by Wolf, Alex
“What? I can’t check on my baby bro?”
“Uhh, no.”
“Okay, fine. I was crunching some numbers—”
“Fucking knew it.” I shook my head, laughing once more.
“Hey, I had to hear about you visiting fuck town, you can hear me out.”
“Fine.” I rolled a hand forward, even though he couldn’t see. “Proceed, Mr. President.”
“We have a meeting at seven on Monday with the accounting department.”
I groaned. “Fuck.”
“I need you there. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”
I sighed. “Fine. I’ll be there. If Dad knew you were such a buzzkill, he would—”
“Come back from the grave and thank me? Dad ran the company with an iron fist. It was his baby. Just wanna make him proud.” He paused, and his tone changed. “You should, too.”
It was the downfall of working so closely with him. He always thought it necessary to point out how much he disapproved of my lifestyle and work ethic.
I sighed. “I don’t know if anyone could live up to your expectations.”
“I didn’t mean to start shit. Just don’t be late.”
“I won’t, Mother. Anything else?”
He snickered. “See you Monday.”
“Later.” I disconnected the call and stared off into nowhere while at a stoplight.
I closed my eyes and Rory came back into view. Thank God. I grinned. Wondered what she was doing right then.
Probably rubbing one out to me. Definitely was. Fuck, I could still feel her pussy wrapped around me. The war was far from over.
I finally pulled into my driveway, got out of the car, and headed into the house.
Hayes
It was no surprise that I was the first one at the office Monday morning. I walked in and prepared the agenda for the meeting.
Maybe Hunter was right, but someone had to do it so he could do whatever he wanted all day. I didn’t mind losing myself in the work. It kept me busy, and I knew Dad would be proud.
Hunter had never wanted to take over anyway. He’d sell his shares if I didn’t keep it running.
Part of me thought maybe he just needed to mature, and one day he’d step up and be a partner. Only time would tell.
I pulled out the financial statements and gave them one last look. I’d gone over them a dozen times Friday and had them committed to memory, but I wanted to be sure. People needed a leader at a company. Their jobs depended on me. We needed to make a big move in order to continue to see growth over the quarter. I had an idea.
Five minutes before seven, Hunter walked in. He looked like he’d just rolled out of bed. He wore a jagged smile, and held a cup of coffee.
I shook my head at him.
He took a drink and yawned.
I stared and shook my head. “Another long night?”
He thought about it before a smile crossed his lips. “Well, I did have a hot day with Chelsea. Remember Chelsea?” he asked.
“From college?” I arched an eyebrow. “She still around?”
He smirked. “On an as-needed basis.” He laughed and headed toward his office.
“What about the one?” I rolled my eyes.
“She was unavailable. So I needed someone to pretend it was her.” He pointed at me and walked off. “The hand wasn’t enough. But I’m telling you, bro—the one.”
I shook my head. There was something about Hunter that made it impossible to get pissed at him. I watched him go for a minute, then shook my head and went to the conference room. Every time I thought maybe he’d turn things around, he reminded me how much he needed to grow up. Making sure he was taken care of was the only thing at the company that made me weak.
I was constantly worried he was going to knock someone up on a whim, and it was going to hurt the company. And every time I tried to bring it up, he just brushed it off like it was nothing to worry about. Sometimes, I couldn’t believe we were brothers.
The accounting team strolled in, and I greeted each one as they entered the room.
Hunter walked in last and I opened up the financials. Not one to go unnoticed, Hunter always made his presence known in spectacular fashion. He bumped into the door, knocking it into the wall. The banging sound echoed through the building. A few female employees chuckled and stared in his direction.
I palmed my forehead and shook my head.
Hunter shrugged like it was no big deal. “Sorry. Umm, proceed.” He motioned to me.
I would’ve glared at him, but it’d only fuel his antics. He loved getting a rise out of me.
“Thanks for your permission.”
Muffled laughter rang out under the breath of the employees. This was a horrible start.
I cleared my throat. “Can you shut the door, please?”
He’d just sat down, and glared when he had to get back up to do it. I was certain he was hungover and hoped all the blood rushed back into his skull. He wasn’t the only one who could play shitty little games.
He sat back down, faked a grin, and nodded while he held his coffee in the air.
“Thank you for coming in on such short notice. Hunter and I appreciate it.” I looked around the room. Senior management was in the know, but we hadn’t broken the news to the staff accountants yet. “I have some news. We’re merging with Merathol Enterprises. It’s a huge deal that’s been arranged, and it will be great for everyone. I’ll have more details to come soon, but we need to get on board with their accounting department to determine how to merge our systems as seamless as possible. I’ll answer any questions I can now.”
A small commotion broke out around the table as everyone began discussing the news. They seemed excited. Merathol was a major player, and our main competition in the past. It could mean great things for the company. I also sensed some apprehension, which was to be expected. There was always uncertainty with these deals.
“What’s this mean for our jobs? Are we moving? Do we have to share office space? Can you show us the numbers?” multiple people asked almost simultaneously.
