Page 9 of Stick to the Plan
The sound of footsteps catches my attention. I turn as Brianna enters the living room, securing a diamond stud in one ear. Today, she’s dressed in a lemon drop silk blouse and white dress slacks with another pair of killer heels. She pulled her hair back at the crown and secured it with a gold barrette. Surprise crosses her face as she sees me up and about. Then she turns towards the open patio door and her expression calms as the black fur-ball races back inside to nip at her heels.
“Thank you. I hadn’t realized he had run off.” Brianna gives a tentative smile that shoots through me like lightning and makes my cock twitch.
I swallow the sudden lump in my throat. Settle down, boyo, she is off limits. Be professional.
“Mornin’. It looks like a grand day. Ready to head to the office?”
“Yes, let me grab my bag and we can go.”
Without another word, we make our way to the car and back to C.A. Engineering. I hold the front door for Brianna and follow her to the elevator bank. She points out her desk as she leads me back to my temporary office.
“I booked one of the conference rooms all day so we can review those project files. Just let me check my email and I’ll meet you at 2A in a half hour. Sound good?”
The empty table with four chairs draws my attention in the office, as the soft glow of morning light floods in through the wall of windows. The idea of sitting in a cold conference room with no windows makes me shudder.
“No need to take up an entire conference room for two people. Why don’t we just work here? Come back when you’re ready to start.”
Brianna follows my line of sight to the small table and seems to stiffen for a moment. “Alright,” she answers slowly, “if that’s what you prefer, I’ll be back in about thirty minutes.”
We’ve been poring over files for hours. Email transactions, project charters, testing results, schedules, contracts. My eyes are dry and crossing a bit. Some time during the afternoon, I tossed my jacket over a chair and loosened my tie.
Brianna, though, is still neat as a pin. No hair out of place and not a single wrinkle to be found on her shirt or slacks. All the records are as orderly as she is. Stone may be a creep, but he’s right about one thing: Brianna is a gifted project manager.
I look at the latest graph Brianna gave me, showing profits and costs. This has to be the twentieth detailed graph I’ve looked at. Leaning back in my chair, I sigh.
“How d’ya do it?”
“Pardon?”
“How d’ya do it?” I repeat, holding up the tablet. “There is no piece of these projects you haven’a thought through. Opportunity costs, predicted ROI, schedules, backup schedules, risk mitigation strategies.” I click through the tabs of the spreadsheet as I rattle off each item.
Brianna’s eyebrow cocks over her left eye, as if to say the answer is obvious. “That’s my job.”
I scroll down one sheet as I purse my lips. “This schedule has 200 line items.”
“It’s a three-year development project being completed in three separate countries.”
I lean forward again as I switch files to inspect it closer. “This budget shows a breakdown of projected costs and profits. By month…and region.”
Brianna, who has been sitting on the edge of her seat with perfect posture all day, finally allows herself to lean back slightly.
“Finance likes to see details before they approve a project.”
I flip files again.
“This list of contacts shows all fifty stakeholders - in both an org chart and a table with contact information. What the…” I click the screen a few times and lean closer to the screen. “Is that the personal phone number for a VP at Hewlett Packard?” I look up at Brianna with eyes wide and eyebrows raised. “How did you even get that?”
“We were getting pushback on a delivery date which was going to kill the entire project - so I got resourceful.”
I look back down and squint as I re-read a comment on the screen. “Does this comment say that he likes chocolate chip cookies?”
Her cheeks take on a rosy hue and her lips twitch into an almost smile. “I needed to know what to send as a thank you when our printers arrived on schedule.”
I burst into laughter.
Never have I seen baked goods included in a project plan. Setting out on this business trip, I had been hesitant to let someone else take part in this new product. I am deeply invested in this idea. It can literally change the world - not to mention the fate of my company. The more I review her files, the more I am sure she is the right person to oversee this special project.
Lounging back in my chair, I recover from my amusement and assess the woman sitting across from me. “Well, Brianna, there’s no doubt you are qualified. Let me tell you what we know so far, but first I need you to sign this nondisclosure agreement.” I reach into my bag and slide the document across the table with a pen, and wait for her to review and sign.
