Chapter Nine Gemma
Chapter Nine
Gemma
It’s half seven and I’m freezing my tits off.
“Just the usual this morning?” Lance asks.
“Better make it extra strong, thanks.”
It’s safe to say my mind kept me awake all night.
“Oh dear. Do I want to know?” Lance asks, plucking a to-go cup from the packet sleeve and getting to work on my coffee.
“I sort of screwed up at work yesterday,” I start. “The CEO caught wind of it, and he’s pissed. I have a meeting with him this morning.”
I set my alarm extra early this morning, determined to get into the office with enough time to meet with Henry before we face the music with Chadwick.
Our CEO is the type of man who doesn’t hesitate to lose his shit at someone for breathing too loudly in a client meeting, and after yesterday’s clusterfuck, I’m pretty sure I’m about to get a proper bollocking.
I’ve never been called to his office before.
He usually speaks directly with Henry. I’ve only ever communicated with him in board meetings, and to say he’s scary would be an understatement.
This man is ruthless.
He might be a total dinosaur, but when it comes to business, he’s sharp as a tack. He’s built this place from the ground up, so he doesn’t tolerate anyone or anything that might jeopardize Prestige’s reputation.
He expects nothing less than perfection. So let’s just say, yesterday’s button and bra setbacks don’t bode well.
Now everyone knows Victoria’s Secret.
“I’m sure he’ll be sympathetic when you explain,” Lance says, adding an extra shot to my cup.
“Lance, I’m not sure whether you’ve met a CEO, but sometimes they have a reputation of being a bit of a twat. Mine lives up to that reputation,” I say.
He barks out a laugh. “Aye, lass. I’ve served plenty of them in my years. But they’re not all bad.”
“Hmm.” I hum skeptically. “Well, this one makes Gordon Ramsay look like a teddy bear.”
“What did you do?” he asks.
I explain the situation and Lance’s eyes widen before he starts chuckling. “Oh, lass. That’s quite the story.”
“It’s not funny!” I protest, even though I’m fighting my own smile.
“Well, at least you’ll be memorable,” he says, passing me my latte and Danish. “They can’t say you’re a bore.”
“Thanks for the pep talk,” I say dryly, accepting my breakfast. “If you don’t see me tomorrow morning, I’ve been fired.” I raise my coffee in a toast. “It’s been great knowing you.” I turn to walk away.
“Not so fast, you little shite.” He nods to his EFTPOS machine. “Thirteen pounds.”
I pause, shivering, whipping out my phone to pay. “Ugh, don’t say it out loud. I might have an aneurysm.”
“You and me both,” he says, his eyes sad.
Shit. How could I be so thoughtless? This man is literally fighting to keep his business alive.
We usually have our light-hearted morning banter, but this time, when Lance returns my smile, the usual twinkle in his eyes has dimmed, and it breaks my heart.
He’s right—I’m once again the only customer at his kiosk this morning.
When I first started at Prestige Partners, I’d arrive five minutes early just to get in the queue.
The morning rush has completely dried up.
He starts wiping down the already clean counter. “You’re a good lass, Gemma. Don’t let that fancy CEO tell you otherwise today.”
The corner of my mouth tilts up in a small smile.
“Now off with you.” He waves a hand. “You have better places to be than chatting with an old fool in the cold.”
“Never,” I say firmly, and I mean it.
The elevator doors slide open, and I’m immediately met with the sight of Louise and Theo whispering in the kitchenette. Rolling my eyes, I step toward my office, hoping to slip by unnoticed—tall order considering my figure-hugging skirt suit and stilettos.
Henry emerges from a poky corridor, cutting off my escape.
“Good morning,” he says.
“Is it?” I reply.
“Oh, Gemma,” Louise calls out, her voice like nails on a chalkboard. “I barely recognized you without blood on your face.”
Theo snickers beside her.
Henry arches a brow, but I exhale slowly before acknowledging her.
“If you’re here, Louise, then who’s running hell?”
She crosses her arms, popping her hip. “Funny, coming from someone who’s about to have their arse handed to them by the CEO.”
I narrow my eyes. How the hell did she find out?
“You do realize Henry and I still got the job over you, right?” I say, tilting my head.
“For now,” she quips, lifting her chin.
I flip her the bird before grabbing Henry by the elbow and hauling him into my office.
Once inside, I slam the door, drop my bag onto the nearest chair, and let out a sharp huff.
“God, she’s a bitch. I’m half-tempted to march back out there and shove my stiletto up her arse.”
“Ignore her,” he shrugs. “She’s got nothing better to do than piss you off.”
I drag a hand through my hair. “Well, it’s bloody working.”
“Relax. Focus on the meeting.”
He’s right. I have no idea what the CEO is going to say, but I need to center myself.
I keep referring to him as The CEO because, honestly, calling someone with enough money to buy a small country Chadwick Cashman feels like an insult to my intelligence.
He sounds like a 1970s porn star, but the man couldn’t be further from it.
I sigh. “All right, let’s get this over with.”
I take a deep breath and feign all the confidence in the world as Henry knocks on The CEO’s door.
“Come in.”
I steal a glance at Henry, who gives me a brisk nod.
We’ve got this.
We’re settled in the armchairs across from his desk while he leans back in his computer chair, hands resting on his rotund belly. The fluorescent office lights catch the shine of his bald spot.
