Chapter Seven
Joslyn
I’m going to give this guy just enough rope to hang himself.
William “Call me Bill” Nelson, our CFO, is presenting a review of last month’s financial results to Damon and I. To say he’s a condescending jerk is an understatement. Am I enjoying the hell out of it? Yeah, I most definitely am. Why? Because he’s full of himself and thinks we’re clueless.
I’ve been investigating the financials in depth for the last two weeks.
I’ve found more red flags than the average Tinder date.
It’s a mess, and it simply doesn’t add up.
Therefore, the external auditors we recently hired will conduct an investigation starting Monday and report directly to Jacob and me.
I want Bill completely out of the loop on this one.
While I might be savoring this, it’s clear that Damon is not. In fact, he looks furious - so much so, it’s making Bill slightly nervous, which I shouldn’t like but secretly find incredibly hot. I need to intervene before Bill can figure out that there’s a problem.
“Excuse me, Mr. Nelson.” The chill in Damon’s voice stops Bill in his tracks, and his watery blue eyes seem puzzled by the interruption.
“How can I help you, Mr. Hawk? Is there something you’re having trouble understanding? I know your background is not in finance.”
I almost gasp out loud, but I clamp my jaws together.
Wow, that was ballsy, Bill.
Damon flashes him a glacial look, and the temperature of the room drops. “To say this presentation is inadequate is being generous.”
“I-I’m not sure—“ Bill stammers.
“I’m not finished, Mr. Nelson.”
The realization that this situation might not go in his favor finally dawns on Bill. The panic in his eyes is clear to us both.
“Not only are you giving us incomplete and poorly analyzed data, which is already a significant issue, but your blatant disrespect for the expertise represented in this room is astounding.” He pauses to let his words sink in.
Bill opens his mouth to defend himself, but Damon raises a hand to silence him. Meanwhile, I can barely keep the admiration off my face because I’ve been wanting to call Bill out since day one. I have to bite my tongue not to cheer, even though that would ruin everything.
“I don’t want to hear another word out of your mouth.
Here’s what’s going to happen. We will reconvene next week, and in the meantime, you will prepare a financial presentation appropriate for the ownership of this organization.
If you need any assistance understanding what that entails, I’m sure Ms. Robertson, with her extensive background in finance, can steer you in the right direction.
Are you having any trouble understanding, Mr. Nelson?
Or do I need to explain myself using smaller words? ”
Dear God, why is it so warm in here?
I’m caught between arousal and annoyance. On the one hand, I love how he’s making Bill squirm, but on the other hand, I need Bill to be surprised by the audit. So, I have to do something I genuinely don’t want to do—reprimand Damon in front of Bill.
Before anyone has a chance to comment, I cut in.
Ugh, I hate this.
Where is Jacob when I need him? I’d rather not have to deal with this part of the job.
“Now, Damon, I don’t think we need to be rude to our CFO.
After all, he’s been here for years, and I’m sure he knows what he’s doing.
There’s no need to meet next week. I’m sure what you’ve given us is sufficient, Bill.
Tad and Kurt trusted you, so I’m confident you have this under control.
Why don’t we conclude this meeting for now? I’m satisfied with what we have.”
It’s everything I can do to keep a straight face and hold back my sarcasm. The shocked expression on Damon’s face almost makes me cringe, but I push through it.
“Damon, why don’t you and I continue this discussion in my office? Bill, we don’t want to take up more of your valuable time.” I glance at Damon. How is this man even hotter when he’s angry? Christ, my hormones need to get a grip.
His striking blue eyes flicker with intensity as he opens his mouth to respond, but then he hesitates, snapping his jaw shut, fists clenched at his sides.
“I’ll meet you in your office,” he says through gritted teeth, shooting a nasty glare at Bill, who is smirking like the jerk he is, convinced he has everyone fooled.
After giving Bill one last frosty look, Damon strides across the conference room, practically vibrating with anger, and exits through the door.
Trying to salvage the situation, I look at Bill apologetically.
“Sorry, Bill. I’ll speak to him. He doesn’t understand how we do things around here, but I’ll get him on board.” I try to fill my expression with sincerity, even though I want to punch his smugly arrogant face.
“You need to manage your employees better, Joslyn. I can’t believe what has happened to this organization. Kurt would be appalled by this situation, young lady.”
