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I swear, I'm not allowed to get a break. Every time I think I am going to have a slower week, something happens. My son had a birthday last weekend, and go figure, I got really sick again. I am feeling a bit better today, but things are still a little rough. Ear infections a the absolute WORST! We thought for sure that I somehow managed to catch covid again. I got 3 brain pick swabs at the doctor the other day; one for covid, the second for flu and the last for RSV. Everything came back negative, but I've been completely miserable. And then go figure, I decided to change out the sheets on my bed a couple nights ago, and somehow messed up my back. I seriously don't even understand how that happened. It's just ridiculous! I did manage to get some writing done though, and just sent 3 chapters over to my friend who is editing this story for me, so I've at least been productive. Be sure to read and review, because the more reviews I get, the faster I'll post the next chapter. Let me know what you like, don't like, anything that you would like to see, etc. I love reading all of your thoughts! :-)
1 Hour Later
"Hey Ror, you've got some not too happy board members wandering through here." Doyle said, popping his head into Rory's office.
"What's going on? What do you mean not too happy board members?"
"They are complaining about all the renovations, and a couple of them are calling them 'unprofessional'."
"Freaking crack heads!" Logan groaned. "Emily spends weeks making this place less overwhelmingly gaudy and those ingrates immediately decide to be nitpicky."
"Tell them all to sit their ungrateful butts down in the board room, and that I'll deal with them when I'm ready. They have no reason to be roaming my office. This is MY area, and they have no right to be here unless they are in the board room. So they can all sit their sorry selves down, and wait!" Rory instructed.
"I'll let them know. Would you like me to take care of Ayribella for you, while you are in the board meeting?" Doyle asked.
"Thank you for the offer, but I am going to wear her in her carrier. Anyone who even dares to comment on me having a baby in the office, won't have a job anymore."
"Should I get some termination paperwork prepared?"
"I want to say that we probably won't need it, but then again, you never know with my ungrateful excuse for a family." Logan commented. "Actually, I have a better idea. Ace, can I use your computer for a minute?"
"Have at it." Rory said, pushing her chair back away from her desk with her foot, while she sat feeding Ayribella.
"Do I want to know?" Doyle asked.
"Is Collin here yet?" Logan asked.
"I haven't seen him, but last I heard he was in route."
"I'll need him to do a quick proof, but I'm typing up a general resignation to be signed by anyone who cares to have an opinion today. They can either suck it up and stay silent, or they can sign a resignation, and forfeit their position with the company, their place on the board, and all of their HPG shares."
"I like it!" Rory told him.
"But is it legal?" Doyle asked.
"That is exactly why I need Collin to look over it."
"Haven't you abused Collin enough today?" a voice asked from behind where Doyle stood in the doorway.
"Collin! Buddy!" Logan smiled, looking up to see his best friend enter Rory's office, as Doyle stepped out of the way.
"Hey Collin!" Rory chirped.
"Your email has been sent with a read receipts, and an attached NDA that has to be immediately signed and automatically submits back to me." Collin told them.
"I saw that. Thank you."
"Do I need to sign that too?" Doyle asked.
"You are an HPG employee, so you should. Everyone in this room knows exactly where your loyalties stand, but legally, yes, you need to sign it. Logan too. And I have your new NDAs for the board, in my hand. Who wants them?" Collin asked, pulling a manila envelope out of his brief case.
"I'll take those to the board room and tell everyone that they need to sign them before the meeting starts."
"Thanks Doyle." Rory spoke up.
"Works for me." Collin agreed as Doyle left the room, before he looked toward his best friend who sat typing away in front the computer. "So what is the new Collin abuse that you seem to think I am going to let you by with? Because my rates are about to sky rocket with all the drama you've thrown at me today."
"What drama?" Rory asked.
"Well, for starters, I had to be on hand when a certain whore was arrested for trespassing on HPG property, after all of her things had been removed from her former apartment."
"Wait, Walker was arrested?"
"Yep! And you are now paying for the moving company that had to haul all of the crap out of the hallway, and is now storing it because said bimbo is incarcerated."
"You could have just left it all there, you know." Logan told him.
"I could have, but this is New York. It all would have been gone within an hour, and she would have tried to sue you for all of it. I figured it was safer to just have the moving company that was already on hand to remove the crap from the apartment, take it to their storage location until we determine what to do with all of it. By the way, some of that furniture looks pretty fancy. Do you think any of it belongs to HPG?"
