“I’m taking you off the project, Eleanor.”
The tone of Asher Reid’s voice made Elle realise that her project leader wasn’t kidding. It still felt like she had been pushed headfirst into a brick wall. Maybe this was what a shock felt like. And it didn’t help that he used her full name for once. Not at all.
Elle felt a moment of embarrassment. When Asher had asked her to come to his office, she had secretly hoped there was something else he wanted to discuss. Like the attraction they shared and the way her skin zinged whenever their hands unexpectedly touched. Or was she the only one who felt that way?
Asher looked as calm and collected as ever. Nothing could rattle this man. She guessed that was why he was the project leader while she was only a data scientist, one of his many minions.
“Why?” she asked, trying to make sure her voice didn’t quiver. “Why are you taking me off now? There’s plenty of tasks left to do before the project is complete.”
“The client has agreed to do the user acceptance test. It’s about time that their team got their hands on the legacy data so they can learn how to operate the new system.”
“I thought you needed my help with the UAT?”
It was what her boss had told her before the project started. How could Asher suddenly decide to put a stop to her plans? She enjoyed contributing to the project. And she had thought she had done her share when she pointed out several risks they had failed to identify before she came on board.
Asher looked at his papers as if he had written the excuses he was about to serve her. The thought made Elle feel even more annoyed. At the moment, this was the only project she was involved in, and she had hoped to work full time on it for another couple of months. If he cut her off now, she would probably have to wait until after the New Year before joining another project. Downtime was nice, but she got bored if it lasted too long. She had always disliked the workdays when she had to attend sales meetings, trying to tempt new clients into giving them a chance. She hated them for a reason, but she knew it was mostly because she wasn’t very good at doing sales.
“It would be a waste of your expertise, Eleanor,” Asher said smoothly.
Elle hated it when people used her full name. Those who knew her never did, unless they reprimanded her when she had done something wrong. It reminded her of her parents when she was younger.
‘You just want to get rid of me,’ Elle wanted to say out loud, but she kept her mouth shut. She had to think about her career. Cursing her former project manager was probably not the best place to start.
“I’ve informed your manager that you are available for other tasks from today. I’m sure he has plenty of other projects that require your skills.”
What he didn’t say was that whatever task she got, it would take her far away from his project. He hadn’t added that last bit, but Elle could read between the lines when it was necessary.
Elle didn’t know what to say, so she just nodded politely. What she really wanted was to speak up and object to the decision, but she didn’t know how except to repeat what she had already said. Asher seemed to have made up his mind, so there wasn’t much point in dragging it out. Still, this was the first time she had experienced being pulled out of a project before it was finished. It felt like she had done something wrong, but she didn’t know what it was.
“Alright,” Elle finally said. She got up to leave while she tried to ignore the lump in her throat. If her eyes teared up, she didn’t want him to see her lack of restraint.
How could she ever have found this man to be attractive?
Asher was handsome, but looks could be deceiving. It was a man’s inside that really mattered. She felt embarrassed by her own weakness for a good-looking man. Losing the project was painful, but the sense of betrayal was much worse.
“I want to thank you for your contribution to the project.” Once again, Asher’s words sounded hollow. They sounded more like words he had rehearsed and said so many times that he no longer meant what he said.
Elle wondered briefly if this was the person she would have to become if she were ever going to climb the career ladder. If that were the case, she might have to reconsider. It was better to hold on to her soul and remain on her pay grade. She grabbed her notebook and headed for the door.
“Let me give you a word of advice,” Asher suddenly said as if he had decided to go off script.
It made her pause.
What now? What other stinging remarks could he possibly add that he hadn’t already told her? And did she really want to hear them?
“Sure,” Elle said as politely as she could master. She deserved a medal after this, she thought briefly. A medal for playing the game. What she really wanted was to get angry and tell him how they would botch the entire project when she wasn’t around to guide them.
Asher was still seated in his comfortable chair. He leaned back as if he felt more relaxed now that the bad news had been delivered.
“Next time you work on a fixed price project, don’t give the client a ton of suggestions which can be added to the scope. It will only make them worried about the finished product and postpone the entire project. If you notice anything that should be changed, make a list and send it to our sales team so they can include it in their next sales pitch. Then we can earn a lot more when the client orders an upgrade.”
His words felt like a bucket of freezing water. Elle had thought she had done a good job by pointing out the discrepancies so that they could fix them sooner rather than later. It was the reason they had got her onboard.
Or so she had thought.
Now it sounded more like he had needed her presence to help sell their lies to the client. To make sure the client was satisfied, even if the product was mediocre compared to what it could have been.
“Is that the reason you’re kicking me off the team?” Elle had to know.
“No, it’s only a friendly piece of advice.”
“Just say the truth.” Elle was fed up with following the unspoken rules. “You wanted me to lie to them.” She looked him straight in the eye, wanting him to contradict her statement and admit that she was right.
A look of anger passed across his face before he quickly masked it behind his usual calmness. But for a second, she had glimpsed the real man behind the charade.
“Your job is to think of the content. My job is to ensure that what we deliver stays within budget and the agreed scope. Nothing more. It’s the rules of the game. Either you follow the rules, or… you don’t.”
Elle felt herself stiffen at his words.
“Obviously, I don’t,” she concluded out loud before she turned and walked away.
He could stick his project somewhere the light didn’t shine. She didn’t care. Or shouldn’t care.