What Lola Wants
When Staci Takes Charge
About the Author
Calista is a former PR professional, now writing fast-paced, steamy books to set your pulse racing! Her publishing houses include St. Martin’s Press, Grand Central Publishing, and Harlequin. She is an Amazon bestseller and has won many Reviewer’s and Reader’s Choice Awards, as well as Best Book Awards and other competitions with publication as first prize. Calista is a college graduate and teaches online writing classes. She is also a Past President/Advisor and four-time Board member of the Phoenix chapter of the Romance Writers of America national organization. Visit her at: www.calistafox.com or via social media at www.facebook.com/calistafox and www.twitter.com/calistafoxbooks.
Please see the next page for a preview of WHEN STACI TAKES CHARGE by Calista Fox.
Chapter One
“Before we wrap up this week’s strategic planning session,” Staci Kay announced to the vice presidents of her burgeoning shoe empire, Staci Kay Shoes, “let’s revisit the need to locate a larger facility for our manufacturing, packaging, and distribution functions, since we only have our secondary building on a temporary basis. We’re several weeks into a six-month lease of the additional warehouse. I don’t want us to be scrambling in the eleventh hour, searching for a new home to accommodate the overflow from these crucial operational areas.”
Amping up production was a vital undertaking for the company. A tense one as well, given the sudden scarcity of commercial real estate in Baltimore to fit the needs of the increased manufacturing output.
Despite that, Staci brimmed with excitement as she added, “As you all know, we’re rolling out the new line of six-inch heels on Monday—just in time for Valentine’s Day—and Sales predicts a mad rush from our customers to snatch up that perfect, sexy pair of shoes to complement date-night outfits. But beyond Valentine’s Day, the demand for these skyscraping heels”—she paused and modeled her six-inch, navy-blue suede shoes—“will result in another surge in sales. We need to be prepared now and for the future. Staci Kay Shoes are becoming a household name, people. With lightning-quick speed.”
Her VPs all clapped enthusiastically. Staci beamed brightly.
Maxi Shayne, her Vice President of Operations—whom Staci hoped would eventually agree to become the company’s chief operating officer—stepped in and said, “When it comes to locating an appropriate facility for us, think in the same terms Staci did when we were in crisis mode and had to find a supplemental building in which to operate ASAP.”
“Absolutely,” Staci concurred. “Tap those golden databases of yours. Contact friends, relatives, friends of friends, relatives of relatives, anybody and everybody to see what might be coming on the market that we can buy or rent. We’re not seeing enough opportunity through public sales avenues right now, so we need to know who’s holding out for a private sale.”
Maxi nodded. “We’ll take every lead we can get so that we don’t end up with a production bottleneck down the road, unable to meet escalation in customer demand, thanks to our fabulous marketing efforts and this new line of shoes—having nowhere to store the additional orders and no base from which to ship them.”
“Our need for another facility is just one more thing that solidifies our growth and sustainability in this industry,” Staci said. “I thank each and every one of you for all that you’re doing to build our brand and our operations. Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you on Monday.”
Staci adjourned the meeting, and the group dispersed. Maxi collected the leftover packets of documentation, which contained charts and graphs her director, Ryan Donovan, PhD, had assembled. Staci closed her notebook and capped her pen as Maxi kicked off her heels and plopped into a chair.
“Another productive session,” Staci said, thrilled—and deeply relieved—that everything was back on track for the company. Staci Kay Shoes had encountered a serious derailment when Ryan had discovered that the production staff was functioning at only forty-two percent capability at the same time sales had shot through the roof because of the sexy new ad campaign.
Staci had lost many a night’s sleep worrying over how to rectify the deficiency—particularly within a short period of time before manufacturing came to a grinding halt and her business collapsed.
Now they were primed to unveil the new designs. Yet it was still critical to keep an eye on future projections to make sure the company didn’t lose momentum or run into the same production problems they’d just experienced.
Maxi said, “I wish like hell I knew of someone looking to lease or unload a building suitable for our needs.” She crossed her long legs, rotating her ankle as though it ached.
“Something will turn up.” Staci observed the dark-haired, blue-eyed executive, fashionably dressed in a chic red suit—the perfect color for Maxi. She frowned as Maxi continued to work the kinks in her ankle. “You’ve been doing that a lot lately. In fact, you were limping just a tiny bit earlier.”
“Nothing to worry about,” Maxi assured her.
“Yeah, right. Spill already,” Staci ordered.
They were more than just CEO and VP—they were close friends. Maxi had been one of Staci’s first employees when she’d started operations six years ago. They’d been sorority sisters and cheerleaders at the University of Baltimore. Staci was two years older than Maxi, who had joined the start-up company in between her sophomore and junior terms.
Staci had studied fashion design, and she loved everything bold and daring, be it contemporary flare, avant-garde chic, retro panache, or vintage fun.
Her statement accessory was her long, sleek, shiny, dark-auburn hair, which complemented her tawny eyes. But, hands down, her trademark was shoes. Every style, every color, every pattern. It was her main vice and guilty pleasure rolled into one.
“Come on, Maxi. This is me you’re talking to.”
“It’s not that big a deal,” Maxi explained. “Just that we’ve all been nonstop action since this crisis hit, and I’ve recently realized that I’m not used to working fourteen- to sixteen-hour days in six-inch heels.”
“That?
?s completely understandable. However,” Staci said with a pointed look, “we do have a line of gorgeous flats to choose from.”
“I know.” Maxi smirked. “But I’m a tall-heel girl, like you. Preferably the stilettos. I like the additional altitude they give me. Not to mention the fact they drive Ryan nuts in the absolute best way, so…” She shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m perfectly fine sucking it up.”