“Are you on the phone with your friend?” I hear a voice. The tone is severe, cold…Henry.
“What do you need, Henry?” she asks annoyed.
“Tell Sophia that I’ve been calling her for the past five minutes and she’s not answering the fucking phone,” he claims.
When I look at my missed calls his name isn’t there.
“Tell him that I don’t have any missed calls,” I protest.
“Here, Henry,” she says, and I close my eyes taking a long breath. “You can tell each other whatever you want—I miss you is valid too. Just make sure to give me my phone back.”
“Ms. Aragon,” he barks my name. “You haven’t emailed me the monthly report.”
“I wonder why that is?” I answer sarcastically. “My guess is because you asked for them last night. It’s just nine in the morning—I’ll have them ready by tomorrow, as usual.”
“Your schedule for tomorrow is packed,” he protests.
I check my calendar, and it is blocked but there’s no description. “Well, it seems like I have a free day. Lucky me!”
There’s a knock on the door. Karl Morrell, the vice president of operations, pushes it open without waiting for me to tell him he can enter.
“You can wait outside,” I say. “I’m on a call.”
He tilts his head and frowns. “Ms. Aragon, I don’t know how Mr. Aldridge handles his assistants, but I don’t want to ever see you sitting on my chair.”
Surely this guy is mistaken.
“Mr. Morrell,” I say calmly. “Your office is at the end of the hallway. This is Mr. Aldridge’s office.”
“Sophia,” Henry calls me.
“Yes?” I ask, glaring at Morrell.
“I need you to send a memo to the company. Karl Morrell is going to be the interim CEO.”
“What do you mean?” I squeak as anger overtakes my mood.
“I mean what I said. He’s taking my place while I’m in Baker’s Creek.”
“But—”
“Just send the memo, Sophia. I suggest you check your email,” he quips and hangs up the phone.
Morrell gives me a triumphant grin and says, “Let’s get a few things down before we start working. I don’t appreciate you being in my office. I expect to have my cup of coffee at seven in the morning—black with two sugars. I don’t understand Henry’s assistant system, but I’ll be testing all of you and keeping just the one I feel fits best to my needs. For now, go to your desk.”
“Really?” I ask, crossing my arms. “You think I’m the coffee girl?”
“You are here to do what I say, not what you please. If I want you to fetch my lunch, my dry cleaning, or my coffee, you’ll do it. In fact, you’ll say, ‘Yes, sir,’ like a good girl. Do we understand each other?” I smile and nod politely. Once I’m out of the room, I call Henry.
“Why him?” I ask, hurt, and angry. “I know the company better than anyone under you.”
“What’s the question again?” he asks, aloof.
“You don’t need an interim CEO. You have me,” I explain. “From everyone you could’ve chosen, you picked him. I deserved to be sitting on that chair.” I take a deep breath.
“Not him!” I yell, and my four assistants all turn to look at me. “Were you aware he’s going to test us all to see who he gets to keep my job? Also, I need to fetch his fucking coffee and call him, sir. Like a good girl.”
“Ms. Aragon,” Morrell comes out of the office. “I don’t appreciate your temper tantrum. This is your only warning. Next time, I’ll send you to the mailroom. That goes for all of you.”
“I quit,” I declare. “Henry Lloyd Merkel Aldridge, you better make sure that my employees are moved to another department, or I swear I’ll find a way to—”
“Ms. Aragon,” he interrupts me. “Get me the report today. You have a lot to pack. Your itinerary for tomorrow should be in your inbox.”
“What do you mean?” I am aggravated by everything that he’s dumping on me.
Is this because of what happened on Saturday?
“I don’t like to repeat myself. If you must work from home today go ahead, just make sure that you’re available and that you send me the report. I hate to track you.” He hangs up and Morrell’s smirk is upsetting me more.
Asshole. We’ll see who wins. If I’m leaving, he is leaving too. It’s hard to save my employees if I don’t work for this forsaken company anymore.
“What happened?” Tabby, one of my assistants, asks concerned.
“You might be working for Morrell,” I answer with a hint of annoyance.
They don’t talk to me unless they need something. Right now, I bet the four are going to become my best friends because no one wants to work with this pig. Before I can do anything, I check my email. Henry sent it just a few minutes ago. There’s a schedule, a request to send a memo about Morell, and instructions on what I need to pack from his Brownstone. Seriously, why does he need to have his suits with him? No one will say anything if he just wears a fucking pair of jeans and a T-shirt.
When I open the itinerary, I want to puke, and it definitely has nothing to do with morning sickness. There’s a new credit card arriving today at my penthouse. The movers arrive at my house tomorrow at seven in the morning. They’re packing my stuff. He booked a jet that’ll be leaving as early as eleven in the morning. The sooner I am at the airport the better. He’ll be waiting for me in Portland to fly me home. Fucking home is here, in Manhattan.
“He’s got to be fucking kidding me.”
Sophia: I’m not moving to Baker’s Creek.
Henry: It’s not optional. I’m pretty sure I warned you from the beginning. If I had to move, you’d be moving with me.
Sophia: My assistants are not working for that pig. You shouldn’t have that misogynist as your interim CEO.
Henry: That’s news to me. I can’t train anyone new, and he’s the best candidate.
I started to type out, I AM THE BEST CANDIDATE, ASSHOLE.
Of course, I delete the words because I’m sure he’ll fire me or worse, he’ll make me work for the pig.
Sophia: Why do you need an interim CEO when you can run the company from Baker’s Creek. That’s why it’s important that I stay in New York.
Henry: I need you here. Haven’t you seen the mess I’m trying to fix?
I read the text twice and answer.
Sophia: Obviously I’m not important enough since you don’t need me in the multi-million-dollar corporation. Why would you need me to move to a town like Baker’s Creek?
Henry: I need to oversee Aldridge Enterprises, Merkel, The Lodge, and the two towns.
Sophia: You forgot to add the factory.
Henry: Aldry’s Sweets is your project. Another reason why you should be here.
Sophia: We have a strong team. There’s no reason to have a puppet warming your chair while you’re away.
Henry: What is the deal with Morrell?
Sophia: He doesn’t treat his employees right.
Henry: Why haven’t you brought this to my attention before?