Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 89222 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89222 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
“Are they…flirting?” Ehette leans his long, well-built frame slightly forward towards A.D. “Is this shit like…foreplay for them?”
A.D. slowly nods. “Creepy, right?”
Ehette dramatically shudders, chuckles, and extends his hand towards Cameron. “Apologies for offending new family. I’m Ehette Draak and will refrain from making further personal jokes until we are in the comfort of the estate.”
She politely shakes and offers him a warm smile. “Cameron Pennington, head of HR for DL & Co. and your oldest cousin’s—not publicly announced yet—Fated Mate.”
He delivers a single nod. “Understood.”
Once Tilda has finished shutting the main doors, I wave to her that I need a chair brought to me. Afterward, I redirect my attention to the youngest of the mountain clan. “How long are you in town for?”
“I’ll fly out Monday.” He drops down into the seat across from A.D. “Despite A.D. being bonded, I have a feeling he still knows his way around the club scenes and where in the D I can get a good, hand rolled thing of unicorn sparkle. They’re so hard to find up there that I keep telling them we should just open up a shop attached to Mạngkr in which I hope one day not to have my hopes met by a twenty-minute lecture of ‘not the time for expansion’.”
A.D.’s grunt is one of understanding.
As the oldest sibling and head of the household, I unfortunately understand where his brother is coming from. Everything isn’t just about what you want to do or will enjoy doing. There’s more responsibility to it than making “dreams come true”. Sometimes I think that’s the easiest way to tell when a dragon was born in his family. The eldest of us all share a similar mind about being grounded while those that are younger all prefer to live life in the clouds—metaphorically speaking.
Tilda delivers me a chair with an overly polite smile and commands the attention of the room immediately afterward. Her introduction of me receives a small round of applause and is proceeded by time allocation reminders as well as consumption etiquette during the deliveries.
I call for the first department head to begin, shrug off my jacket, and enjoy a sip of the cold beverage that I’m still touched my sassy being brought me.
To call these presentations boring would be a gross oversimplification of the situation.
Are they necessary?
Sure.
It allows each area to ask for more resources to continue to run their individual areas better or smoother or possibly even expand them.
Do I wish they could be covered in a fucking email?
For Dragons Sake, yes!
However, when Dad started this company, these meetings were created so that employees felt seen and heard, a mindset that I have continued to nurse over the years since taking over in spite of hating how they seem to last eons.
Proposals pop off one right after another and with Ehette and A.D. going back-to-back. To my surprise, both want additional funding for marketing campaigns for newer products, something I’m typically hesitant to support; however, their well put together and presented presentations have me on board to provide their request by the time each individual is finished.
It’s hard to hide the huge grin I want to display for A.D. who seems to have shifted into taking his job more seriously since finding his mate. I don’t know if she knocked some sense into him, yelled some sense into him, or simply inspired him to get his shit together, but he has. And it shows. The next level passion he’s been projecting is awe-inspiring.
I know Dad would be proud.
I just hope someday me being proud on his behalf will be enough.
Last to go is Paadma Gaahni, the red panada shifter who is head of human resources for the Dreki branch. Her cinnamon shaded skin seems to be maintaining a redder shade than normal and her speaking pattern is far from stable. While I can’t recall the last time that she showed up for one of these, I feel as though at some point in her career she has, therefore has no reason to stumble the amount she does.
Seeing her hand shake during the adjustment of her glasses overwhelms the woman beside me with so much sadness that I swear I can feel a lump of tears grow in my own throat.
Comfort.
Can’t. We have to be…fuck…professional right now.
Comfort.
What did I just say?
Disregard.
I can’t just disregard policies in the middle of a fucking company meeting, and besides, you know Cami well enough by now to know that shit would not roll over well.
Stubborn.
Oh, look at that. We can agree on something again.
Without warning, Cami anxiously speaks up, “Miss Gaahni, would you mind if I make a suggestion?”
The blushing being at the front of the table nods in a pleading fashion. “By all means. Please.”
“That is not how these meetings are conducted, Miss Pennington,” Reginald Grey from our New York branch snips her direction. “I advise you to familiarize yourself with the proper protocols if you plan to attend other budget assessments in the future.”