30. She Works Hard for the Money #2
The office started to look less and less like a construction zone.
The AV rooms were done, their extra security panels installed and tested.
All the new workstations had been built, new chairs still wrapped in plastic waiting for a new hire to start.
The new, larger conference room was nearing completion - just waiting on the new TVs to be mounted, the audio and video systems, connected.
Cassie and Alex had fallen into an easy rhythm.
They still played hockey twice a week, Saturdays and Tuesdays, and though their teams hadn’t faced off again just yet, they often stayed to watch each other’s games.
It had become a quiet tradition: one of them always in the stands, hoodie pulled up, yelling louder than necessary when the other made a good play.
Weekends brought movie nights, occasional brunches, rink time, or conversations over coffee that stretched long past the empty mugs. Alex and Cassie were…something. Just not something with a label.
Kellan, for one, was ready to explode. They cornered Alex in their office, flopping into the chair across from them and letting out a long, theatrical sigh. “Okay. Riddle me this. Are you dating Cassie yet, or are you two just emotionally married with shared custody of the office Ficus?”
Alex glanced up from their laptop, a touch pink in the cheeks. “We hang out.”
“Hang out? Dude. Come on. I’ve seen less explosive chemistry in a high school science lab.”
Alex gave them a sheepish smile. “We’ve gone to the movies. We grab food. We’ve been spending a lot of time together. But… we haven’t kissed or anything.”
Kellan threw their hands in the air. “What are you waiting for? A note passed in homeroom that says, ‘Do you like me? Yes or no? Don’t circle or.”
Alex chuckled. “I’m waiting for her to make a move. I don’t want to cross any lines. She’s been through a lot. And I don’t want her to feel like I’m trying to—”
“Manipulate her? Be her boss and her crush? Yeah, yeah, I get it. You’re being a noble idiot,” Kellan said, waving a hand. “But here’s the kicker… I asked her the same thing last week, and she’s waiting on you to make a move.”
Alex blinked. “Wait. Seriously?”
Kellan stood up, pointing dramatically. “You two are the human embodiment of a slow burn. It’s beautiful. It’s agonizing. It’s infuriating. You’re slowly driving a stake into the hearts of hopeless romantics everywhere.”
They started pacing. “Alright, I’m going to fix this. I don’t know how yet, but I’m going full matchmaker. Candles, mood lighting… oooh, a playlist. Cassie loves a great playlist! What’s your slow-dance song of choice?”
But before Kellan could spiral into scheming mode, Cassie appeared at Alex’s office door, brows furrowed .
“Hey, do you have a second?”
Alex straightened, instantly serious. “Yeah, of course. What’s up?”
Cassie stepped inside, hesitating for just a beat before closing the door. “I got my paycheck this morning.”
“That’s great,” Alex said, smiling. “First one with the new raise, right?”
Cassie’s jaw tightened, her arms crossed protectively in front of her. “That’s the thing. It’s not there. Same paycheck as before. No raise.”
Alex’s expression dropped. “Wait, what?”
“I triple-checked,” Cassie said. “It’s not in there. I thought it was supposed to be retroactive to the day of the pitch. That’s what Leah said.”
“It was,” Alex said quickly. “She confirmed it. I wouldn’t have said anything to you otherwise. I swear, I thought it was a done deal.”
Kellan, still lingering in the doorway, looked between them. “Want me to go punch a payroll printer?”
Cassie huffed a small laugh, but her arms were still crossed. “I just want to know what’s going on. It’s not your fault, Alex. I know that. But if Leah promised it, and it’s not in there…”
Alex stood, stepping purposely toward the door. “We’re going to find out. Now.”
Kellan stepped aside. “Should I bring popcorn?” they asked.
Alex didn’t stop walking. “Only if it’s got extra butter.”
Leah looked up from her monitor as a sharp knock landed on her office door. She didn’t even have time to say come in before Alex opened it, with Cassie right behind them. Kellan followed, arms folded and face solemn, like someone about to perform a eulogy… or a roast.
“Is something wrong?” Leah asked, already reading the tension in the air .
Cassie stepped forward. “I got my paycheck this morning. The raise wasn’t there.”
“What? I sent all the paperwork to HR and Eddie. I… hold on.” She started rifling through her inbox. “Sharpe Media still handles our payroll. I emailed the completed paperwork to Eddie and CC’d HR. All he had to do was forward it to the clerk.”
Alex stepped forward. “Can you check when you sent it?”
