by Siren Allen
“Mom, how could you?”
“Sweetie, it’s not what you think...”
“I think I’m in the bathroom having a panic attack right now.” Willow began to pace in the short space of the stall.
“Calm down, Willow.”
“He’s going to fire me. I know he is.”
“Willow...”
“Should I just resign? I should, shouldn’t I? Okay, I will.”
“Willow, be quiet and let me talk!”
Willow stopped pacing. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Thank you. The reason I didn’t tell you sooner, was because I didn’t want you to spend your entire weekend panicking.”
“But, mom...”
“Ms. Kang called me as soon as Kang told her he would come and be the interim GM...”
“You mean he volunteered? Oh no. He’s coming to fire me.”
“No, he’s not. When he volunteered, Ms. Kang told him you were off limits. He’s not allowed to bully you or fire you.”
“Ma, he hates me.”
“He doesn’t hate you.”
“Oh, you must’ve forgotten the way he treated me at Auntie Kang’s birthday party. He’s rude and obnoxious and...”
“It won’t be that way this time, sweetie.”
Willow didn’t want to argue with her mother. But her mother didn’t know how evil Kang could be. Even Willow had been shocked by his attitude towards her after she rejected him. Before that horrible night, they’d been best friends.
Besides her mother, he’d been the one person she could call on whenever she was in trouble. Whenever she’d needed him, he’d been there. He’d been the shoulder she cried on when her and her exes broke up.
He’d been the person who came and picked her up whenever her car broke down. He’d been the person who came to her defense whenever someone bullied her for being a plus size teenager in high school. He’d been the person she worked out with in college.
Because of his coaching, she’d managed to slim down. Yeah, her ass was still fat and her thighs were still kind of thick. But that was the trend these days. Bottom line was, Kang had been her most trusted friend and confidant. Now, he was her enemy. An enemy who was also her boss.
Fuck my life.
“Willow, everything will be fine. You’ll see. I have to get back to work. Call me when you get off work.”
“Yes, ma’am. Love you.”
“Love you too, sweetheart.”
Willow pressed end call. The bratty part of her wanted to complain and say that her mother was putting her job before her child. Willow needed her and her mother was worried about getting back to work.
The adult part of her knew her mother’s job was important. Her mother was the manager of the Royal Cosmetics department store in Piedmont Mall. If her mother took time away from her job help Willow, Kang would have one more thing to complain about.
Sighing, Willow shoved her phone into her pocket then left the stall. Standing in front of the mirror, she stared at her reflection. The black slacks she was wearing hugged her curves just right.
They weren’t too tight, but neither were they loose-fitting. The same could be said about her white long sleeve button down shirt. It was May, which meant it was too hot in Georgia for a long sleeve shirt. But the office temp was always set on frost, so, long sleeves were a must.
Her attire was neither too sexy nor too conservative. Therefore, Kang should have nothing to complain about when he saw her. Her long black hair was pulled back into a ponytail that was twirled around itself to keep it from touching her shoulders.
Simple studs decorated her ear lobes. Nothing too fancy. She was only 5’4, so heels were a must. She looked presentable. Now, she just needed to work on her composure. She couldn’t allow the sight of Kang to make her panic.
She needed to remain composed and in control at all times. Willow straightened her shirt on her form. She could do this. She took another deep breath and released it slowly. Willow smiled at her reflection. I got this.
Ready to face her enemy, she turned away from the mirror and strode over to the bathroom door. She pulled the door open, then froze. Standing in front of her, not even a foot away, stood her enemy.
This was not a drill. She wasn’t dreaming. This wasn’t one of her terrifying nightmares, nor was it one of her erotic fantasies. It was real. He was really there. Kang Kyung-Jun was really standing in front of her. Heart racing, she remained frozen in place with her mouth hanging open.
Kang stared down at his watch then glared at her. “You’ve been in the bathroom for twelve minutes.”
That voice! It still had the power to make her heart flutter. He still sounded as sexy as he had the last time they talked.
“Twelve minutes, Willow.”
Had she really been in the bathroom that long?
“That’s unacceptable. And close your mouth, before something flies into it.”
Willow snapped her mouth shut so hard, her jaw ached. He folded his arms over his chest. His massive chest. Damn, he’d gotten more muscular since the last time she’d seen him.
Don’t think about him like that Willow. You promised yourself you’d never think about him like that. Well, you promised yourself you’d try not to think about him like that. Especially now that he’s on your Most Hated list.
“You’re holding up the meet and greet.”
Willow swallowed. “Um, what meet and greet?”
He turned and walked away. Willow stood there, staring down the hallway at his retreating form. Just as he was about to turn the corner he stopped.
Without looking back, he told her, “I don’t have all morning.”
Oh, right. She was still holding up the meet and greet. Willow waited until he rounded the corner before following him. It was always cold in the building. Why was she suddenly feeling hot?
Fanning herself, Willow slowly walked down the hall. When she reached the marketing department, she found the entire area to be empty. Except for one person who was standing in front of the elevators with his back to her.
