13. Daisy
Chapter 13
Daisy
N othing screamed “fun weekend plans” like drowning in paperwork, yet Daisy dove headfirst into the papers scattered across her mom's dining room table.
Her fingers sifted through the stacks while 90s pop blared into her thick headphones. Alanis Morissette’s woes and Mariah Carey’s love songs became the perfect soundtrack for her evening.
In her peripheral, Daisy caught the occasional flash of the television. She came over to spend time with her family since her free time remained in short supply. Mom and Dex always understood, though.
Dinner the other night with Jensen and Harrison put her straight into work mode, even with a vague deadline attached to the policy proposal. Daisy couldn't afford to waste a moment—her proposal needed to be perfect for when she chose to launch it. She wasn’t the type to loiter around when she had the chance to strike.
Daisy pulled every piece of information relevant to her inquiry. She gathered the corporate bylaws in print form, the articles of incorporation of Hidden Oasis, current policies on the books, retired proposals phased out over time, and proposals that met a grisly demise during the annual shareholder meeting. Within those papers and files, Daisy should find her answer.
It wasn’t the first time she made suggestions to the higher-ups, but it would be the first one where those stubborn old men had to hear her out. Daisy had petitioned the board for policy changes more times than she could count.
Despite a dull thud pulsing against her temples, Daisy committed to the work instead of the more fun suggestion of watching a cheesy action movie with her family. She followed the different thoughts, unspooling them further while doing research.
Daisy’s gaze wandered away from her open laptop and the different papers. It landed at the end of the table where a dark box with blocky handwriting on its label sat. That was her secret weapon.
After some pleading, bargaining, and stellar persuasion, Daisy obtained last year's exit interviews and corporate culture surveys. For smuggling the files out of HR, she owed Iris a box of gourmet chocolates and her favorite bottle of white wine. With input from former and current employees, Daisy would create a policy to keep the workforce happy and incentivize newcomers to join.
As a young CEO, she would solve the high turnover of the under-twenty-five demographic and look so hot while doing it. She represented the employees and the shareholders, not just the latter.
So focused on her work, Daisy nearly jumped out of her skin at a tap against her shoulder. She pushed her headphones off one ear, turning to find Dex.
“Hey.” Daisy slid her headphones off, ignoring the music continuing to play. “How’s my favorite guy doing?”
From the day he was born fifteen years ago, Dexter Riggs changed Daisy’s world for the better. Daisy watched as her brother grew from the adorable, red-nosed cornball who liked frogs more than anything else and who hid from his shadow into the brilliant young man he was now.
He stood tall for his age, around six feet even. With his shaggy blond hair he let grow out, Daisy always swore he looked like a palm tree turned human. His lanky frame made him a natural for sports, but he spent lunch hours in his school’s science labs to help tutor his classmates.
Dex managed a tired smile as he draped himself over her and looped his arms around her waist. “M’sleepy. Wanted to tell you goodnight before I left.”
“Okay. Promise me you’ll have a great day at school tomorrow.”
"I'll try. I have a chemistry test during second period and Academic Decathlon practice after school."
Daisy squeezed her brother in a tight hug, careful not to accidentally hit his glucose monitor while pulling him closer. She kissed his forehead, feeling his brows scrunch. “Alright. Love you, bub. Sleep well.”
Dex mumbled his ‘I love you’ back and shuffled toward the other room, backlit by the flashes from the television. With her mom’s salary and all the extra cash Daisy chipped in, they managed to afford a modest, two-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles and tuition for Dex’s private school. It was because of her hard work that her family pulled themselves up in the world.
He’d never go without, not on Daisy’s watch. She would provide and never needed to rely on people who turned their backs on her. They struggled enough.
A nearby chair creaked, and Daisy noticed her mom holding a steaming mug. A tea bag hung over the pink ceramic rim, smelling like warm honey and earthiness.
“Thank you,” Daisy gasped, filled with warmth when the mug touched her palms. Heat radiated through the ceramic to stretch past her fingers. "I shouldn't have another coffee, or I'll be up all night."
“Tea won’t stop you. All-nighters have always been your thing, especially when you're determined to finish a project." Beyond the few streaks of gray scattered through her hair and dark bags underneath her brown eyes, Belinda Benton was Daisy’s clone.
