Chapter 51
Chapter Fifty-One
Hunter
“ G ood morning, Sir.”
It was absolutely normal for me to be woken up every morning by 6:45 AM with her texts. In this way, which also contained a breakdown of the day's tasks, I would get up and have the time to head to the gym before heading into the office. She had always adjusted this from the beginning when I had expressed a passion that I would like to find the time to head to the gym more. And these were the little things that had made her invaluable to me.
I sighed as I stared at her desk because I most definitely had a very tough day ahead and I couldn't help but feel somewhat nervous about it because she wouldn’t be there to filter all the bullshit away. I truly couldn't believe that she was no longer my secretary.
“Is it okay that I’m messaging you this way? I didn’t want to be rude. And so early too. I’m sorry, I just wanted to catch you before you headed into the office.”
I picked up my phone and replied.
“You don’t have to call me Sir anymore or be so polite. I’m not your boss anymore.”
“Oh, alright,” she added a smiley.
“What is it?” I assumed.
“I’m really worried about just quitting. There are a lot of systems that I had put in place that you're used to, and even though I know I will be easy to replace, I would really like to work with my replacement even if it's remotely for a little while so that you don’t feel the change.”
This was exactly what I wanted as well. More preferably, I would have liked if she had never left, but there was something about her decision that showed how much I didn’t truly like it but brought me a kind of peace that I couldn't explain. I truly was fine with it.
Still, I gave this a little bit more thought and decided to set my pride aside.
“I'll approve it,” I said. “You can contact Derek and you two can facilitate it.”
“Actually... I would like it if this was just between us. I didn’t really want to liaise with your staff. As you said, you're no longer my boss, so consider this as a favor being done from one friend to another?”
I saw her message and for a moment I wondered if she was actually the one that I was texting so early in the morning. I checked her phone number to confirm she was the one and wondered how I felt about this approach. Eventually, as I threw the cover aside, I decided that I liked it.
“Alright. We should meet then,” I said. “We can have lunch and talk about how this will work. I'll bring whoever my new secretary is.”
“I’d love this, Sir, thank you,” she said, and I couldn't help but be amused.
“Sir?”
“I mean Hunter. I’d like that, Hunter.”
“Alright. See you at lunch, Madison,” I replied and set the phone down.
I thought over the entire exchange even as I headed to the gym to get a quick workout in. About an hour later, as I was heading back to my apartment to shower, I decided that I liked this. The day ahead was going to be bloody, but thanks to her, I felt a bit better. I headed in then and was made aware that all the executives had come in early, as I had announced and informed them. I had no interest whatsoever in succumbing to Levi’s blackmail demands, so they would have a field day consoling shareholders and generally handling whatever wind the news of the data breach blew our way.
I was ready, and as soon as I headed in and found the male secretary waiting to replace Madison, I was both sad and relieved at the same time. After informing him of the lunch, which I wasn’t going to miss no matter what, I sat at my desk and immediately got started with work. My phone rang several times with Levi trying to reach me in complete disbelief that I hadn’t succumbed. It made me feel even better, and so when later in the afternoon, the report was published, I brushed it off and joined the rest of the staff in damage control mode.
The worst of it was handled by lunchtime and I was just in time.
Before I left, however, I received a text message from her.
“It will be okay if you cannot make our lunch. I know you’re upset, having a hard day.”
I knew just how worried and remorseful she would feel, and it made me want to see her even more. So, I brushed away her concern.
“I’m fine, see you soon,” I said, and the call came to an end.