Page 4 of Left of the Slash
Olivia nods again. “Not a guarantee … just fucking great. All right, not that anybody at the table other than Quinn was anyhelp at all, but that’ll be all for now. I need those meeting minutes typed up and on my desk before the end of the day, Eden. Okay?”
“Absolutely, Miss Lucero,” Eden replies, closing her green notebook. Finally another kind voice in the room.
“Before we go,” Olivia says as she stands up. “I want you all to understand something. I'm here. This is happening. It took me a long time to come to terms with the fact that my father wrote in his will that I would own his company. I almost didn't do it. It would've been much easier to sell, but I love my father too much to let his pride and joy blow away in the breeze. I may not know all of the ropes of this place yet, but I will … in time. I hope all of you can understand that. I really do. If not … I’d appreciate your resignation sooner rather than later. I won't let any of you stand in the way of me making Obsidian everything my father wished it could be. Have a good day.”
With that, Olivia nods to Eden, and the two of them walk out of the conference room together. The icy chill left behind by Olivia’s words doesn't go away, even after the door closes behind them. As soon as they're gone, Jon turns to me, annoyance written across his face.
“Wow, new guy,” he says. “Big first day, huh?”
I scoff at his tone, and I really can’t stand the look on his face, but I can feel heat rising in my chest and I know what the explosion will look like. So I take a deep breath to try to smother the fire. “What was I supposed to do, sit here in silence while she asked direct questions? I don't know what the hell is going on over here, but if the expectation was that I was going to be promoted tonotdo my job, you should've left me where I was.”
“Maybe I should've,” Jon snaps, surprising the hell out of me. “It’s fine that you do your job, but you need to understand that Olivia Lucero doesn't deserveherjob. I do, andweallknow it. So, it’s in your best interest to get on board with the rest of us,and if you can't, then you may want to learn how to at least stay out of the way.”
I lock eyes with Jon and forget everybody else in the room. I know this is my first day and I need to keep it together, but he’s already fucking pushing it. My dark devil is more than just a need for kink exploration. It’s my past. It’s my father's son. It’s not to be fucking played with.
“Wow. First day on the job and I'm already feeling the weight of threats. I'm shocked, and don't really know what else to say besides … or what, Jon? It’s clear that you've let my work persona influence the way you speak to me, not understanding that I am a Black kid from fucking Wilmington. You mentioned my best interest, but you should know that talking to me crazy is clearly not in yours.”
“I'm your boss,” Jon replies, doing his best to hold onto his anger. “I promoted you, and I will end you over any perceived insubordination. I suggest you remember that. Are you really willing to risk your new position over a woman you just met for the first time?”
Heat crawls up my back like a giant spider, and I'm suddenly annoyed that I'm even in this position. I was happy where I was. My best friend Rob was just a short walk down the hall from my desk, and now I'm in the executive wing, secluded and surrounded by sharks that are willing to eat each other to get ahead. This is the part of the corporate world that most people don't know about—the part where money and power outweigh civility, and greed is all-consuming.
I take a deep breath, ready to fly off the handle at the audacity of this asshole threatening me fornotgoing against the CEO. Darkness clouds the corners of my vision and I'm ready to let loose, but before I can speak, there’s movement behind me.
“Quinn,” Olivia says, sticking her head between the parted doors and glaring at Jon and I like she just caught us gossiping about her.
Shit. Whatdidshe hear? Everyone knows Jon is the second-highest member of the company, and I was just going back and forth with him. Without context, who knows how Olivia might perceive anything I said.
I turn around in my seat, letting my defiance and anger slowly deflate. “Yes, Miss Lucero?”
“I need to see you in my office,” Olivia says, her eyes narrowing. “Right now.”
FOUR - Quinn
The inside of Olivia’s office is expansive. Her walls are the color of eggshells with numerous pictures of her father spread throughout. His age ranges from the time he was clearly in his twenties, all the way up to what looks like just a couple of years ago. It’s clear that Olivia loved him dearly, and now that she is occupying the office he used to sit in every single day, she wants to make sure that his essence never leaves. I can almost feel his presence as I tiptoe in and make my way to the brown leather chair in front of her oversized desk. If one thing is clear, it’s that Olivia is driven by her father's memory. He is everywhere she turns, and I can only imagine how hard it must have been for her to even walk in here after the accident. But he's with her now, strengthening her every move, and this office makes it obvious why she’s so headstrong. She’s not worriedabout what the good ole boys down the hall are saying about her, because she's doing this for Diego.
The room smells of masculine cologne up until the moment I reach Olivia’s desk and sit down in the leather office chair. When she sits across from me, I get a waft of her delicious perfume and it hits me like a magic spell sucked in through my nose. It’s intoxicating, but I don't allow myself to react outwardly to it. I have no idea what this meeting is about, so I stiffen my spine and try to remain professional. This is Obsidian’s CEO. One slip up and I can kiss my promotion goodbye.
Olivia makes herself comfortable in her seat, leaning back and locking eyes with me. She is definitely not the kind of person who is afraid to look someone in the eye. Her gaze is sharp and focused, making it more intense the longer it lingers. If I were a weaker man, I’d look away. But I'm not a weaker man, so we stare at each other and let the intensity build like a bassline before a beat drops. When it finally does, I'm surprised by what Olivia says.
“I appreciate what you did in there.”
My eyebrows jump to the top of my forehead. “Huh?”
She smirks. “Since I got here, it has been like pulling teeth trying to get answers out of people. They clearly resent the fact that I'm not my father, and that I didn't step aside and let Jon take over the company. So it’s been hard. Today was the first time I've had even a slightly successful meeting. I appreciate that, and I wanted to thank you.”
Shocked by her graciousness, I let out a nervous chuckle that makes me feel like an idiot, but her stern face softens a little. “Wow. Umm, yeah it’s no problem. Today is literally my first day in this position, and I didn't know I was walking into a revolt until the meeting started. I can't speak on what’s going on with them, but I know I don't get down like that. Their issue is not my issue. I'm going to do my job and I'm going to do it well,and I don't care what any of them think. Plus, a group of men ganging up on a woman in a meeting doesn't sit right with me. Excuse my French, but I find it very fucking lame. So Jon may regret promoting me in the end, because if that’s how they plan on acting, I'm going to be a thorn in his side until I'm fired.”
Olivia keeps my gaze, nodding in silent approval before saying, “That’s good to hear. So, tell me a little about yourself, Quinn King.”
Now that I know I'm not being fired for insubordination, I get comfortable in my seat and let out a relaxing sigh.
“Well, I've been working here for six years and have made my way up fairly quickly in that timespan. Before here, I graduated summa cum laude from Wilmington University. I learned a lot there. My father was big into computers and coding, too, and I definitely picked up a lot from him.”
Finally, Olivia blesses me with a full smile. It’s awe-inspiring and makes me suck in a breath like it might be my last. I don't know anything about her or her background, but I wonder if she knows how gorgeous she is. I also wonder why this is what I'm thinking about when I know she’s the boss … and why the fact that she's the boss makes me even more interested.
“Really?” she says, intrigue seeping through her hardened shell. “What did your father do for a living?”
I hold my breath. I didn't mention my father for her to start asking questions. There are plenty of things about him that I don't want to get into. Hell, if she knew who he was, she might look at me and my job with suspicious eyes. So, I do what I always have when people ask about my dad. I lie.
