Connor finished his coffee and his reconnaissance before heading over to Tammy’s desk. He knew the time he had spent chatting with her yesterday was going to pay off now. Normally he would coordinate through his counterpart, but in this case that was Samantha. Not only was she likely going to be combative with him, she wasn’t well trusted by her staff. He was going to work around her and take control of the transition team. The fact that he knew leading the team was going to drive Samantha crazy was an added bonus, but not his primary motivation. Or, so he kept telling himself.
Connor confidently strolled up to Tammy’s desk, making sure he kept eye contact with Samantha’s assistant and a playful smile on his lips. He came around to her side of the desk outside of Samantha’s office, leaning against it effortlessly while he gently encroached in her personal space. He was just close enough that Tammy could smell his musky cologne. Connor knew Samantha was in her office. Getting close to Tammy was both to avoid having Samantha hear him and to keep Tammy off balance while he used her to undermine Samantha as the merger team lead.
“Good morning, Tammy. How are you this fine morning?” Connor asked looking down at the smitten assistant.
“I’m good, Mr. Grayson,” Tammy blushed a bit with Connor’s proximity.
“Oh gosh, please call me Connor,” he flashed his sweet smile and watched her let out a nearly inaudible sigh.
“Is there something I can do for you, Connor?” she met his eyes when she said his name, drawing it out in an unnecessarily intimate way. The poor girl had no chance. She was going to give Connor whatever he asked for. “Do you want me to let Ms. Cane know you are here?”
“Oh, I don’t think there is any need to bother her. I’m sure you can help me with everything I need.” Flattery was one of Connor’s favorite tools. “My team is going to be coming in here shortly and as of right now, we don’t have anywhere to work. Could you help me reserve a conference room?” He knew this was a small task, clearly within Tammy’s purview.
“Oh sure! I can do that.” Tammy was only too eager to help. She clicked through her computer for a few minutes before looking back up at him. “You are all set for conference room two,” she replied with a sense of pride.
“Perfect. You are a lifesaver.” Connor was just getting started. “Now, is there any place I could make a few phone calls? My own office would be great, but I totally understand if there isn’t enough space for me…”
“Um. I’m not sure…” Tammy was hesitant. Office space was at a premium in the building and it was above Tammy’s pay grade to decide who got to occupy one. Connor pressed her. He could work out of his office at Republic Consulting, but that wasn't going to get him anywhere with Samantha.
“I know it is a lot to ask. It’s just that I am going to be here so much, you’d be saving me from having to make a trip back uptown to my office at the end of every day. I’d be in your debt forever,” Connor was mercilessly pouring on the charm.
“Let me make a call,” Tammy cooed, eager to be Connor’s hero. She picked up her phone and started playing her own game.
“Hi Sandra. It’s Tammy. Look I’ve got a HUGE favor to ask of you. I need an office space to steal for the next few weeks. I didn’t submit a space usage request, but you know how you-know-who gets,” Tammy gave a sideways glance at Connor who looked away, pretending like he wasn’t listening. He was sure she was talking about Samantha. Tammy was more cunning than he gave her credit for, using camaraderie of their shared fear of Samantha to elicit an emotional reaction. “And if I don’t get this fixed I’m going to be toast,” Connor couldn’t hear the other end of the line, but it was good news based on the look on Tammy’s face. “That’s great! Sandy you are the best! Thank you so much. Next round at happy hour is on me!” Tammy hung up with a wide smile and victory in her eyes.
“You can have Mr. Simon’s office. He just retired and they were waiting to refurbish before re-assigning it. It is empty, but there is a desk, a computer, and a phone. I can show you were it is,” Tammy announced eagerly.
“That would be lovely,” Connor stood up and motioned for her to lead the way. Tammy directed him to a large office on the other side of the building with a beautiful view of the city. This was obviously a partner’s office. Connor smirked thinking how much his working out of this office was going to infuriate Samantha.