“The meet and greet is on the third floor.”
That voice. She missed that voice. Willow shook her head to clear it. Remember, he’s the enemy.
“That elevator is slow,” Willow told him. “I’ll take the stairs.”
“You’ll take the elevator. I don’t have time for you to take the stairs.”
The elevator dinged. Kang strode inside. Willow’s gaze met his. To enter or not to enter? That was the question.
“I hate to be kept waiting.”
That much hadn’t changed.
Sighing, Willow strode over to the elevator and entered. The doors slowly slid shut. Willow stood as close to the doors as she could. She could feel Kang behind her. No, he wasn’t that close to her.
Yet, him, his ego and his horrible attitude seemed to take up the entire space. Damn, it shouldn’t take this long to go down three floors. Taking the stairs would’ve been quicker and less awkward.
Neither of them said a word as the elevator made its unhurried journey down to the third floor where the conference rooms were located. Willow hated the awkward silence. She felt like she should say something.
She’d tried that a year ago at Ms. Kang’s birthday party. That conversation ended with her in tears. Lesson learned. The elevator dinged. Finally. The doors crept open. She didn’t wait for them to open up completely.
As soon as there was enough space for her to squeeze through, she stepped out. Hurrying down the hall, she tried to put as much space between him and her as she could. Why hadn’t one of her roomies texted her and let her know the eagle had landed. Damn.
“The meet and greet is this way,” his deep voice called out.
Willow stopped. Without turning around, she told him, “We usually have the meet and greets in room C4.”
“Today, we’re in conference room 8.”
“C8? Why?”
“You’re still wasting time.”
Bastard!
Willow turned around. He was already walking toward C8. Good. She didn’t want to enter with him. Following him slowly, she prayed he would hurry up and enter the room before her.
Unfortunately, luck was not on her side. He stopped outside the door and stared down at his watch before turning his glare in her direction. Damn it. Willow increased her stride, stopping once she reached his side.
He opened the door and strode into the room. She followed him inside. He’d chosen to have his meet and greet in the largest conference room they had. And now she knew why. Everyone from every department was squeezed into the room.
Dez waved to her from across the room and pointed at a seat next to her. Great, her roomies had saved her a seat. Willow made her way through those standing to reached the seat.
“You okay?” Dez whispered.
“No,” Willow whispered back.
“I was surprised when he strode into the marketing department, followed by the chief operating officer and his secretary. When they announced the meet and greet, I offered to go find you. He insisted on doing it himself. Sorry.”
“No problem.” It was a big problem.
Seated to her left was Kizzy. As the COO introduced Kang to those gathered in the room, Kizzy leaned close to Willow.
“When he came into the marketing department. He immediately began looking around. When he didn’t see you there, he got upset. The others couldn’t tell he was upset. But I know him. I know that tick in his jaw.”
Damn, he’d had the jaw tick? Yeah, he was really upset.
“Does, he still make your heart race?” Kizzy asked.
“No. Why would you even ask me that at a time like this?”
“Sorry. I was just wondering if you were going to tell him what you’d planned to tell him at his mother’s birthday party. Before he, you know, yelled at you. Maybe he would be nicer to you if you told him.”
“Screw that. I’m not telling him. I’m never telling him.”
“Now that he’s here, are you scared?” Kizzy whispered.
“It’ll be alright. My mom promised it would.” Willow tapped her foot nervously.
“If you say so.”
“I do say so. I just have to avoid him as much as... Ouch.” Willow faced Dez. “Why did you elbow me?”
Dez nodded to the front of the room. Willow looked to the podium then froze when she realized everyone in the room was staring at her and Kizzy. Standing behind the podium, Kang glared at her.
At that moment, she really wished she had an invisibility cloak. Where was Harry Potter when she needed him? Or Ron or Hermione. Hell, even Neville would do right now.
“Ms. Thompson,” Kang called out. “Is there something you’d like to share with the room?”
Murmurs rose up in the room as her co-workers began talking amongst themselves. She heard one guy behind her ask someone how the new GM knew Willow’s last name. Her cheeks heated in embarrassment.
“Is there, Ms. Thompson?” Kang asked again.
Willow shook her head.
“I’m sorry, I don’t speak sign language.”
Some of her coworkers chuckled.
“No. There’s nothing I’d like to share with this room of chucklers.”
The laughter stopped.
“Then please be quiet.”
It was hard to believe this man used to be her best friend. He used to be the only person who could comfort her on her bad days and the person who was usually responsible for her good days.
Now, he was her enemy. Without another glance in her direction, Kang resumed his speech. Her mother was wrong. Kang was not going to take it easy on her. This would just be a repeat of what happened at Madam Kang’s birthday party.
Except, on a larger scale. Instead of being embarrassed in front of family and friends, he’d end up embarrassing her in front of her colleagues. And to make matters worse, being in his presence still made her heart race.
Perhaps, it was time to start looking for another job.
Chapter Two
Kang gripped the podium as he talked.
