Chapter 11
Layla’s stomach growled so loudly it echoed in the conference room.
Heat spread up her cheeks as she looked up from the tangle of AV cables in front of her to one of her IT technicians in the room.
Erin raised her brows as she tapped one of the microphones around the conference table for a sound check.
“Hungry?” Erin asked in the microphone.
Layla groaned and pressed a hand to her stomach as if that would suppress the noise. “I just remembered that I didn’t eat lunch.”
“Boss lady, I told you coffee and a pack of peanut butter crackers doesn’t count as a complete meal.” Erin moved down to check the next microphone.
“It’s the end of the quarter and every department is meeting to get their information together before the board presentation in morning. No one cared if I didn’t have lunch as long as the conference rooms are set up, their computers are functioning and the network runs faster than lightening.”
Erin snorted and laughed. “It has been a busy day.”
“Busy is an understatement.” Layla checked her watch.
Three forty-five. Once she got this conference room set up then she would be able to wrap things up and get out of there.
She still had to pick up Jasmine and make sure she was dressed and ready for the pageant.
The girls had been so excited about the pageant and were ready for the big night.
Layla was just as excited for them. She just hadn’t realized that the end of the quarter madness coincided with the day of the pageant.
“At least the network didn’t go down,” Erin said crossing her fingers.
Layla mimicked the gesture and raised her crossed fingers to the sky. “Thank goodness.”
Carolyn rushed into the conference room. Her eyes were wide as she clutched a laptop in her hands. “The network has gone down!”
Layla looked at her friend and scowled. “Do not play with me, Carolyn. It’s the end of the day, I haven’t eaten and I need to get to Jasmine’s pageant.”
Carolyn shook her head as panic filled her eyes. “I’m not playing. I’m serious. The entire network just went down.” She rushed into the room with her laptop held out.
Hunger was forgotten as dread filled Layla’s stomach.
“No, no, no, no, no!” Layla took Carolyn’s laptop.
The network disconnected icon hit her like a punch to the gut.
Her work cell rang at the same time. She shoved the laptop back to Carolyn and pulled her cell out of the pocket of her wide leg trousers.
“Layla, we have a problem,” Kevin, the IT Director said in a strained voice before she could say “hello”. “I don’t know what happened, but—”
“The network is down. Carolyn just told me.”
“Good, you’re caught up. I need you up here to help me figure out what happened. There are still several departments working late before tomorrow’s board meeting. Not to mention we need to make sure the directors have access to their files when they come in tomorrow.”
“I just wrapped up in the seventh-floor conference room. I’m on my way.”
Carolyn tapped the screen of laptop and looked as if she were ready to cry. “What am I going to do? I was just putting the finishing touches on my HR report for tomorrow. My team still needs to get their parts added tonight.”
Layla placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Just take a deep breath. We’ll get this figured out. It’s probably just a glitch somewhere and we’ll have you all back up and running in no time.”
“You think so?” Carolyn asked hopefully. If this network crash had her typically calm friend on the verge of a breakdown, then Layla could only imagine the level of crash outs happening with some of the other directors.
“Let me go upstairs and see what’s happening.”
Ten minutes later and Layla wanted to kick something.
The “glitch” in the system was a shut down in response to an attempted malware attack.
How many times did they have to tell people not to click the link in suspicious emails?
Once she and the rest of the IT team identified the problem they immediately began working on the solution to remove the virus and get the system back up.
The problem was something they could handle, but the time it took would mean she wouldn’t be able to leave in time to get Jasmine before the pageant.
Her long day was about to turn into a long night.
She hated to do this because she knew Elijah was just as busy at his job getting this budget numbers together, but she needed him to be on pageant duty tonight. He answered her on the second ring.
“Hey, what’s up?” He always sounded happy when she called. She shouldn’t be so surprised by that, but she was. She’d asked him to find joy and still couldn’t believe she was part of the joy he’d found.
“I’ve got a problem?”
His voice immediately turned serious. “Is this a problem you need a solution for or do you just want me to listen?”
She loved that about him. He didn’t automatically try to fix her problem when she said she had one. He’d listened when she said sometimes she just needed to vent.
“I need a solution and a big favor?”
“What is it?”
“Can you pick up Jasmine tonight and get her ready for the pageant?”
“I can. I need to get Sabrina ready for it, too.” He said quickly.
