Chapter 89: Soul Searching in Advance of Goodbye

Armando’s POV

We’re already aware we failed the review. Sadly, we expected it, but Mark told me to look at this as a chance to learn more about myself. He has. He’s realized that he’s been so desperate to prove he was ready to rise to the Leadership that he’d become a piss poor leader. He and his partner barely had a relationship. His branch wasn’t trusted within RangeMan. His men were considered snoops simply because he was a snoop.

I wondered how he didn’t know all of that, but I guess Steph telling him that meant more.

He had a lot about himself to change. Apparently, Steph calls it a ‘pillowcase’ moment. He can’t pry the story behind that out of her, but he said that his relationship with her is improving. He’s repairing his relationship with Vic. His men are relearning the importance of trusting the leadership again, regardless of what they have heard or what they think, but he’s opening his leadership style up to listen to his men again instead of simply handing down orders.

Eye opening, he says. Still, he wonders if that’s what Ranger would do. Continue reading →

Chapter 88.5: Humbled II

Chenae’s POV

Antoine called and said I should be ready to go when he arrives to pick me up for Fall Break. The schedule works out for him because he’s trying to land a major distribution deal, and I’m beyond ready to go home to Momma’s.

I asked Momma why Antoine seems to want to spend so much time with me. She said that he told Pierre he’d take over. He told Momma that he hopes to help reconcile me and Pierre before I dig myself into a hole with my big brother that I can’t get out of. I’m confused by that. I know Pierre is angry with me but I don’t think he’s that mad.

After my last class ends on Wednesday, I pack up my books and laptop and head to the gate. I’m ready to go and I’m glad to see Antoine’s already waiting on me. He steps out of the car and he’s mobbed. Continue reading →

Chapter 88: The Calm and the Storm

Steph’s POV

I told Mando I want him to go back to Charlotte next week to concentrate on his branch. I’ll help Diego with the Miami branch and we worked last night getting a game plan together. I was thankful to have three strategists and two XOs at one branch. We needed every bit of their brilliance to brainstorm ideas, but Diego got all the strategists on a call and let them help us. I mostly took notes in Thomas’s absence.

Diego and Mando already had a file of possible employees and they pulled it the day after the Friday firings. We have 30 men that we are ready to train to be the new RangeMan Miami men, but Hal had a brilliant suggestion.

He suggested we send them all to San Antonio. Continue reading →

Chapter 87.5: Unpleasant Duties, Part III

Piman’s POV
Friday Afternoon (the day of the firing)

“We have an interesting dilemma,” Thomas says, eyeing the rock garden.

“Interesting dilemma?” I’m contemplating the patterns. We’re at the Morikami Gardens in Boca Raton. I prefer this area. Who expects hoods to do business at a Japanese garden? Boca is a retiree haven, not a gang hotspot.

Looks are deceiving.

“We have five disloyal RangeMen that are being fired”—he glances at his watch—”right now.”

I stare at him. “I’ve heard nothing of disloyalty from Pedro.”

“He’s one of them.” Continue reading →

The War at Home

A/N: You guys asked for this one. One Shot Prompts from Lyllyn, babesrus2, and Meyzen. It took me a long time to get the Muse working on this one and it’s a long one.
Keep the Kleenex (or the RangeMan hankies) handy. Those of you who are mothers, get two boxes.

There’s nothing wrong with narcissists that reasoning with them won’t aggravate.

There was never any equality in the fight.

From the moment Armando Rafael Cortes was born, he was always behind the eight-ball. Never the front-runner. Never the winner.

He started off wrong by being six days late. Not his fault. He had no idea that the doctor had assigned him a birth date and that, by being late, he’d disrupted his mother’s careful plan. Armando should have been first, so Connie could smile smugly at her sister and congratulate herself for having a beautiful baby boy first. Armando came when nature decided it was his time, but this was held against him for years. Continue reading →

Chapter 87: Decisions Have Consequences

Armando’s POV

I’m ready. I have everything I need and I’m prepared.

