Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 93140 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93140 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
I sighed. “Most people think a beautiful woman doesn’t have to work as hard to get what she wants. And that might be true when she’s at a bar trying to get a drink, or when she’s in Home Depot trying to find someone to help her down the plumbing aisle. But it’s not true in the workplace. A beautiful woman often has to work twice as hard to be seen for who she is here. Because, unfortunately, there are still men out there who can’t see past beauty. I think you’re going to be a great reporter someday. But you’re not there yet. I wasn’t at your age either. And when you play into men like Bickman, and take a position you haven’t earned, you devalue yourself and all women. We need to stick together, not use beauty as a weapon against each other.”
Siren looked down at her lap for a long time. When she looked up, she had tears in her eyes and nodded. “You’re right. It didn’t feel right when he gave me the job. It felt like I hadn’t earned it…because I didn’t.”
“I’m not going to pretend I’m totally innocent. You know the mailroom won’t ship anything they receive after three o’clock until the following day. I’ve thrown my share of smiles and batted my damn eyelashes at George to get things out at four thirty. But be careful around men in positions of power who give you something you didn’t earn—they’re going to expect you to earn it after the fact, in a way you won’t like.”
“Thanks, Ireland.”
“Anytime.”
An hour later, my desk phone rang, and the name on the caller ID surprised me. Speaking of men in power…Grant Lexington flashed on the display. I shut my laptop and leaned back in my chair as I picked up the phone. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“I was just calling to see how things were going—that you settled back in okay.” His deep voice was even raspier on the phone than in person. Despite the lecture I’d given Siren earlier, here I was thinking Hmmm…I’d like to hear that voice late at night when my hands are under the covers.
I tamped down that thought and instead went with being difficult. “Did you call any other employees that don’t work directly for you today?”
“Only the ones that sent me drunk emails, and I stupidly gave them back their jobs anyway.”
I smiled. “Touché.”
“How are things going?”
“Fine. No one seems too disappointed that Bickman is gone, and the show went off without a hitch this morning.”
“It was a good show.”
“You watched?”
“I did.”
“Do you always watch the six o’clock news?”
“Not normally, no.”
“So you watched it today because…”
The line went silent; he wasn’t going to fill in the blank for me. Hmm… Interesting. He could have easily said he watched it to make sure things went smoothly. Or he watched it because he’s the damn boss, and he felt like it. But his lack of a reason made me think he’d watched it just to watch me—and not for professional reasons.
Or maybe I was reading too much into things and that’s what I wanted to think.
“Anyway…” he said. “I was also calling to invite you to be part of a new committee I’m chairing.”
“Oh? What kind of committee?”
He cleared his throat. “It’s…uh…for improving the workplace for women.”
“You’re chairing a women’s workplace initiative?”
“Yes. Why does that surprise you?”
“Ummm… Because you’re not a woman.”
“That’s a pretty sexist statement. Are you saying a man can’t be involved with something to foster a better work environment for women?”
“No, but—”
“If you’re too busy…”
“No, no, no. Not at all. I’d love to be part of it. What can I do? When does the committee meet?”
“My assistant will get back to you with the details.”
“Oh. Okay. That sounds great. Thank you for thinking of me.”
“Yes. Alright. Well, then...goodbye, Ireland.”
He hung up sort of abruptly. But it was just as well, because I liked talking to him way too much.
Chapter 6
* * *
Grant
“Millie!” I shouted without getting up from my desk.
My assistant rushed into the office. “Yes, Mr. Lexington?”
“I need to start a new committee.”
Her brows knitted. I avoided committees like the plague, and here I was telling her I wanted to start one. “Okay…what kind of committee, and who will be involved?”
I shook my head and grumbled the answer. “The focus of the group is to improve the workplace for women.”
Millie’s eyebrows jumped.
Yeah. I know. I’m fucking shocked, too.
“Okay...” she said hesitantly, like she was waiting for the punch line. “Do you have committee members already picked out?”
I waved my hand. “Get a bunch of women. I don’t care who they are. And maybe my sister Kate. She loves to have meetings.”
“You don’t care who the women on the committee are?”
“No.” I picked up a pile of papers and shuffled them, trying to pull off casual. “Maybe invite Ireland Saint James to be part of it.”