Yup, now I’m positive I want to punch him, maybe two or three times for good measure.
Your time is coming, you asshat.
My smile is sickly sweet as I reply with fake humility. “Thanks, Bill. I’ll try to get everything back on track. I appreciate your advice.”
I swallow the nausea those words evoke and head to my office.
My stomach sinks as I think about how Damon will respond to my rebuke.
I’m sure he’s furious after I reprimanded him in front of Bill, and I’m expecting an earful.
I’ll have to make him understand how much I respect him and appreciate his contributions.
Maybe that will help to soothe the situation.
I’m not comfortable with angry men. It’s not that Damon scares me, but I get nervous.
It’s a behavior I’ve been trying to modify for years.
I barely have time to shut the door before he’s up from the sofa and pacing around the room, frustration evident in every step. I don’t even get the chance to set my meeting materials on the desk before he starts.
“What the hell was that, Joslyn?” he demands, those brilliant eyes lit up with anger.
I frown at his tone. “Look, Damon, I’m sorry, but—“
“Why do you let them treat you like that?” He rubs his neck as he flings his arm out abruptly.
“It’s driving me crazy. You don’t stand up for yourself at all.
You just sit there, letting him talk down to you like you’re a child.
I can’t understand it. Fuck! I’m not sure how much longer I can stand to watch him belittle you.
You’re a million times smarter than he is. How do you not see that?”
He sits back down on the sofa, those normally lush lips compressed into a tight line, his jaw clenched as he tries to get his anger under control.
My mouth opens and shuts like a fish out of water as my brain tries to process his words.
He’s not mad at me for reprimanding him during the meeting.
He’s upset that I didn’t defend myself. He’s upset on my behalf.
I need to keep repeating that to myself because my brain is stunned.
He’s looking at me expectantly, and I want to respond, but my head is spinning.
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. He sighs and then stands, taking a deep breath to quell his emotions.
“I’m sorry for getting angry at you, Jos. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.” He pauses, maybe hoping I’ll finally say something, but my brain is still on hiatus. “I need a few minutes to get a handle on myself, okay? I’m going to head to the gym for a bit. Can we talk later?”
He’s out the door before my brain comes back online. I slowly sit down on the sofa until finally, my brain catches up.
He’s right about one thing, even if he doesn’t have all the facts regarding my behavior today. I understand what’s shaped my current actions, but I thought I had put all of that behind me. Years of therapy gave me confidence that I had conquered my internal demons.
But have I? Is Damon correct? Do I still allow people to walk all over me? Do I disregard my own opinions in favor of those with more experience? Isn’t respecting the expertise and knowledge of my employees a beneficial thing?
Granted, I’m playing a role here so Bill doesn’t suspect the audit, but maybe I need to reconsider how I handle things. I don’t have an extensive background in business management. What if I’m doing it all wrong?
Well, my expectations of his behavior were certainly off. Yes, he was angry, but the reprimand wasn’t the cause. He didn’t even mention it.
Because he’s a grown man and acts like one.
I clearly don’t know any grown men, except Jacob, because the unsettling truth is that his behavior surprises me.
True, it’s been a while since I dated anyone, but I know a few decent guys, right?
Then, reality hits me. Sure, I know a handful, but they’re all married to my friends, which is oddly disturbing.
I want to call Lainy for some perspective, but I know what she would say.
“Maybe you need to get off your ass and go on a date. Meet some decent men.” Advice I don’t need or want right now.
I’m way too old to be dating. Sure, it worked out for her; she found a fantastic guy.
But that doesn’t mean it would work for me.
She was much younger and still wanted kids.
I’m very firmly past that phase of my life.
I’ve tried dating a couple of times, and it never ends well.
I’ve accepted it’s too late to find my happy ending.
Things like that don’t happen for women my age.
The last thing I need is another man trying to take control of my life anyway.
I’ve been there, done that, and I’ve got the scars to prove it. No, thank you.
This isn’t relevant anyway since I’m not dating Damon.
Dating Damon? Why am I even thinking about that?
I just need to explain the audit—that’s all. Once I do, he’ll understand, and everything will be fine. We’ll return to our professional relationship—strictly professional, no dating involved. Yup, it’s all good.
Liar.