- Alex -
I leaned back in the booth and dropped my hand like a gavel on the table between us. “That’s all there is to say about it.”
Jimmy’s lips twitched with frustration.
“Don’t bother objecting. Just cancel the meeting. End of.”
“Alex—”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you, okay? It’s that no negotiation was ever improved by another voice chiming in.”
Another twitch.
“This behavior only supports Cliff’s accusation that you’ve been belligerent.”
“Lucky you,” I said, tapping a sugar packet on its side. “That makes it easy for you to blame this on me.”
He rested his elbows on the table and covered his face in his hands.
“Next order of business—”
“Fucking sell it then!” he said, throwing his hands in the air.
“Excuse me?”
“If you’re not going to lead this company like you give a shit about its future, fucking sell it to him already. Might as well give it to someone who wants it.”
I glanced around the café, but no one seemed interested in my best friend’s hissy fit.
He stared at me, his breath shallow.
I took a sip of my steaming coffee.
“That’s what I thought,” he said. “Not even a reaction.”
“I figured that’s why you said that.”
“And?” he asked, his neck hinging forward.
“I’m not going to dignify that kind of emotional outburst with a response,” I said. “What’s more, you’ve just proven to both of us that you’re not in any shape to be cutting deals behind your boss’s back.”
He pressed his palms on the table. “You sound like a dictator.”
“Pump isn’t a democracy.”
“I’ll cancel the meeting,” he said.
“Good.”
“On one condition.”
I raised my brows.
“You sit down with the board in three weeks and tell them what you’ve decided,” he said. “I don’t even care if it’s bad news. Just put us out of our misery already.”
I leaned back. “Misery? What misery?”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Is this the kind of language you were going to use with Cliff?”
He clenched a fist and extended his fingers as he took a deep breath. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter and more controlled. “The misery of not knowing whether your employment is secure.”
I held his gaze.
“The misery of wondering whether the boss that once inspired you is ever going to break out of his funk and make you feel like the way you’re spending your days—your life—actually matters.”
“Okay,” I said. “Three weeks. No matter the verdict.”
His shoulders dropped as if someone had let the air out of him. “Okay, what else did you want to discuss?”
I pulled a piece of paper from my pocket and unfolded it.
“What’s this?”
“This is the new sexual harassment clause.” I tapped the page and sat back so he could examine it. “Run the wording by our lawyers. I want all the member and employee contracts updated accordingly.”
His eyes continued scanning the page.
“And I want a new form mocked up so people can make complaints anonymously as well.”
“What brought this on?”
“Harvey Wankstain.”
“You too?” he asked, his face full of concern.
“It’s not a joke. This is an important issue, and I want women to know that Pump is a safe place to be.”
“Because you’re a feminist now?”
“Because I’m a gentleman, and I don’t want anyone in my gym who isn’t.”
His eyes flicked up at me, as if he, too, was surprised by the sudden conviction in my voice. “Consider it done.”
The waitress arrived with our breakfast sandwiches and neither of us spoke for the next few minutes.
“Anything else?” he asked finally.
I washed a large bite down with some coffee. “Yeah. I need you to fire somebody.”
“Why can’t you do it?”
“Because it would blow my cover.”
He furrowed his brow. “Who is it? That girl who’s got you so eager to get to work?”
“Why would I want you to fire Gemma?” I asked. “She’s fantastic.”
“So you can bang her?”
I blinked at him.
“Oh shit, you didn’t.”
“Actually,” I said, eager to avoid such a digression. “I want you to fire her boss and put her in charge.”
“What? Why?”
“Because her boss is incompetent.” I pulled a piece of paper from my other pocket and handed it to him. “For all these reasons and then some.”
“When do you need me to do this?” he asked, his eyes widening as he worked his way down the list.
“The sooner the better.”