31. Lauren
31
Lauren
“The fuck is wrong with you, Lauren?” a deep voice thunders behind me.
My hand holding the kettle pauses mid-pour as I raise an enquiring brow at Maxwell. “Excuse me?”
“You wrote me up. HR called me a few minutes ago to inform me it has been placed in my file. Why the fuck would you do that to me?”
Dear God, I don’t need this. Not today. I gently put the kettle down then calmly face him. “I’m the CEO of this company, Maxwell, not your subordinate. You do not address me in that tone. Don’t you dare disrespect me.”
“Fuck you and fuck your title.” He slams the cafeteria door and advances on me. I stand up straight, lifting my chin with more boldness than I feel. “You’re going to retract it asap, understood?”
“Or what?” I ask, cocking my head. Maxwell’s an asshole, but he’s not stupid. He wouldn’t dare put his hands on me.
“Or me and the entire team will stage a sick-out.” He smirks. “Payroll is next week. Can the company handle that blow? ”
I hold back my smile. Maybe he’s really stupid after all. “The entire company won’t get paid on time, but neither will your team. I can’t imagine them siding with you on this.”
Maxwell’s mouth works as he struggles with a comeback. He’s realizing now that he has no control.
“I wrote you up for the department’s failure to submit the quarterly assessments on time. It was your third warning, remember? I keep telling you there are consequences for your actions. If you can’t lead the team—”
“You fucking smug bitch.” His hands curl into fists. “You think you run this shit? News flash: you’re just a plant. Do you know what happens to plants when they’re under intense heat?” He comes closer, his menacing stare deepening. “They die.”
I swallow, wishing I’d waited for my assistant to get my morning coffee. “I’m not afraid of you.”
“Oh, but you should be. In fact, you should fear the entire management team. We don’t want you here,” he mumbles.
“Get out of my way,” I order firmly.
“Make me.”
Our eyes lock in a fierce stare down. “Make me, Lauren ,” he repeats, his tone dripping with ice.
I shift to one side, and he follows. An attempt to the other side, and he shifts there, too.
“I’m not letting you out until you swear to take that shit off my file.”
“Or I can just fire you,” I retort.
He bursts out laughing. “Fire me? You wouldn’t dare make that mistake.”
“Try me.”
“I guarantee you’ll regret it. My team will follow me in a heartbeat. Can the company survive without the accounting staff? I think not. Once the other managers learn what you’ve done, they’ll walk out, too. ”
He says it with such confidence, I know it would be stupid of me to call his bluff. They are like a cabal; thick as thieves, watching each other’s backs. There’s no doubt they’d all resign if I fire him. They’re that petty.
Thanks to Oliver White.
Backing off until my back hits the coffee counter, I reply. “I’m not taking it off your file. Do better next time, Maxwell.”
He scoffs. “You don’t want me to tell the boys about this, do you?”
“I’m not taking it off,” I reply firmly. His bullying tactics might stop him from getting fired, but that’s where I draw the line.
“Bitch,” he growls. “It wasn’t a request. It was an order.” His face is now inches away from mine. “ Take it the fuck off.”
The door suddenly opens as I raise my hands to ease him off me. Maxwell’s head snaps around, and his entire body goes tense as our visitor makes his way inside.
“Is everything okay, Lauren?” Colin asks warily, his eyes locked on Maxwell.
I open my mouth to reply, but Maxwell beats me to it. “Everything’s honky dory, New Guy. Now, beat it.”
Yeah, Maxwell is definitely stupid. Colin is about a head taller and weighs more. From his darkening expression, I suspect what’s coming next. Moving from around Maxwell, I stand between them.
“I’m okay, Colin. Thanks for asking. Maxwell was only throwing a tantrum, but he’s going to behave from now on.” I turn to give him a firm glare.
Maxwell laughs. “You’re such a lucky bitch, always having a knight in shining armor to save your—”
I can only assume he was going to say ‘ass’, but the word flies down his throat as his body gets slammed against the wall. I let out a surprised scream and clutch my jaw for a moment before realizing that a potential lawsuit is unfolding in front of me.
Colin has Maxwell by the throat, squeezing tight, if Maxwell’s reddening face and gasps for breath is any sign. “Does she look like a bitch, you disrespectful piece of shit?”
“Colin, no!” I pull at his arms, but it’s useless. It’s like trying to move a parked car. “Let him go! You’re going to kill him!”
The word ‘kill’ seems to be the keyword, and he lets Maxwell go quickly afterward. Maxwell slumps to the floor, holding his throat and still gasping.
Colin huffs at me then storms out. I rub my temples with a sigh. Heaven have mercy .
“Fire his ass,” Maxwell croaks. “Or I’m going to press charges.”
God knows I’m sick of this prick. Kneeling, I give him the hardest glare I can muster. “I’m not going to fire him, and you’re not going to the cops. Do you want to know why?”
He glares back at me silently.
“I’m sure you don’t want your buddies to know you got your ass handed to you back here.” I grin. “Imagine you not living that down for weeks, especially the part where I’m the one who saved you.”
“Fuck you.”
“Yeah, I forgot how original you are.” With an exaggerated groan, I push to my feet. “Tread carefully, Maxwell. Maybe next time, I won’t tell him to stop.”
The smile stays on my face as I leave the cafeteria, but it disappears when I stop outside Colin’s office door. Regardless of his intention or my gratitude, it’s my job to discipline anyone who’s out of line. I knock on the door, and at his reply, I step right in.
He hasn’t done much with his office just yet. There are no family photos on the desk, no books filling the shelves. His new couch is still in bubble wrap. Getting up to speed with company matters is more important, so I assume the rest will take time.
Colin stands as I approach, concern stamped on his face. “Are you truly okay?” he asks.
His question surprises me, and it takes me a moment to reply. “Yes, I’m fine. He used his words, not his hands.”
“Good.” He waits for me to sit across from him before taking his seat again.
“Look,” I begin. “We haven’t been seeing much of each other since you started working here, so I know we haven’t formed a bond or anything, which makes you coming to my rescue so meaningful. There are executives here who’ve worked with me for seven months, and they just look the other way when these guys harass me.”
“There’s no way I could let him get away with disrespecting you like that,” he replies, the fury clear in his tone.
I nod uneasily. Time for the unpleasant part. “While I’m more grateful than you could imagine, what you did wasn’t only against company policy, it’s against the law.”
“I know,” he mutters, now looking contrite, fiddling with his stapler.
“Maxwell won’t press charges,” I tell him. “I’m going to give you a written warning, though, and it’s going on your file.”
His head snaps up. “That’s more than fair. Thank you.”
A brief nod in reply, then I stand, turning to go. I’m almost at the door when he says, “Lauren?”
“Yes?”
“If they mess with you again, you might have to fire me.” He smiles, the action brightening his handsome face. “I’m just putting that out there.”
I can’t help smiling back. “Well, for all our sakes, I hope they don’t. ”
It feels good that someone in this office has my back despite not knowing anything about me. I’m exhausted from fighting these battles on my own. Hopefully Oliver, Maxwell, and the other guys won’t be a thorn in my side anymore.
I pull the door open then double back as a thought occurs. “Would you be free around midday tomorrow?”
“I could be. Why?”
“I’d love to show my appreciation by treating you to lunch,” I reply. “If it’s not too much, I hope.”
“Definitely not too much,” he assures me. “Besides, I’d never refuse a free meal.”
That earns him a laugh, one he returns, showing even rows of white teeth. It occurs to me that he’s my type, and I’d give him more than a second look if I wasn’t his boss.
And if I wasn’t in love with Marcus.