“Yeah, yeah. Just let me…,” Leah said, eyes scanning rapidly. “Here it is… I emailed Eddie, CC’d HR. Salary change, title confirmation, back pay. Sent the same day the contract was signed.” She clicked into another message. “I followed up a week later… Eddie confirmed he had sent it on.”
Alex’s jaw was already tightening. “Let’s go ask Eddie.”
The four of them approached Eddie’s assistant, who sat stiffly behind her desk, fingers frozen above her keyboard like she wasn’t sure whether to keep typing or run.
“Is he in?” Alex asked, their voice sharp.
The assistant flinched at the question, eyes darting to the closed office door. “He’s… uh… in a meeting.”
Alex narrowed their eyes. “With who?”
The assistant’s voice dropped, barely above a whisper. “Robert. Um… Mr. Sharpe.”
Kellan let out a low whistle, eyes widening. “Oh, this is going to be good.”
That was all Alex needed to hear. They didn’t wait for permission. No pause, no knock. They pushed open the office door and walked in. Cassie, Kellan, and Leah followed close behind, the four of them stepping into the office united.
Eddie stood behind his desk, red-faced and flustered. Across from him stood Robert Sharpe, perfectly composed in a tailored gray suit, his hands folded behind his back. His expression was unreadable, but the air in the room shifted the moment they entered.
“Ah,” Robert said, turning at the sound of the door. His voice was calm, almost amused. “Kimberly.”
Alex didn’t acknowledge the use of the wrong name. They didn’t flinch—didn’t blink. They kept their gaze locked on Eddie. “Cassie’s raise didn’t go through,” they said, every syllable clipped and cold. “We’re here to find out why.”
Eddie looked up, startled. “What? I signed off on everything weeks ago.”
“But someone stopped it,” Alex replied, their tone like ice. “So I’m guessing it was him.” They didn’t bother gesturing. They didn’t need to.
Robert’s face remained neutral. “This agency is under Sharpe Media’s umbrella. I have final say.”
“Not on the agency side, you don’t,” Eddie said sharply, stepping out from behind his desk. “That was our deal. You got your media empire. You wanted my name off the logo and in exchange, I got autonomy. And I’ve run this place for thirty years… without interference.”
Robert turned to face him fully, calm but firm. “Until now. You knowingly went against my direction.”
“Because your direction was wrong,” Eddie snapped. “Cassie earned that promotion. And the expansion was the right move. We landed a major client and several of our existing clients are consolidating their campaigns with us.”
“Which I found out from someone else,” Robert countered. “You kept it from me.”
“You told me not to approve it,” Eddie shot back. “I knew Frank was using your friendship to block the expansion before because he didn’t want it—didn’t want the extra responsibility. But this team,” he said, pointing at the four of them. “ This team—they do want it. I believe in this team.”
Alex stepped forward then, sliding between them, their voice quieter than the others, but sharper. “I told you I was prepared to quit over this. That I wouldn’t stay in a role I got under false pretenses.”
Robert turned toward them slowly, a flicker of surprise passing over his face. “No, you didn’t.”
Eddie’s face shifted, guilt creeping in. “That’s on me. I didn’t tell him. You seemed to be moving forward to a better place, and I didn’t want to risk it by stirring that up again. I thought once the expansion worked out—”
Alex’s brows knit together. They looked between the two men, eyes narrowing. “You didn’t tell him?”
“No,” Eddie admitted. “I made the call. Like I was supposed to.”
Alex inhaled sharply, then squared their shoulders. “Then let me make mine,” they said, voice steel-edged. They turned fully to their father. “If this isn’t fixed, I walk. This time, it won’t just be talk.”
Robert’s face didn’t change. He held Alex’s gaze for a long, quiet beat… longer than was comfortable. Then, slowly, he turned back to Eddie.
Eddie looked at Alex, then each of the others in turn. “Give us a minute,” he said, his voice lower now, tempered.
Alex hesitated.
Eddie softened, just a bit. “Trust me.”
Cassie placed a hand lightly on Alex’s arm, grounding them with a touch. Without a word, she guided them out of the office. Kellan and Leah followed, Kellan’s eyes wide and alight like they were watching the season finale of Ink Master .
They didn’t go far… just to the end of the hall, far enough to be out of earshot but close enough to keep watch. The office door clicked shut behind them.
Kellan leaned against the wall with a dramatic exhale. “This is, without a doubt, the most intense HR subplot I’ve ever witnessed.”
Cassie let out a soft snort, but it lacked her usual humor.
Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest, eyes fixed on the office door.
Alex stood beside her, unmoving, jaw clenched and hands fisted at their sides.
