Chapter 5
Isaac
Tip #5: When searching for fixes to keep your assistant with you, form a team: a sibling for emotional manipulation, and a cousin for silent judgment. Provide sheer desperation yourself .
T he blustery night air nipped at my skin as I climbed the steps of Samuel’s lakeside mansion, just a few houses up from our mother’s place and situated on the same lake. Logan followed behind me, as silent as a shadow.
I fished out the emergency key Samuel had given me when he first bought this monstrosity and unlocked the door. Logan lingered on the doorstep, his impressive frame outlined by the fading evening light.
I reached back, grabbed his arm, and dragged him inside, ignoring the house security system that chirped to announce our entrance.
“We’re interrupting their evening,” Logan said.
I shut the door behind us. “It’s fine.” I waved his worry off as I followed the sound of lowered voices through the sprawling house, which led us to the kitchen.
We found Natalie and Samuel cozied up at the granite island, empty dinner plates in front of them as they picked at thick slices of chocolate cake. The sleek, modern kitchen gleamed—all stainless steel, white cupboards, and recessed lighting.
For some inexplicable reason, the domestic scene irritated me. Not that I wanted my twin to be miserable, and I was quite fond of Natalie. Maybe it was their obvious wedded bliss that raised my hackles as I scrambled to keep my closest, nonrelative friend at my side.
“Sorry to intrude,” I announced as Logan and I entered.
Natalie looked up with a welcoming smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “Isaac! Logan! Hey, come on in! Do you want some cake?”
Samuel glanced between us, his gaze sharpening with curiosity and a hint of suspicion. “This is a surprise. It had better be a pleasant surprise, because if it’s about work, allow me to remind you my workday is over.”
Logan shifted his weight beside me, clearing his throat. I could practically feel the awkwardness radiating off him.
The man could stare down a boardroom and make other lawyers tremble at the sight of him, but stick him in a social situation and he reverted to a squirming kid.
“I need to talk to you, and no, it’s not about work.” I paused and reconsidered. “Well, it’s about Warner Print, but an employee, not actual projects.”
Understanding flashed across Samuel’s face. He knew I was referring to Charlotte.
I felt a surge of gratification that my twin could read me so easily. Samuel stood up. “I get it. Let’s find a place to crash, as this could take a while.” Samuel paused to press a kiss to Natalie’s temple. “Sorry, pookie bear.”
Natalie waved him off with an indulgent smile. “Take your time, sweetums. More cake for me!”
As Samuel led us out, I glanced back to see Natalie already pulling Samuel’s plate toward herself with a mischievous grin.
Poor Samuel.
Not that he actually wanted the cake. No, knowing him he probably wanted to spoon-feed Natalie himself, the smitten fool, and would be greatly disappointed at missing out on the opportunity.
I shook my head and followed my brother and cousin through the mansion.
We entered a sleek minimalist parlor that was almost certainly the brainchild of some decorator Samuel had hired years ago. There were signs of change, however, with Natalie’s entrance as Samuel’s wife. The austere white couches and square glass coffee tables were softened by colorful quilts and framed children’s artwork—all of which undoubtedly came from Natalie’s many relatives.
Samuel plopped down and raised an eyebrow at me. “Alright, spill. What has you barging into my house at dinnertime and dragging poor Logan behind you?”
Logan settled on a couch across from Samuel. The cushions were so firm they didn’t sink under his weight at all. “I would also like to know why my presence is necessary.”
“I assume it has something to do with Charlotte,” Samuel said. “But after the brainstorming session at our family dinner, I thought you had a decent game plan.”
I remained standing—I was too frustrated to sit down like the polite CFO I was supposed to be. “I tried enacting it, and it was nothing less than a complete and total failure.”
I gave them a highly summarized version of my conversation with Charlotte, mostly explaining how she’d rebuffed the offers and told me to back off.