"I don't care about the furniture. As far as I'm concerned, Walker can have all of it, as long as she stays off my property." Rory commented.
"She'll be locked up until at least tomorrow, possibly Wednesday. She needs to wait for a judge to either approve bail, or release her on a promise to appear."
"Any idea which judge she'll get?" Logan asked.
"No idea. Trespassing makes the case criminal, so it's up in the air. Vanderbilt only handles Civil cases."
"Have you told him about it?"
"I did. He chuckled, and said that someone should probably call her father."
"Not my problem! That is her phone call to make."
"We should probably let Honor know about it." Rory suggested.
"I texted her right after it happened. She responded with, and I quote 'what kind of cookies do you think I should take to the sheriff's department as a thank you for dealing with her?' Your sister is currently my favorite person."
"Ha! I love Honor!"
"I hope you asked for your own cookies." Logan told him.
"I didn't have to. Unlike some people, the very next message that I received about 30 seconds later, was instructing me to stop by Honor's house on my way home today, to pick up a batch of fresh chocolate chip cookies and a bottle of Macallan as a thank you for all of my hard work."
"Because a fat pay check isn't enough of a thank you for you?"
"Your sister makes me cookies."
"My sister is also heavily pregnant and nesting."
"I don't remember Rory making me any cookies while she was pregnant and nesting."
"I don't remember Rory knowing how to cook." Rory spoke up.
"As I recall, Rory knows how to hire out." Collin argued.
"Ok, I'll just call the bank and put a stop payment on all your upcoming deposits, and then make a call to the bakery down the street and ask them if they wouldn't mind making me a batch of cookies for you, with salt substituted for sugar, to go with your ungrateful attitude."
"I'm kidding Rory. Geez!"
"Anyway! Collin, would you mind looking over this document for me?" Logan asked, turning the computer screen toward Collin.
"What are you up to now?" Collin sighed.
"Just giving anyone who wants to comment on Ayribella being in the office, or on the renovations that the board apparently hates, freedom to forfeit their reason for being on our property. I need you to tell me whether this is legal or not."
"New York is an at-will employment state, meaning that either the employee or the employer can terminate employment at any time, and for any reason. The only caveat being if it's illegal or proven to be wrongful termination, which is extremely hard to do."
"So what you are saying is that, if they want to mouth off about the renovations, or mine and Rory's choice to have our infant in the office, we can fire them."
"Sounds like a termination for hostile work environment and insubordination to me."
"I like it!" Rory smiled.
"So having them sign my contract forfeiting their position with HPG, their stock holdings, and their position on the board is all perfectly legal."
"Yes it is."
"Collin, how do you feel about going to dinner tonight? You've earned it." Logan told him.
"You'll have to call and talk to Stephanie about that. She is the keeper of my time."
"It sounds like the two of you had better plan on ordering in because Stephanie and I need a Moms night out, and Daddies get to babysit." Rory said as she reached for her cellphone that was sitting on the corner for her desk.
"Wait, did you wife just give us an excuse to drink and not have to drive ourselves home?" Collin asked.
"Like that is ever a concern when I have a car service."
"You two bozos can get drunk in the basement after putting the kids to bed. Stephanie and I are having a girls night with mud masks and chick flicks." Rory told them.
"Deal!" Collin agreed.
"Collin, did you see your new office?" Rory asked.
"I have an office?"
"My grandma renovated this floor and gave both you and my Grandpa offices."
"Why do I need an office? I have an office, a few miles from here."
"And yet we abuse you enough that you are constantly having to work from your laptop in Rory's office, with us annoying you." Logan spoke up.
"Have I ever complained about it?" Collin asked.
"YES!" both Rory and Logan said together.
"Only all the time. But giving you an office wasn't our idea. It was all Emily." Logan continued.
"Collin, I can go show you while Logan finishes up." Rory said as she finished feeding Ayribella, straightened her clothes, and removed her breastfeeding cover.
"Do you want me to take her?" Collin asked.
"Is this you saying that you want baby snuggles?"
"I'm not a girl. I don't say those things."
"I think Uncle Collin misses having a tiny baby to snuggle with. I might have to tell Stephanie that she needs to have another baby." Rory said as she stood from her chair, and moved toward Collin, handing over the baby.
"Don't you dare!"
"You don't want another baby?"
"I have a baby. She's 2, remember?"
"And she's adorable and looks exactly like her mother. But don't you want another one?"
