Page 35 of Yes to The Holidays
Odin
Later in the week, I did as Janie asked and sought out the other two directors. After a hearty discussion with Jack, I walked down the hall to find Donald. Jack didn’t seem bothered at all that I hadn’t been by earlier and appeared to be a team player. In the discussion, it was mentioned in passing how much he enjoyed working with Janie. When I brought up Donald’s department, he only spoke of the department as a whole.
After knocking, Donald announced, “Come in,” in a very dry tone.
Once inside, he looked up, and his expression was glaring. “What can I do for you?”
“May I sit?” I asked, motioning to the chairs identical to Janie’s. I fought the smirk trying to plaster across my face as I recalled when I sat in one next to her in her office.
“Please. So, what brings you by?”
I unbuttoned my blazer and took a seat. “I wanted to check in with the directors to get to know you, see if you want to discuss anything about your departments, that sort of thing.”
His brow shot up. “I see. My department is strong thanks to me.”
So, he’s a bit of a narcissist.“Wonderful. And your assistant, James?”
“He’s great. He’s been my right-hand man for years. Knows the ins and outs of the company and is my backup in my absence.”
“The assistant role here is a bit different than I am accustomed to. I find that refreshing.”
Donald threaded his fingers together on his desk. “Oh yes. Eddie had a wonderful vision for the company. We have a team of admins for tasks that a typical assistant would perform. But the assistants to the directors are nearly our equals. A little less pay, but still greatly compensated. Many people in charge try to hamper the access and knowledge of those beneath them out of ego, but Eddie believed in building trust and recognition. I hope you intend to carry that on.”
“Absolutely. I did notice you have very few women on your team. Jack and Janie have a pretty mixed bag. Was that on purpose?”He wouldn’t answer honestly, but now he knows I noticed.
“Women in the workplace are essential. I hired those with the highest qualifications. Eddie told us to be fair but find the best, so I did. You may have noticed that while many of my employees are men, they are quite a diverse group.”
Did he want a cookie?“Good to see, Donald. How do you feel about women in leadership?”
He shrugged but took his time to answer. “I think if someone is right for the role, they deserve it regardless of gender, color, religion, or sexual preference.”
Rehearse much?“I agree.”
“Does that mean there will be structural changes once you take over? Right now, there are no open roles.”
With a gentle smile, I answered, “Nothing is ever set in stone in business, now is it?”
“I hope you would include Jack and I in any discussions for big changes. Eddie usually did…until he decided to sell.”
“You meant you, Jack, and Janie, didn’t you?”
He straightened in his chair. “I’m sure you heard by now that she and I are recently divorced. But don’t worry. That will not impact our business relationship.”
His smug smirk melted as I stared for a few beats. “Funny you didn’t mention her. She’s a director. One of three.”
Shrugging, he said, “Slip of the tongue.”
“On that subject, Donald, I heard there was some discourse in her office earlier this week. Some employees overheard. Would you like to share anything about that?”
Donald squirmed then cleared his throat. “Nothing to share, sir.”
“Hmm.” I kept staring at him, not saying a word.
He shifted in his seat. “I may have asked her about her company over the weekend. Clearly, it was not well received.”
“You just said you were recently divorced. And my understanding is you’ve been separated for months.” I leaned closer to the desk. “A bit of workplace drama led to this, right?”
His face went deep red, and his brows furrowed. “I do not participate in office gossip, sir. I would have thought you wouldn’t, either.”
