I was not used to hearing that. It had been a long time since anyone argued with me. “I’m sorry you feel that way, but I stand by my decisions.”
“Great,” she said with a tight smile. “I guess time will tell if your decisions are as great as you think they are.”
“You doubt they are?”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation. “I think a wise leader knows when to listen to his people. I think you should consider the fact I’ve been in the job for years and have a better understanding of the inner workings than you do. The people that work for me, and you now, know their jobs a little better than either of us could. Granted, I could step in and do what they do in a pinch, but could you?”
“I wouldn’t need to,” I replied easily. “I would hire someone that would do their job as they were asked and as they were paid to do.”
“You don’t think that there are exceptions to the rule?”
“No.”
She slowly nodded. I could see her irritation with me growing. I wished I knew what she was thinking. I wasn’t surprised she didn’t like me after the way things ended, but I wasn’t sure why she disliked me so much. I shouldn’t let it bother me, but it was unsettling to see her openly despise me. Most people that worked for me tried to hide it.
“Do you want me to continue working at the office?” she asked and looked me dead in the eyes. It was blunt and put me on the spot. I liked it and hated it at the same time.
“I have no intention of firing you,” I answered.
“Do you want me to work there and continue on in my capacity as the manager?” she rephrased the question. “I need to know now.”
She was going to make me say it. “The work you do is valuable.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine, you aren’t going to say it. Then let me say this. If we are going to work together, there needs to be an understanding.”
“That’s why we’re here,” I said. “To come to an understanding.”
“Not every decision will be yours,” she said forcefully. “When a situation arises, we will discuss it like grownups. You will need to listen to my input. I’ve been doing this a while and I do know how to run my office. I will keep an open mind, but I expect you to do the same. Yes, I know you’re the boss and it is your company. On paper, it’s yours. In that office, it’s mine. Those people don’t know you. They know me and I am the one that sees them every day. I am the one who leads them. If you don’t like the way I’m doing it, then you need to tell me now.”
“I don’t like it,” I said and watched her face express her shock.
“Okay. Can you be specific?”
“Let’s take Friday for example,” I started. “That woman with the kid. You gave her the day off after I said no. You let her go home and you did her work. That’s a sign of weakness. How do you expect them to respect you if you are a pushover?”
“I’m not a pushover. I’m empathetic to my employees’ needs. She was not going to give me her best work if she was worried about her child.”
That just grated on my nerves. “How convenient,” I muttered. “Her kid just happens to get sick on a Friday. I’ve seen this before. These people use their kids as a crutch. Kids are not an excuse. They need to figure out their daycare situation or stay home. I really don’t want to hear that excuse again. Ever. I won’t have it. If someone has kids, they choose to be here or be there. One or the other.”
She sipped her drink. “I see. Do you see children as a weakness?”
I mulled it over. “I see people that use them as a crutch or make them their weakness.”
“I’m going to assume you don’t have children?”
“No,” I said. “I don’t and I won’t. I’ve chosen my path. I’ve decided to put my work first. Other people need to decide what is more important to them.”
She raised an eyebrow. “So, it’s all work or it’s reproducing?”
“I’m not telling anyone how they should live their lives. I’m only saying my companies require a commitment to the job. If that is too much to ask, there are plenty of other places looking for employees.”
“You’re right. There are a lot of jobs out there.”
I felt like we were finally getting somewhere. “Do you understand my expectations?”
“I understand you have expectations,” she said and very carefully dodged the question.
“And?”
The waiter delivered our lunches and drifted away. “And I think there will be many discussions in the future.”
“About?”
“All of it. I don’t agree with you. I will do what I can to uphold your expectations, but I am asking you to be open to discussion. You may not realize this, but other people have some really great ideas. Other people might know better.”
She was going to challenge me at every turn. I wasn’t sure that was going to be good for the company. I predicted a lot of difficult conversations in our future. I just hoped we could find a way to work together.
Chapter 11
Saige
I rubbed my eyes, being careful not to smear my mascara across my face. It had been a long day—a long week—and it was Wednesday. Not even the end of the day. Nash was making my life difficult. I felt the tension in the office. The walls were a mood killer. It looked like an office from days gone by. It was ugly and depressing.
I was doing my best to pretend it wasn’t there. I had to be the one that told the employees it was all fine. It was a good thing and now they had just a tiny bit of privacy. They all knew why the walls were up. The new regime liked control. He hated happy people apparently. Anytime he was in the office, there was a thick tension. No one talked, which was exactly what he wanted. I found it to be depressing and I knew the changes were going to have a negative impact on the work. It was just a matter of time.
I grabbed my bag and stuffed my tablet inside, along with the company portfolio that we used to promote the business. I had a meeting with a potential client. I was thrilled to get out of the office. I felt like I was abandoning my people, but my escape was necessary for my own mental health.
“Saige,” I heard someone say as I made my way through the cubicle maze.
I turned but of course I couldn’t see who it was over the stupid wall. I moved a few feet and looked around. No one was there. I frowned and started on my way again when I heard my name. I turned around and caught a glimpse of an arm.
“This is ridiculous,” I muttered. I felt like a mouse in a maze and I was failing. I was going to have to put arrows on the floor to guide everyone to the exits. I just didn’t understand how he thought this was better.
“Saige!”
I looked to my left and finally saw him. “Arthur,” I said. “What’s up?”
He was slightly out of breath. “Have you been in the breakroom?” he asked.
I noticed a couple of people coming to the center of the room where we were standing. “I haven’t,” I said.
“It’s been cleaned out,” he said. “Are we getting a new food service?”