by Leah Kay
Chapter 4
You got mail
With the Lady Gaga concert right around the corner, Liam needs to work late tonight. Claire and Isha pick up dinner at Reading Terminal Market, located just a few blocks away from the Genex building. Later, they stop by Wine and Spirits to grab Reposado tequila for a few innocent margaritas, before they walk back to Isha’s place.
While setting up the table in the patio Claire tries to bother Isha. “Are you planning to show up for yoga tomorrow or should I check with Nathan if he plans to attend?”
“I will be there. Besides, the old man doesn’t bother me anymore.” Isha takes a seat across from her.
Her moment of redemption earlier today didn’t come easy. Sitting across from Nathan and looking into his eyes brought back flashes from her dream. A situation that should have made her want to crawl out of her skin in reality made her feel completely comfortable with him, and that frightened her.
“He is not that old. Besides, he is in fantastic shape for his age.”
Isha refrains from commenting.
“I am planning on inviting him to Sips tomorrow. Let’s get to know him more,” Claire suggests.
Center City Sips is a happy hour tradition where some of the best restaurants and bars in the city offer discounted cocktails and appetizers. Crowds gather together from all over the city to be a part of it. It arguably is one of the best nights of the week to head out for a happy hour. Genex teams thoroughly enjoy Sips and this time, thanks to Claire, an “old man” from California is going to partake in it. Weirdly, she finds comfort in referring to Nathan as Old Man. It almost dismisses her fear of something ever happening between them. She just came to terms with working with him. The idea of socializing with him outside of work is bringing back her anxiety. “I don’t know if that is a good idea.”
“Why not? He just moved here. It’s the least we can do to welcome him.” Claire has a point, and she isn’t going to argue with her. But this means she needs to work twice as hard to maintain her distance from him in a social setting, a challenge she has no choice but to be ready for.
The following day goes by with plenty of meetings that could have been resolved over an email, followed by endless tweaking of PowerPoint decks in preparation for the same redundant meetings. It is almost 4:00 p.m. and Isha and the team are getting ready to present the final sites selected for the project rollout and a high-level implementation plan. She pulls up the slides on the screen in the conference room as the rest of the team rolls in.
Nathan walks in on the dot at 4:00 p.m. “Hello team, good to see everyone.” He grabs a chair across from Isha. She takes a deep breath to calm her nerves, caused by his presence, while settling into this new normal of interacting with Nathan on a daily basis.
“Isha, waiting for anyone on the team to join or can we get started?” Nathan addresses her.
Punctual and to the point, she likes it. “We have everyone but Mark. Let’s give him a few more minutes?”
“Not necessary. Let’s get started. Mark can catch up when he gets in.” She nods okay and begins.
“Thank you, everyone, for coming together today to wrap up site selection and kick-start implementation of Project Nexus.”
They do a quick roll call of the folks at the table—Nathan, Isha, Daniel, Claire, and Jim—and as they go around the table Mark walks in.
“Sorry I am late, guys, was just wrapping up another meeting.” He takes a seat next to Nathan.
Isha and Claire exchange glances towards each other communicating silently that they aren’t even remotely surprised by his chumminess with Nathan.
Isha begins to go through the slides only to get interrupted right away. “Isha, I don’t need to review the slides again. I had a chance to go through them last night, and I have some comments to share.”
She is impressed. “Sure, Nathan.” Her thoughts drift unexpectedly and she finds the combination of his looks and drive appealing. But before her eyes can reveal her true thoughts to anyone in the room, she straightens in the chair and reprimands herself.
He settles in his chair and props his right ankle over his left knee, takes out his notepad and a pen. “First of all, I am impressed with the quality of work this team has put together. Let me make sure I have the core team structure identified correctly.” He looks at each of the key players at the table and states their name and role within the project.
“Daniel—finance lead, Mark—systems lead, Claire—Change management lead, Jim—resource planner and Isha—overall project lead and your extended team consists of stakeholders from several sites in the network. Do I have it right up to this point, Isha?”
She can see why he has a good reputation. She gives him an A for prep. Nodding towards him, she replies, “You got it.”
She is also starting to like the sound of her name when he says it. Focus! You idiot.
“Great. I agree with your site selection strategy and would like to sign off as long as there isn’t any disconfirming information the team wants to highlight.” He looks at the team, and they unanimously nod no.
“Fantastic, I approve of the sites then.”
Isha is elated to have an approval after months of hard work. Besides, this is also the quickest decision ever made by a new manager. She has an inkling that he trusts her work and promises herself to not let him down … professionally.
“Now, moving on to the implementation plan…” He flips through his notes.
Isha chimes in, “What we shared via the pre-read is a preliminary plan. Our department routinely develops strategies for improvement and ultimately relies on the sites for implementation and execution. And we followed a similar path with this initiative as well. We are open to your feedback.”
Nathan listens to her note. “I would like to suggest an alternate plan.”
That gets everyone’s attention.
