I have nothing to add, Sir.”

She’ll fucking wish she hadn’t started that “Sir” shit. I will cause Brynlee to remember our past and long for it. I won’t stop reminding her of how special we were and what we meant to each other.

She will soon come to learn that I’m not the same foolish boy that I once was, but a grown fucking man in charge of his emotions and his hormones. She will soon learn I’m in charge here, not her and her fucking threats. The sooner she learns, the better off we’ll both be.

3 – BRYNLEE

“Bryn! How was your first week?” my brother, Brayden, asks after I finish my dessert. He’d invited me for dinner tonight to celebrate starting my new position on Monday. He had prepared shrimp fettuccine, a Caesar salad, garlic rolls, and salted caramel tiramisu.

After sipping from my glass of Moscato, I set it down on the table hard.

“Your best friend, Ambrose Charles, can kiss my ass.”

“Excuse me?”

I take another sip before eyeing him over the rim of my glass. “You heard me. He can kiss my ass!”

“What does Ro have to do with your new job?” Brayden’s girlfriend, Shayla, asks in confusion.

Rolling my eyes and resting my arms on the table, I lean forward and hiss, “He’s my new boss!”

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