“Effective immediately, Daniel is no longer with CreativEdge,” I snap, jumping in with no preamble whatsoever. Anyone who hadn’t heard through the gossip train in the last five minutes knows now. “I have never, in my entire career, seen such disgraceful work as I did with Cardinal West. Who was responsible for that mess?”
Not a single one of them is looking me in the eye. I can see some of them flicking their gaze around the room, but no one is fessing up to this shitshow. I lay into them for fifteen full minutes, making my expectations and disappointment with this team abundantly clear.
“If anything, and I mean anything, like this comes across my desk again, I will not hesitate to clean house in this entire department. Do your job, or find a new one. Do I make myself clear?”
A quiet chorus of “Yes, sir’s” go around the room.
“Get a list of all the adventure and outdoor supply companies in New England. Pull together their marketing and branding portfolios,ideal clientele, messaging platforms, ad spend. I want to know everything there is to know about their business models,” I demand.
I see a few head nods, even though none of them have yet dared to look me in the eye. If I stay here any longer, my stress level is going to explode. This day has turned to shit, and I despise that feeling. My business means too much to me to deal with incompetence like this.
I turn to leave, and my eyes land on a woman I have never seen before. She’s standing by the doorway of the accounting office across the hall, alarm etched into her face. Her very pretty face, not that it matters. The important thing is…
“Who are you?” My question comes out gruffer than I intended, but I have no issue with that. The office has gotten a lot bigger over the years, more and more new faces—especially as the ones who can’t hack working for me go on to more appropriately fitting positions where they can get away with putting in a quarter of their effort—but I know every employee in this place… and I would recognize her if I’d ever seen her before.
“Mr. Edgerton. Sorry, this is Brielle Collins. She’s the new staff accountant that you approved. This is her first day.” Rui Hernandez rushes in, stepping in front of Brielle. He’s the senior accountant at CreativEdge. I forgot that his new hire was supposed to be starting today. Usually, I like to introduce myself during their orientation and HR training. Something a little more formal than listening to me chew out an entire department right across from her. Oh well, better she knows now what she’s getting into.
“Welcome to the team, Brielle.” My gaze holds a challenge for her.
She doesn’t look away, instead reaching out her hand with a tentative smile. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Edgerton.”
My cheek twitches the smallest amount in an almost smirk. I highly doubt that’s true, especially at this particular time, but I shake heroffered hand. A zap of electricity shoots up my arm, my blood still charged from my earlier anger.
Rui quickly guides her away from the door, murmuring his goodbyes.
I watch them for a second, catching the moment when Brielle turns her head, looking back at me, before I go.
Chapter 2
Brielle
I’msixhoursintomy new job, and everything had been going great through my morning orientation. Although, I have an ominous feeling that all that’s about to change.
“You don’t want him to even know who you are. Just keep your head down and stay under the radar,” Erica says. She’s the other staff accountant on Rui’s team. Her dark, curly hair is pulled back tightly, slick to her head until the puff of curls pops up behind her.
“Not unless you want to end up like Daniel,” Rui adds with a sad headshake. He quickly looks up and plasters on a smile. “Not that you have anything to worry about. Daniel obviously didn’t produce the results that Satan wanted, but you don’t have to worry about that. I’m sure you’ll do great. Like Erica said, just keep your head down, and you’ll be fine.”
“I’m sorry, did you saySatan?” I asked, concern lacing my voice. Nothing about this place or these people screams occult, but that’s probably how they get you.
“Oh, that’s what everyone here calls the boss. His nameis Damian,” Rui says.
“Fitting, isn’t it?” Erica adds, talking more with her eyes than with her words.
“He’s basically the devil in disguise.”
Great. Leave one job where my colleagues are pure evil, only to end up at another job where the boss is.
It wasn’t thatallof my colleagues were evil, to be honest. But enough of them were that I had to get out.
I set my computer on the desk that’s going to be mine and start getting everything hooked up. The day is almost over, but the HR orientation took up most of the morning, so I’m just meeting my new teammates now.
“What makes him so bad?” I ask.
“He can be a real… “ Rui trails off.
“Dick,” Erica finishes for him. “He’s all, ‘where’s my reports?’ and ‘get back to work,’” she says in a fake deep voice. “He never chats with us underlings. It’s like all he cares about is work.”
That’s fine with me. I’m not here to make friends. I did that at the last place, and look how that turned out. Apparently, being friends with your male boss could only ever be for strategic gain… at least according to half the people at my last job.
