*
At two minutes past three, two empty boxes sat on the long table and everyone was gathered in the large conference room. Everyone, that is, but Nicole. Jim strummed his fingers on the table and waited. "I'll give her another two minutes, and if she isn't…"
Just then, Nicole came in, looked around, and went to stand next to Roxie. "Well, hotshot, what's this all about?" she asked, with her arms tightly folded and a smirk on her face.
"Good afternoon to you too," Jim began. He immediately turned his attention to everyone else. "Yesterday at noon, Mr. Gallaher sold the company to your new boss, Georgia James. She is Nicholas Gladstone's granddaughter and heir to his fortune."
Every mouth in the room dropped, especially Nicole's. "What?"
Jim ignored her. "Miss James has asked me to manage the company, and I have accepted. There will be a lot of changes in the next few months, starting today." He motioned toward the doorway just as Georgia appeared. "Meet the new owner, everyone."
"Maggie?" Nicole gasped.
"My real name is Georgia," she said, walking to the table, "and one of these boxes is for you, Nicole."
"You can't fire me," she sputtered, looking first at the box and then at Georgia.
"Ah, but I can," said Georgia.
"On what grounds?" Nicole demanded.
Georgia looked her in the eye. "Mismanagement of funds."
"Not me, I didn't do that," Nicole argued. "I only did what I was told."
"So you say, but it is my word against yours and who's going to believe you?"
Nicole instantly changed from demanding to pleading. "If you fire me for that, I won't be able to get another job."
"That's what I said when you fired me for stealing. You said that was not your problem. What happens to you is not my problem either, is it?"
"I didn't mean it. I wouldn't have put that in your records."
Georgia looked at Jim, and then at the head of the Human Resources department. "She's lying, Maggie," said Sheryl.
"I thought so. Sheryl, would you kindly review the files of the other employees she's fired and fix them."
Sheryl grinned. "With great pleasure, Maggie."
Standing in the doorway, Austin watched, and when Jim went to stand beside him, he nodded.
"I told you she could do it," Jim whispered.
"Indeed you did," said Austin.
Georgia picked up the empty box and held it out to Nicole. "Go back to your beloved Germany, maybe you can get a job there."
The color drained out of Nicole's face as she finally took the box. "What about my paycheck?"
"It's on my desk," said Jim. "I had the pleasure of personally cutting it yesterday."