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Renleigh Kensington
1 YEAR LATER: MAY 2020
Sometimes I wondered if I had 'stupid' written over my forehead or if people just assumed that I was. Other times, it very much felt like I spoke to a damn wall because the orders requested somehow all seemed to be done wrong.
All this time, I patiently waited for when I will say this but goddamn, I missed my London bunch a fuck ton.
I mean, how hard is it to follow step-by-step instructions? Not that hard, right? Yet my new employees—god bless those few who decided to take up on the opportunity to come and work for me in New York—were just thick. That was it. I didn't even feel bad for saying that. They were fucking stupid or perhaps they just acted that way, thinking it would get them out of the shit they had to do.
Whatever it was, my stress levels were sky high and I had no idea how these people managed to get through the selection process or how I was going to have anything done by the deadlines given.
One of the supervisors thankfully decided to come to New York with me so at least I had them to help me out with these lost souls. Usually, I was all for new comers. I enjoyed the fresh talent I could squeeze out of them but this bunch... I wasn't that invested in who got hired, I let the team deal with it, but from what I saw, there were a few who graduated from universities like Harvard and Yale. So, I genuinely did wonder how they still managed to fuck up the tasks they were given.
Oh, how I knew this if I wasn't directly working with them or present at the interviews? I ensured that all the managers were people I knew from London. This meant I already had a great work relationship with them and I could trust them to do their work. And because I trusted them that much, I felt a little disappointed when the new employees came through and performed so awfully.
Then I had to remind myself that not all of them were experienced and they didn't roll the way I wanted them to or the way my other employees did and so stressing over this was just going to make me go insane. When I needed a bit of reminder of this, I sent Danielle an email to check in on what was happening back home. Taking employees with me meant that I had to fill in the spots that became available and although it took me almost a month to find the candidates who I knew I could trust and I could leave in an already established workplace, I thought I did quite good. Especially for someone who had never really done that part of the operation. It was mainly for my own peace of mind—I wanted to be the one to help with the final staff so I could make sure my business didn't end up in shambles.
Speaking of which, when I got back the files I wanted, for a second, I really believed that it would happen. I pinched my nose with my fingers once I pushed my glasses up on my head and took a deep breath.
They're only just starting out. You did things wrong yourself when you were in their shoes. It's not the end of the world. Calm down.
Pep talks became my only anchor, the thing that calmed me down before I was out of my office in an instant and down the corridor to find the employee at fault.
"Mike, is it?" I asked the man in the navy suit. He nodded swiftly and swallowed nervously. "Hi," I smiled at him extra sweetly, to the point where it was fake. "Would you mind going over this for me? Just to ensure there are no mistakes."
"Miss Kensington, I have made sure there were no mis-,"
"Ah!" I moved my hand up, my index finger in his face as I interrupted him.
"I made su-,"
I kept my smile and tilted my head slightly, the other people around us slowly stopped in their tracks to listen to our conversation. Making a scene in front of employees was not my forte but then again, I was used to my old employees who didn't stop and stare but carried on working. I suppose there is a certain beauty in being surrounded by the same people for so long—they just know what to do and what not to do.
"An hour, Mr Evans," I pushed the folder back in his hand then turned to the right side where I caught a few of them with a smirk on their faces. "Back to work," I said with a stern voice then left.
Maybe I did miss being a twatty boss. But that was all because I liked things done in a certain way, at a certain time. When that was not achieved, I brought out my tough side, the one that I had to keep in hiding for a while because it wasn't needed. But damn, did it feel good to be an asshat again?!
My office was not the same. I missed the double doors, the cameras, the buzz in doors. One thing that may have had the chance to outdo my London building was the view. The top floor provided the most gorgeous view ever, the city beneath me always buzzed from life and that was something I couldn't find in London. I didn't mind that, however. I enjoyed my home city better in that sense. New York was way too hectic for me, at least it was for the first four-to-five months. I somewhat got used to this place never sleeping and I have also been faced with one too many robberies and random people walking around with their guns in the back of their jeans.
Although that may have been due to the fact that I got lost the first time I went out and had no idea how to find my way back. Which was how I got lost in the first place and found myself in one of those areas that are shown in movies and told in stories. It gave me the creeps and I have never been so fucking scared in my life. My whole body was shaking and my mind went crazy with potential scenarios that could unfold right in front of me which made me super emotional and left me with teary eyes. Being out in the dark in a place where you have never been before and didn't know your way around was definitely in the top three scariest situations ever.
"Miss Kensington," two knocks after the door to my office opened and I was welcomed by the lovely face of my PA. I had no choice but to drag Liam out with me, there was no way in fucking hell I was going to look for another assistant. Miss Jones found herself a perfectly suitable one for the time being as well although she made sure I knew she will not take my spot at the London HQ forever.
"Is it another failure? If so, please deal with it—I can't face anymore mistakes today."
"I would say it's quite the opposite," he smiled. I raised my eyebrow curiously and watched him walk all the way up to my desk. He then dropped a folder in front of me and twisted it around so I could read it. "The final agreement, signed and dated, indicating that both headquarters are secure and unless stated otherwise by the CEO of the company—Miss Renleigh Sage Kensington—, neither of them can be shut down or taken over by the individuals who helped to open this office. This one piece of paper also confirms that you're at the top of the chain with Miss Danielle Jones as your temporary back up for both headquarters."
"Ah, wonderful," I grinned as I read over the paper at the same time Liam confirmed it in words. "Really pleased with this, Mr Payne. You worked quick and got them to sign it faster than I could have managed to achieve this with all the newbies slowing me down and keeping me from meeting deadlines."
"I'll take that as a thank you and I'll be on my way," he smiled and nodded a little, his response made me smirk and I sighed as I placed the piece of paper back in its place. "Oh, one more thing—the Aston Martin you bought the other day? They're dropping it off here in fifteen minutes and I heard there is a special gift coming with it."