Chapter 11: Patrick
Monday mornings—the worst part of the work week. I was normally able to power through them, assuming I had enough coffee. But this Monday was going to be particularly rough. Today was the day I had to ask Julie for the budget extension.
I had spent most of my weekend practicing what I was going to say to her. However, I had a feeling once I walked into her office—more like a lion’s den—all of my rehearsing would be useless. I had run into her last week, and she looked ready to kill someone. And I was offering myself as tribute on a Monday morning. Fuck me.
I tried mentally preparing myself as I walked to her office. Maybe she’d had a great weekend. Everything from the acquisition was slowing down now, so she might be in a better mood.
I saw the door to Natalie’s office open as I walked through the accounting department. A small glimmer of hope flickered in me. Our conversation at Rock Sphere had gone over relatively well—maybe she’d give me some tips on talking to Julie. Then I’d know how to frame what I needed to say. Yes, this would be a great idea.
I walked to her open door. “Hey, Natalie, do you have time?”
She shot me the same ice-cold glare as when I first met her. “Why?”
“I’m hurt,” I laughed, leaning against her doorframe. “Sorry you don’t want to talk.”
“It’s not that at all. You just want something from me.”
How could she have possibly known that? Damn her and her intelligence. “What makes you say that?”
“I’m not Ms. Lane anymore.” She made sure to emphasize the title just like I did. I thought my comment had been funny, but apparently, she hadn’t. Every time I call her a nickname it bites me in the ass.
“Okay, maybe I do.” She wasn’t the type for small talk, so I wouldn’t push it. “Are you going to give it to me?”
“Perhaps.”
I pulled out a chair and sat across from her. “Well, I have a meeting with Julie, and I just want to know a bit about her.”
“Why?” Her face still had that stone cold look on it.
I scratched my arm. What did Natalie Lane, AKA Ice Queen, AKA Ms. Lane, care? “Does it matter?”
“To me, yes.”
“Alright. I have to ask for a budget increase for the marketing campaign.”
She laughed. Well, the closest thing to a laugh that Natalie was capable of. It was more like a combination of a cough and snort. “Good luck with that.”
I did my best not to scowl at her. Normally, I would use the charming façade on the girl I was talking to. Natalie seemed to be immune to it, which was unfortunate. I was not the type to resort to begging, so asking politely it was. “Which is why I need your help.”
“I never agreed to help you,” she stated.
This girl was so damn irritating. I was beginning to wonder if she had a shred of emotion in her body. First, she wasn’t upset when she was called a bitch in front of a room of people. Now, she wouldn’t help out a coworker who was in need. “Well, why won’t you?”
Natalie opened her mouth to respond, then stopped. It was the same thing she had done at the end of her argument with Jim, that asshole finance manager. What she wanted to say would get her in trouble—and I thought I knew what it was.
I’d just say it for her. “Because you don’t like me.”
That was fine with me. I wasn’t too fond of her, either. But I had no problem listening to her tell me how much she disliked me if it got me the information I needed. It wasn’t like I had a fragile ego.
Her face turned the lightest shade of pink, and she looked away from me. I’d embarrassed the Ice Queen—the girl who could get called a bitch in front of upper management and not recoil. I mentally congratulated myself for evoking an emotion from her.
“You don’t have to lie, Ms. Lane,” I continued. “You can tell me how much you hate me as much as you want. But I still need to know what Julie is like.”
She inhaled and smoothed her skirt under the table. “I’ll take a rain check on telling you how much I dislike you.”
Damn. How had she composed herself so fast? I was hoping to get her to turn bright red. Even if Julie shot me down, embarrassing the Ice Queen would be a highlight of my day.
She sighed and moved her work aside. “I suppose I’ll help you.”
“I’m honored.”
Natalie and I talked for ten minutes about the inner workings of Julie’s mind. I didn’t want to admit it, but her advice was valuable. The Ice Queen was strategic, to say the least. After our conversation, the walk to Julie’s office didn’t feel nearly as bad.
Even with the advice, my arm shook as I knocked on Julie’s door. I was about to talk to the beast herself. Julie made Natalie look like a puppy dog. Natalie was a cold person, but she wasn’t mean. If she was, she wouldn’t have given me advice today.
Julie, however, could rip out someone’s jugular. If she was displeased with something, she had no issues telling the person until they were left trembling in their shoes. That was what I’d heard, at least. I’d never actually met her.
I also happened to see some poor bloke from finance get in her way while she was having a bad day. Or maybe it was just a normal workday for her, I wasn’t sure. Either way, she ripped this guy a new one in front of the entire finance department. The poor guy was almost crying when she was finished.
