“Thank you, Mr.Lopez.See you at lunch?”I ask.
He shakes his head.
“I came in early, so I’ll be off before then,” he says.
“Ah.Tomorrow morning, then,” I respond.
He gives a lazy salute as the doors close.
My phone buzzes in my pocket.I ignore it until after I set everything onto my desk and drop into my chair.
Already my feet throb and pain pulses in my head, but I find the coffee with my name on it and take a drink.It scalds my tongue and burns all the way to my stomach, but the sugar and caffeine revive me.
I enjoy a few more punishing gulps of coffee before checking my phone.
My mother’s transport made it to the halfway point.The report shows her vitals are stable and stress levels seem normal.
Other notifications pop onto my screen in quick succession.I check the time and sigh even though I expect the influx of messages as the business world stirs.
The morning continues its normal routine.I spend more time on my feet than at my desk, but with just as much sugar in my veins as caffeine, I don’t mind the activity.
When the interim CEO, Edgar Williams, finally strides off the elevator an hour and a half after the workday began, I grab his printed itinerary from my desk—but not his coffee since it’s room temperature now—and greet him at the double doors to the CEO’s corner office.
I stand my ground with my shoulders back despite the fear curdling my insides as he stomps toward me.
He smiles and purposefully brushes my hand as he takes the papers from me.I grit my teeth and note his happier-than-normal attitude.
With barely a glance at the itinerary, he nods and meets my eyes.
“I like this formatting a lot better than the last one,” he says.
I swallow my annoyance.He’s the only boss I’ve had in the last eight years who’s demanded a daily printed schedule, but I comfort myself with the knowledge he’s only holding the CEO position temporarily.
“Where’s my coffee?”he asks.
“I’ll make a fresh cup,” I say.
Without warning, he reaches out and adjusts my collar.Terror roots me to the spot.My heart stalls before galloping out of control.Ice travels down my spine.I curl my fingers around my tablet and breathe through my nose so I don’t vomit as he skims his fingers along my throat.
“Use the machine in my office,” he says.
His suggestive tone curdles my insides.I launch into our morning tasks, hoping to ruin his mood and bury the moment under work.
“Of course, sir.I placed the paperwork that requires your signatures in the center of your desk and the new requests from the department heads on the corner, as you instructed.”
When he grimaces and drops his hand, I hide my relief behind my professional mask and prop the door to his office open as I follow him inside.He tosses his briefcase onto the couch and settles at the ostentatious desk—that I cleaned and organized after he left it a complete disaster Friday evening—before wiggling the computer mouse.The monitor wakes and reveals his lock screen.
I ignore his scowl and start the single-cup coffee maker.
“Aren’t you supposed to sort through the weekend emails in my inbox before I arrive?”he grumbles.
“Yes, sir.I starred all the important messages, deleted the unimportant ones, and reported the spam.”Two hours ago, I tack on silently.
In business mode, CEO Williams forgets I’m a human being as he shirks most of his responsibilities onto my shoulders.I don’t mind the arrangement, since he’s holding the position temporarily and keeps our focus on company matters.Throughout the rest of the morning, he never lifts his butt from the office chair.I keep the desk between us and the door open.
Thirty minutes before lunch break, the phone on my desk rings.I answer and coordinate lunch plans between CEO Williams and the Director of the Board with his executive assistant.
Interim CEO Williams leaves with an extra bounce in his step.I tidy and prep his workspace for the busy afternoon before resetting my desk and eating a quick bite in the break room.Ever since I started working on the executive floor and received a company card, I’ve kept the kitchen stocked with quick and easy meals and snacks.The city may never sleep, but when I’m the only worker in the office, the last thing I want is to order delivery and bother the security guards downstairs, and the previous CEO approved of the purchases, so I continue restocking even though leadership changed.
