I laugh, "I had an epiphany! You're going to love it!" He gives me his cute smile with the dimple, and I hook his arm, wiggling it between my boobs. "Sometimes, I impress myself."
He chuckles. "And to think, I was concerned when you didn't come back in two hours."
"Wait until I report what I learned."
25
Sebastian
Fifteen minutes later,I'm behind my desk, and Sameara sits with the company laptop open ready to take notes. "What's the report? You were gone a long time."
"Shall I give you the minute-by-minute version?"
"Hmm, why do I feel like that's a trick question?"
She laughs, "Because it is. I want to tell you every little detail, but it would be a total waste of your time. So, I'll hit the highlights per department."
"Thank you," I smirk at her.
She retraces her steps, letting me know the issue with the supply chain was handled and that she spoke to Haley about Janet's management skills, then summarizes that most of the other departments had nothing to report. In the tech department, she shares the 'booger spot' story, and her delivery is hilarious. Then she adds in an emcee voice. "It would make a great marketing tagline, don't you think? 'If your romance reading experience doesn't have you singing Hal-le-lu-jah, give Precious Kitty Publishing a try. We got your booger spot covered!"
I throw my head back and laugh aloud with her. "You might be on to something."
"Seriously, though, Bastian, I think you are missing out on a great in-house incentive."
"What do you mean?"
"You should offer some sort of 'booth' reward to your staff. A little friendly competition is good for everyone, and bonuses go a long way in job satisfaction."
I lean back and think about that for a moment. "That's really a brilliant idea." I compliment her. "I like it. We'll call it the Booger Spot Booth Bonus."
She snorts at the name, and we share another good laugh.
"Send a memo out to each department," I begin, and her blonde head tilts down as her laughing eyes focus on the keyboard, and her bright red lips smile at the laptop. I'm blown away by her brains as much as her beauty. "Instruct them to come up with a specific contest based on production according to their particular area of expertise. Each department will reward a winner on a bi-weekly basis beginning in two weeks. The tech department will be responsible for rotating the days."
As she types, she says, "This is great! They are going to love this so much!"
When she's finished, she says, "Okay, now for my epiphany. I came up with a perfect bait-and-switch scheme to get rid of Janet and replace her with Ramona, my former boss at Hartman & Hartman. She knows the publishing business inside and out, and she's the exact opposite of Janet. She's kind and fair and amazing to work for."
"Elaborate."
"Hartman & Hartman fired me, along with over a hundred others, because their numbers dropped for the third consecutive quarter. They are looking for someone to save them. If Ramona approaches management with 'insider' information that I've bragged about how Janet is the person responsible for turning Prestigious Publishing into Precious Kitty Publishing and moving the company from the red to the black, they'll be interested in 'stealing' her from us."
My eyes narrow as my fingertips form a triangle, and I process the genius of this.
"Of course, Janet won't correct them. She'll take full credit for the turnaround."
I huff at that truth, "But why would Janet want the job?"
"Because the rules have changed. There's a new sheriff in town." She twinkles up at me, "When the doors opened, and you were standing there looking all big and beautifully formidable, I couldn't resist rubbing her nose in the fact that you have someone who…."
Samaera's eyes lose focus for a fraction of a second when what she was about to say registers in her head. Then they focus on me, and my heart does a backflip. "What?" I ask her. "Someone who … what?"
She clears her throat. "Has your back, of course." She slams the laptop shut, stands, and says, as she turns away, "I'll go make the call to Ramona."
26
Samaera