“Will this do, Mr. Gray…Connor?” Tammy asked catching herself.
“This is absolutely amazing, Tammy. Thank you,” Connor rewarded her with another smile as he rounded the desk. “One last thing, could you send out a meeting notification to the team for this afternoon? I want to introduce the two teams. We’ll be meeting in Conference Room two at eleven,” Connor said it with enough confidence that Tammy didn’t even consider that he hasn’t coordinated the meeting with Samantha.
“Will do, Connor,” Tammy said with a smile as she left the room. Connor was left alone in his new office, a satisfied smile on his face. His coup was well underway.
Samantha spent most of the morning sequestered in her office. She knew Connor was in the building and was desperate to avoid seeing him. It was easy to bury herself in merger paperwork. It wasn’t until she got an appointment alert at eleven that she ventured out of her office.
“Tammy, what is this eleven o’clock appointment on the calendar? I didn’t set any merger team meetings for today,” Samantha asked her assistant.
“That is the meeting that Connor scheduled this morning. He said he wanted to introduce the two merger teams,” Tammy replied with a hint of surprise in her voice.
“Connor?” Samantha was stuck on the familiarity of Tammy’s address.
“Yes. Mr. Grayson. He asked me to schedule the meeting this morning. I assumed you knew about it,” Tammy explained genuinely confused.
“No. I didn’t know he scheduled the appointment. Tammy, please ensure you confirm with me before scheduling any appointments or meetings,” Samantha tried to control the annoyance in her voice. While she was irritated with Tammy, she was furious with Connor. There was no use in screaming at her misguided but well-meaning assistant.
Samantha stomped over to the conference room. She wasn’t happy that she was going to be blindsided by Connor’s meeting, but it was better to go to the meeting unprepared than let him have a merger team meeting without her. That would be tacitly accepting that he was the team lead. He wasn’t. She would be in charge of the merger team. This was her key to becoming the youngest partner at Phillips, Morrissey & Tanner. Connor was standing at the head of the conference room when she walked in. He looked just as amazing as the day before in his crisp, custom tailored suit. It seemed like he had just begun to address the room when Samantha walked in. She stood in the back with her arms crossed. He stopped mid-sentence when he saw her and smiled despite her scowl.
“Samantha, glad you could join us. Please come in and sit down. I was about to tell the team what the keys to a successful merger are,” his tone was soft and friendly. To anyone but Samantha, he seemed entirely genuine. But, Samantha knew better. He was taunting her. First, he was highlighting she had been late to an appointment he intentionally set without her knowledge, using her own assistant to do it. Second, he insinuated he was the only one who knew how to lead a successful merger, trying to make her feel insecure. Finally and most importantly, he was clearly highlighting the fact that he was in control. He was the leader now. She fumed silently, refusing to listen to the voice in the back of her head that was echoing Connor’s subtext.
“How lucky I found out about the meeting in time,” Samantha couldn’t help from quipping back at him across the packed conference room. She regretted it the second she said it. His comments had sounded welcoming. Hers just sounded bitter and juvenile. Another point to Connor. They were back to playing the game. How did they get back here so fast? Samantha took a deep breath and reminded herself to be professional and distant. Don't let him bait you, Samantha!
“Okay. Now where was I?” Connor looked arou
nd the room, easily regaining his momentum.
“Integration,” a soft female voice offered. Samantha turned her eyes to the right side of the conference room to where the voice had come from. It was Jessica Winters. She was a petite blonde who worked in the accounting department. She was sitting right next to Connor, close enough to almost touch him. Jessica’s body language said she was riveted by what Connor was saying. She had her notepad on her lap, leaning in toward him, biting her lip softly in anticipation. Or, maybe it was desire. Samantha was positive Jessica knew all too well her position gave Connor the perfect angle to see down her shirt. Samantha had only interacted with Jessica a few times and had always thought her work was acceptable. Not now. Right now Samantha hated Jessica. It wasn’t the first time she had seen women look at Connor with lust filled eyes. She had never been jealous before when she knew Connor was hers. Now it was different. The force of Samantha’s anger had caught her off guard as she struggled to appear composed. Professional. Distant. It was Samantha's mantra. She repeated it to herself over and over again as she bit back the envy and spite.