“Gemma,” he says.
I straighten. “Yes, sir.”
He lunges forward, slamming his palms onto the mahogany desk. The sharp slap echoes around the room, making Henry and me jolt.
“His fucking EYE!” he roars, his face turning an alarming shade of red. “Do you realize how embarrassing this is?”
“Sir, I-I didn’t mean to,” I stammer, my pulse accelerating. “It was an accident. I was just taking off my coat, and the button—just popped off. I swear, I’m sorry.”
His breath whistles through his nose sharp and loud. His nostrils flare, his jaw locked so tight it looks like it might crack.
Henry shifts in his seat, his voice steady.
“Sir, if I may,” he says, cutting in. “It truly was an accident. No one was seriously hurt, and Grayson himself assured us he was fine. The presentation was a success. In fact, I’d argue it was one of our strongest yet.
I’m incredibly proud of the work Gemma delivered yesterday.
Max and Grayson clearly were too. I can guarantee it won’t happen again. ”
His words hang in the air.
Henry’s always ready to defend me. I realize how lucky I am to have such a wonderful boss.
The CEO’s eyes pierce holes through me. “Gemma, I’ve always been impressed with your work. You’re one of our best. But yesterday”—he shakes his head, his lips pressing into a thin line—“yesterday was the first time I’ve ever felt truly let down. And in such a disastrous way.”
A lump forms in my throat as tears prick my eyes. I battle with myself to maintain composure. I won’t cry in front of him.
He leans forward. “He could have filed a report—drag our name through the mud. Do you understand? You represent Prestige Partners. Your conduct should reflect the standards we uphold. Whether the button incident was an accident or not, it simply was not good enough.”
He lets the words sink in before continuing. “I also heard you were rather… flustered when you arrived.”
Who on earth told him that?
Then it hits me—Louise.
That mole.
He continues. “I don’t know why, and frankly, I don’t care. What I do care about is professionalism. When you arrive at work, I expect you to bring your A-game. My employees are expected to show composure. We don’t bring chaos into the workplace. We are better than that.”
I nod. “Yes, sir. I understand. You have my word—it won’t happen again.”
He gives a small nod in return, satisfied.
Folding his hands together on top of his desk, he leans back in his chair. “Good. Now, this brings me to why I wanted to speak with you.”
Crap. There’s more. My stomach feels like it’s about to fall out of my arsehole.
I brace myself, but what he says next catches me completely off guard.
“I’d like to give Louise and Theo the opportunity to pitch their ideas to Mr. Browne. Louise came to see me after yesterday’s meeting and provided a full debrief of what transpired. Her enthusiasm to rectify the situation hasn’t gone unnoticed.”
That slimy little turd.
He drums his fingers on the desk. “Given the circumstances, I think it’s prudent to give our client options.
Louise and Theo will be presenting their alternative vision for the campaign to Mr. Browne this Friday.
If their vision resonates more than yours, well…
” He pauses, shrugging. “That’s how business works. ”
My eyes widen in shock.
I’ve never been taken off a project. If this opportunity is stripped away from me, I’ll be humiliated. What chances will I have to progress within Prestige in the future?
No. Louise can’t take what I’ve worked so hard to have. I won’t let her.
He can’t be serious. I realize that yesterday was a colossal shit show, but we won that project fair and square. I have years of successful launches to prove it.
I’d sooner fuck a scarecrow than let Louise take away what I’ve earned.
This is utterly humiliating
Henry leans forward, his expression serious but composed.
“Sir, with all due respect, I have to challenge you on that. What happened yesterday was a mistake—one that was entirely out of our control. I’d like to be clear: The quality of the pitch was exceptional.
Brilliant, even. The work we presented was of the highest standard, as per usual, and that shouldn’t be disregarded or overshadowed by a single, accidental mishap. ”
Henry holds The CEO’s gaze as he continues. “I don’t believe reprimanding Gemma and myself for something that had no bearing on the work itself is fair. We should be judged on our performance, not on an unfortunate moment that didn’t reflect our capabilities.”
Bless him. I have to hand it to him—he’s ballsy. It’s hot.
My eyes dart to the CEO, who rolls his lips thoughtfully. He raises his eyebrows, surprised by Henry’s courage.
“I would have to agree with you,” he says, his tone firm.
A wave of relief washes over me, and my shoulders relax.
“But,” he continues, his eyes focusing on mine, “I expect my employees to maintain composure in every aspect of their work. Especially when presenting to high-profile clients. That button flying off was unacceptable. But your bra? I don’t need to explain why that’s a problem.
The pitch may have been stellar, but this… distraction was beyond unprofessional.”
I feel the heat rise to my cheeks, and I keep my breathing even. Henry remains silent. I cut my gaze to him quickly, but he looks helpless.
He tried.
“If Max still chooses you two to handle the project after Louise and Theo give their pitch, then I’ll have no problem with you moving forward.
However, if their pitch proves stronger, you’ll both be reassigned to another project immediately.
” He twists his mouth as he searches for the right words. “Something more… manageable.”
So, a demotion, in a sense.
I fight the tremor in my bottom lip, my voice barely above a whisper. “I understand.”
“Excellent,” he says, his tone final. “Make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
Over my dead body will I let those two take this project from us. We’ve worked too damn hard for it.
The determination builds within me.
I need to sway our friend Max.