Page 57 of Indecent Secrets

“But—you can’t just turn the company over to the board.” Rebecca tried to keep her tone neutral, but I could hear the upset creeping into the edges of it.

I sighed. “No, I don’t want to do that. I feel they’d run it into the ground. While I don’t want to be in charge of it anymore, I don’t like the idea of being responsible for hundreds of layoffs when the company goes belly-up in a year.”

Rebecca flinched, like the idea was physically painful to her. “I have so many wonderful ideas…”

“Yes, did you see the eco-friendly ones?”

“Ah.” Rebecca’s face took on a pinched look.

I smiled genially. “Listen. I think these are all fantastic ideas. But there’s too many of them and to do them all at once will stretch us too thin. It’ll destroy the company. I understand this might not be something you’re aware of, given your lack of expertise in a new role. Leigh warned me about it.”

Rebecca’s eyebrows shot up. She couldn’t outright say that Leigh was a liar or that she didn’t believe Leigh. That would mean revealing that she was jealous of Leigh and felt they were in competition. But her displeasure was still visible on her face.

“However, with a younger, hungrier company, where resources could be more focused and angel investors could be pulled in,” I continued. “I think you could start your own company with these ideas, Rebecca. I think it could come to rival Lawton if you put your mind to it.”

Rebecca shook her head. “The Lawton name opens doors. I’m a nobody.”

“Perhaps,” I acknowledged. “But I would be happy to back you, for what my family name would be worth. If you struck out on your own and took these employees with you, I think you’d find a surprising amount of success. They’re eager to be heard and appreciated and a lot of people have noticed the work you’ve put in over the years even if they weren’t the ones with the power to do anything to help you up the ladder.”

“Mr. Lawton.” Rebecca squinted a little at me, like she was trying to read my mind. “If I didn’t know better I would say this sounds a little bit like corporate espionage.”

“I wouldn’t call it that. I think that if you and others in the company decide that you’re tired of waiting for the board to appreciate you, and you go off and form your own company, that’s perfectly understandable.”

Rebecca still looked skeptical. I didn’t blame her. I had plans for her to change her mind, those would just take a little longer. “I’ll consider it, Mr. Lawton.”

“Please do. I don’t want to hurt my employees by stepping down. It would give me a great deal of peace of mind if I knew that someone capable was taking the people who deserved it under her wing.”

Her mouth twisted up into a wry smile. She was smart, and lovely to look at. Unfortunately for her, I was stuck on Leigh. All I could think about when I looked at Rebecca was that she wasn’t Leigh. That in my mind Leigh was smarter, and more beautiful, and funnier.

God, I sounded like a fucking sap. I might as well just start dancing through the office like we were in some kind of Old Hollywood musical.

“You’re really pushing for this,” Rebecca noted. “I’m sorry I can’t seem to change your mind on stepping down.”

“This is what needs to be done,” I said. “I wouldn’t last, and I think in your heart you know it.”

Rebecca bit her lip. “I think that you would, actually,” she said.

I groaned inwardly in frustration. It was the contrast between who I was and who I pretended to be. Could I, Bryce, run a company? Quite possibly. I was curious to see if I was up to the task. I felt I’d done a good job in my days here posing as Jack. I was a lot more determined and willing to be ruthless than the actual Jack Lawton.

But the man I pretended to be, Jack, he couldn’t. He wasn’t a CEO type. As he was my client, it was my turn now to consult him and tell him what best to do. And I was going to make sure that I got everyone exactly what they deserved.

“Rebecca.” I stood up. “Don’t spend so much time trying to see in me what you want to see that you neglect to see that everything you want is already there inside of yourself.”

She knew a dismissal when she heard one, but she took a second to stand, looking a little shocked. “I—uh—thank you? Mr. Lawton?”

“You’re welcome. Go on.”

She left quickly, still looking surprised.

Yeah, I couldn’t help Rebecca with her love life exactly but it was well past time she learned to stop looking for someone else to give her the recognition and promotion she wanted and take the reins herself. If these people hadn’t appreciated her in all this time, they never would.

Now, it was time to deal with the snake in the grass.

Chapter 21

Leigh

* * *

---