“Come in,” she called.
I made sure to play Natalie’s advice in my head. Address her by her last name if you haven’t been formally introduced.
“Hello, Mrs. Anderson,” I greeted her. I made sure to emphasize my “work voice,” and made it a bit more formal. “I’m Patrick Reinhardt, the new Vice President of Marketing.”
“Ah yes. Sorry we haven’t had time to meet yet.”
“Well it has been busy with the acquisition.”
She sighed and rubbed her temples. “Don’t I know.”
“Is now a good time for you?”
“As good as it will ever be.”
Okay, I can do this. Just follow all of Natalie’s advice and pray Julie is having a good day. I really don’t want this to be a repeat of the finance scenario.
Ask for permission, I could hear Natalie’s cold tone in my head. “Is it okay if I sit down?”
“That’s fine.”
Don’t beat around the bush. “I came to talk to you about the budget for the marketing campaign.”
She raised her eyebrows. “What about it?”
“We need an increase.”
Her lips flattened, and she began to tap her fingers on the corner of her desk. I braced myself for the rage of Julie Anderson. I was often chewed out by women for sleeping with them once and leaving. Surely, I could handle being yelled at by Julie.
To my surprise, she managed to keep her composure. “How much do you need?”
I tried not to show fear as I told her the amount.
The tapping of her fingers increased in tempo. Shit. I should have used the charming façade and ignored Natalie’s advice. It had always worked before.
“Okay. But you know what happens if it fails.”
She was, of course, referring to the fact I would get fired if it didn’t perform as expected. I was very aware of that fact.
“Of course,” I said, looking her in the eye. I wanted to make sure she knew how serious I was about this project.
“I’ll approve it, but I don’t have time to hold your hand. Natalie is very capable, so I’ll have her watch what you’re doing.”
“Excuse me?” The words fell out of my mouth before I could think to stop them.
Julie took it as an insult. “You don’t think I would just approve that much with no terms, do you? I’m going to make sure it’s allocated wisely.”
I didn’t want Natalie Lane micromanaging my work. Obviously, I wasn’t doing anything shady with the money. But I could already picture what she’d say. “That’s unnecessary.” Or, “Why are you spending money on that?” The girl had an accountant’s brain, for god’s sake.
But if this was what it took to get the increase, I guessed I’d have to do it. I reeled myself back in and resisted the urge to argue. “Of course not. I was just surprised you didn’t want to do it.”
“This acquisition has me busy with too many other things,” she grumbled.
Get in, get out. “I can only imagine. I’ll just get out of your hair then.”
“Thanks for understanding.” Most people who use that phrase say it in a kind way. Julie said it in a tone that said get the fuck out of here.
“Thanks so much.” I stood up from her office chair. “Should I shut the door behind me?”
“Yes.”
As soon as I was out of sight from the glass panes of her window, I leaned against the wall in relief. Holy shit. That had actually gone relatively well.
I walked back to the marketing department with more spring in my step than usual. Mission accomplished. Not only did I get the budget increase, but I also avoided getting my ass chewed out. Full speed ahead on this marketing campaign.
I internally groaned as I saw Natalie sitting in her office. I was not looking forward to having her babysitting me for the rest of this project. Maybe getting yelled at by Julie would have been better.
She saw me as I passed by her office. “How’d it go?”
I walked closer to her so I didn’t have to yell across the accounting department. “It went well.”
“Well as in…” She trailed off, waiting for me to expand further.
“As in it went well,” I stated.
“I gave you ten minutes of advice, Patrick, you can at least tell me how your meeting went.” She tapped her pen on her desk. I knew she was trying to not look irritated, but the tapping of her pen gave it away.
“Are you inviting me in to talk?” I snickered.
She put on her signature scowl. “No. Stand in the doorway, I don’t care.”
I invited myself in and pulled out a chair. “Well, she said yes.”
“I’m happy for you.” She said, but her mind was obviously elsewhere. Probably thinking of all the extra numbers and accounts she would have to adjust.
“Thanks. Oh, and you’re going to be babysitting me.” I shot her a devious smile, but I was actually dying inside.
“What?”
“Julie wants you to oversee my spending. Make sure it’s going to a good cause.”
She rubbed her face with her hand. Natalie didn’t wear a lot of makeup, so she didn’t have to worry about it smearing. “Is that so?”
“Mhm.”
“I should have never helped you,” she muttered.
“Well, you did.”
“Which I’m thoroughly regretting.”
I snickered. This was the closest she would ever get to pouting. “I look forward to working with you, Ms. Lane.”