How the hell did she get more beautiful each year that passed? Jerking his gaze from her, Kang stared around the room, eyes landing anywhere but on her. He had a speech to deliver. Which meant, he needed to focus.
He wouldn’t be in the States for long. Three months at the most. And since he was there, he wanted to accomplish multiple goals so that he never had to come there again. He had three months to find a new general manager and have that person go through training
Of course, he could’ve sent someone else here to help with this. In the grand scheme of things, this was minor. Though a general manager was important, he could easily be replaced.
Yet, as soon as he heard his mother and brother talking about the general manager resigning and needing to be replaced, Kang rushed to say he would be the one to find a new general manger.
Why? Kang didn’t want to think about the real reason why. Yet, the knowing looks his mother and brother had cast his way let him know they already knew his reason. He couldn’t think about that right now. Right now, he simply needed to focus on finishing his speech.
“I know you’re all wondering why the vice president of RC has come all the way from the Korean corporate office to act as interim general manager here in the Atlanta office.”
Murmurs arose around the room. Of course, everyone was wondering that. Kang’s cousin, Cho Jyun-Wu, was the VP for the Atlanta branch. He could’ve acted as interim GM. Then again, Cho was lazy and unreliable.
Kang’s aunt sent Cho to the States to work because he was getting into too much trouble back home. Kang’s mother had appointed Cho as VP, hoping that would make him work hard. It hadn’t. Cho held the title. But someone else did the work.
That pissed Kang off. He hated when people used their connections to rise up the corporate ladder. Even though Kang’s mother was half of the duo who created RC, he hadn’t been given his position simply because he was her son.
He’d gone to college and majored in business and minored in accounting. When he finished school, he’d started in the mailroom of the company and worked his way up. He’d learned how each department worked before becoming VP of the Korea office.
Cho had skipped all of those steps and went straight to the VP position. Kang’s mother insisted Cho would eventually get his act together. Last he’d heard, Cho was vacationing in Taiwan with his current girlfriend. So much for getting his act together. Kang waited until the murmurs died down before he spoke again
“I’m not only here to act as GM and to hire a new GM. I’m also here to get this branch in shape. Normally, it would be best to hire a GM from within. That may not be the case here. I’ve gone over the data. Over the past two years, each department here has been slacking in one way or another. That will not continue.”
More murmurs rose. Those who’d been smiling at him moments ago were now frowning.
“As of right now, everyone’s job is on the line.”
That announcement granted him more frowns. It was best to get all of this out the way now, while he had all of them gathered in one room. A hand rose at the back of the room. Dez.
Though he hadn’t seen her in years, she still looked the same. She looked pissed off. He was eager to see if she would spout off at him like she used to do in college or whether she’d show some professionalism at the office.
“I see a hand raised in the back. Do you have a question?”
Dez stood up. “Yes, sir. I do.”
So, she’d chosen to be professional. Interesting.
“My question is, what do you mean by our jobs are on the line?”
She mimicked his deep voice when she said that last part. Maybe she wasn’t planning on being professional.
“Are we going to be fired?”
“Not necessarily. What I mean is, over the next few weeks, me and a team I’ve established, will be going from department to department, evaluating productivity and work flow. Compared to the other
corporate offices, this branch is the only one that underperforms each year. Sales at your local Royal Cosmetics stores have fallen this year. Your seasonal sale exhibits have been lackluster and have performed poorly. These issues need to be addressed. Which is why I will take my time and evaluate each department. Those whose work is not up to standard, will be let go.”
There were those murmurs again.
“Be thankful I’m taking my time to explain things,” Kang’s deep voice drowned out their raised whispers. “You have your madam chairman to thank for that. Normally, I’d just fire those who haven’t been performing up to standards. I don’t waste time on weak links in the chain.”
The room went quiet. Dez rolled her eyes as she sat back down in her seat. Willow’s friend hadn’t changed one bit. But he had. He was no longer the carefree kid who watched over them in high school and college.
He was no longer the fool who gave them rides to the mall and to the movies at the drop of a dime. Or the fool who carried their bags at school because they were tired or because it was too hot. He’d changed, for the better. And he would change this branch, for the better.
Kang stared out over the room. “Any more questions?” No one raised their hand. “Does everyone understand what will be taking place over the next few weeks and what’s expected of them?”
No one said a word. A few nodded. His eyes drifted to Willow. She quickly looked away. He tore his gaze away from her. Kang repeated his question. More heads nodded. Those who didn’t understand, soon would.
“Okay. That’s it for this meeting. Before we leave, allow me to introduce my team members.”
Kang motioned for his three friends, who were standing in the corner of the room, to join him. He ignored their glares. None of them wanted to be there. And they’d voiced their complaints the entire flight here.
“This is Wen Shao Tian. He’s from our IT department.”
Shao stood there, looking straight ahead. He didn’t smile or greet the room. Typical Wen Shao.
“And this is Nahm Joon-Woo. He works in our accounting department.”
Nahm bowed to the crowd. A few women giggled. Nahm was a ladies’ man. He would have fun here in the States.
