Muddled Figures (CEO!Price x Employee!Reader)
Oh, you'd really done it this time...
Sat inside the CEO's office, on the top floor of 'Price Tactical Solutions', you twiddled your hands in your lap as you awaited your boss to say something - anything - to put you out of your misery.
Mr Price stood by the towering windows overlooking the city around his skyscraper, the sun setting on another long workday and streetlights slowly beginning to flicker on one by one beneath us. His suit jacket off, draped over the chair opposite you, and the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up to just past his elbows. The ink of a few tattoos, from back in his military days - if the office rumours were anything to go off - peeking out from under his shirt.
You'd only met the CEO a handful of times. Mostly just seeing him in passing as your buzzed about your usual business, not including that one time he'd asked what floor you were heading to when you'd stepped into an elevator, your own hands too full of folders to press the button.
But you knew silence from a man like John was never a good sign...
"I assume you know why I called you in here today" Mr Price finally broke the tense silence, making you jolt where you sat, startled; the CEO still facing the window.
"...yes, sir" you replied after a beat, taking a moment to collect your quickly fraying nerves.
"Gotta say, haven't seen a fuck-up quite this bad in... well, ever," Mr Price nodded, the reflection you caught in the window showing a stormy look on his weary face, though his tone remained almost-scarily calm. "Think you can explain to me why one of our biggest investors just pulled their contract?"
"W-Well, Mr Price, t-there happened to be an... um, slight oversight on my part and-"
"A slight oversight?" The older man scoffed, finally turning to face towards you, his brow furrowed into a firm frown. "Fifty grand isn't an oversight, sweetheart. An oversight is forgetting to pack your lunch the night before. An oversight is realising you were supposed to be in a meeting five minutes ago. This wasn't an oversight, it was idiocy-"
"I'm not excusing my behaviour, sir, but if I could just-"
"No, you listen here, and you listen well," Mr Price interrupted again, crossing the space with his gaze firmly fixed on the employee in his hot seat. "The only reason I haven't sent you to pack your belongings from your desk is because up until now your service and dedication to this company had been exemplary. That being said, after your performance today-"
"Sir, Mr Price, please," your tried again. "If I could just-"
"I'm placing you on a strict performance review for the next six months," John continued as if he hadn't even heard your interjection, stepping back around his desk to pick up the correct forms he required you to sign for the disciplinary action. "During which time your manager will monitor your performance-"
"Oh for Gods sake, will you just listen to me?" You rise from your seat, frustration bubbling beneath your skin, hands lightly trembling in your upset as the CEO slowly looked up from the paperwork in his. "Thank you, I... I know I messed up, sir - I'm not negating that and I take full responsibility for what happened today with the 'Dwindleboch' account. However, I feel like the big picture is being missed here."
Mr Price stared at me for a moment, obviously unused to having someone speak out against him. With narrowed eyes, he set the papers down and cross his arms.
"And what exactly is the big picture here?"
"I was never supposed to handle the 'Dwindleboch' account, sir," you confessed, averting your gaze in something akin to shame. "I'm not trained on the software they use, nor familiar with the client at all. It was Mr Heegan's project but-"
"But he's been off with the flu," Mr Price took you by surprise, scrubbing a hand down his face, as he seemed to actually know what was going on in your department. "And was your manger, Miss Poten, aware that-?"
"I sent her an email the moment she CC'd me in when Mr Heegan called out, sir, stating I didn't have the necessary qualifications nor knowledge to handle the account," you continue, semi-relieved his anger seemed to be shifting elsewhere, even if you wished you didn't have to squeal to do so. After all, you liked your manager, even if she was a little airheaded at times. "Miss Poten never replied and the deadline was approaching, I panicked so did what I could but-"
"What I'm understanding is I'm chewing out the wrong person right now," the CEO huffed, shaking his head, reaching across his desk to dial his secretary; holding the phone up to his ear. "Shirley, get me Miss Poten in here, now."
The tense silence settled once more as he put the phone down, a silence you felt you had to fill somehow.
"I really am sorry, Mr Price, I should have taken the matter higher but I was scared to start office drama. I see now that I should have-"
"God, do you always ramble like this when your nervous?" The older man chuckled, reaching to rub his temples as if there was a headache brewing. "Listen, we lost a big client today, but - that being said - clients come and go. What I don't like is when my machine doesn't run properly. If all the gears don't turn the way their supposed to, then bigger issues then a measly fifty grand are going to arise in the future, hence why we need to sort it now, yeah?"
"I... I get that" you nod, shuffling awkwardly in your seat.
"Performance review stays, only because I want to see if we can help develop that backbone of yours, alright?" Mr Price explained, gesturing for me to get up. "Meant what I said before, your a good worker, but your no use to me if you can't speak up for yourself and/or others."
"Yes, sir," you replied, releasing a breath you hadn't realised you'd been holding. "Thank you, Mr Price. I'll work on that."
As you head for the door, hearing the click of Miss Poten's heels entering the CEO's personal waiting room beyond his private office, his voice stops you in your tracks,
"You know, Shirley's heading on maternity soon and I'm looking for a cover secretary - ever done anything like that?"
"Uh, I used to answer the phone for my dad at his garage" you thought back, feeling a little foolish the moment the words tumbled from your lips.
"Hm," Mr Price chuckled, looking oddly thoughtful for a moment. "I look forward to your application for the role then."
"Oh, wait, but I wasn't going to-"
"I said, I look forward to your application."
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