They were vibrating with the kind of fury that came from years of swallowing it down.
They waited. And then they waited some more.
***
Thirty minutes later, the door opened. Robert Sharpe walked out, his face a blank mask. He didn’t say a word to the group, just a stiff nod before disappearing down the hall toward the elevator.
Eddie appeared in the doorway a moment later. He spotted them down the hall and waved them over. “It’s fixed,” he said as they approached. “Payroll’s messengering a check by the end of the day.”
Cassie exhaled. “Back pay?”
“Plus a bonus,” Eddie said, looking directly at her. “For initiative, results, and dealing with this ridiculous situation with more patience than I would’ve had.”
Cassie blinked. “Thank you.”
He turned to Alex. “You didn’t need to threaten to quit again. You’ve already proven yourself. And for what it’s worth... I think when I do retire… not today, probably not even next year, but eventually, I know I’ll be leaving this place in good hands. ”
Alex looked taken aback for a beat, then nodded. “Thank you. I won’t let you down.”
“I have no doubts.” Eddie smiled. “And with that, I’m going to wish all of you a great weekend,” he said, heading back into his office and closing the door with a soft click.
Kellan nudged Cassie. “So… drinks to celebrate? Or passive-aggressive cupcakes?”
Cassie smirked. “Can’t it be both?”
Leah laughed at that. “You definitely deserve both. Enjoy your weekend everyone,” she said, turning and heading down the hall to her office.
“Kellan, do you mind taking care of those? I want to talk to Alex for a second.” Cassie stopped at the doorway of the conference room, reaching out to lightly grasp Alex’s arm, guiding them into the vacant space.
Kellan’s eyes bulged, darting between Cassie and Alex like they were trying to do math without a calculator. “Sure… if you’re sure. Are you sure? Because this has the energy of an HR violation or a love confession, and I honestly don’t know which one I’m rooting for.”
Cassie chuckled. “I’m sure. We’ll be right behind you. Promise.”
Kellan put a finger to their lips. “Copy that. I’ll be discreet. Like, spy-level discreet. Zero gossip. Absolute vault.” They paused. “But oh my God, the tension .”
“Kellan! It’s a quick chat,” Cassie said, shaking her head as she shooed them away.
Cassie leaned against the door as it clicked shut behind her, the quiet settling around them.
Alex looked at her, brows lifted. “Everything okay?”
Cassie nodded, her expression sobering. “Yeah. I just… wanted to ask you something. About when you threatened to quit,” Cassie said, vo ice soft. “That’s how you got Eddie to okay the pitch isn’t it? You threatened to quit back then too.”
Alex’s gaze didn’t waver. “I did.”
Cassie took a step closer. “Why would you do that? You said yourself you don’t take money from your family… no trust fund, nothing waiting for you if you walk. If you quit, that’s your entire income gone.”
Alex gave a small, humorless smile. “Yeah. I know.”
“That would have been…” Her voice cracked slightly. “A huge sacrifice.”
Alex looked down for a beat, then back up. “I couldn’t let him steamroll the work we’ve all been killing ourselves for. And maybe some of it was pride… but I had to show him I was willing to stand by what I believe in. Even if it cost me.”
Cassie’s throat tightened. “But that could’ve cost everything . You were willing to walk away from all of this. From everything you built. From us .”
Alex’s eyes softened. “I didn’t want to. But I don’t think he’s ever truly believed me… believed in me before. If I let him win… I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself.”
Cassie didn’t speak right away. She just reached out, taking Alex’s hand… a physical connection to ground them both. “I don’t think I got it before… how important it was for you to make it on your own. Not really. Not until now.”
Alex’s fingers curled around hers, steady and warm. “Now you do.”
“I do,” she whispered. “Not because you threatened to quit, but because you were ready to lose everything to do what was right.”
“I would’ve walked away from the job if I had to.” Alex’s breath hitched, and for a moment, their voice was almost too soft to hear. “B-but I wouldn’t have walked away from you. ”
Cassie blinked, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. “You didn’t. Even when I made it hard.”
Alex smiled, a little crooked, a little tender. “You’re worth hard.”
Cassie let out a soft laugh, brushing at her eyes with the back of her hand. “Okay, I told Kellan this was just going to be a quick chat and now I’m crying in a conference room. That means it’s time to leave.”
Alex chuckled, thumb brushing along the edge of her fingers before they let go. “Cupcakes?”
“And drinks,” she said, tugging the door open with a small, grateful smile. “We earned both.”
Alex followed her into the hallway, the weight of the moment still lingering—but lighter now, wrapped in something solid. Something real.