Logan sat perched on the edge of the sofa, as if he weren’t allowed to touch the soft, bright blue quilt slung over the back of it. “Sounds like you’ll have to start planning her farewell party.”
“That’s not helpful,” I said. “I’m asking you and Samuel for advice because you both know Charlotte well. I want to appeal to her, not see her off!”
Samuel leaned forward, hands clasped. “We can’t force her to stay against her will.”
“I know that,” I ground out. “And I will respect it, which means I’ll have to be subtle about convincing her to stay, as I’m not going to let her go without a fight. Warner Print needs her.” I scratched the back of my neck and added, “I need her.”
Samuel’s expression turned grim. “I know. Sorry. I’m aware the idea of losing Charlotte is a nightmare.”
Logan nodded, his usual stoic face even stonier. “Legal’s going to have to be on high alert if she’s not around to rein you in anymore.”
Samuel let out a snort and jabbed a finger at Logan. “That’s the truth.”
I stared at both of them.
This was not helping.
Samuel, still leaning forward, rested his elbows on his knees. “OK, OK, but seriously. The best thing to do at this point is probably to cut back on office hours and try to give the team more work-life balance.”
I shook my head exactly once. “That’s impossible. The workload is way too heavy for that.”
Samuel rolled his eyes at me in that infuriating big brother way. “Then you need to figure out how to make the workload lighter. Delegate more and hire additional staff. Something’s gotta give.”
“It’s not that simple.” My self-control was so badly frayed I gave in to the impulse to pace, stalking across the pristine white rug. “The financials my team handles are incredibly sensitive. Everything has to be perfect and precise or it could derail the whole company.”
“I get it. I do,” Samuel said. “But I also know you. You have this belief that no one else can crunch the numbers and analyze the data like the great Isaac Warner can.”
I rallied my self-control enough to stop pacing and resumed frowning at my twin. “It’s true. That’s why I’m the CFO.”
“Fair enough. But Warner Print has exploded in success, Isaac. It’s way too big for you to have your finger in every pie. That’s why your team is drowning. That’s why even Charlotte is burning out, and she’s been your ride or die since day one.”
I folded my arms across my chest, considering Samuel’s gut-punching words.
He was right; Charlotte had always been there, putting in the long hours right beside me without complaint.
I blew out a breath. “You might have a point.”
Samuel’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline, and I wondered if I looked as insufferable as he did when I was proven right. (Thankfully, I probably didn’t. We’re identical twins, but Samuel’s the expressive one.)
“I’m sorry, can you repeat that?” Samuel asked. “I need to jot down in writing that you admitted I’m right.”
I didn’t rise to the bait but rather ignored him and stuffed my hands in the pockets of my slacks. “I’m aware it would be… better for my team if I made some changes. But it’s not like I can snap my fingers and make it happen overnight. Especially not with tax season breathing down our necks. We have to review every line of the return; no matter how skilled our accounting department is, there are always errors.”
“Excuses, excuses…” Samuel singsonged in that annoying brotherly way of his. “C’mon, Isaac. I’m sure you could figure something out.”
Ignoring him, I pivoted to stare at Logan, hoping the strong, silent member of our trio might have a better idea. Logan shifted in his seat, his brow furrowed in thought. “Did you offer to let her transfer to a different department?” he asked after a beat.
I nodded. “Yes. She wasn’t interested. Same goes for reduced hours and extra vacation days.”
Logan tapped his fingers on the couch.
Samuel let out a low whistle. “You really did try everything, didn’t you? Well, everything except adjusting the team’s work hours as a whole….”
“I already told you, that’s not feasible right now,” I repeated. “Besides, if I want to keep putting in the hours, that’s my choice. The rest of the team leaves at a reasonable time.”
“Yeah, but Charlotte’s not the type to peace out at five and leave you burning the midnight oil solo,” Samuel said.