"Do I want to go without sleep again while an infant screams all night long? No, I really don't! At least with the baby being yours, I can come in, spoil the crap out of her like a good uncle does, then hand her back the second the screaming starts, or a diaper needs to be changed." Collin told her.
"Wow, tell us how you REALLY feel." Logan chuckled.
"Ayribella, your parents are completely psycho. You need to remember that." Collin said as he patted the baby's back after Rory threw a blanket over his shoulder, covering his suit jacket from anything that Ayribella might share with him.
"Funny." Rory told him.
"Did you two ever decide on God Parents?"
"Yeah right. How do you choose between your sisters and best friends?"
"Well, let's see, Finn is a moron, Robert I wouldn't be caught dead leaving him alone with my child, Honor is about to have a baby of her own, Gigi is a minor and barely capable of taking care of herself, and April is going to run the world one day. That leaves just me and Stephanie."
"You forgot about Lane and Paris."
"Paris is a tyrant; I don't even know who was psychotic enough to allow her to have children. And Lane . . . I barely even know Lane. So again, that leaves only Stephanie and I."
"You're funny." Logan told him, as he finished what he was working on, and stood from his seat. "Hey Doyle?"
"Yeah?" Doyle called from his office across the hall from Rory's.
"Can I get 20 copies of the contract I just printed, please?"
"You need 20 copies?"
"Probably just 10, but I'm not about to exclude anyone."
"Half the board is waiting for you.
"Good! When the rest of them get here, go in there and make sure they all sign the NDA Collin brought in, and let me know when it's done. Anyone who refuses to sign, you can hand the termination contract that I just printed."
"Because people with the last name Huntzberger love being told what to do."
"Guess they should vote me out then. Oh wait, they can't!" Logan chuckled. "It sucks to be ALL of them! They can either sign the NDA, or they can sign their termination with this company. I'm done playing games with my moronic family. This is a business, NOT a playground!"
"Is your sister coming to today's meeting?"
"My sister, who is 9 months pregnant? Yeah, of course she'll be here! She loves wasting her time arguing with our moronic uncles over stuff that she doesn't give a damn about."
"I'm here in Honor's place." Collin said, stepping into Logan's conversation with Doyle. "I've got Honor's proxy to act in her best interest on all business matters."
"You should just have her give you her place on the board." Rory told him.
"Honor needs to keep her spot, or she loses her shares." Logan spoke up.
"Not like she needs them, but I get it."
"Come on Collin, let's go check out your office." Logan said as he stepped past his friend and headed out the door.
20 Minutes Later
"Don't tell me that you couldn't afford a babysitter." someone snickered as Rory and Logan entered the board room, with Collin right behind them.
"Hey Doyle, would you mind handing Bart over there one of those forms?" Logan asked as he pulled a seat out for Rory, helping her into it, before taking a seat himself.
"What the hell is this?!" the man asked, glaring at the form Doyle had dropped in front of him.
"Your choice is to either apologize to my wife, or sign that form and get hell out of our office." Logan told him. "It's your funeral, but you've got about 30 seconds to make your choice before I call security and have you escorted out."
"This isn't a playground, you know. The office is no place for children. Bart is right. You should just pay for a babysitter like the rest of us." someone else spoke up.
Logan pointed toward the new voice, then watched as Doyle dropped a form in front of him.
"Anyone else care to have an opinion today? Because if so, I've got a termination contract all ready for you. You can both either apologize to my wife, or you can get the hell out!"
"Please, you and I both know damn well that you can't do this, Logan." the second man spoke again.
"Actually, as a right to work state, Logan and Rory can do whatever they want to. Your attitude problem is creating a hostile work environment, not to mention that your entire attitude is the exact definition of insubordination. Your work ethic sucks, you have a horrible attitude, and zero respect for your superiors, all of which are grounds for immediate termination. As legal counsel for HPG, I am here to tell you that your crap will NOT be tolerated. You can either apologize right this moment and learn to respect your superiors and keep your damn mouths shut, or you will be signing the termination contracts in front of you. But should you decide to press your luck, security will be called to remove you, and you will be spending the rest of the day in the local jail, where I will be serving you with not just termination paperwork, but also a restraining order. I suggest that you weigh your options carefully." Collin spoke up, as he stood next to his friends.
"You can't do this Logan!" Bartholomew spoke again.
"Sign the damn paper Bart, and get the hell off my property!" Logan repeated.
"Don't make me call security." Collin warned him.
"This contract here, is crap!" Bartholomew chuckled. "Why the hell would I want to sign this?!"