“Thanks, Jessie,” Connor gave her an approving smile, setting his hand on her shoulder for only the briefest of seconds. Jessie?! It was bad enough he had the whole office calling him Connor, now he had pet names for the women she worked with! They had only met yesterday. There was no way either of them should have been so familiar. Professional. Distant. What do you care who he smiles at, Samantha?
“Integration,” Connor continued. “Our ultimate goal is for two companies to become one. While that may sound simple, it is actually a very intricate process that at times can be trying even in the most beneficial of mergers. Agreeing to a merger is like falling in love with someone.”
Connor’s eyes were instinctively drawn to Samantha as he spoke. Their gaze locked for a brief moment before he continued. She felt their connection in that fraction of a second. It was still there, that magnetic draw that had brought them together years ago. “It is easy and feels good. You are both so excited and think the other can do no wrong.” Samantha was the first to break eye contact, afraid he would see how flustered his stare could make her. Of course he did. He could always read her body.
“Actually merging two companies, now that is like moving in together. Suddenly, someone else is in your space, telling you how to fold your towels, what drawer the silverware should go in, taking up half the medicine cabinet with God knows what, and insisting the toilet seat should always be put back down,” Connor paused for the laughter to subside.
Even Samantha had to admire how easily he commanded the room. A feeling that could best be described as sentimental endearment flooded Samantha. The warmth lasted only a brief moment before one simple thought rocked her world. Was Connor speaking from experience? Had he lived with someone? Did he currently live with someone? Samantha convinced herself it wasn’t possible, not after the way he touched her yesterday. Samantha couldn’t picture Connor in love with someone else. The mere thought made her heart ache. She knew she could never have Connor, but the thought of him belonging to someone else almost broke her.
“There are a million tiny things that you don’t think about when you agree to move in with someone. They can sour the experience and make you forget why you fell in love in the first place. The important part is to see past those growing pains, keep your eyes on the future, and remember that each side will have to compromise a little. Integrate your lives, just like we need to integrate these two businesses. So, how do we do that?” It wasn’t a rhetorical question. Connor was actually asking the group for ideas. An awkward silence fell over the room which made everyone nervous. Everyone except Connor, he still had a smile plastered on his confident face.
“Come on people, I know you are all clever. Let me hear some of your ideas. What do we need to do to integrate?” His voice was encouraging.
“Coordinate billing practices?” Jessica’s hesitant voice rang out. A twinge of hate trickled down Samantha’s spine at her words. Samantha reprimanded herself for the childish backbiting and reminded herself to be a professional.
“Yes! Exactly, Jessie,” Connor praised. Samantha’s mouth filled with that familiar metallic taste, but she managed to choke back the audible huff lingering in her throat. “We need to be on the same page when it comes to billing practices, but more than that we need to align our entire business model,” Connor was putting words in Jessica’s mouth, giving her credit for his ideas. This was another tactic Connor used regularly. Reward the first people who spoke up, make their answer the right answer regardless of what they say. Encourage ideas and cooperation to create a real team.
“More than just our billing practices, we need to align all of what we do. Staff structure, the systems and processes we use, the products and services we provide. These are all things that form the basis of what our new company is going to be. What else?” Connor looked around the room again, encouraging more answers.
“We’ll need to make sure our clients are comfortable during the change,” another young associate offered up. Connor was equally enthusiastic with this answer.