If someone were to ask Daisy who she looked up to most in the world, her mom would be her immediate answer. No competition. Yes, she adored Harrison and her other mentors, but she defended her mom's honor with every breath. Her mom modeled the kind of woman she aspired to be.
Daisy shrugged. “I’m not steamrolling through this one, so I might need a couple of days to mull it over.”
“Want to talk it through?”
“And bore you with corporate nonsense and legalese? I’ll pass.”
"I appreciate the thought, but I can handle a few big words," her mom teased while grabbing one of the pages off the table. An almost mischievous twinkle in her eye elicited a smile from Daisy, one that hadn’t been seen for the last forty-eight hours.
“Alright. It’s for that promotion. . . the CEO one,” said Daisy. Her legs bounced underneath the table, suddenly at a loss for words. “The directors want me to create an original policy proposal and present it to show that we’re capable of innovating ideas. I’m scouring for some inspiration.”
“I see. Sounds like you’ve got a solid plan figured out, my shining star.” Her mom nodded, scanning her with that thoughtful look.
"The plan's set. If inspiration would like to show up, I'd appreciate it." Daisy set the mug somewhere safe after a sip, hit by the strong taste of peppermint and honey.
"I might not be a corporate genius, but I'm not worried about your success. You're the hardest worker in that company, and you always have a knack for figuring out what works best for everyone,” her mom mused, brushing Daisy’s hair off of her face.
"If only it was as easy as being a hard worker," Daisy mumbled but softened her approach at the slightest change in her mom's expression. "We've been through tougher situations, so I'm not worried."
“Of course not. You grew up far faster than you deserved, blossoming into the fierce, intelligent woman I see. I only wish I could’ve—”
"I don't blame you for the past, Mom. I get up every day and work to keep you proud of me."
“And I will be proud of you as long as you’re honest and continue to fight for those who can’t defend themselves. You, Daisy girl, are the future. . . and what a beautiful future it is,” her mom whispered.
The moment ended with the abrupt buzzing of Daisy's phone, which she forgot to switch into silence for the night. Her screen lit up, and she peered at the notification. Jensen texted her.
Daisy closed the screen with a click of the button, tempted to see what Jensen needed so late in the evening. But she turned, seeing her mom’s curious expression. Oh, she definitely saw Jensen’s name.
“Who’s that?” her mom asked.
Daisy smiled, but the look probably didn’t meet her eyes. “A coworker. They can wait until the morning.” ‘ Work rival turned frequent hook-up’ would be more accurate, but her mom didn’t need to know that Daisy cruised in the casual lane like her life depended on it. If she so much as mentioned “not the dating type”, her mom might smother her. . . lovingly, of course.
“Ah, Mondays.” Her mom let the conversation go without much fuss, shrouding Daisy in her optimism. “Any chance I can convince you to stay?”
"I'd love to, but I need to be at the office early for some meetings. I'll take you and Dex out to dinner tomorrow, celebrate the chemistry test or something silly," Daisy murmured, leaning in for her mom's cheek kiss.
She listened to the creak of her mom’s chair as she stood up, eyes firm on the files. She knew the answer was somewhere in there.
Stifling a yawn behind her hand, Daisy entered the Hidden Oasis headquarters feeling like death. The August morning let up on the heat sitting over the Los Angeles area for several weeks, yet Daisy couldn’t sweat out the feverish warmth stuck under her skin.
Time slipped through her fingers while Daisy spent every break between working hours and well into the evening researching. July became August in the blink of an eye, but she intended to use every moment to her advantage. No matter how long she took, her proposal would be perfect.
That morning, however, Daisy wasn’t at her best. The last time she remembered sleeping for more than twenty minutes was two days ago. She ran strictly on adrenaline, but the concerning amounts of coffee she consumed helped.
Daisy’s strides across the lobby quickened after the tentative sip of her third coffee that morning. The taste of black coffee left her with a side of the jitters, twitching every so often.
She should have taken the day off to rest and recover after typing the final period on her policy proposal, but the thought of Jensen beating her to the podium forced her to hit the ground running, sleep-deprived and all.
Daisy juggled her coffee, the pressed leather portfolio with her prepared remarks, and headphones. While driving into the office, she blasted her guilty pleasure playlist—hits from the infamous boy bands of the '90s.
Slipping her headphones on while she shotgunned her coffee, Daisy fell into the energizing synth. The fog over her thoughts faded when she cranked up the volume. After her announcement, she'd take a power nap in a file closet or her office and consider it another successful day.
