Love, Inherited

Ch. 26 "Its your baby, you rock it"

Mason backed up swiftly as Hayden pounced through the door. Angie held her arms up in a surrender pose and quickly started speaking.

"Relax Hayden. We're all good here. Mason is signing paperwork for his termination package and leaving his keys."

Hayden stopped mid stomp and let her mind process. They'd already done the termination packet. She tried to remember if he'd signed it. And why Angie would meet him without telling her. It made her feel nauseous.

She finished her pathway to the desk and looked down. There was a file open on it containing a picture of Mason and a resume. It had a red stamp across his face. Mason looked down at the floor and started to open his mouth.

"Don't!  I don't need to hear anything from you. Your rude, and obnoxious and a sneak."

He nodded. "You're right. But, I'm a great manager. I know what needs to be done. And I also know this place could have been a goldmine. Prime real estate, upscale business on both sides. Not some college den where drunk kids get laid. It could be amazing."

Hayden remembered when her mom used to belittle her, the only way she could take it and not lash out was to envision the stay puff marshmallow man crashing through the walls and covering everything in a warm mallow goop. She didn't know where the memory came from but she enjoyed the vision now.

"We aren't discussing what could be with you Mason. It isn't your decision, and it's no longer your worry.  If your papers are signed you can leave now."

Angie got up and walked to the door holding it open and Mason swiped his arm across the desk sending papers scattering across the room before barging out leaving one last lingering sentence.

"Fine. Let it be a dump. Run it to the ground but don't call me. It's you're baby now, you rock it!"

Hayden couldn't help gigging, leaving with an Elvis line, whether he knew it or not was solid comedy. Before the door could close from the tornado of anger that was Mason, a tall figure crossed the doorway with a briefcase. His eyes scanned Mason leaving the room, back to the two women with their arms crossed, and ended up resting on the pile of papers.

Angie shook his hand and introduced herself as Hayden scattered to pick up the papers.  He pulled at his collar and stayed close to the door. Hayden realized how it must look.

"Just for the record that wasn't a bad interview. I know how it looks but it wasn't an employee. Or a guest! Oh gosh, just pretend you never saw that!"

The man smiled and his posture relaxed. He reached down and picked up a few of the sheets that had slipped under the desk and handed them to Hayden without looking at them which Hayden appreciated.

As the interview was in full swing Hayden kept glancing at Angie and kicking her under the desk. Her questions were abrasive and her demeaned short and stern. Lloyd, the interviewee quickly regained his stuff posture and a trickle of sweat ran down his left temple.

Hayden couldn't blame him, she was completely uncomfortable and wanted this to end. By fifteen minutes in Hayden had enough and took Angie out in the hallway.

"What are you doing?  He has great credentials. You're treating him like a prisoner in front of the parole board!" 

Angie bit her bottom lip and crinkled up her brows until they met in the middle.

"You're right. Let's just tell him he isn't the right fit and move on."

Hayden grabbed her by the arm. "What are you taking about?  We can't possibly know that. All you've done is make him second guess the interview. What is going on with you?"

Angie sighed an exasperated egg filled breath that made Hayden back up.

"You're right. Come on. Let's get this over with."

Hayden held the door closed. "I'm taking over. No more speaking from you unless I ask you to. You may need your blood sugar checked. Or coffee. Go get some coffee, I can do this."

Angie stormed down the hallway and Hayden finished the interview. By the time Lloyd left she felt better about boosting his confidence and at least promised him a call no matter what the decision.

The hallway break had taken them over their allotted interview time and Hayden stared at the clock. It was already time for the next one and she hadn't had a chance to talk to Angie or have coffee herself.

The knock at the door startled her and before she could answer someone was already coming in.  This time it was a woman. Professional and sweet with a touch of stern that Hayden could sense behind the sweet southern charm. Hayden made it through the interview only looking at the clock three times. She was proud of herself for not promising a call back.

By the time she had finished all three of the morning interviews she was starving and dizzy and suffering from claustrophobia. She stacked stacked the three files and marched down the hallway to find Angie.

Angie was sitting in the restaurant on the phone giggling like a school girl. Her cheeks were rosy and she had an empty plate in front of her. Hayden sat across from her, making sure she wore a scowl.

"I've gotta go. I have a meeting. See you soon."
She hung up the phone and refused to buy into Hayden's foul mood.

"Angie. What the heck happened?  I did all the interviews alone. I thought we were a team here. I was counting on you." 

The smile across Angie's face never wavered. "You were right to count on me Hayden. The position has been filled. I hired someone just now.  And you can meet him in the morning."

Hayden felt her jaw falling but was too stunned to pick it up. Was this happening?  What part of partner wasn't she getting?  Didn't they decide to run this place together?

She placed her palms down in the table trying to silence the buzzing in her ears. Not even the go to Marshmallow man could still her. Angie almost seemed to be enjoying her squirming.

"Angie. I think it should be a joint decision don't you?  Can I see the file?"

The top of her head felt tingly as Angie shook her head back and forth.

"Hayden, it's all pending you're approval of course. I've scheduled a meeting for the morning. If you don't like my candidate I'll eat salad for a month. And of course, not hire him. Which will be almost as bad as the salad."

Tye brought Hayden a coffee and veggie omlet without her even having to order. She grabbed a fork and began taking her frustration out on the food.

Angie offered to do the rest of the afternoon interviews and Hayden made her swear to do them politely and take notes. As she walked away Hayden couldn't help wondering what the heck happened to taking on the day and winning.

She made her way back up to her room and slammed the door. She needed to blow of some steam and get it together. She was the boss! Things like this couldn't keep happening. She grabbed a pen and wrote the first thing that popped into her mind. "What would Elvis do?"

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Elvis released "it's your baby, you rock it" in 1971.

Looks like maybe Hayden hasn't won the battle after all. What is going on with Angie? And will anything go right?