4. Chapter Four
Chapter Four
T he next morning, Rowan and Emersyn sat and waited in Barrett’s largest conference room. Slowly, everyone from her new team who was in office today filed in and settled in chairs, either at the table or along the walls. Some looked at her with interest, some with disdain, some with downright hostility. She made note of those so she could keep a closer eye on them.
Once everyone settled in their seats, Emersyn stood.
“Good morning, everyone. I’m here to introduce you to the newest member of your team.”
One of the men guffawed, and Emersyn lasered him with her gaze. He looked away first, and Rowan squelched her smile as her admiration for her new boss went up yet another notch.
“The Global MegaCorp Division, your division, is the flagship department in Barrett Investment Group. You are important to us.” Emersyn let her gaze roam the room. “With Mr. Cranshaw’s departure”—a small cheer went up from a few of the women—“Gerard and I have chosen to take a fresh, new approach to the management of your division. I’d like to introduce you to Ms. Rowan McCarthy, your new Director. Rowan comes to us from Murdoch Financial.”
The reactions around the room were varied. Raised eyebrows, wide eyes, some smiles from the women and, still, some open hostility from a couple of the men.
“As with Mr. Cranshaw, Ms. McCarthy will report directly to my brother and me. Please extend a warm welcome to Ms. McCarthy.”
Emersyn held out her hand to Rowan and sat down.
This was it. This moment would make or break her success at Barrett Investments. Swallowing the gulp she really wanted to take, Rowan stood as the mostly welcoming applause died off. Time to put on her big girl panties and prove she had the mettle to do this.
She stood tall and proud. “Thank you for the warm welcome,” she said, smiling. “Barrett Investment Group follows a business model that I respect and plan to continue. I’m pleased to now be part of that.”
This was the hard part, but Rowan preferred to deal with things head on.
“If you think I’m too inexperienced to be in this position, I assure you, I am not. Barrett has always led the pack when it comes to cutting edge ideas, and I am well versed in both the company and the industry. Again, let me assure you that I am more than capable. However, if any of you feel you cannot work for me, there’s the door.” She pointed.
One man, one of the scowlers, actually got up and walked out, surprising Rowan. Emersyn stood up.
“I’ll get security to escort him out. You’re doing great, and I’m sure you can handle the rest of this on your own.”
“Thank you.”
Emersyn’s departure added a frailty to Rowan’s emotional state. It had been nice, having her here as backup. Shoring up her mindset, she picked up where she left off.
“Anyone else want to leave?” She glanced at each person there, one at a time. Another man squirmed in his chair, but no one else moved.
“Good,” she said, the smile returning to her face. “Over the next few weeks, I’ll meet with each of you.”
“Are we being interviewed to keep our jobs?” a dark-haired woman at the opposite end of the table asked.
“Absolutely not. As of this moment, your jobs are secure. I want to get to know you better, to hear any ideas you might have for future growth, and to increase your satisfaction with your jobs.
“So you can take our ideas and make them your own,” a blond-haired man said.
Rowan frowned. “It saddens me that the direction of this department to date makes you think that.” She speared one of the scowlers with her gaze. “If any of your suggestions are merited and utilized, you will get credit for it.”
“Right,” the man said. “We’ll get the credit. Never happened before. I bet it’s not going to happen now.”
“You don’t trust me yet. I get that, and only time will change your attitude. I guarantee you, if you stick around and work hard, we will earn each other’s trust. In the meantime, I do expect you to respect my position. Now, are there any questions?”
No one raised their hand.
“Great. Then let’s get to work. This division is going to live up to its credentials because of you.”
She stood by the door and shook each person’s hand, asking their name as they left. About five people in, Rowan glanced up and faltered as she noticed Gerard standing outside the conference room, watching her. How long had he been there? And had he liked what he’d heard? She couldn’t tell from his detached expression.
Shaking her head, she tried to ignore him and went on greeting the men and women of her division. When she glanced his way again, he had disappeared. It galled her that he’d been checking up on her, seeing how she handled herself.
You don’t trust me yet. The words she’d spoken to these people rang true with her and her boss. He needed time to understand how capable she was. Rowan would prove to him that he could trust her. Prove to him that she could do this job. And prove that to herself as well.
Later, back in her office, Rowan sank into her chair. She’d done it. Met with her employees and stood her ground. More proud of herself than she’d been in a long time, she took a moment to bask in the glow of her new position. Closing her eyes, she envisioned herself and the Global MegaCorp Division…tomorrow, in a month, in a year.
Then she opened her eyes and booted up her computer. Time to get to work.
Back in his office, Gerard admitted to a grudging admiration for his newest director. She’d been forthright with her employees, not holding back, stating truths they probably needed to hear. She’d held her own, even when that asshole got up and left.
He didn’t want to respect her. Hell, he didn’t even want her here. His thoughts over the last day had strayed to her often, and that wasn’t a good sign. He firmly believed in that no fraternization clause, even though a part of him, deep inside, knew he’d mentioned it to her to shore up his own ability to stay away.
His phone rang. “Yes?”
“Mr. Silverman is on line one for you,” Sandra said.
Gerard raised his eyes to the ceiling. Richard Silverman was the oldest person on the board and the one most stuck in his ways. He’d been a thorn in Gerard’s side ever since he and Emersyn had taken over for their retiring father and looked for any excuse to make Gerard look incompetent to the board. He’d probably heard about the new hire and wanted to rake Gerard over the proverbial coals. The CEO after Gerard’s name meant nothing to the man.
Heaving a deep sigh, Gerard thanked Sandra, stretched his neck from side to side, and punched the blinking line button. Better to get this over with.
Rowan McCarthy had better get the job done and do it well, or he’d be the one paying the price.