I slammed my hands down hard on the table and pushed myself to stand up from the chair. I crossed my arms over my chest, allowing the sleeves of my jacket to slightly rise.
“I'm not a babysitter, or a teacher for that matter. I don't play games and I certainly don't like my staff to do so too,” I declared as I glared into the back corner of the room before I allowed my eyes to trail over every other person present.“Professionalism is key and if you can't show it at all times, then this is not the company for you. I will not have women more bothered with their nails, passing the buck to a colleague who thinks an office is a good place to have a quick fuck with the luggage porter, working for me.”
It may have sounded crude the way I spoke to them as I called them out on their indiscretions but I could imagine what the two couples in the foyer yesterday must have felt about the business. Disgusted, I bet. I had dealt with the issue quickly, not risking a complaint or worse still, online social bad mouthing. All it took was one tweet to be sent and it would have gone viral and my world could have come crashing down around me.
I loved watching the painted horror wash across their faces as heads started dropping across the room. People squirmed in their chairs unable to look into my eyes.It could never just be the one person worming their way through the company.I had only seen three of them in action but, like rats, if you had one, then you would surely find a bloody nest of others doing the same.
Thankfully, I had asked for extra un-named redundancy packages from Candy. I would hand write in the paperwork once I’d seen who wasn’t suited to our branding. I knew I needed to make an example of the three staff members I interacted with last night. The staff clearly knew who I was talking about and needed to see I was serious in shaping them into model employees.
Their conduct was totally unprofessional and unacceptable, and I wouldn’t tolerate it for another day. In fact, thinking on my feet, rather than resignation packages, I would look into transferring certain staff from here to our lower rated hotels locally. I could then bring over staff from my infrastructure that had excelled in their time with us. Our six month reviews would give us the opportunity to weed out the candidates and save the company thousands in redundancy and if they didn’t like it, they could resign. Win, win, I thought as I internally chuckled to myself.
“Right, I will be carrying out appraisals this week. Michael, I will be in touch with dates for everyone.” I pointed out to seven individuals in the room including Georgia, Laura, and Gaz. “Can you all remain behind, please.”
Each person shuffled out of their seats racing towards the door to escape. I wasn't sure if they thought I'd stop more people on the way out. The sullen looks on their faces and nods toward their coworkers as they left the room showed they knew I wasn't just a words type of guy. Fuck that shit, if you had the balls to call someone out then don’t be a pussy and not act on it. The last person to leave reached the door and I asked them to close it after them.
I placed two piles of paperwork in the center of the table, one being a redundancy package, the other being reallocation offers. “I want you to be honest with yourselves, pick the paperwork you feel you deserve to be given.”
What I really wanted was a fight. Maybe the woman in the corner with the sharp, red bob and matching-colored lips to challenge me keeping her behind. I prayed that mouth of hers would open and back chat with me, demanding why she had been asked to remain behind. Was I that much of a dick? Hell yes, I wouldn't say no to her lips wrapped around my cock but it’s a pity we’re sat here and not in different circumstances together.
I turned around to walk across the room to the floor to ceiling windows and looked out over New York. I shuddered as I caught the Brooklyn Bridge in my eyepoint. I spun around and tapped my feet to the tune playing in my head as I counted down.
“Decision time, hands up for redundancy.” The three hands I thought would be raised, glided up quickly. “Honesty, I like. You three…” I pointed across the room at the employees with raised hands. “Probation. One wrong move and that's it. Game over. Now go. I will be in contact.”
I threw across a set of pens to the center of the table and each person signed before they left the room. I double glanced at the red bobbed lady and her form, noting her name was Louise.
“You should have all challenged me. Fought for your places or demanded what you want. A career isn’t just going to be handed to you, people are coerced but everyone can adapt and learn. Who knows, I may have been that one boss to have bent slightly?” I chuckled as I watched the three of them leave together. My stare fixed on the swing of red-haired woman’s curved hips as she swayed out of the door. I slammed the door behind her, leaving her stunned as I walked over to the windows.
Traitorous dick wanted to play. Fucker.
I watched the now redundant staff leave the building and wondered how their demeanors would change having left my company – some with slumped shoulders in defeat realized the opportunity they had been offered. I cast my eyes across the traffic, steadying myself for the remainder of the day ahead and fear rushed through me. Surely a dark green Bugatti on the street was coincidental? The sperm donor can’t be the only one in New York with that car, but I still felt spooked by it.
6
Everleigh
“What's taking you so long?” Chrissie shouted from my living room as I heard the others' laughter echoing between them.
Isobel, Chrissie, and Freddie had turned up at my door. I’d tried saying I'd meet them there but that was denied immediately. Drinks beforehand at mine would be better and cheaper. Keyo was an exclusive bar and tonight was all about celebrating, but my friends didn't want to pay the cocktail prices to match. In the end, I admitted defeat and agreed we could have pre-drinks at mine.
“Oh, come on guys, you’re an hour early and I’ve no idea what to bloody wear, especially as Freddie played his trump card tonight, getting us into Keyo. I take it your brother Mark still works there?”
“He sure does, Everleigh,” he said, winking. “He got us in with a little incentive, now hurry the fuck up, honey.” Freddie chuckled. That was never a good sign. “Do you know what I had to promise Mark to get us on the list tonight?”
“Do I even want to know?” I asked, poking my head around the corner with a huge grin plastered on my face.
Chrissie and Isobel turned to face Freddie, their wine glasses in hand as he tried to hide the laughter, giving them both a wink.
“A date, I promised Mark a date.” He threw his head back, running his hands through his dark brown hair as the laughter bellowed from his stomach. Isobel nudged him in the ribs. “Aww.”
Isobel was an alley cat with sharp claws drawn when she didn’t see eye to eye with anyone and she and Mark had clashed every time they were in each other’s company.
“Just who did you promise a date with…? You know I hate that sack of shit douchebag, so it’s never going to be with the likes of me. You can go swivel. That only leaves…” She left it open.
“Everleigh…” he whispered, dropping his gaze.
“She's going to kill you,” Chrissie said as Isobel nodded.
“Too right I am!” I screamed as I sauntered out into the room. I shimmied the jeans over my hips and slid the top over my head. I grabbed my knee-high boots, throwing one at Freddie which he annoyingly caught. “Not happening, Fred.”