“Success or failure of initiatives of this sort heavily relies on implementation. I do not agree with the hands-off approach.”
Mark interjects, “But this has been our approach for a very long time.”
Nathan looks amused. “And can you tell me your success rate?”
He got him. The team’s realization metrics have been pretty poor for a while, and Bob was too set in his ways to drive any changes.
Not willing to give up, Mark says, “We are not staffed to take on implementation, considering the incoming projects.”
Nathan interjects with a smile that has an almost patronizing undercurrent to it, “Why don’t you let me worry about incoming workload?”
Isha tries to relieve the tension. “Nathan, our success rates haven’t been great, and a more hands-on approach for implementation may be the right way to go.”
“Very well. My recommendation for the team is to visit all three sites, develop a monitoring plan, a system integration strategy, and a training plan working along with the site stakeholders. This way you’ll get a firsthand look at what the sites are experiencing and learn more about how we can help them.”
Isha absolutely loves the plan. This has been her suggestion all along, but Bob was too afraid to rock the boat.
“And regarding ownership, Isha, I’d like you to lead the implementation at these three sites and, depending on the data read, I can help develop a network-wide rollout plan in the future.”
She cannot believe her ears. This is her dream project, and she truly wants to see it through, and here it is; she has it.
“I’d be delighted to, Nathan, thanks for the opportunity!” she replies, barely containing her excitement.
He locks eyes with her for a split second and can tell he just made her day.
Going back to his notes he continues, “When it comes to travel, Isha, I expect you to be at these sites in person to gain their trust.”
“Sure. I’d be happy to.” She nods.
&nb
sp; “Mark and Claire, it would be good if you can support the implementation face-to-face at the sites as well.”
Claire is now smiling ear to ear at the opportunity of traveling to the sites, learning about their processes and having the time of her life with Isha. However, Mark isn’t too thrilled that Isha got the opportunity without even a fight.
“Daniel and Jim, I need you to closely monitor progress, but I don’t anticipate you needing to travel.” They both nod in agreement.
“Finally, I plan to be there to provide an essential air cover to the team. It’s common to expect pushback, and it will be on me to ensure an easy transition.”
“Any concerns with this approach?” Again a unanimous no.
Putting his notebook away, he rises to his feet. “Excellent. Isha, revise the plan per the new strategy and have the details ready for my review by Friday.” He takes off leaving behind a totally awestruck team.
Daniel speaks as soon as Nathan leaves the room. “Looks like there is a new sheriff in town!”
At 5:30 p.m., Independence beer garden is bustling with a lively crowd. With extensive farmhouse decor and overlooking Liberty Bell and Independence National historical park, this place is a locals’ favorite. With lush green plants in an open setting and a cozy ambiance created by string lights, it is a perfect evening to celebrate their victory. Core team winners Isha, Claire, Daniel and Jim sit at a farm table and toast Isha for being their fearless project lead. They share their excitement over travel and their concerns about the success of the implementation plan and ultimately agree on not disappointing Nathan for giving them an incredible opportunity. There are plenty of other Genex-ers dispersed throughout the beer garden, all coming from different teams for a happy hour.
“That is the shortest meeting I have ever witnessed,” Claire says, sipping her IPA.
“I am with you; you set up an hour for the meeting, right?” Daniel looks at Isha, sitting across from her.
“I did. That’s usually how long it takes and sometimes, even after that, there’s never a guarantee of a decision,” Isha replies, enjoying her cocktail and watching people come into the bar.
“You have to give it to him, direct and to the point. I like him,” Jim adds.
“Where’s Mark?” Daniel asks, looking around the bar. “He is missing the celebration.
“I saw him working at his desk when I left, he should be here soon,” Jim replies.
A few moments later, Mark walks in along with Nathan. Dressed in a pale pink button-down with a pair of grey slacks complete with rectangular black-rimmed glasses, the old man sure is turning heads as he makes his way in.
Mark and Nathan stop by the bar to order their drinks before they join the rest of the team.
“Nathan, great meeting today. Quite impressive.” Mark truly can’t help but schmooze.
“The team has done a good job, so it was easy for me to make a quick decision,” Nathan responds sincerely.
“Some of us have been in this group for a while, and it comes more naturally to us.” Mark is after his usual tricks. He can’t stand that Isha received the credit. He is used to being Bob’s golden child and is desperately trying to establish the same relationship with Nathan.
“What do you mean?” Nathan inquires, picking up his beer.
“Well, Isha and Claire are relatively new to this team. Managing an entire implementation plan may be too much of a responsibility.” There, he lets in.
“Is that so?” Nathan is intrigued and lets him go on.
Mistaking his inquisitiveness for naivety Mark continues, “Yea… I am just concerned about the department’s reputation, seeing that this is your first project as the new head of the team.”
Nathan plays along. “What’s your recommendation?”
