“I meantpaperwork,” she counters with a smile. “We need to head to HR and make this official before we get in trouble.”
I can’t believe that I was convinced she would blow up at me for what happened minutes ago, but here she is, suggesting we use my mistake to take this even further. Once HR knows, there’s no going back. We’ll be scrutinized and put under a microscope, and as someone who values his private life, I’m not looking forward to that. But there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her, so I nod.
“Alright, let’s make this official, Walker.”
My hand itches to rest on her back as we walk together to the HR department, but I hold back. Only a few more minutes and we’ll be allowed mild public displays of affection. My heart’s in my throat as I knock on Karen’s door, which isn’t something I’m used to. I’m the boss. I shouldn’t be so stressed about what we’re about to do.
I open the door when Karen invites us in, and I ask, “Do you have a minute?”
She looks at me, then Andrea, and nods. “Sure. Is everything okay?”
We step in and sit in the chairs in front of her desk. “Andrea and I have been seeing each other, and as per the company’s policy, we’d like to disclose it to HR.”
The utter shock on her face is a glimpse of what we can expect from everyone else at Kelex. What we’re doing isn’t unheard of, but it’s rare enough to cause surprise and questions.
“You two are dating?” she asks, to be sure.
“Yes. And it’s getting serious, so we want to make it official with you.”
She takes a moment to gather herself and figure out how to proceed. I glance at Andrea, who looks even more nervous than I feel.
“I’ll print out the form, but first things first—can you both confirm that this relationship is entirely consensual?”
We confirm it without hesitation, and she follows up, “When did it start?”
“A couple of weeks after we bought Andrea’s app.”
Her jaw slackens. “That wasmonthsago.”
Andrea chimes in, “We had a fling for, like, a month, but it ended. Then, with the Seoul trip and everything, the flame reignited. We want to do it right this time, which is why we’re here.”
Karen presses her hands to her temples and stares at her desk for a moment. “My God, you two just went to Seoul together,” she recalls. “You’re making this very complicated, you know.”
“I had nothing to do with Andrea accompanying me to Korea,” I explain. “It was Kevin’s decision to have her replace him, as she was one of the best-suited employees for the role. Her performance with the executives at Injin Electronics speaks for itself. And since her app is the reason we got the deal with them in the first place, we can all agree she wasn’t there out of favoritism.”
“Alright. It’s good that we have it on record that Kevin initiated that. It’s also good that it started after Kelex bought your app, Andrea. We might still do an internal review to keep everything transparent—just in case.”
“I made sure Kevin handled the acquisition since he was more impartial than I was,” I add.
She frowns slightly. “So, did things start before the sale?”
“No, but conflicting feelings were growing on my side, so I determined the app’s worth and then took a step back.”
“I see… That was smart.”
A couple of minutes later, Karen has printed out three copies of the consensual relationship agreement. As Andrea and I fill them out, she asks a few more questions.
“Andrea, has Alexander ever used his position of authority to coerce or pressure you into this relationship?”
“No, not at all. I quickly realized I could get a promotion out of it,” Andrea quips.
Karen almost gasps, unfamiliar with Andrea’s unique brand of humor. “Andrea,” I mutter through gritted teeth.
“Sorry, sorry—that was a joke,” she quickly apologizes. “I was the one who initiated everything.”
Karen sighs and turns to me. “Alexander, has Andrea ever used any leverage to coerce or pressure you into this relationship?”
“No. Everything has been genuine and consensual from the start,” I explain, then turn to Andrea and whisper, “See how it’s done?”
