When Shaun Reid, CEO of The Energy Co, summoned all employees to the boardroom just before close of business on Friday afternoon, neither Debra Fast nor Quinn Paladino had any idea that their worst nightmare and their greatest wish (respectively) were about to come true.
Like everyone else in the building they’d been counting down the hours until the weekend officially began and the last thing anyone wanted was to listen to Shaun wax lyrical about the qualities of the new guy.
Deb had a hot date to look forward to and Quinn had her parents visiting from South Australia. How the tables had turned—Quinn spending Friday night with her family and Deb out on the town!
She was grinning to herself when Quinn popped her head over the top of her cubicle at 4.45 pm.
‘It’s time,’ her friend announced, tapping her smart watch. Deb groaned as she closed the spreadsheet she’d been working on. ‘Why couldn’t this have waited until Monday?’
Quinn shrugged. ‘That’s one of the many mysteries of the world. Along with why Shaun has employed yet another man to fill the director of sales position. So much for gender quotas.’
‘So, you think the rumour’s true?’ Deb asked—both she and Quinn clearly disheartened by the thought.
‘Of that I have no doubt.’ Quinn threw a hand in the air as if she were throwing in the towel. ‘But you know Shaun’s a man’s man. Powerful women terrify him. Come on, the sooner we get to the boardroom, the sooner it will be over.’
‘Just got to finish one thing and I’ll be there.’
‘I’ll go save you a seat,’ Quinn promised.
People were already crammed into the room by the time Deb arrived a few minutes later. The massive oak table that usually took pride of place in the middle had been pushed to the front, extra chairs had been brought in and were now lined up in rows like a classroom, but there weren’t enough seats for everyone. She wouldn’t mind standing at the back near the door to make escaping hastily once the meeting finished easier, but as promised Quinn was guarding a vacant chair beside her.
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