Page 64 of Reverie
“I focus on that every single day.”
She halted as my voice boomed out louder than I intended. I rose from my desk and faced the city I fought for every day, instead of that infuriating woman. “Have you noticed the work we do, what we stand for?”
“Jett.” Her voice was a whisper. “I know you do a lot …”
“I don’t need reassurance, Victory. Or praise, for that matter. I need you to see the bigger picture. If I fold to a man like that without him giving me respect, my company will fold a lot faster for a lot less. We can’t afford that. The city I work for can’t afford that.”
“The world can’t afford that,” she continued for me. She’d made her way over to the window and stood beside me. “I see you scooping up wounded passengers and putting them on your overloaded boat to carry them to shore. You're their captain, Jett. And you spend every hour of your day making sure everyone has a life vest.”
I glanced over at her, and her honey-colored eyes shone with sincerity.
She continued, “I’m ecstatic to be a part of that. And I know Bastian is asking for one more passenger on a boat that could sink at any moment because it's beyond capacity. Everyone here works extremely hard. I know everyone enjoys it, but you have to trust them to be able to handle more. The boat can take on more than you think. They are the best of the best, after all. And then reward them for it.”
“I do reward them,” I retorted.
She exhaled loudly. “Really? With what?”
“Money. A good salary. A very good salary.”
She nodded and nudged my shoulder with hers. “True. But sometimes people like to have a little fun. They want to feel a part of the family. The Stonewood name shines bright, Jett, and I bet if you give your people a little release, they will come back rejuvenated and ready to kick even more ass.”
“They’re rejuvenated now.”
“We’ve all been working extra-long hours since your father stepped down, and not one person is going to complain, partially because they’re scared to but also because no one has the energy.”
My jaw worked and I pulled on the cuffs of my shirt, considering what she’d said. At the bottom of my tower, figures rushed back and forth, and I was reminded of how this city drained people, how you could get swallowed up by its pace. My company operated the same way. “Fine.”
“Fine, what?” Her eyes widened.
I smiled at her surprise. “You think my team needs something. Halloween is in a few days. Throw a party. The Monday after, I’m holding a meeting to discuss Levvetor. If the team agrees it’s something we want to take on, I’ll do it. If they’re hungover and nonresponsive, I win. You drop it.”
“Deal.” Her smile beamed radiantly.
“And.”
She groaned when she realized I wasn’t done.
“You wear black every day for the rest of the year.”
“Seriously?”
“Dead serious, Vick. Your colors are too damn bright.”
“Oh my God,” she mumbled, starting to walk out. “I have to plan an epic party. Please, for the love of all that is holy, loosen up before then.”
The rest of the afternoon, I gazed at the damn paperweights, except for the moments I glanced up to see pink fluttering around down below.
By the end of the day, I wondered if the smell of strawberries would ever leave my office. Josie, Bob, and others turned off their computers as the sun set. I wondered if Vick would stay late, if she’d wait to see if I wanted a repeat of our other night.
A rude reminder came when she closed down her computer and walked out with Stevie. A feeling pooled in my belly and burned its way through the rest of my body, a feeling I wasn’t much accustomed to.
I got back to work. And after a couple more hours of work and research on Levvetor, I texted Bastian and Vick together.
Me: I’m considering Levvetor for the next week. I’m not committed, and I sure as hell want warning next time.
Bastian: You think my pops gave me a warning before the meeting? I meant no disrespect.
Me: Lie to someone who will believe it, Bastian.