"Sign it and get out!" Rory spoke up as she unbuckled the baby carrier strapped to her chest, and carefully handed a sleeping Ayribella over to Logan before standing from her chair, and reaching for the phone on the table behind her.
"I suggest that you do as you've just been told by your boss." Collin said, staring the two men down, while watching out of the corner of his eye as Rory dialed the office phone.
"Hey Carlos, it's Rory. I have a couple people who need to be escorted out of the board room and off my property . . . Yes, actually, that would be fantastic . . . Perfect! Thanks Carlos, I appreciate it." Rory smiled, hanging up the phone, before turning back to the crowd in front of her. "Bartholomew Huntzberger, you're fired! You can either leave willingly, or you will receive a police escort. Security is on their way. Lloyd, the time to make your choice is up. Should I have you escorted out as well?"
"Mitchum would never stand for this!" the second man spoke again.
"Well, it's funny that you say that because Mitchum hasn't been here since last October, AND he retired a few months ago. I'm the boss now, and I say that you are fired too. It's been nice knowing the two of you. Best of luck in your future endeavors, and please don't use me as a reference." Rory said as she once again took her seat, looking to Collin for his next move.
"You both heard the woman. It's time for you to go. You can hand me those termination forms." Collin said, motioning to both men.
"Would anyone else like to have an opinion on how this business is run?" Logan asked, looking around the room at the remaining board members.
"Doyle, do you have an NDA from both of these men?" Collin asked as Doyle moved through the room.
"I do. One was signed under duress, but I have them."
"Excellent! Make sure I have all of the signed documents before I leave here today."
"I always do." Doyle told him.
"Alright. Let's go Gentlemen. Bart, Lloyd, if you would please follow me."
"If you think that I am signing your bogus termination, you've completely lost your mind!" Bartholomew protested.
"I'm with Bart." Lloyd agreed. "You can't fire us. We've been with this company since Elias started it."
"That may be so, but you actually aren't anymore. Rory and I have dealt with your constant insubordination and hostile attitudes for long enough, and we've had it. You are both done here. Hasta la vista! Don't let the door hit you on your way out!" Logan told them.
"You can't take our shares away, Logan."
"You're right. I can't take them, unless you've been terminated for just cause. Funny thing though, my attorney says that insubordination and hostile work environment are both just cause. See ya!"
"Let's go gentlemen!" Collin said again, gesturing for the two men to leave their seats.
"Hey Carlos." Rory smiled, as a group from the security team entered the room.
"Mrs. Huntzberger, what can we do for you?" Carlos asked.
"We've just terminated both Bartholomew and Lloyd Huntzberger from the board, as well as their employment here at HPG. I'll need their termination notices signed, their desks emptied out, security badges returned, and both men escorted off the property, please."
"And they are not welcome back." Logan added.
"No problem. Let's go, Gentlemen." Carlos said, indicating for his team to attend to the two unruly men.
"Here are a couple extra copies of their termination paperwork." Doyle said, handing a couple forms to Carlos. "They've been refusing to sign them thus far."
"No problem, I'll take care of it. I have NYPD standing by, if needed."
"Thanks Carlos, we appreciate all your help." Logan told him as the men who had followed Carlos into the room helped the two boisterous Huntzberger men out of their chairs, and escorted them from the board room.
"Now, is there anyone else who cares to have an opinion on how I run this company?" Rory asked once the door was closed. Rory and Logan looked around the room, and noticed one hand raised.
"Hugo, how are you?" Logan asked.
"I am doing very well. How are the two of you doing? Are you settling in alright?"
"We are doing alright." Rory answered. "Some days are harder than others, but we are doing ok. Thank you for asking."
"And how are you doing?" Hugo asked.
"I'm getting by." Rory smiled after taking a deep breath, slowly letting it out.
"Rory is doing a marvelous job being a mother." Richard spoke up. "That little girl over there is healthy, happy, and very well taken care of."
"Richard is right. Rory is an amazing mother." Logan agreed. "We are very lucky."
"How old is she?" another board member asked.
"Three weeks. We'll be publishing our birth announcement soon. We are holding off for another week or so, and we expect all of you to please respect our privacy. Rory and I are still transitioning to being a family of three, and figuring out how to work and be parents at the same time. You will probably be seeing our daughter here in the office, a lot, as we've chosen not to hire a full-time nanny. But we promise that she won't be a distraction at all, and that everything here will carry on as normal." Logan assured them. "Now, shall we get this meeting started?"