I dragged my fingers through my hair, knowing he was right. Charlotte’s impressive work ethic combined with her personal loyalty meant there was no way she’d be comfortable leaving at a decent hour if she knew I would be staying. That’s why she was so insistent on resigning.
But it wasn’t like I could take a step back, even if I didn’t want Charlotte vanishing from my life.
“Yes, that is correct,” I wryly said. “Charlotte’s personality would make her uncomfortable even if I ordered her to work only the typical forty hours.”
Logan nodded in silent agreement.
I ran a hand down my face, frustration mounting at the impossible situation. Damned if I changed things at work, damned if I didn’t and lost Charlotte altogether. I caught Samuel eyeing me thoughtfully, a knowing glint in his gaze.
“What?” I warily asked.
“Nothing. I was just thinking….” He drew out the words, an infuriatingly smug smile playing at his mouth. “Are you sure you don’t have feelings for Charlotte? Feelings of the nonplatonic variety? Maybe something—dare I say—romantic?”
I scoffed. “Of course not. She’s my closest friend after you two, but that’s it. We are professionals.”
The words tasted off, like soured milk, but I refused to examine that too closely.
“Isaac’s first and only love is Warner Print,” Logan summarized for me.
“I won’t argue that, but one can always hope,” Samuel muttered.
“Still.” Logan thoughtfully tilted his head—apparently he was feeling surprisingly verbose today. “It wouldn’t be surprising if you did catch feelings for her.”
“Of course,” Samuel agreed. “She knows how to hold him accountable and disregard his grumpy exterior. Not to mention she’s intelligent and quite beautiful.”
I sighed in irritation. “Yes, Charlotte is incredibly gorgeous, and I deeply admire her intellect.”
“Note, I said beautiful; you chose to up the ante and call her gorgeous,” Samuel said.
“Because she is,” I said.
I might be work focused, but I’d have to be dead not to notice how lovely Charlotte is. It wasn’t just her sleek, dark hair that looked invitingly soft or the natural grace she moved with; it was the way her smile lit up her face and the unique honied shade of her brown eyes that sometimes caught me so off guard I’d actually pause whatever work I was doing so I could admire them.
I refocused on my twin and cousin—I could dwell on Charlotte when I knew she was staying.
“Charlotte’s charms aren’t the problem here. The issue is that I’m being grilled about romantic choices by the man who pined after his wife for a decade before she asked him to fake-date her, and also by the man who subjected us to a surprisingly extensive lecture about workplace romances the moment all three of us landed C-suite positions,” I said, pointing first to Samuel and then to Logan. “Or are both of you going to ignore the power imbalance our positions give us and the possible abuse of authority any romantic feelings could spark?”
Logan at least had the good grace to look mildly chagrined.
“Even if I did have feelings for Charlotte, which I don’t, acting on them would be wildly inappropriate,” I continued. “I’d never want to put her in a position where she felt pressured or unable to say no because I’m her boss.”
I was sure that would make Samuel back off, but instead he met my gaze, his expression thoughtful. “Well, if Charlotte does end up leaving, then there wouldn’t be a power imbalance anymore, would there?”
Irritation flared through me. “For the last time, I don’t want Charlotte to leave! That’s the whole reason I’m talking to you two: to brainstorm ways to get her to stay, not discuss hypothetical office romances that are never going to happen.”
My twin held up his hands in surrender. “I know, I know. As I said earlier, I’m just as invested in keeping Charlotte around as you are. I shudder to think what you’ll be like without her keeping you in line.” He shook his head, grimacing. “I was only curious, that’s all.”
“Stop being curious and start focusing on the actual problem at hand,” I flatly said.
Samuel nodded, getting back to business. “Fair enough. In that case—since apparently all of the perfectly reasonable suggestions Logan and I made are off the table, seeing as you’re so horrifically opposed to the idea of a healthy work-life balance—have you considered collaborating more with the rest of your team? They might have some ideas on how to reach Charlotte that we haven’t thought of, and they probably dread her exit even more than you do.”
