and I’m looking forward to working with all of you. I want everyone to know it’s not my intention to come in and take over the department or diminish anyone’s authority. I believe that teamwork is the only way to accomplish goals, and that means I like to hear ideas from everyone. The first six to eight weeks we’ll spend analyzing the data, longer if we have to, then we’ll discuss our findings, and together outline a viable plan. Does that work for everyone?”
Looking skeptical, Grant asked, “Will it really take that long?”
“It will if we’re thorough, and bear in mind we’ll be going back twenty years.”
There were looks of surprise all around.
“Why so far?” Al asked. “Wouldn’t data that old be irrelevant?”
“Not at all. There are many factors we need to consider, and I don’t want to risk missing a thing. This will explain my methods.” She passed around the folders she had created, outlining all the data they would need and why.
Several minutes passed as they reviewed the material, and Grant said, “As deep as you’re digging, compiling data that old could be tricky.”
“I have complete faith in everyone.”
“As do I,” Rob added, going to bat for her once again.
They spent the rest of the day in the conference room, calling in for lunch. She hadn’t exactly been sure what kind of leader Rob would be, but from what she could tell so far, he was firm but fair, and it was obvious that his employees respected him. And while they may not have trusted her, they definitely trusted him. And he seemed to, if not trust her, be giving her the benefit of the doubt.
The meeting broke up at six, and everyone went home, or so Carrie assumed. She planned to work only another hour or so, then head home, but when she checked the time later, it was nearly eight-thirty.
“Planning on staying all night?”
Startled, she looked up to find Rob leaning in her office doorway, jacket off, tie loosened, looking too darn yummy for his own good. The dark shadow of stubble across his jaw gave him that I’m-too-sexy-for-my-suit look.
There probably wasn’t anyone left in the building….
Carrie, don’t even go there.
* * *
“I thought everyone had left for the night,” Carrie said, and Rob struggled to keep his gaze above her neck, and not on the pillows of cleavage pushing against the form-fitting nylon top she wore under the suit jacket that was now hanging on the back of her chair. Her suit was another story altogether. Unlike last week’s shapeless, unflattering garment, this one had a fitted jacket with a tapered waist, and a hip-hugging skirt that reached only midthigh. Her hair was up, but this time it looked looser and sexier somehow. Or maybe it was the same and he was seeing her differently now.
She managed to look both professional and sexy as hell.
It had been torture, not to mention distracting, but he’d managed to keep his hands and eyes off her all day. Well, maybe not his eyes, not completely, but he was careful not to be too obvious.
“I’m here until eight or nine most nights,” Rob told her.
“No wonder you don’t have a girlfriend,” she said, closing her laptop.
That was part of the reason. A fairly large part, actually. “I’m heading home and I thought you might like a ride. No one is here to see us in my car together. Unless that’s not the real reason you turned down a ride this morning.”
“Of course it’s the reason,” she said, looking indignant. “What other reason would there be?”
He shrugged. That was the million-dollar question.
She had insisted that they end their affair, that it was the only way to keep a civilized work environment, and claimed she would have no problem with pesky residual feelings. Because while she admitted that they were incredibly good in bed together, she still didn’t “like” him. But when he’d asked how she could sleep with someone whom she didn’t even like, she’d admitted that she didn’t
Looking skeptical, Grant asked, “Will it really take that long?”
“It will if we’re thorough, and bear in mind we’ll be going back twenty years.”
There were looks of surprise all around.
“Why so far?” Al asked. “Wouldn’t data that old be irrelevant?”
“Not at all. There are many factors we need to consider, and I don’t want to risk missing a thing. This will explain my methods.” She passed around the folders she had created, outlining all the data they would need and why.
Several minutes passed as they reviewed the material, and Grant said, “As deep as you’re digging, compiling data that old could be tricky.”
“I have complete faith in everyone.”
“As do I,” Rob added, going to bat for her once again.
They spent the rest of the day in the conference room, calling in for lunch. She hadn’t exactly been sure what kind of leader Rob would be, but from what she could tell so far, he was firm but fair, and it was obvious that his employees respected him. And while they may not have trusted her, they definitely trusted him. And he seemed to, if not trust her, be giving her the benefit of the doubt.
The meeting broke up at six, and everyone went home, or so Carrie assumed. She planned to work only another hour or so, then head home, but when she checked the time later, it was nearly eight-thirty.
“Planning on staying all night?”
Startled, she looked up to find Rob leaning in her office doorway, jacket off, tie loosened, looking too darn yummy for his own good. The dark shadow of stubble across his jaw gave him that I’m-too-sexy-for-my-suit look.
There probably wasn’t anyone left in the building….
Carrie, don’t even go there.
* * *
“I thought everyone had left for the night,” Carrie said, and Rob struggled to keep his gaze above her neck, and not on the pillows of cleavage pushing against the form-fitting nylon top she wore under the suit jacket that was now hanging on the back of her chair. Her suit was another story altogether. Unlike last week’s shapeless, unflattering garment, this one had a fitted jacket with a tapered waist, and a hip-hugging skirt that reached only midthigh. Her hair was up, but this time it looked looser and sexier somehow. Or maybe it was the same and he was seeing her differently now.
She managed to look both professional and sexy as hell.
It had been torture, not to mention distracting, but he’d managed to keep his hands and eyes off her all day. Well, maybe not his eyes, not completely, but he was careful not to be too obvious.
“I’m here until eight or nine most nights,” Rob told her.
“No wonder you don’t have a girlfriend,” she said, closing her laptop.
That was part of the reason. A fairly large part, actually. “I’m heading home and I thought you might like a ride. No one is here to see us in my car together. Unless that’s not the real reason you turned down a ride this morning.”
“Of course it’s the reason,” she said, looking indignant. “What other reason would there be?”
He shrugged. That was the million-dollar question.
She had insisted that they end their affair, that it was the only way to keep a civilized work environment, and claimed she would have no problem with pesky residual feelings. Because while she admitted that they were incredibly good in bed together, she still didn’t “like” him. But when he’d asked how she could sleep with someone whom she didn’t even like, she’d admitted that she didn’t
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