“Yes. Thank you Justin,” Connor knew everyone’s name. Samantha didn’t. He was already more a part of the office than she was. “Secure our client base. Our clients are going to be nervous, right? Things are changing and we need to reassure them that we are still just as committed to taking care of all their needs. Furthermore, our client base is expanding into a whole new continent. We need to be flexible to the demands of a new clientele, in a whole new language! What else?” This time there was hardly a pause before Connor got another answer.
“Build a new logo?” another associate chimed in from the back.
“Good. A new logo. What is the significance of a name and a logo? That is our brand, right? That represents who we are and what we stand for. We need to maintain our brand recognition throughout the process as we integrate and form a new fused company,” again Connor was taking a simple idea and expanding it to fit what he wanted everyone to see. He had a knack for making people feel appreciated and special. Samantha wasn’t surprised. Connor had always made her feel that way.
The next time he asked, there wasn’t a pause before Connor got more answers. The collaboration continued for another fifteen minutes with Connor giving each person credit for having the right answer, making each feel like they had a completely new and unique insight as Connor tied their idea back to his three tenants.
“Let’s recap. The most important thing we are trying to do is to integrate two companies into a single one. We are going to do this through aligning business models, securing our client base, and maintaining our brand recognition. Excellent work,” Connor looked around the room, making eye contact with each associate like a proud parent. “Each of you has been specially selected for this transition team because of the unique skill set you have. You are all experts. I need you each to take some time, think about the objectives we have outlined here today and how your section can contribute to this effort. We’ll meet back here tomorrow at the same time and discuss a way forward. Thank you, everyone,” And with that, everyone began to shuffle out of the conference room, except Connor and Jessica. Jessica was talking to Connor in an obviously flirty way, tilting her head to the side, giggling, and brushing her hair behind her ear. Connor had casually leaned against the table, his muscular arms tensed as he used them to prop himself up. Samantha didn’t realize she was staring at them until Connor glanced back at her. She instantly snapped her eyes away, turning to one of the associates leaving the room, asking him about some random report she was vaguely familiar with. She continued to babble to this associate, while giving sideways glances to Connor and Jessica. Her mantra was worthless. She wasn't professional or distant. She was incapable of tearing her eyes away from Connor and Jessica, watching them lean in, smile, exchange incidental touches. She couldn’t stop herself from coveting the intimacy of their innocent flirtation. When she saw them both walking together toward
the door, she had to intervene. She had a desperate desire to have all of Connor's attention again.
“Connor, I need to speak with you,” Samantha called out to him in a cold and detached tone as he and Jessica were just about out the door. The words were out of her mouth even before she could think of a lie to follow them. Connor and Jessica both stilled, both slightly caught off guard by the abruptness of Samantha’s interjection. It was clear she was going to need to provide more before Connor was going to acknowledge she’d said anything at all. Everything was a power struggle with him. “I have some concerns regarding the local labor laws which may impact the staff alignment and we need to discuss them,” she intended it to be a direction, ordering him to her office. Connor dismissed it like an asinine request.
“Jessie and I were just heading out to lunch to brainstorm some billing solutions. Would you care to join us?” Connor’s invitation was a taunt. Samantha wasn’t going to compete for his attention.
“I already have a lunch engagement,” Samantha lied.
“That’s too bad. Marcus is our labor expert. I will have him swing by your office this afternoon to discuss your concerns,” Connor’s voice was both warm and dismissive. He was blowing Samantha off and she could barely contain her rage.
“Shall we?” Connor said to Jessica, his hand on the small of her back as he gestured out the door. “Enjoy your lunch, Samantha,” Connor called back to her, a wide and wicked smile on his lips.
Samantha spent the remainder of her afternoon in her office, fuming. Connor flat out refused to speak with her. She was the senior associate on the merger team and he was treating her like anyone else. Less than anyone else! He was strong arming his way into the office and no one seemed to care but her. She told herself her anger was based on being pushed out of the merger and not being pushed out of Connor's attention. She tried to ignore the voice ringing in her ears.
Lucky Charm Page 6
