“Has it made it to the board?” I asked, interrupting Melissa’s pacing.
She sighed and collapsed into the chair next to Rome. “Yep,” she answered. “It made it to them, and your dad is spinning quite the story about it as well.”
My head fell into my hands. “Shit,” I murmured. “What is he saying now?”
“The same thing the media is,” Melissa explained. “That Rome is impulsive and a bad influence. He’s even saying that the increased publicity from your relationship with Rome is why you were taken.”
“How does that even make sense?” I complained.
She shrugged, “It doesn’t, but it also doesn’t need to. Your dad is looking for weaknesses with the board's perception. There are rumors now that Rome is distracting you from your work, and some claim you weren’t even injured. That you just wanted a vacation away with your boyfriend. According to them, it was all faked as a grand scheme to earn you sympathy, and a chance to jet off on vacation. Luckily, those theories make up the minority.”
I looked between Melissa and Rome. “What do we do?”
“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Rome finally spoke, sounding dejected. His shoulders were slumped, and his hair was mussed from the many times he had run his fingers through it.
Melissa swallowed hard and nodded, “Yeah. It’s our only option at this point if we want to salvage this.”
“It’s not obvious because I have no idea what either of you is getting at,” I exclaimed. “What is this solution the two of you have?”
“We break up,” Rome stated, and my heart dropped into my stomach.
“What?” I asked, my voice breaking, and tears beginning to form.
He must have felt my desperation. “Not for real,” he said quickly while taking my hand across the desk. “Obviously not forreal. I just mean we have to do the same thing we did when this all started. Lie to the media… tell them we did.”
Melissa looked between the two of us, the truth dawning on her in that moment, “Oh my God,” she mumbled. “You two are actually together now?”
We both nodded simultaneously, as he let go of my hand and leaned back into his chair.
She sighed, “I should have seen this coming. Well… having you two break up, at least for the public, is your best bet here.”
“Okay,” Rome answered at the same time I said, "Absolutely not.”
Rome looked at me, confused. “Being with me puts your job at risk. You need to do this to get them back on your side. Isn’t that the entire reason we ended up together in the first place? Convince the board?”
“I don’t give a shit what the board thinks,” I argued. “You know what? If the record numbers I am pulling aren’t enough to convince them to keep me on as CEO, then fuck them!”
Melissa stared at me in surprise, and Rome smirked.
“What about all the work we put into getting them on your side?” Melissa asked. “I have spent the better part of the last couple of months spinning stories to win them over. You want all that work to go to waste?”
“First, you did an incredible job,” I explained. “Remarkable, even. But it was a job that shouldn’t have to be done. You should be able to focus on the company's PR, not my personal issues.” I sighed and leaned back in my chair. “From here on out, we ignore the board. Melissa, you focus on putting out the truth of my leadership. Push the numbers… explain the growth. I’ll do my job, and I’ll do my damned best at it.”
“What happens if they remove you at the end of your probationary period?” Melissa asked.
I smiled. “Well, Bly Enterprises will have to find new leadership, and I’ll start my own company. Any chance you’ll come with me?”
Melissa smiled widely, “Obviously. I only work here because of you. Half of the staff work here solely because of you. If you leave, Bly Enterprises will have a mass exodus on their hands.”
“They’re really here for me?” I asked in surprise.
Melissa looked at me as if that was obvious. Was I truly this oblivious?
“Bec,” she began, “the board may be blind to your incredible work, but your staff? We see it. We’ve seen the hours you put in, the changes you have made, specifically the changes to make our lives easier. We know you took a pay cut and funneled the additional funds to better our benefits. We watched you as CFO for years when you were practically running the company for your father, and again over this last year. We’re here not because we believe in Bly Enterprises, but because we believe inyou.If the board removes you… this company is screwed on every front.”
I let the pride wash over me. For so long, I had worked with the focus to prove my father wrong. It seems I had missed all of the people I had proved right in the process. I turned to Rome, “What do you think?”
He smirked… that same look that used to drive me crazy, but now sent butterflies to my stomach. “I think you’re hot when you talk business.”