AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I climbed into my hot tub and stared up at the ceiling, doing essentially nothing until I got cold. Afterwards, I went back downstairs and played some games until one in the morning. I had to be up at the crack of dawn and I didn’t have it in me to call in sick. Against my better judgment, I hauled myself to bed.
It was hard to shut my brain off. I got maybe three hours of sleep before I had to get up again. At this rate, my father’s interest in the business was going to kill me. I couldn’t let him get into my head like this. If a simple visit resulted in a poor night’s sleep, what would a full-fledged argument do? I chewed some vitamins and chased them with coffee.
I needed to talk to someone, but I didn’t know who. I texted Peter before leaving for work, asking him if he wanted to grab lunch. He answered quickly and I was relieved when he agreed. He was the best friend I had at the moment. He wasn’t a family member and he wasn’t a rival. He knew my entire history and I could trust him not to go running to the board if I admitted to some tiny emotional issue.
In my office, I waited for Ava to join me. She always came in for breakfast, even though she was capable of buying her own. It was a ritual we began when she was first hired and one that I enjoyed. We talked over the schedule and I was able to get settled before my work began. But she didn’t come in that day.
I waited for fifteen minutes before checking for her in the reception area. She was there, behind her desk, reading her emails. She heard the door open and turned to face me as I leaned out, wondering where she was.
“Are you going to have breakfast?” I asked.
“I had breakfast already,” she said.
“Have another breakfast,” I commanded, leaving the door open and walking away.
She appeared momentarily, looking a little miffed but mostly congenial. She reached for a croissant and a napkin, grabbing me one as well. Bringing them to the desk, she set them down before going back to fetch the coffee. Once it was all arranged, we sat together like normal.
I knew what was wrong. She was upset that I made her stay late the previous night. Whether or not I had been out of line, I couldn’t have her acting like that. She was my secretary and I was her boss. If I needed her to put in some extra hours, that came with the job. I wanted to let her know that she had better get over herself. It wasn’t like I had made an inappropriate gesture or asked her to do anything unreasonable.
“I’m sorry I asked you to stay late yesterday,” I began.
“It’s fine,” she replied.
“That may happen occasionally.”
“I understand.”
Since the old business was concluded, I moved straight on to the new business. “What’s on the schedule for today?”
“You have several meetings,” she said before checking her note pad. “A one o’clock with Mr. Clark from footwear, a three o’clock with the sales team in Italy and a five o’clock with your mother.”
“She made an appointment?” I asked.
“Apparently,” Ava replied. “I may have let it slip that your father was in here yesterday.”
“Oh.”
“She insisted on alerting you that she was coming.”
“She doesn’t have to wait until five.”
“She had some appointments herself.” Ava lowered her chin to take a bite of her croissant and I saw a flash of cleavage underneath her shirt.
There was something else on her shoulder, a bright red patch of skin. I wondered if it was a birthmark or maybe a tattoo that had been removed. Either way, it wasn’t any of my business. I diverted my eyes before I got caught.
“Do you think I should just toss them out?” I asked suddenly. Forget waiting for my lunch with Peter, I could unload a little bit of my anxiety on Ava. After everything I had given her, I felt like she owed me a sympathetic ear.
“Who? Your parents?”
“Yeah, both of them.”
Ava smiled and I saw that with that one question she forgave me all my sins. “You’re in a tight spot. Not that I know anything about it. But all along your parents were in charge, not just of you but of everyone around you. Now that’s changed and I don’t think they realize it.”
“Maybe I need to help them realize it,” I suggested.
“I guess you could talk to them.”
“Maybeyoushould talk to them,” I shot back, waiting to see how she would react.