I looked over at Hunter and he sat there, a blank expression on his face.
It was fine. I invited him as a courtesy anyway.
I turned back to the group. “I’ll let Hunter answer your questions.” I flashed him a devilish smile.
His eyes went wide, then narrowed on me. “Umm, I don’t know shit about any of this stuff.”
“You signed the deal. Didn’t you read it?”
“Umm.”
I looked around and everyone stared at us. “It’s going to be fine. We’ll go over the details more later. It will be a bigger workload at first, but we’ll be adding positions, so everyone will keep their same hours and pay. And there will be more opportunities for everyone to advance in the company.”
There was a collective sigh around the table.
“They’ll be selling their building and merging into ours, so you don’t have to move. We’ll expand this building with proceeds from the sale. It might be tight for a bit, but it’ll be temporary.” I pulled out the financials and passed them around. “Here are two years of projected numbers.”
Even Hunter looked at them. I was pretty sure he had no clue what he was staring at.
“Is there a CEO that will be coming with them?” someone asked.
“They have a CEO, but he’s looking to retire. Hunter and I will be working together to come up with a game plan. There will be some restructuring of leadership.”
Hunter looked up at me, seemingly surprised. I secretly hoped that caught his attention. I needed him to step up, or he was going to get run over. I was tired of holding his hand all the time. It was time to rip the band aid off, and let him sink or swim. This was going to be something great, if he would actually work for once.
“Any more questions?” I glanced around.
Most of the employees shook their heads.
Hunter sat there, confused.
“Okay, you’re dismissed
. We’ll have a company-wide meeting over the next week or so to discuss more details. Be thinking of any questions you may have.”
They got up and left the conference room. I glanced at Hunter. He opened his mouth, but I stopped him.
“My office or yours?”
“Yours.” He stood, and I grabbed my bag.
Once we got to my office, he shut the door behind us. “What did all that gibberish mean?”
I laughed. “Which part? I’m sure you can figure it out. You remember discussing this, right?”
“Yeah, but you do the business shit. I do creative, not numbers.” He stared at me like I just grew two heads.
I nodded. “True, but this business belongs to both of us. Dad left it to his two sons, and you can’t just fuck off all day and call it creativity. You need to be involved in this. I need your help.”
He rolled his eyes. “Where should I start?”
I stared down at my day planner. “I have a meeting with Francis Collier at noon, for lunch. You can come too.”
He arched an eyebrow in my direction, then winced a little. “Sounds amazing, but—I kinda have a lunch thing with Chelsea, so—”
I shook my head. “You kidding me?”
He made a show of feigning offense. “It’d be rude to back out on a date. It’s not my fault you didn’t have the foresight to get this on the books in advance.”
“Jesus. Just get out, man.” I walked around my desk and sat down.
He grunted. “God, you’re an asshole.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “Do whatever you want, little brother. I’m sure you need to get registered at Target for your upcoming marriage, not to mention the other new woman that’s forever too. Maybe we should relocate the company to Utah to accommodate your personal life.”
His cheeks puffed out and face turned red. “Fine. I’ll cancel the shit.”
“Doesn’t bother me one way or the other.” I didn’t bother to look up.
“Right.” He turned away and left.
* * *
I’d decided to just have Hunter present, but to do all the talking at lunch. He seemed to be okay with it, for the most part. A few times I saw him want to jump in with something, but I’d shoot him a quick glance. He needed to watch and learn first.
When we were done talking, we had a general date in mind when Frank would be retiring. On the ride back to the office, Hunter seemed to have something on his mind. “How do you think we should structure this thing?”
His question surprised me. I didn’t even know he’d realize we needed to restructure. Good for him, for listening. “Well, we need a name first. We can’t exactly be Hawthorne Brothers Inc. Merathol Enterprises.”
“Sure. Sure.” He stared out the window. “Have to think about that one.”
“Yeah.”
The rest of the ride to the office was silent. We pulled in and headed inside. It wasn’t until we got on the elevator that I spoke again.
“How do you think the meeting went?”
“Which one?”
“Well, both, I guess. I was talking about the last one, though.”
“It went well. Frank seems like a fair guy. I hadn’t thought about changing the name though. That doesn’t feel right. Grandpa started this place. Our name should be on it. I just hope they wouldn’t be disappointed if we change it.”
“I think they’d understand. We’re moving the company forward.”
“I get that. We just need a great name.”
The elevator dinged and we both stepped out. I thought about that as we parted toward our offices. Once I got inside mine, I sat down and logged into my computer. I pulled up Word and tapped out a variety of names that might work. I couldn’t come up with anything even halfway decent.
My calendar popped up a reminder. I clicked on the icon that read, Call Rory Lexington.
What the hell was this?
It took me a moment to realize Rory was the woman who’d interviewed on Friday, for the clothing department.
She was a perfect fit for the company, but I had a few other applicants to consider. None of the other women had the same appeal, though. Sure, Rory was hot, but I tried not to let that interfere with a decision for the company, even if it was a bonus. She had looks and talent—the whole package. I thought on it for a few minutes before finally deciding we should offer her the job.
