Page 16 of Hers to Love
Marshall’s jaw ticked. He met her still-hard gaze. “You’re implying I don’t do mine.”
“Sir, I don’t have to imply anything. All I have to do is point to this list.” She raised a brow and sat a touch straighter.
“Do you know who started this company?”
“You did, sir.”
“Do you know how much work it took?”
“I don’t.” Her voice was clipped.
“Then you have no idea the kind of work ethic I have. And your assumption that I’m sorely lacking in it is without merit.”
She stared at him without speaking for a few seconds. She met his defiant gaze with facts. “I refer you back to the list of items that need your immediate attention and that are overdue, some by six months. You might’vehadan impressive and unmatched work ethic when you started, but you seem to want to end your tenure here without one.”
Marshall chuckled. Kori inched her nose a little higher. He could laugh all he wanted. Probably thought she’d crossed the line with her opinion. Considering what she had discovered, they were past lines. He’d leapt over several by not doing his job, and it was now on her to run after him and drag him back over.
“I know you’re just here for a paycheck. You think the most effective way of getting that is to offend your boss on the first day?”
She inhaled sharply. Her gaze wavered, and she blinked against the fire burning the backs of her eyes. She wouldn’t let him do this to her. She was well within her right as his executive assistant to point out missed appointments and failure of duties. When her gaze returned to his, her eyes were bone-dry.
“Sir, I’m here because I need the money, yes. Just like a lot of people in the departments that are listed on the spreadsheet in front of you. Now, you said we only have the summer. Am I right to assume you’d like to leave this place better than it is now? If so, then you’ll allow me to set up appointments with those departments. That way, the board won’t be looking for a reason to fire other people for incompetence. People who probably need a paycheck too.”
She stood and left the room as she came in, back straight, head held high, marching to her own commanding cadence.
And she slammed the door for effect.
* * *
Marshall’s heart was hammering. He couldn’t determine why. Fear? Excitement? Attraction? An impending anxiety attack?
He would be fuming if her challenge didn’t make her even more alluring.
He reined in his attraction. He had to tread lightly. He was on thin ice with the board of directors. Kori was right—he’d be a complete idiot to give them even more cause to toss him out before the end of the summer. He could kiss whatever compensation package they were willing to offer goodbye. And he wasn’t about to leave his company with just stock options.
Kori admitted she wanted a paycheck. She was suing her former boss, whom everyone believed to be right. Sabrina hadn’t mentioned the real reason behind Kori’s dismissal. Did she think he wouldn’t believe her? That he’d be susceptible to gossip?
From what he could tell, Kori wasn’t at all interested in sleeping her way to the top. She was here to do a job and not even the CEO was going to stand in her way. Marshall shook his head, remembering her boldness. Brigham owed some of his success to the strength of his former executive assistant.
A notification came on his screen of a file being imported into their shared Dropbox, and then the screens disconnected. Marshall pulled up the spreadsheet again.
Kori was one hundred percent correct to challenge his work ethic and point out areas of neglect. And she was also right about the board. The members would likely be all too willing to place the blame on lower-level employees or even middle management. Heads would roll, and the one who’d be spared—at least for another few months—would be the king.
Me.
It wasn’t fair to his employees. They looked to him for leadership, and he had even let that slide in the last year.
Another popup.
A meeting with the company counselor was set for this evening, an hour before he was scheduled to leave the office.
Marshall immediately rang Kori’s office. “Ms. Kaye, explain this meeting.”
“The company has an extensive wellness program, including counselors that are on staff to meet with employees. Since you are facing several challenges, I thought it would be a good idea for you to have an appointment and talk through priorities. That will help you focus the rest of us.”
And then she hung up.
Hung up the phone on the CEO.
