Turning to Janey, I say, “I’ve been watching you over the last few weeks. And it occurred to me we’re pretty fucking stupid, not seeing how useful you would be in other areas of our business.” She looks intrigued. Ransom has a small smile curving his mouth. “Everyone talks to you. But not because you’re at the front desk. They talk to you in the break room, in the parking lot, in the hallways. They seek you out.”
“I like people. I like listening to them.” She says softly. Her whole energy is so fucking approachable. Something about her makes you want to confide in her.
“I can tell. So how would you like a job doing more of that? I think you should be in HR.”
Her body’s still, but her eyes are searching. Wondering. “You want me to work in HR?”
“No, honey, I want you to run it. You’d answer only to us.”
She stiffens, eyes darting between all of us, then her wide eyes fill with tears. Blinking them back, she shakes her head. With a deep breath, she folds her hands in her lap again. “I am so honored that you would…trust me with a role like that. But I don’t think I can do a job like that.”
“Why?” Jonas asks shortly.
Janey exhales, sitting taller, lifting her chin. She looks like she’s preparing for a blow. “I have some…difficulties. I struggle with staying organized. I read really slowly. And I have a hard time writing. HR would need all of those skills. I couldn’t do a good job for you. I mess up at reception, but I can usually make it better. But HR…I don’t want to make a big mistake there.”
And they’re hooked.
My brothers are all seeing what I do. Ransom leans back in his chair, running his fingers over the arm. “Janey,” he says softly. It’s the voice he used with us when we were hurting as kids. The warm one, the understanding one. We don’t hear it much anymore unless he’s talking to Mia or one of our women…well except Becca.
“Do you know what the best thing about being a boss is?”
She tilts her head, studying him. “No, I’ve never been in charge of anything.”
Ransom nods. “It’s having minions. Not the little yellow ones.” We all smile at that. Mia’s obsessed with the little yellow ones. “I mean, people to get the shit done that needs doing.”
She grins at him. Not at all intimidated by him. “Like me, answering phones.”
Jonas cracks a smile, and the rest of my brothers laugh.
“Like answering phones,” Ransom agrees with a smile. “So the job you’re being offered comes with minions. You can let the other people in HR handle the paperwork and organizing. If you need information from them, you’ll be given it in any form that you like. Because what you do honey, I can’t teach. I see Jonas every day. And not once did I realize he gets headaches on sunny days. Did any of you?” He asks the rest of us.
We all shake our heads because nope, we barely noticed he wasn’t wearing his glasses today. We don’t really notice shit like that.
“So what exactly do you want me to do?” she asks me.
“I want you to talk to people, just like you have been. I want you to wander the hallways during the day, looking for people, for situations that don’t look right. And then fix them, or bring them to us.”
“Like stealing, or like Cara?” We all freeze. “Cara’s hurting. Is that the kind of thing I could help with?”
My throat feels tight. “Yeah honey, that’s exactly the kind of thing you could help with.”
She nods, looking out the open doorway. “I would share anything that worries me with you, but I don’thaveto tell you everything…right?”
Ransom fields this one. “I expect the same judgment you used when you talked to Colt will be exercised in all aspects of your work. We’ll give you the resources to handle things as you see fit.”
“As long,” Jonas says flatly, “as it won’t jeopardize your safety or anyone else.”
She nods absentmindedly, staring at some point on the floor. Her lips firm as she turns to Ransom. “You’re sure? I,” she stops, straightening her shoulders. “I barely graduated high school. I’m not very smart. I’ve figured out how to do a good job at the front desk, but I…” she trails off, scowling.
Jonas takes a step forward, frowning. “Why do you think you’re not very smart?”
Ransom’s eyebrows lift as his gaze darts between Jonas and Janey. I get it. It’s fucking riveting. Jonas is choosing to speak to a near stranger. There are employees on this floor he’s never said more than ‘hello’ to, in years.
Janey winces. “Because everyone said so. I have to work really hard to be on the same level as other people.”
Jonas tilts his head, studying her. “Our school system teaches facts. Perhaps your brain is less suited to facts. But you will never be on the same level as any of us.” She winces but tries to hide it.
A collective cringe travels through my brothers, but before we can jump in and smooth his misstep over, he continues. “Your observational skills are leagues above ours. You putting together the thefts with the changes in this employee’s behavior is a leap that some might call intuition. I think it’s more likely that you process information differently, allowing your unconscious mind to make connections your conscious one might not recognize.”
