Chapter 11
Instead of staring at the blinking cursor in my messages with Taylor for one more second, I scroll up again and reread our last messages.
ME
I’ve arranged for a car to take you to The Baker in Hollywood.
MY WIFE
You didn’t need to do that.
ME
I wanted to.
MY WIFE
Thank you. See you soon.
It’s been a week since Taylor left my penthouse and got on a plane to Los Angeles.
As much as I wanted to text her while she was away, I didn’t want to push my luck after our dinner.
But the urge to ask her how things were going and when she would be back had me constantly looking at my phone and the last few texts we’d exchanged.
Fuck it. She’d like this update.
ME
I’m firing Mark today.
MY WIFE
It’s about damn time.
I smile at her immediate response.
ME
How are you?
The ellipses start and then stop, then start up again before she finally texts back.
MY WIFE
Lots of work going on. Not sure when I’ll be back.
ME
Let me know if there’s anything I can help with.
MY WIFE
You meddling in my business now?
ME
Seems fair since you’re meddling in mine.
MY WIFE
You asked me to!
ME
Tomato, tomahto
MY WIFE
Go make my day and fire that asshat.
ME
Yes ma’am
Pressing the button for the security office, I call down to make sure they’re ready for what could be a massive explosion if the day I suspended him was any indication.
It’s the end of the work day, and I’ve summoned Mark to the office.
I felt bad that Gabby was running around like a madwoman trying to keep all the balls in the air, but I couldn’t tell her Mark was absent because he was suspended and on his way out for good.
His contract was a bit more complicated than I’d hoped, and it took some time to finalize the paperwork.
Ricardo’s was easy. I fired him last week before the press conference.
A knock sounds on my office door, and I grin. Showtime.
“Come in,” I call out, standing and buttoning my suit jacket as I round the desk.
“Mr. Davenport. Mark is here for you.” The receptionist who escorted Mark up from the lobby closes the door and scurries away as soon as Mark enters my office.
I fight back a laugh at seeing the small woman rush away so quickly, but my smile quickly falls.
He’s ruined the morale in this office so much that the receptionist is scared of him.
I wonder how many others were scared of him right under my nose.
“Grant, good of you to come around,” he says, jovially, crossing the room and heading straight to the bar cart. I can’t help but roll my eyes.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I ask when he lifts the crystal canister filled with my best bourbon.
“Don’t be a prude. It’s the end of the day and no one is here.”
“This isn’t a social call, Mark.”
“Okay then.” He slams the canister back down on the cart and the glasses clatter.
“Have a seat.” I motion to the chair in front of my desk and turn back to take my seat behind it. I need the barrier before I pummel him. How I hadn’t seen what a piece of work this guy is, I’ll never know. But I see it now, and he’s never stepping foot in this office again.
“What’s with all the formality, Grant? You made a mistake in suspending me. I’ll happily come back. Water under the bridge.” He waves his hand in the air and sits down.
“You’re right, I did make a mistake.”
“Atta, boy.” He slaps his knees like the conversation is over.
“I’m not your boy,” I seethe. “The mistake wasn’t suspending you. It was hiring you in the first place.”
He blusters. “What are you talking about? This place wouldn’t have made it off the ground without me.”
Ignoring him, I continue, “You are being terminated from your role as general counsel, effective immediately.”
Mark’s face turns a deep shade of red. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. You can’t fire me!” he bellows.
“On the contrary, I can.” I open the file folder on my desk and retrieve the severance agreement and confidentiality agreement.
“These are the terms of your separation. You’re welcome to have your lawyer look them over if you wish, but you are prohibited from speaking to anyone else about the terms.”
“Lawyer? I am a lawyer. Who do you think you’re talking to, boy?”
I grit my teeth and take a deep breath to keep my composure.
He makes it very hard to stay calm, but I’ve learned over the years that a calm demeanor hits deeper than rage in these situations.
“Again, I am not your boy. The package is more than you deserve in my opinion, but it’s money well spent to get you away from my organization and out of my sight. ”
“And who’s going to run this place with me gone?” he spits out.
“Me. It may have escaped your notice since you’re never here, but you are not the president of this organization. You are not a leader at all. If anything, you’re a waste of a paycheck and a misogynistic pig. I have zero tolerance for your bullshit.”
He snorts. “Please. What are you going to do without a general counsel? This place runs on contracts. In case you missed it, your rookie almost ruined this organization by getting arrested.”
“I didn’t miss it. And since you apparently also suffer from memory issues, let me remind you that instead of handling that situation as you should, you berated a member of the staff, ended her time off, and belittled her in a room full of people when she dared to do your job.”
His brows shoot up in surprise. “Gabrielle?” He scoffs, waving me off. “She’s so far up those player’s asses she won’t know how to run that department.”
My nostrils flare. This guy. His narcissistic attitude is unparalleled.
I took a deeper dive into the legal operations since Taylor told me how good Gabby is at her job, and she’s been running the department for the better part of her three years here.
Mark was merely a figurehead. One we don’t need.
“She’s more capable than you. Unless you’d like to go ahead and sign the documents now, I’m going to have to ask you to get the fuck out of my office building.”
Mark rips the papers off my desk and reads them over quickly. “I’ll have some changes to these, so no I will not sign them. You can find me in my office.”
“Paul,” I call out to the security officer I made sure would be outside the door.
The door cracks open and Paul steps inside, clasping his hands together in front of him. “Sir?” he asks.
I lean back in my chair, gesturing to Mark, who is still clutching the papers despite his resistance to signing them. “Please escort Mark off the premises. If he causes problems, call the police department. He is no longer welcome in the building. IT has already wiped his badge and credentials.”
Turning back to Mark, I say, “Mark, it’s been a real displeasure.
Here’s the information for the Stella corporate legal office.
” I toss the little white business card across the desk at him.
He eyes it before looking up to glare at me.
“They’ll be taking it from here. Your belongings will be packed and shipped to your address on file. ”
“You’ll regret this,” Mark threatens. He pushes back the chair and stands.
Paul reaches out to direct him out of the office, but Mark jolts away from him.
“Get the fuck off me. I’ll sue you for assault.
” I stand and watch them walk to the elevator, Mark cussing up a storm, before closing the door and pouring myself a drink.
A small part of me had hoped he would’ve signed the papers and this mess would be over today, but I should’ve known better.
I’ll need to give Leah a heads up and make sure Taylor doesn’t say anything to Gabby yet.
I don’t want her to know until I can say he’s gone for good and offer her the position.
I smile to myself when I realize Ben and I are the only male executives on the Music City leadership team. As Taylor would often tell me, the future of sport is female, and I’m happy to advance that narrative.