The way she had looked at me just about put me over the edge. So cold and emotionless. Like seeing me was a minor irritant. But I knew she was upset. After how things had ended with us, how could I blame her?
Now, we were in unfamiliar territory. And any chance I’d thought I had at reconciling with her went out the window when she blew me off. But I wouldn’t let her go that easily. Not after the hell I’d endured to get here.
If being her boss were the issue, then I’d do what I could to change that.
I darted out of my chair and ignored the questioning look from the manager who worked directly below me. I knew he wasn’t pleased that he was now answering to me. He, like Heidi had insinuated, believed I had gotten this job because I was a Wright. And the fact that it was true only made me hate the position more.
My feet carried me to the elevator, which brought me up to the second highest floor in Wright Construction. The top floor was a fancy restaurant that the company used for business meetings, catering, and big events. But I wasn’t looking for the restaurant. I needed to talk to Morgan.
She was on the phone when I sidestepped her secretary, a tall and trim white dude, and entered her office. Her eyebrows rose when she glanced up at me. She held up a neatly manicured finger in my direction.
It was strange to take orders from my twenty-six-year-old sister. I’d bossed her around enough when we were younger, so to see her like this, it always amazed me. She had been made for it, of course. Even more than Jensen, who had always been more interested in the architectural side than the business side.
When she finally hung up her phone, I was leaning against a chair in front of her desk, trying not to be impatient.
“What’s up?” Morgan asked.
“I appreciate everything you did to get me this job.”
Morgan furrowed her brow. “Are you quitting?”
“Um…no?”
“Who are you? Ben from Parks and Rec?”
I laughed and shook my head. “Last I checked, I wasn’t an accountant who kept refusing to work for you.”
Morgan grinned. “Well, what’s the issue?”
“I want to switch positions.”
“You…what?”
I walked around the side of the chair and sat down in front of my sister.
She knew why I was here and what all had happened in the last month. After all, she was the head of Operation Miranda, the silly name my family had given for trying to break us up. She despised her more than anyone.
“I think I need to be in a new job,” I repeated.
“Landon,” she said, steepling her fingers and looking at me over the top of her hands, “do you know what we went through to get you this job on such short notice? We had to shuffle and reorganize the company. I essentially invented a job for you in a place where another position could fit seamlessly into the structure already in place. I had to analyze all the jobs from top to bottom, and this job is it. I mean, if you want to go work on a construction site, then by all means, we have plenty of jobs. Not sure your back could handle the machinery though.”
“Yeah, yeah. My back can’t handle much,” I agreed.
I knew what Morgan had gone through to get this all to work out. Not to mention, Jensen had helped me with the lawyer, finding an apartment, moving, and most importantly, getting a top-notch physical therapist at the medical center. I was an inconvenience at the moment. I could feel it. No matter how much my family loved me, I was a wreck.
“So, as you can see, this is the best I can offer. I didn’t think you’d want to actually work in construction…or even if that was possible for you. And, really, my secretary position is filled.” She grinned.
“Ha! I would never work as your secretary. We’d kill one another.”
“I’m pretty sure, with the condition you’ve been in, I’d win.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“So,” Morgan continued, “why don’t you want this job now that I’ve gone to all this work to get it for you?”
I shrugged nonchalantly.
I couldn’t tell her the truth. That the idea of being Heidi’s boss and seeing her day in and day out was absolute torture. I had a hard time keeping my hands to myself when I was around her, and getting involved with her romantically definitely had to be some kind of HR violation. Fraternizing with your employees wasn’t a good idea, and the thought of avoiding her cut deep. It would be easier on us both if none of this had ever happened. Yet here we were.
“Come on, tell me,” Morgan said.
“I guess I’m just not qualified,” I lied.
Morgan gave me an eat-shit-and-die look. “You have a Stanford business degree. You graduated in the top ten percent of your class. You know how to run a business.”
“Well, I don’t really have any experience.”
“God, stop. You know more about Wright Construction than anyone could because you are Wright Construction.” She dismissively clicked a few buttons on her computer. “Just do your job, and you’ll be fine. Everyone always likes you. They’ll see you know what you’re doing.”
I nodded and stood. “Right. Yeah. Sorry to bring it up.”
I felt like an ass for having even asked, but I’d had to. The reality was, I needed this job. I couldn’t golf for the next year—at the bare minimum. At least, not professionally. I was in PT indefinitely. Other than that, the only thing I had to deal with was the divorce papers.
My mind, which was used to being cluttered with my game, had gone unnervingly silent. If I went back to golf after a year of this, I’d lose my game. I’d lose everything. I had to be going, going, going. I needed something to occupy the long hours and days and weeks and months before I could become me again. And the only other thing I’d ever had in my life was the family business.
When my hand was on the door to her office, Morgan spoke up again, “You’ll be back at your game before you know it.”
I closed my eyes and breathed out harshly. “What if I’m not?”
“Don’t doubt it. I believe in a healthy dose of optimism. You love it too much. And, anyway, Wrights don’t give up.”
I felt emboldened by Morgan’s confidence. She was right. This wasn’t the end of everything. I could still make a comeback. The PGA Tour would wait for me at least two years on an exemption because I’d won a tournament in the last year. But, if I didn’t meet the requirements for the Tour after that, I might have to qualify again. Something I was not looking forward to.
It was bad enough that I had missed the PGA Championship this last weekend, but now, the Tour were going into the playoff season for the FedEx Cup. A whole month of some of the best golf in the world, and I’d get to watch it from the sidelines. Worse…from a TV screen.
I tried not to think about that. One problem at a time. The one I could deal with presently was Heidi.
It was official. I was her boss. And I would be her boss for the next year—unless, by some miracle, another job opened up in the company. That seemed unlikely, considering my new position.