Just the mere thought of someone helping me made my skin crawl. I was more than capable of taking care of myself. “You’re assuming I need one.”
“You do,” she stated. “It helps you and me.”
I didn’t like it. I was certain there was something else going on. “And when you quit again, then what?”
“I go on my way and you run this business any way you see fit.”
“I’m not going to help you get better than me,” I said and immediately regretted it. I sounded like a petulant child. “You are asking me to help you become the best. I would lose clients and money.”
“You don’t have to if you hire the right people and figure out how to keep them,” she said. “There are plenty of clients that need our services. I’m going to be a small one-woman firm. I can’t really take on a lot of clients and I wouldn’t be able to steal any of the larger companies that use your firm. I’m not really your competition. However, if you don’t get this mess sorted out soon, all those other firms out there are going to swoop in like vultures. Your big clients are going to be picked off faster than you can blink. You are going to end up being in competition with me because you’re only going to be able to court the little guys.”
“I don’t think so,” I said.
“I know so. They’re already circling. Word is getting out that I left. People came here because they knew me, and they trusted me. You keep up at this pace and they’re going to bail. It’s only a matter of time.”
“I don’t like being threatened,” I told her.
“No one is threatening you. I’m telling you what will happen if you don’t bring me back. I’m offering you a lifeline. Take it. Trust me, you need it.”
“I won’t give you my secrets,” I told her.
“I don’t need your secrets. I just want to learn the backend of the business. I’m sure I already know, but I’d like to get a peek at the way things are done in here. George gave me some responsibilities, but I’d like to learn it all. Once I’m confident I have it figured out, I’ll be on my merry way and you can treat your staff any way you’d like. When I’m here, I want it my way.”
“Your way?”
“The way that works,” she said with a smirk.
I glanced down at the paperwork. I had meetings to take and I needed to take care of my business in general. I couldn’t afford to sit at this desk and lose money. “Fine,” I said.
She smiled. “Really?”
“Don’t tempt me.”
“I’ll be here tomorrow morning,” she said and got to her feet.
She walked out of my office and I felt like I’d just made a deal with the devil. It was her or this mess covering my desk.
I was hoping I had picked the lesser of two evils.
Chapter 33
Saige
I dressed in my favorite business suit for my first day back. It was a little strange to think I was going back to the place I said I would never step foot in again. Jace was bummed that I was going to work but after a lot of promising, I managed to convince him it would all be okay. I would still be home for dinners, and it was only temporary.
I hoped.
I did not see this as something I could sustain for a long time. Nash was a lot to take. I only had so much patience. This was the right thing to do for now.
I would deal with him just long enough to get my own company off the ground. I was certain he would not want to work in our office five days a week. He’d go back to making his millions and I could get the tax firm back on track. We could all enjoy ourselves at work again.
I would train my replacement, which would make me feel much better about leaving my staff in their hands. Then it would be over. I was going to quit, and if fate was kind, I would never have to see Nash again.
I heard the doorbell ring. It was time to go. I got butterflies in my stomach at the thought of going into work. “I got it,” Jace hollered.
I put on my earrings and grabbed my briefcase. Joss and Caitlyn were there to take Jace to school. It was a little sad that I wasn’t going to get the privilege to take them to school for a while. “Thanks for doing this,” I said to Joss. “I’m sorry I have to go back to this.”
“Don’t worry about it,” she said. “I love this part of my morning. I’m happy to go back to the routine.”
“Hopefully only temporary. Next school year, I hope to be able to do at least some of the morning drop-offs.”
“I hope that plan works out,” she said. “All right, guys, let’s go. We’re going to be late.”
“I love you, buddy,” I said to Jace and gave him a hug. Hugs were back in fashion for the week. I planned on taking full advantage of it. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Bye, Mom,” he said as he headed out the door.
“Good luck today,” Joss said. “Don’t take any shit from him.”
I smiled. “I won’t.”
I stopped by my favorite bakery and picked up two dozen donuts before heading into the office. I arrived about twenty minutes early. I was hoping to take a few minutes to settle in and see just how bad the mess was going to be. I carried the donuts and the bag of coffee pods I bought last night at the grocery into the breakroom.
The Keurig was stashed under the counter. I pulled it out, cleaned it up, and plugged it in. I arranged the pods and the donuts on the counter and took a step back to admire my work.
“What are you doing?” Nash asked.
I turned to see him scowling. “I’m giving the staff an incentive to work longer than exactly eight hours.”
“And you think that’s going to work?” He smirked.
“Yes. It’s about the little things. I’m here to get this train back on the rails. Please, let me do that. Give me the reins for just a little bit and I will get us over the finish line. You just sit in your office or go back to your headquarters and work there. I can do this. Do not get in the way.”
“Don’t forget who is really in charge here,” he growled before walking out of the breakroom.
I rolled my eyes. “How could I possibly forget?”
I knew it was hard for him to sit back and let me run the show. He was a proud man, and if he was still the same guy he’d been all those years ago, he needed to prove something to himself. He hated the idea of not being as good as he thought he was. I was not going to get in the way of him being great. I was here for me, my son, and the people I did care about.
I left the breakroom and weaved through the partition walls. “Saige?” I heard someone say.
I smiled when I saw Lana walking toward me with a small bag in her hand. “Hi,” I greeted. I was relieved to see she still worked in the office.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m back.” I grinned.
“You’re back?”
“Temporarily, but yes, I’m back. How are things going?”
She rolled her eyes and held up her bag. “I brought my usual bottled water, coffee, and my lunch. We haven’t been able to leave for lunch. I’m lucky if I get to scarf down a sandwich.”