The chair Jensen bought her was as soft as a cloud. She should thank him again, but work had kept them apart.
Daisy jogged up to the elevator, pressing the up button until her ride arrived. She stepped inside, ready to head to what the employees colloquially called "The Ballroom."
With plush emerald rugs over ivory marble floors and spacious, high walls, The Ballroom hosted any important mixers not suited for the lobby or when an outside venue couldn’t be secured on short notice.
The doors began to close, preparing to take her to her make-or-break moment on the fifth floor. Yet, a hand catching the elevator pushed the doors open, revealing Easton in a disheveled state.
He slid into the carriage without making eye contact with Daisy, jamming the close button until he sealed them away from the world.
Daisy’s eyes flicked over him, taken by the unkempt rumples in his suit. She imagined if she leaned in close enough, the pungent odor of stale beer might waft off him. He seemingly forgot how to shave from the weeks’ worth of stubble lining his jaw, and the dark hickeys littering his neck peeked out from the uneven collar of his shirt.
The sour twist of his lips and rigid posture betrayed the appearance of a man escaping from a quickie with his life. The image pulled a laugh out of her, loud enough to eclipse her music.
Once the first laugh fell, the rest came flooding out of her to the irritated twitch of Easton’s jaw. Daisy tried to stop herself, but being sleep deprived and a deliciously vindictive bitch kept her cackling.
Her head rolled back enough for her headphones to slide off, catching around her neck. She reached to fix them, but the cackles soon turned into wheezing.
“Shut up,” Easton snapped. “What’s so funny over there?”
"Oh, nothing. How's sleeping on the couch been for your poor back? Did Delaney banish you there after you made her mad?” Daisy asked, but the mocking tone elicited a hiss from Easton. Busted.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I don’t? So you haven’t fallen back into your awful habit of being charming for a few days, starting a fight with your girl where she puts you on time out, and then crawling back when you get horny again? Answer carefully. I tolerated your bullshit once upon a time.”
Easton’s face paled, admitting everything without a word. He bared his teeth into a sneer. “You’re a bitch.”
“Don’t I know it,” Daisy replied, nowhere near bothered. If she had a nickel for every time a man called her a bitch, she’d retire tomorrow; he’d need to get more creative than elementary playground insults. “Grass isn’t greener on the other side, right?"
She said with as much smugness as she could muster so early in the morning. Daisy was running purely on spite, bitchiness, and a splash of coffee.
“And you’re still fucking bitter.” Easton’s retort flew off his tongue like a shot, matched by the malice in his eyes. He loathed her, but Daisy hoped he liked her loathing in return.
“I have every right to be. You cheated on me with the girl and are pretending this relationship will last more than a few months. Besides, I'm not bitter. I've recently picked up a new bed warmer, and I love it." Daisy observed the swift jolt of shock kicking Easton straight in the chest from how fast he wrangled his expression into stillness.
“Who? Who is it?”
“None of your business.”
“Stop playing with me right now—"
“No games. But I hope you enjoy the highs and lows with your new girl when you start missing me. I’m better off without your lack of ambition and otherwise unremarkable presence dragging me down.”
The elevator doors chimed before opening. Daisy took her cue to leave, strutting out of the elevator and through the narrow space between her and The Ballroom.
Smiling politely to coworkers she recognized, Daisy entered the double doors to The Ballroom. Rows of chairs were occupied by a sea of faces—general staff, executive officers, the Board of Directors, and various shareholders—waiting for her address. She had the proposal done, but needed to stick the landing by nailing the speech.
Everyone faced the stage, where Harrison fiddled with the microphone attached to the podium. The poor woman from the IT department assigned to that day's announcement looked frazzled while she adjusted the microphone's cable, tapping it to gauge the sound.
Daisy climbed the stage while some stragglers rushed to take their seats. Her eyes jumped between the people whose gazes held hers briefly, ending up squarely on Jensen in the front row.
Under her gaze, he sat taller in his chair, but his arms crossed over his chest. Ripples formed in the fabric of his navy turtleneck, drawing Daisy’s eyes down his chest. No intimidation? He was going soft on her.
“Can everyone hear me?” Harrison’s voice boomed throughout the room, preceded by sharp feedback from the microphone. A few murmurs of assent rose up from the crowd. Harrison flashed a thumbs-up, beaming. "Great! Thank you all for being here and waiting patiently. Would you join me in warmly welcoming Daisy Riggs, Vice President of Project Development, for her policy proposal?"
