"This is ridiculous!" agitation laced each word spoken. "How on earth do you expect me to keep clothes on my shelves in my gyms if you can't even deliver my products when you say you're going to?!" Tiana West yelled into the phone.

"Ms. West I do apologize we a working on the matter," the man on the receiving end babbled, "but there is nothing I can do now but believe me we are trying to get your order there as soon as possible. I promise your delivery by tomorrow at eleven."

"You know what fine, but after this order, I'm taking my business elsewhere and I will not be coming back." This was no idle threat.

Tiana West was hard as they come and driven by a will that at times came across as brutal.

"I sell over two million in just this shipment alone and you're telling me shit. My unisex Ezee Sports swimwear is the most popular brand on the sports swimwear market Mr. Finch do you get that asshole! So you better deliver by eleven.” 

Tiana might have spoken each word in a deadpan undertone but it seemed to the man on the line she yelled into the phone each word.

"Yes, Ms. West I completely understand. Please let me make this right," the man pleaded no one wanted to lose a client like Tiana West, "I promise delivery tomorrow on your order which we will refund the cost for and I will also guarantee overnight delivery on your next ten orders if you will stay with our company Ms. West."

Tiana smiled to herself knowing she had this weasel right where she wanted him. Their fuck up was her gain.

"Fine….I will give you one more chance, but if you fuck up like this again I will pull my business and take it else where do you get that?” Tiana hissed.

"Ye...yes absolutely Ms.West.Your orders are always a priority," the man said back knowing that if he lost her account they would lose millions.

"Make sure you do and if that delivery isn't here by eleven am on the dot you can consider our business relationship extinct," Tiana said a little too softly before hanging up and cutting off his response.

Tiana leaned against the backrest of her big soft leather chair sitting behind her desk with a smile on her full rose tint lips and gave a contented sigh. She loved being in control if fueled her in a way that invigorating.

Tiana's eyes swept quickly to her office door as she heard a knock. 

"Come in," she responded in a slightly irritated voice.

The door quickly opened and she saw one of her top female trainers Kessa walk in and her irritation subsided. Kessa was one of the few people she could tolerate. 

Kessa Spencer had worked for her since she opened her first gym. They have built a bond that created the twenty-five years old woman to talk to her in ways that got other people fired without so much as a second thought.

The woman standing at her desk had skin of dark milk chocolate, her body at five feet six weighed one hundred and ten pounds. She is beautiful and Tiana hired her originally because of her looks she took her work seriously.

Kessa and Tiana were alike in many ways but one thing Kessa lacked in Tiana's mind was she didn't have the right attitude to run a business. She was a little too free-spirited and carefree and Tiana felt she couldn't be ruthless and tough.

"What is it Kessa, don't you have a client soon?” Tiana asked leaning forward and folding her hands on her dark black mahogany desk.

"Yes, Mrs. Brooks did call to confirm her appointment for today. Her eta is ten thirty," Kessa responded ignoring  Tiana's curtness as she came up and stood in front of Tiana's desk. "However we have a problem."

Dark eyes quired the problem and if Kessa had not known her boss's persona she would have felt rebuffed.

"Charles called out again today and it's his sixth time in the last two months. After looking at his attendance it seems he always calls out a day before he is off for two days," Kessa informed.

"Oh is that so," Tiana said drumming her fingers on the desk with a smile that reveals no humor. 

 After a bit of silent deliberation, she lean back in her black leather chair folding her hands now against her bare midriff.

"Well, I'll fix this shit right now. His ass no longer has a job here. Get Micheal to clean out his locker and bring his things to the front desk and Kessa I need you to spread out his clients among the other trainers until we can find a replacement." Tiana said handling the matter without hesitation and with that done she swiveled her chair to look out her office window.

"Ok, should I get your secretary to do him a termination email or request he comes in tomorrow?" Kessa asked the woman whose back was now turned to her.

All that could be seen was the high messy bun of her raven curls. All that could be heard was her steely voice.

"Tell him to report to my office at 9 a.m tomorrow no exceptions," she responded without turning around. They both knew she only wanted to fire him in person.

"Yes, Ms West. I'll get it done right away." Kessa said then turned to leave.

Tiana turn and watch the woman who over her time working for her became a dear friend leave. Her eyes took in her. The dark pools took in the mesmerizing sway of Kessa's hips and lingered a bit too long on her ass as she walked to the door. 

She stared intently at the now-closed door.

"Gawd these freaking people just think they can do whatever they want. Well, I'm gonna make an example out of Charles's ass and hopefully, he will learn something from this." Tiana said to herself before she leaned forward and pressed the button to the intercom that buzzed her secretary.

"Yes, Ms. West,"  the familiar sultry voice of her secretary answered quickly.

"Place an ad online for an experienced Personal Trainer. List the required criteria and also let it be urgent," Tiana said getting straight to the matter at hand.

"Yes miss, right away," the woman answered back.

Tiana quickly got up and left her office heading to the elevator. She promptly press the button that would take her to the gym area after walking inside the elevator. 

Tiana pulled out her phone and began checking her emails as the doors shut and proceed to take her down to the gym area.