Time to fire my major annoyances. All five of them.

I pull my documentation regarding every instance in which Antonio has irritated the shit out of me in the past six months. I pull the documentation detailing his disrespect of every housekeeper in RangeMan, and Diego brings his documentation showing every attempt to disrespect Maria since her return. He also brings additional documentation, from every time he’s written Tony up and everything that’s happened since Steph arrived. I compile all the information and hand it over to Candy, who flips through and nods. I take a moment to sit down and center myself.

I’m going to enjoy this but it’s long overdue. Continue reading →

Chapter 86 Who ARE You?

Armando’s POV

I walk back to my office in silence. Thomas motions as if he’d like to talk to me, but I shake my head and lift my fingers to my face. Phone. Talk to you later. He nods and goes to his office. I lock my office door and sit back.

I have a problem at this branch and it isn’t a disloyal RangeMan. It’s a bunch of arrogant assholes. I cringe. Hell, I’m included. Firing Antonio will be easy but it won’t solve the problem. The problem is deeper and the solution will be much harder.

Charlotte isn’t my test. This is my test. How I handle this will decide how the CO and Leadership Core deal with me. Continue reading →

Chapter 85.5 Intelligent Guessing?

This chapter is simultaneous with ‘You aren’t Sexist? Really?

Meanwhile, in Texas

Tank’s POV

(All conversations in Spanish once Hector joins in.)

Little Girl won’t tell us what this survey is about. She just asked us to take it. Bobby’s been grinning all morning; I’m betting he knows.

I finally finish it and I get an email with my results. Damn. I gotta remember Steph is sneaky, but I’m happy I didn’t embarrass myself. 0.87 in Hostile Sexism, 2.42 in Benevolent Sexism. I’m not a sexist but I have some tendencies.

Les pokes his head in. He doesn’t look happy. “How’d you come out?”

I grunt and wave at the chair. He and Bobby walk in. “Clean. 0.87 Hostile, 2.42 Benevolent. I’m not a sexist asshole. You?”

He grimaces. “1.27 Hostile; 2.81 Benevolent.”

We cringe and I look at Bobby. “0.87 Hostile, 2.09 Benevolent.” I nod. My phone rings.

“Yo!”

“Yo! I took Angelita’s survey.” We all look at each other in surprise. Didn’t know Hector was taking it too. Continue reading →

Chapter 85: You aren’t sexist? Really?

Steph’s POV—Friday Morning

Conference 1 is silent. I have a thick stack of papers in front of me: the results of the branch.

“I’ve found out why we keep losing contracts.”

Each man looks at me, some hostile, mostly curious.

“I noticed a pattern when I reviewed the contracts lost. Consistently, it was women who held the final say so on hiring RangeMan. I expect they hired us because who else could provide so many handsome, buff men?” I smile and I can see a few smiles in the group. Most of the men have put their blank faces into place.

“However, when I reviewed the non-renewals or notices of termination, it was these same women who terminated our services. I was curious to find out why.”

At this point, the lights dim and the voices of our former clients came through the loudspeakers. Continue reading →

Chapter 84.7: The Women’s Brain Trust Unites

Candy’s POV—Sunday Night

I’m doing the research, reading back through my college texts and looking in SHRM for the answer.

How on earth do you fight sexism when a lot of women can’t even agree on a definition? Personally, I like the definition ‘discrimination based on gender and the attitudes, stereotypes, and the cultural elements that promote this discrimination,’ because it acknowledges both the act and the supporting culture, but I’m betting there will be at least one woman in the brain trust who disagrees with me.

That’s important in Miami. The culture supports this kind of discrimination. This is also going to be a hard discussion for the company leadership. I wonder if Steph plans to bring this up with the Leadership Core. The RangeMan ‘culture’ is militaristic and highly male-oriented. Men own the company, men run the company, and men are 99% of the company. Steph and I are the only company-wide leaders.

This could get sticky. Continue reading →