Page 19 of Love You From Afar

“Noah, finish what you can tomorrow and then call it a week. I’m not going to budge on this.”

“Okay, call me if you need anything. Have a good weekend.”

Everett lets out a deep exhale as he shakes his head. He places his phone back on the table before running a hand through his thick hair.

“Of course we would have difficult clients when I go out of town,” he mutters to himself.

“What’s going on?” I ask, resting my chin against my hand.

He blows out an elongated breath before responding. “One of our wealthier clients is trying to take advantage of Liam and Noah since I’m out of town. They’re asking the guys to work over the weekend to get the job done quicker. We’ve been installing a new roof for them, and apparently, they’re having a get-together at their house next week and want the roof done ahead of schedule.”

“And you told Noah to tell them no?” I ask, completely shocked.

“Hell yeah I told him to say no,” he clips. “Before every job, we give our clients an estimated completion date. Each customer knows exactly what to expect when they put down their deposit. We may have blue-collar jobs, but we aren't a sweatshop. We have a life outside of work. Now, if we were to make a huge mistake, we’d work overtime to fix it because that’s on us. But other than that, I’m not asking my guys to bust their asses outside of scheduled work hours.”

I’m stunned. My jaw is basically on the floor. In the corporate world, it’s drilled into your brain that the client always comes first, no matter the circumstance.

“What about your client? Won’t they be upset?”

“A paycheck is a paycheck, Skylar,” he replies. “Of course, I want to make my clients happy, but they also need to understand that they can’t take advantage of us. At the end of the day, if the economy were to crash, I could easily lose my company. Noah and Liam would lose their jobs as well. But you know what? The world keeps spinning. We would eventually find new jobs and continue living our lives. No career is more important than your well-being. You’re always replaceable.”

My eyes narrow as I stare off into the distance, contemplating the truth of his words.

“Why do you look like you just saw a ghost?” Everett chuckles.

I return my gaze to him, meeting his sapphire stare.

“I guess I’m just so used to being told that the customer always comes first. Even in recruiting, if a candidate calls or emails me past business hours I almost always respond.”

“Why?” Everett asks, his tone serious.

“What do you mean?”I just told you why… the customer always comes first.

“Why do you feel like you have to respond past business hours? Are you getting paid to work during your personal time?”

I feel the need to defend myself because I can’t help but feel like he’s judging me for simply caring about my job.

“No… I just… I don’t want anyone to call and complain about me. I work too hard to have my manager pull me in for a meeting just to tell me that I dropped the ball. I just—”

Everett immediately cuts me off.

“Let me ask you something. How many years have you worked for this company, and how many people have you hired?” His eyes narrow to little slits, like he’s eagerly waiting for my response.

“Umm… A little over three years,” I drawl out. “And I don't know, probably close to a thousand.”

“Does the CEO or anyone on the executive team know your name?” He fires back.

“Why are you asking me all of this?” I retort, starting to get a little frustrated.

“Just answer my question, Skylar. Do any of the corporate bigwigs know your name?” He’s not letting me off the hook.

“No, probably not,” I huff out, dropping my burger and crossing my arms over my chest.

“So, you’re telling me that you’ve given three years of your life to this company and hired close to a thousand people, yet the CEO doesn't even know your name? Wouldn't recognize you if he or she passed you in the hall?”

“No.” My response is barely a whisper.

“Thank you for proving my point.” He leans back in his chair while taking a gulp of his drink.

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