Chapter Fourteen
Jess
“You want to buy Baywatch Securities?”
I nod. “Yes.”
Across the massive table, Logan leans back in his chair, arms crossed.
He hasn’t said no, so I continue. “You know a lot of clients who come to us for home security expect full surveillance setup, right? Cameras, monitoring, installation. And we’ve been losing a lot of money contracting that part out.”
He raises an eyebrow.
“As for staffing,” I continue, “you know we’ve had a shortage lately. Field employees are spending too much time in the surveillance room instead of on actual jobs.”
Logan nods slowly.
“We turned down two contracts just this past week because we didn’t have enough manpower,” I add. “That’s revenue walking out the door.”
He studies me for a moment.
“Okay,” he says. “But where would we keep them? They can’t all fit in here, along with the equipment.”
“I already checked,” I reply. “The penthouse offices upstairs just ended their lease. They’re not renewing.”
His expression shifts with interest.
“We could move Baywatch in,” I go on, “and set up our surveillance operations up there.”
He drums his fingers on the table. “And who’s going to manage all of that? Darren already complains about being in charge of surveillance. And he’s about to go on paternity leave.”
“I’ll do it,” I say.
Logan blinks. “You?”
“Yes,” I repeat, more confidently. “I’ll move my office upstairs and manage it myself.”
For a second he just stares at me.
“You’re serious.”
“I am.”
He lets out a slow breath. “Jess, that’s a lot of responsibility.”
“I know,” I say. “But look at it this way, you’ll be expanding R&D Associates and you won’t have to look at my face every day. At least during office hours.”
I try to joke. It clearly doesn’t land. Logan just keeps staring at me.
I clear my throat and admit. “I need this.”
Finally, he nods. “I guess I should call Jeremy.”
“Just like that?” I ask, surprised.
He pauses with his hand hovering over the intercom.
“I trust you, Jess.”
The words hit me right in the feelings.
I smile, hope blooming in my chest, as Logan presses the button and makes the call.
While Mackie puts Jeremy on hold, an idea pops into my head.
“Can I take her with me?” I ask.
The question comes out light, easy, like it’s nothing more than a practical staffing decision.
Like it isn’t going to matter.
I say it with such confidence, so sure of myself, so relieved to have something positive to focus on, that I don’t realize that this simple, harmless request is about to change my life and not for the better.