Page 37 of When the Walls Come Down
Not now.
Not without a fight.
“Well,” I answered before Casey could, “a lot is still being worked out. As far as day-to-day stuff goes, our department will still report to me until further notice.”
My brother-in-law wouldn’t make a scene in front of his employees, but the pointed look he fired at me indicated he wasn’t pleased with my attitude.
In my defense, I’d only learned about what was going on three fucking days ago.
If Maggie had had time to give notice to her previous job, pack up, move across the country, and set up house here in San Francisco, this wasn’t the sudden decision my family had made it out to be.
They’d intentionally blindsided me.
“I won’t keep you all long. It’s Monday, and you’re all busy. Basically, I wanted a private introduction for Maggie and the department heads she’d be working closest with and to clue you in on the transition that is coming,” Casey announced. “Maggie, today, you’ll mostly be with me. I’ll show you around the brewery and the front of the house where we have retail and do tastings, introduce you to some of the other managers, show you to your new office, and do my best to make you feel at home.” He glared at me, and I quickly glanced at Maggie, who was watching him intently. “I expect everyone here will be welcoming and eager to work with you. We are one big family at Bay and Two Ships, and now that you’re aboard, everyone here will show you the respect you deserve.”
I swallowed, realizing I’d have a bigger fight ahead of me than I’d planned.
“As long as no one has any more questions, I’ll let you all get back to it,” Casey said, closing his laptop on the conference table.
There was tension in the room, and Vic and Celia noticed too. It was as if they were waiting for me to ask a question or make some other remark, but I knew better. I’d have it out with Casey alone.
I smiled at them, hoping it came off more reassuring than forced, and said, “Yeah, head back. I have some ideas on the new cider line I want to talk to you guys about this morning. I’ll come find you.”
They both stood and offered Maggie another warm welcome, and then they left the room.
When it was just the three of us, I swiveled in my chair toward my brother-in-law. “Before you two get to it this morning, you think we could have that talk I texted you about earlier?”
“We’ll catch up later. I want to get the tour with Maggie out of the way early before everything gets busy out there.” For the first time since the meeting from hell had started, he smiled sympathetically. “It’s going to be fine, Shane. Trust me.”
I’d love to trust him. I’d always trusted him in the past, but this guy didn’t have all the info.
He stood and Maggie followed his lead out the door. She kept her eyes down as if we’d never met before. Never had conversations that had lasted long into the night. Never been intimate or laughed together until our sides hurt. But we had, and I could easily tell she was uncomfortable—and good at hiding it, but not from me.
I’d give her one thing. She had a stone-cold poker face. I had no doubt in my mind Casey suspected nothing except that I was being difficult because I still wasn’t ready for change.
What he didn’t know was change had already happened, and now, it had turned my world upside down.Hours later, after showing Vic what I was thinking about for the new cider campaign this fall, I sat there in my office with the door open so I could see when Casey brought Maggie into our area of the building and showed her to her new office, which I suspected was the one directly across from mine. The only one free.
It wasn’t until after lunch when I saw, through my office’s glass walls, the pair came down the hall.
“And like I’ve said, Shane will be right here for anything you need. He’ll be showing you the ropes. Obviously everyone has different management styles, but he’s done an excellent job here, and I only want to see us grow in that—or a similar direction.” He popped his head into my office, and I sat up straighter in my chair. “I’ll be right in with you. Sorry I’ve put you off all day. Just a second.”
I attempted to make it look like I was doing something on my computer as he showed her into the empty office facing mine across the hall.
“Your email should be all set up, but if you have any trouble, you can call Janelle—all of the phone extensions are on the sheet by your phone. She can walk you through anything you need. All the files this department shares are in a folder on your desktop. Other than that, if you need anything else, Shane is right across the hall.” He hung outside her door as she took a seat at her desk, which faced mine.