I reached over and grabbed the phone, then dialed the extension for the HR department.
“This is Bella.”
“It’s Hayes. I’ve made my decision on the clothing design specialist.”
“Okay, and who are we extending the offer to?”
“Rory Lexington.”
I heard her fingers tap away on the keys. “All right, Sir. I’ll call and make the offer with the salary and benefits package we agreed on. I’ll notify the other applicants as well.”
I thought about it for a second. “Actually, I’ll call Ms. Lexington. Email me the offer. I’ll handle it from there.”
There was a long pause. “Umm—you’re going to call?”
“Correct. Trying to get new employees comfortable reaching out to me.”
She cleared her throat. “Okay. I’ll get it to you within the hour.”
“Thanks.” I hung up and sat there, thinking about Rory walking through the office every morning. A smile played across my lips, imagining her in a skirt and heels.
She’s your employee. Forget it.
I frowned at my reflection in the window for acting like Hunter. Jesus, I was no better than him.
Within the hour, the email showed up, and I looked it over. It seemed we were paying her less than we normally would. I quickly shot back an email to Bella to up the salary twenty percent.
As you wish, she replied.
I nodded, feeling better about the offer and picked up the phone. I dialed her number and waited until she picked up.
“Hello?”
“Hello, is this Ms. Rory Lexington?”
There was a pause. “Yes, this is she.”
“It’s Hayes Hawthorne. You interviewed with me on Friday.”
Another pause. “Yes, sorry. Yes, Mr. Hawthorne, I remember.”
I smiled at the excitement in her voice. “Well, I’m calling to offer you the job.” I rattled off the basics, which included salary, benefits, etc.
Silence.
“You still there, Rory?”
“Umm, yeah, sorry. I’m still here. Just a little, umm, shocked is all.”
“Is the pay not enough?”
“Oh no! Of course, not. It’s not that at all. It’s very generous, umm.” She laughed nervously. “Just overwhelmed, but—yes, I would love to work for you. I can’t thank you enough for this opportunity.”
I smiled and let out a sigh of relief. Why do I love her voice so much? “Perfect. When can you start?”
“I really need to give my current employer two weeks’ notice. Is that a problem?”
“Not at all. I can mark you down for two weeks from tomorrow, if that works for you?”
“Perfect.” It sounded like she wanted to squeal. “Thanks again. I look forward to this opportunity.”
“Look forward to having you, Ms. Lexington. Talk soon.”
“Thank you so much. Bye.” She disconnected the call.
I set the phone back in the cradle.
It would be good to have her indeed.
Rory
My mouth was wide as I stared at the phone in disbelief.
Hayes Hawthorne called me.
I got the job!
I set my phone down on the desk and sat there for a moment, dazed. I didn’t know what I should do. Pass out? Get up and dance around?
I couldn’t move.
All of it crashed into me at once, and I looked at my reflection in a window. My face was bright pink. “Oh my God!” I squealed. I never squeal.
After a few moments of pure adrenaline coursing through my veins, my brain began to work again.
I had to start in two weeks. I needed to put in my resignation.
It was going to be one of the hardest things I ever did. I loved my job. But, it had to be done. This was my dream job. It would launch my career.
I took a deep breath and stood from my desk.
I needed to get this over with. It would be difficult but necessary. I grabbed my keys and headed to my boss, Mark’s house.
When I got to his door, I knocked softly, waiting for him to answer.
“Come in!”
I opened the door and he looked up. “Hey, what’s up?” He stopped messing with the stove and walked over.
“Do you have a moment? I need to talk to you.”
He must’ve noticed the look on my face, because his smile faded. He nodded gravely and motioned for me to come into the kitchen. I closed the door and walked over to his kitchen table.
It was harder than I anticipated. We were close.
I took a seat in front of him. Might as well rip the band aid off. “So, this isn’t easy, but I wanted to let you know.” I smoothed my clammy palms down my jeans. “I was offered another job and need to give my two weeks’ notice.” The words came out in a rush. I was relieved to get them out there, but the look on his face was a punch to the gut.
“Oh wow. Wasn’t expecting that.” He plastered on a fake smile. Mark was always nice like that. I knew he was happy for me, but it was another problem for him to deal with. “May I ask where?”
I hadn’t prepared for that question. He was bound to find out anyway.
“I just want you to know, I’ve really enjoyed working for you. It wasn’t an easy choice, but it’s just an opportunity I can’t pass up. It’s Hawthorne Brothers.”
He looked like I’d just I told him his dog died. He blew out a long sigh. “Yeah, can’t really compete with them. Lord knows I’ve tried.” He looked away, his jaw tense.
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
He walked to his desk, rustling through and removing some papers. “Hawthorne Brothers is expanding. Did you know that?”
I shook my head. “No, not really. They just offered me the job. What does that have to do with anything, though?”
“Well, if and when they expand, they’re likely to outsource some of their work. There may be layoffs and whatnot.”
