Chapter 2 smiled at that

wasn't impressed anymore. The Mayfair family was well-established in the community. They owned nearly half of the real estate in town. My father had worked in maintenance for forty years and had maintained several Mayfair buildings. He'd also had several run-ins with the Mayfair family patriarch and had made it clear exactly what he thought of him. However, I couldn't afford to send Mayfair away.

I would have liked nothing more than to wipe the pompous smile off his face, but unfortunately, that wasn't an option at the moment. Landing the job would cement NYC Consultants as the go-to firm for New York City's elite, which in turn would make me the most successful CEO in the company's long history. No one else had managed to attract the clients and money I had. "Like it or not, he's got money and influence." I washed my hands in the kitchen sink. "So he gets what he wants." "Kid. You've got money and influence, too." I laughed, drying my hands on a towel before picking up an empty mug. "You're not wrong, but that's how the game is played...and I intend to win." "Oh, yeah, what's the prize?" I poured myself a cup of coffee. "Whatever I want." Dad gave me a thoughtful look-the one he usually gave me when he didn't agree with something I said. "Be careful, Jonah." I rolled my eyes. "What's the fun in that?" "I'm serious," my father said, unamused.

"You don't know Mayfair as well as I do." Be smart... "And perceptive," I concluded for him. "I know what to do. I'd love to stay and talk, but if I don't get ready now, I'll be late." I grabbed the mug, raised it to my dad in a playful toast, and left to get ready. I heard my dad grumble as he went back to his newspaper. As I was walking up the stairs, my cell phone rang. I smiled when I saw a text from Jeannie. I'm leaving for New York soon! I didn't respond until I got to my room and lay down on my messy bed. Me: When? Jeannie: In a few months. Gina has an audition. Me: We'll have to meet and talk. Send me the dates. Jeannie: We'll do it! I love you! I laughed, hearing my ex-wife's cheerful voice in my head. Our marriage didn't last long, but while it did, it was some of the best years of my life. I sipped my coffee, enjoying a few moments of solitude before heading to the shower. Two hours later, I pulled into the parking lot of Mayfair Real Estate. Before I went in, I stopped to review their file on my tablet. The company had been founded fifty years earlier by Thomas Mayfair himself. He had run the business for a while before handing the reins over to his son. Tom Jr. didn't have his father's business acumen, but he still managed to turn a decent profit. However, when he left, everything changed. The current manager was Bart Dulce, a ten-year veteran of the company. I wasn't sure why the company was losing so much money. It would take a thorough investigation to find out.

I showed my card at the front desk after greeting the receptionist, and she smiled as she directed me to Dulce's offices. When I walked in, I looked around to get a first sense of the place. Everything seemed normal. Sure, the phones seemed silent, but that didn't mean anything. Several employees were standing and chatting near each other's cubicles. That wasn't a cause for concern either. Socializing was normal and helped the company feel. At the end of the day, it was how each of them did their job that mattered, not who spent five minutes talking to someone else. I walked across the carpet and felt people's eyes on me as they watched me arrive at Bart Dulce's office. I was expected, so I imagine they were also trying to form an opinion of what I looked like. I smiled at those who managed to catch my eye, and I could see their relief that I wasn't some stiff-necked idiot who would put an X on their name because I had seen them talking. In the alcove across from Dulce's office, her assistant sat in front of several chairs. It was a small waiting area hidden from everyone else. She was focused on her work, and it took her a moment to notice and acknowledge me as I approached. She smiled to welcome me, and I was struck by how that smile transformed her from a pretty woman into a beautiful woman. Her curvy frame stood out and definitely caught my eye-that and a nice pair of breasts. Her wild brown curls were pulled back into a messy bun, and loose curls framed her oval face. I was drawn to her chocolate brown eyes-they were wide when she met my gaze. "Good morning," I said. "I'm Jonah Michaels. I'm here to see Bart Dulce." She didn't speak at first, and I cleared my throat. "You..." She paused, and I watched as she nodded slightly. "Okay, of course. Mr. Michaels..."

I smiled. She seemed oddly disturbed by what must have been a completely normal workday situation. I studied her closely. There was something familiar about her, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. She reminded me of someone I'd known from a long time ago. "Mr. Dulce just got a call from Mr. Mayfair," she said, a sudden sharpness in her voice. "It shouldn't be more than a minute or two." I nodded and smiled again. "Well, I'll wait then." Could I ask you a few questions now, or would you rather I wait...?" I deliberately left the question open-ended so she wouldn't feel like I was cornering her. She let out a sharp but barely perceptible sigh and narrowed her eyes in a deep glare. Her teeth actually clenched as she forced a polite smile. I was taken aback by her sudden coolness. Sure, I understood that my arrival usually signaled trouble in a company, but at this point I saw no reason for hostility. However, she seemed actively irritated. I figured I'd find out why in due time. Maybe she was worried about her job. "I'll be happy to answer any questions you have, Mr. Michaels." Satisfied, I dragged a chair over to her and sat down across from her. "Excellent. What's your name?" "Naomi." "Well, Naomi, do you know why I'm here?" "No. Enlighten me." I was taken aback. Her response was simply rude, disguised as interest. I chose to ignore her. There was obviously something else going on with her. "It's no secret that this company is in financial trouble. I'm here to fix it, if I can. I like to think I'm good at what I do, so the sooner I learn how things work around here, the sooner I can start looking for solutions."

"What can I tell you that might help?" This time, I heard real interest in her voice. "You're Mr. Dulce's assistant. An assistant usually takes over certain aspects of the business that the manager can't handle on a day-to-day basis. That means you know as much or more about certain aspects of the business than most other managers." "You must have known some pretty bad managers." She almost smiled. I smiled at that. "Let's just say no company would be in trouble if everyone was as good as they could be." She leaned forward, her eyes wide with mischief-or was that a flash of arrogance?-as if she were about to tell me a secret. "Or if the owner didn't have his head up his own ass." I was surprised and quite amused by her bold statement about Mayfair. She wasn't wrong. However, before I could say anything else, the office door opened and Mr. Dulce hurried out, looking exhausted. "Mr. Michaels, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." He held out his hand to me. "Would you please come to my office?" I looked away from Naomi to shake hands with her boss. My handshake was firm and brief. "Nice to meet you," I said, standing up.

"Naomi, it was a pleasure meeting you." With that, I followed Dulce into her office, intent on getting my mind off her assistant's intense gaze. "Actually, I asked Naomi to join us to take notes from our meeting," Dulce said. "She's a great asset and knows the firm as well as I do