Mark loves the reception from Nathan and goes right for the kill. “I have tremendous experience under Bob managing projects of this magnitude, and you can ask around as well. If I were you, I’d bet on me,” he finishes with a smooth smile.
Nathan contemplates for a moment then with a shred of sincerity says, “How about this? If Isha screws this up, I’ll give you the chance to fix it. With your experience, I bet you are looking for a challenge, and this could be it,” and he walks over to the farm table. Dumbfounded by how his plan turned sideways, Mark follows him to join the rest of the team.
When you are part of a corporate world, competition, jealousy, and sabotage come with the territory. Although Isha is a mystery to him, Nathan feels confident he is betting on the right person.
Never to put herself in a sticky situation, Isha reacts quickly to Nathan walking towards them. Part of her wants to stay and thank him for his trust in her, but another part of her is starting to respond to him in a way that could lead to a lot of trouble.
She rises to her feet with the cocktail in her hand. “I am going to say hi to our friends at the other table. I will be right back.” Before Claire can convince her otherwise, she turns around and walks over to the far end of the beer garden and plops down at another table.
Nathan notices her not so subtle escape. So fucking smooth.
He is welcomed with warm smiles and cheers from the rest of the team. But Isha’s behavior strikes him as just plain rude. He gave her a brilliant opportunity, had her back with a douche who was trying to take it away from her and the least she could do is thank him or have a beer with him like a regular person. I guess that’s too much to ask from an entitled brat.
The moment those words escape his mind, he feels bad. He knows she isn’t, but her aloofness is baffling, and, frankly, it’s becoming difficult for him to shake it off.
Claire notices his slight annoyance and tries to distract him. “Nathan, thank you for helping us with the decision and next steps. We have been waiting to kick-start implementation.”
“Congrats to you guys, great work. I really liked the attention to detail,” Nathan says as he rolls up his sleeves.
“That’s Isha for you,” Daniel adds. Claire wishes Daniel hadn’t brough up Isha but it’s too late.
“She is good at bringing us together and getting things done,” Jim adds casually.
Claire can detect Nathan’s annoyance become more noticeable as they rave about Isha and she feels a shred of pity for him. She recognizes how odd Isha must be coming across to him at the moment when he just made her the lead of the project she is so passionate about. She wishes Isha wouldn’t jet off each time she sees him but can also understand how confusing this must be for her; yet she is not willing to let Isha hide behind her irrational fears and is determined to correct the situation.
Claire excuses herself and walks over to Isha. “I need you to come back with me.”
“I am starting to find him charming and a major panic mode is setting in,” Isha responds with her shoulders hunched over in defeat.
“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. I find him charming too. You are being very rude and I want you to grow up and come with me,” Claire states without a flicker of hesitation.
Isha looks over at Nathan dejectedly and his infectious smile makes her heart flutter. Perturbed by her growing feelings towards him, she convinces herself that maintaining distance is the safe route to take.
Listening to her friends rave about Isha should ease Nathan’s concerns about her, but it does quite the opposite. He is pissed. He looks over and sees her having a ball with some girlfriends on the other side of the bar.
A few drinks later, Claire talks sense into Isha and they walk to their table to connect with Nathan. As Isha takes a seat across from him, his phone rings on the dot at 7:30 p.m.; he excuses himself and answers the call with a warm smile. Strolling across the courtyard, he exudes pure joy engaging in what seems like a heartfelt conversation. Isha waits eagerly for him to wrap up his phone call so that she can make up for her odd behavior from earlier, except he
makes a quick stop at the table to say goodbye before continuing his conversation exiting the bar. Watching him walk away before she had a chance to apologize leaves Isha feeling blue.
“He must hate me,” she states dejectedly to Claire.
“Do you blame him?” Claire teases her.
A little while later, a waitress walks over with a tray of drinks. “Courtesy of Mr. Nathan Walker for a job well done.” Isha struggles to forgive her behavior towards Nathan tonight at the sight of congratulatory beverages in front of her.
Isha escapes Nathan’s mind while talking to Lily. “How was your day, Lil?”
“It was okay I guess.”
Immediately concerned he asks, “What happened?”
She has a debate competition in two weeks, and this is the first time in her life her dad will not be in the audience cheering her. She understands saying it out loud would hurt him and tries to keep it herself.
“Nothing. So tell me how is exploring the neighborhoods going?”
He fills her in on Old City, a neighborhood he learned about from his team earlier including art galleries and historic sites dispersed throughout. He paints a picture of them exploring it together, making new memories and maintaining their connection. His words wash away her biggest fear of losing her bond with her dad and hearing him make choices that include her in his new routine makes her eyes well up.
He hears silence on the other end. “Are you okay?”
A low voice replies, “Not really.”
“What’s bothering you, Lil?” That breaks her silence.
She bursts into tears. “My debate competition is in two weeks, and this is the first time you won’t be there.”
It breaks his heart to hear her cry and he feels terrible causing her this pain.
“Lily, I will try my best to be there, I made you a promise.”
