A Billionaire's Mistake

2|Apologies

Chapter Two: Apologies

Lincoln

"Fix. It," Margo sneers as she slaps a business card down onto my desk. Her green flare intensely as anger courses through her. "I can't believe you were so stupid, Linc. I mean, what the fuck? Who would bring a briefcase to a date? Wasn't that a clue?"

If any other employee of mine spoke to me like this they'd be fired on the spot, but Margo has been my best friend since high school, and I offered her the job as soon as we graduated college and the company fell into my hands. If it weren't for her, I don't know how I would have managed to keep this business afloat.

Hell, I'm barely keeping it afloat. There's a reason Margo is so pissed about the mix-up with Sienna. Since I gained ownership of my father's company, things have taken a turn for the worst. A few years ago, Nash Hotels & Suites was the largest-growing hotel chain in the country. We opened up twelve locations the year my father...

I visibly wince as Margo continues to cuss me out.

After I took over, I couldn't keep up. I didn't think I'd be handed the company so soon, and there was too much to learn, too much to focus on at once...and in a matter of two years, the foundation of the company started to crumble. The economy was getting worse from the pandemic, and the turnover rates skyrocketed. We couldn't staff any of our locations fully, and that resulted in guests being unsatisfied, which then led to our ratings going down the fucking drain, and now we're losing money. A lot of it. Sienna Stone was supposed to be the key to our rebranding.

"You're an idiot," Margo huffs again, finally finished with her rant.

I analyze the business card of Sienna's on my desk, my eyes scanning over the e-mail printed neatly on the paper. "I know. What would you like me to do?"

"Um, I don't know," she says with a laugh, "grovel at her fucking feet. Tell her that your idiotic mother continues to set you up with psychotic women. I don't care what you do so long as you get her on board with us again."

A few of my employees stare inside the glass doors leading into my office, trying to figure out why Margo is so upset. It's not uncommon for her to be in a fit of rage, but typically the rage isn't directed toward me.

"She said she'd be in touch before she left. It seemed like she still wanted to do business with us."

"Yeah, and probably tank this company in the process, Linc, depending on how much of a dick you were. How bad was it?"

I suck in a sharp breath, refusing to meet eye contact with her.

"How. Bad. Was. It."

I clear my throat. "Uh, I may or may not have asked her if she wanted to have a good time then we could—"

"Oh my god!" Margo shrieks and I wince again from the squealing sound. She tucks a piece of her perfectly straightened black bob behind her ear and sighs. "E-mail her. Right now and apologize."

"You do realize that you're technically my secretary and not my boss, right?"

She rolls her eyes. "Please. If it weren't for me, you'd be an absolute mess. Email her."

I can't argue with that, so I bob my head before she stalks out of my office, slamming the door sharply behind her. The assistants lingering by the door scatter in fear as she orders them to go do something, and I hold back a laugh as I open up my email. Margo keeps me in check, and as much as she may annoy me sometimes, I know she always looks out for my best interest.

I have three red-flagged emails from my financial advisor, Brock, which means I'm to look over the reports immediately. No doubt our sales are tanking even further than they already have. I'll have to set up a meeting to go over those with him later.