Applause filled the room with the resounding echo when Daisy stepped forward, trading places with Harrison after a handshake.
Daisy set down her coffee and tucked her other items in the hollow podium. She brushed the frontmost strands of hair away from her face, taking a moment to breathe. Since her confrontation with Easton in the elevator, her heart began to skip every other beat. That could also be the caffeine.
“Good morning, everyone. Thank you for coming," Daisy spoke into the microphone, wincing at the distorted echo of her words. "Normally, we'd have an itinerary of what to expect, detailing when to snooze or shop online. But in the interest of going paperless, I emailed the thirty-six-page policy proposal I will be covering this morning."
Several laughs erupted from the crowd as people grabbed their laptops, tablets, or phones. While going paperless was a noble goal, people's eyes on their devices meant less of them on her–a win for everyone involved.
Daisy cleared her throat and opened her portfolio. “We at Hidden Oasis pride ourselves on being a welcoming and adapting work environment for all our employees. However, there’s been a significant issue in worker turnover rates among the under twenty-five crowd. After research, I’ve determined a significant issue to be conflicts with college education, which is why I am here to propose a comprehensive reshaping of our current scholarship program.”
She paused, letting the audience ponder over her words. “Currently, we fund one to two scholarships annually for a local student who applies to our program. A better use of the program would be to redirect that energy toward pre-existing workers to help cover a significant portion of their studies, plus a stipend for travel expenses. Additionally, the program would develop a part-time work program to have more hands-on and viable promotional tracks for these workers if they commit full-time after graduation. Everyone deserves access to quality education, and our workers shouldn't be forced to pick between this company and developing themselves. Thank you."
Applause took over the room again, but some faces of the crowd brightened with enthusiasm. Daisy's colleagues rose from their chairs, joining the standing ovation, comprised of the executive officers and general members of the office. Many directors and shareholders in attendance followed their lead.
Daisy smiled. In those pleased faces, a shining glimmer of loyalty rose out of the crowd. She had a fair chance to win in December's election, so she should double her efforts. Whatever she needed to do, it would be done.
Daisy dismounted from the stage with her arms full. She beelined for her coworkers, who chose the front two rows for their seats, as the audience stood up. Everyone else would head to their daily duties as the Hidden Oasis offices opened for business.
“Daisy, you are a genius!” Iris gushed, reaching over to shake her shoulders.
Daisy laughed, shaking her off. "I've been one of the lucky few whose education was assisted by the company. It's only right to pay it forward."
“That’s noble of you. I don’t know how many people would do the same in your position,” Nelson said, eliciting nods from Miranda and Holden.
"Like I said, it's the right thing to do." Daisy tucked the portfolio into her chest, still hearing the faint music from her headphones. She forgot about those.
The moment died a little when Easton scoffed, breaking the silence before Jensen did. “You can’t be serious. Are you trying to tank the company with your bleeding-heart bullshit?”
“Easton, dude. . . stop.” Holden cleared his throat while wary eyes glanced at the others. None looked pleased with his comment, but everyone else held their tongues.
Daisy planned to say something back, equally bitchy as her commentary in the elevator, but Jensen Jensen beat her to the punch. “You might work in the finances department, but you aren’t the only expert on fiscal responsibility. If you read Daisy’s proposal, she details the allocation of funds. I read a quarter of it, but it’s a great plan.”
Those words slammed into Daisy like a freight train, left utterly speechless. After that, no one added their two cents, treating Jensen's word as the final one.
Easton stalked away from the group, taking his second unsuccessful confrontation with Daisy in a pissy mood. With him, the others faded away with their incoherent excuses. Daisy didn’t hear a single one, too focused on Jensen.
Jensen reached into his briefcase, pulling out an unopened plastic water bottle. He handed it to her. "I meant it. Your proposal was great."
“Thanks. I appreciate that. And how you dealt with Easton.” Daisy attempted the awkward shuffle of the items in her arms. Jensen leaned over, plucking the portfolio and her coffee from her arms before she dropped them.
Jensen hummed. “I’ll admit, I didn’t know you were such a softie.”
“Oh please,” Daisy scoffed, fidgeting with the water until the lid cracked open. She met Jensen’s eyes while she brought the water to her lips. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”