“You don’t mind helping both girls?”
“You know, I would be insulted that you asked that question, if I didn’t realize that you were under stress right now,” he said with a chuckle. “I talked with Beenie this morning about what she needed for the pageant. I can get them both ready. What’s going on with you?”
“Our network went down over here. Someone clicked a link they weren’t supposed to and now we’re fighting off a virus and getting things back up and running.
We should be able to resolve everything in about an hour or two, but with the board meeting tomorrow and the rest of the set up needed for that, it may take longer. I’ll probably be late to the pageant.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll explain everything to Jasmine.
You focus on that and we’ll see you when you make it to the pageant.
” He sounded so confident, which was both reassuring to her and a turn on.
Before she’d always tried to rearrange her schedule or work things out on her end to accommodate him, but rarely asked him to do the same.
She still didn’t like having to ask last minute, but knowing that he was there and willing to help made her feel like they were truly in a partnership with the girls.
“Are you sure? I know you’re busy at work, too.”
“I’m sure. Get back to getting your network up. Call or text when you’re on the way to the pageant.”
She sighed in both relief and desire. “You are the best.”
“I’d say I know, but that would be too cocky,” he sounded just as cocky and unbothered by that.
Layla laughed, letting some of the tension in her shoulders ease. “I’ll let you have it this time. I’ll see you later tonight.”
“See you later. Be careful.”
“I will.” She ended the call and smiled down at her phone. She couldn’t wait to get this man back between her thighs.
*
Elijah ended the call and looked at Adam sitting in the chair across from him in the conference room.
They were reviewing all of the personnel requests in budget submissions before they would be presented at the next meeting of the town commissioners.
He had planned to leave work on time to get Sabrina to the pageant, but if he had to also get Jasmine ready then he needed to leave immediately.
Adam sat forward in his chair. “I heard your end. You’ve got to go.”
Elijah looked at the spreadsheet shared on the flat screen television in the conference room. “I do.”
“It’s okay. We’ve gone through the numbers and I can get the rest of the team to update this.”
Elijah drummed his fingers on the desk. “Will you be able to have it on my desk first thing in the morning.”
“If you go ahead and leave, I’ll probably have this on your desk in the next two hours.”
Elijah raised a brow. “You’re that confident?”
Adam cocked one shoulder before lifting his chin. “I am. You forget that you trained us to be ready to step in if you’re unavailable. Family is the most important thing. Trust us to handle this for you.”
Elijah opened his mouth to list all of the things that needed to be checked, then stopped.
Adam already knew what needed to happen.
They’d gone over what was needed at length.
He’d met not just with Adam but the entire team the day before and got updates on everyone’s progress.
To get more of a work life balance he’d decided to let go of some of the reigns at work.
He’d given more tasks to Adam and members of his staff, and followed up with them on the deadlines.
They’d asked for clarification when needed, but overall they’d risen to the challenge.
Proving that delegating to a team of individuals who wanted to succeed just as much as he wanted to succeed meant they all thrived.
Adam’s previous advice had been right. Elijah didn’t have to constantly be there and oversee the project.
He’d been micromanaging his team, which in turn only hindered their growth.
They’d proven they could be trusted and that they could meet the challenges facing them.
“I do trust you, Adam. I trust you and the rest of the team.”
Adam blinked rapidly before he sat up straight and his chest swelled. “Oh…good.”
Elijah gathered the papers in front of him. “Text me when you get the report submitted so I can review it.” He stood and headed toward the door.
“Will do. And, Elijah.”
Elijah stopped on his way out and looked over his shoulder. “Yeah?”
“Thanks for trusting us. I know when you first started, the team wasn’t moving as fast as you were used to. But, you taught us some things and you’ve pushed us to be better. We didn’t have that before in a director. I want you to know that we appreciate that.”
Elijah nodded slowly, momentarily thrown off by the compliment.
He had been hard on them when he’d first started, pushing them all as much as he pushed himself.
He’d assumed they resented his efforts. He was grateful for Adam’s honesty then and his words today.
The trust he’d felt earlier expanded into appreciation to have such a good team behind him.
“I appreciate that you all stepped up to the plate and have made this department shine. Thank you all for being patient with me.”
“Same.” Adam cleared his throat and pointed to the door. “Now, get on out of here before you miss the pageant.”
Elijah chuckled. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”