She often checks on clients ensuring she is the accommodating hostess or does a quick workout herself on the stationary bicycle and a few other selective machines.

The elevator dinged less than three minutes later and the big chrome doors opened allowing her to walk the short distance to the gym doors.

 Tiana quickly slipped her phone into the pocket of her skin-tight workout leggings and headed into the vast enclosure where she saw a large number of people working out.

The gym was packed today even for being as early as it was. Most of the machines were in use and a lot of the free-weight benches were also taken. Men and women busied themselves with solo workouts as trainers guided and helped their clients.

Tina quietly observed her staff as she walked by making sure that they upheld the standard and rules regulated that she had written herself.

Tiana had always enjoyed being the one in charge and was confident in anything she controlled would prosper and it had.

Between her clothing line and her gyms, she has made herself a millionaire in only a few years she was able to pay her father back in full the price he paid for her first gym that he bought her.

Her employees grudgingly feared her but despite this, they respected the hardworking and devoted person she was. She commanded respect from all those that worked for her, she had around seventy employees that included an esteemed chef, all certified personal trainers, and personally handpicked cleaners.

Her gym and what she stood for were no joke. She strived every day to ensure that everyone who walked through its door see that.

Tiana stopped as she watched Michelle one of her newest female trainers helping a lady with weight loss exercise. Tiana critiqued everything she did to make sure that Michelle didn't deviate from the programs that Tiana herself had written.

After a few minutes of feeling satisfied with the level of care and work Michelle was putting out Tiana turned on her heels of her black Niki trainers and walked further into the huge work and made her way through a gray door marked PRIVATE after opening it with a specialized keycard.

This was the Private area for elite members only. There was no family membership for elite members as they paid for the best which included specialized meal plans and her very own brand of training gear to work out in. 

She silently checks on the other trainers here and purposefully greets some of the elite clients within. The specialized area showcased actors, musicians, and athletes all participating in various forms of exercise. Over the years Tiana had met several very famous people and even a few of her own favorite stars and musicians

Elite clients had full access to the gym with their own entrance 24 hours a day with private on-call trainers. Elite membership costs three hundred dollars a month per client. Her elite membership had grown over sixty percent in the last three months. She was proud of this, it showed her trainers were doing their jobs. 

Her clothing and the food and drink bar downstairs made their own monetary gain but the Elites were where the real money poured in.

With purposeful strides Tiana entered the locker room, she took a quick peek inside the lady's room, and besides coming across a few ladies in various modes of undress - six half-naked and two fully naked ones- she saw that the locker room was equipped with her monetized white thread count towels from India and it was spotless. After checking the toilets and showers stalls Tiana was satisfied with their upkeep and left.

As Tiana exited the lady's locker room she looked down at her Rolex Yacht-Master 37 sports watch seeing it was already twelve thirty she decided she might as well grab a bite to eat. 

Ignoring the elevator she headed down the long corridor which on her right showcased tempered glass aerobic classes, on the left picturesque floor-to-ceiling glass showcased various tennis courts in full swing. 

When Tiana got to the food and drink area she saw it was filled with several clients eating or waiting at tables to be served their order. Tiana walked on greeting a few acquaintances before she headed purposefully through a swinging door.

She saw her three chefs quickly busying themselves making several different healthy dishes. Tiana walked up to the main cook, when she approached Simon looked up.

"Hello Simon," Tiana said with a smile.

"Tiana hello my friend, how are you?" he said leaning over and giving her a peck on the cheek making sure not to touch her with his hands as he had food gloves on.

Tiana smiled further before responding. "I'm good Simon thank you for asking, I'd like a grilled vegetable pizza and water to go," Tiana said pulling out her phone.

Tiana's pizza: Flatbread is charred on a grill and then layered with mozzarella cheese with a mixture of grilled produce (mushroom, zucchini, kale, and red onions). It's topped with blue cheese, and more mozzarella, and drizzled with a mustard vinaigrette.

"You got it, boss," Simona said finishing up with the meal he was making and then getting to work on Tiana's pizza.

Tiana checked her Facebook and other social media pages created to showcase her pride and joy while she waited. She was pleased to see the kind reviews that members posted.

"Ok miss it's in the oven should be ready in but six to ten minutes," Simon said breaking into her synchronized scrolling.

"Thanks, Simon, greatly appreciate it," Tiana return without looking up from her phone.

When her pizza was ready Tiana was through commenting and responding to precisely selected posts. She took the warm small box and the water after another 'Thanks Simon' and headed out the back through a private door.

Tiana quickly walked down the hallway to a waiting elevator that once inside took her straight back upstairs to her office. She was too darn hungry to meet and greet and a hungry Tiana isn't a civil one.

Tiana placed the pizza on her desk and opened her opened the pizza box she enjoyed the tantalizing aroma for a second be taking a small bite.

When the hot pizza touched her tongue it burned a little but the flavors of the pizza dancing over her tongue afterward caused her to emit a pleasurable sigh. 

After eating a few slices of her pizza and drinking her water Tiana closed the box back and lean against her leather chair.

Nothing was more contenting and fulfilling than being your own damn boss to a fucking epic empire….or is there?