I scowled at his thinly veiled jab but bit back my retort—he had a point.
“I suppose it couldn’t hurt to quietly ask around and see if anyone has insights I’m missing,” I said. “While it’s abundantly clear I need to stop pressing Charlotte, other employees are still free to approach her more subtly about staying on board.”
Logan cleared his throat. “We’ll have some prime opportunities outside the office this weekend.”
Samuel and I stared at Logan, who chose not to expand on his statement.
“What are you referring to?” Samuel asked, the first to give in.
“The upcoming work event,” Logan slowly said.
Samuel lit up and snapped his hands. “That’s right! We’re hosting the annual anniversary party for Grandfather’s retirement this weekend!”
Logan nodded. “Charlotte will attend as your date, correct?”
Samuel narrowed his eyes and spoke before I had a chance to reply. “She is still going, isn’t she? You didn’t manage to piss her off so much that she backed out, did you?”
“As far as I know, Charlotte is still coming with me. But to Logan’s point, I should perhaps see if I can arrange some other nonwork times for her to spend with the rest of the family. Uncle Charles might have a few ideas since she worked for me back when he was still with Warner Print,” I said, referring to my uncle/Logan’s father.
Samuel grinned as he stood up. “Great! I’ll make sure to loop Natalie in. She and Charlotte always enjoy talking at the various events they get dragged to on behalf of Warner Print. Between the three of us and the rest of the family, we’ll figure out a way to ensure Charlotte’s work satisfaction so she’ll stay.”
Logan rocked to his feet as well, signaling the end of our impromptu strategy meeting.
“Thank you for thinking things through with me,” I said. “I appreciate you having my back on this.”
Logan folded his arms across his chest. “Always.”
Samuel slapped me on the back. “Yeah, of course we have your back. Even if our interest is a little self-serving because we also want Charlotte to stay, most of all we want you to be happy.”
I slowly nodded, taking in Samuel’s words.
“However!” Samuel eyed me. “You better take this time to also consider ways to reevaluate your team’s workload.”
“I will,” I said. “As I said, we just need to make it through tax season.”
Samuel squeezed his eyes shut tight. “You are never going to put Warner Print after someone—yourself most of all—are you?”
“It’s the family legacy,” I said. “Dad charged us with it before he passed away.”
Our father had been the CEO of Warner Print before Samuel, just as Uncle Charles was the chief legal officer before Logan. But before our father passed away a lot younger than he should have—cancer was the worst—he and Uncle Charles made sure to pass the reins off to us.
They’d taken a huge chance on the three of us when we were only in our mid-twenties. I would spend the rest of my career proving they’d made the correct choice and making sure our company supported and took care of the employees and clients our family loved.
That was why I had no problem spending nights at my office, and that was why I pushed for the best from my team.
Logan set a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. When I looked up at him, he nodded his approval. “We understand,” he said.
“Yeah.” Samuel sighed. “Yeah, we do.”
Even I could read the room’s black mood. “We’d better get back to the kitchen,” I said. “Samuel has cake to feed to Natalie, as long as she hasn’t eaten his entire piece.”
“My piece hardly matters—I bought her a whole cake!” Samuel instantly broke away to hotfoot it toward the kitchen. “I’d invite you two to have a piece, but I want to purr over my wife, so the most I’m offering are to-go pieces.”
“I’ll pass,” I said, following after my twin.
“You said it’s chocolate?” Logan asked.
“Yes,” Samuel confirmed. “Let me grab you a container, Logan—although in warning, it’s probably going to be a cleaned out whipped topping tub or I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter container. Natalie collects them for stuff like this.”
“Interesting,” I said.
“Economic,” Logan pointed out.
A faint smile settled on my lips. I was still troubled by the situation with Charlotte, and I didn’t like that I would have to rely on help from others. But knowing Logan and Sam would be thinking things through with me was enough for now… as long as the Warner Print event went well, that was.