Chapter 7
Cole
The next week, I’m in my office working when there’s a knock on my open door.
“Come in,” I call. I look up, and all I see is my assistant Renee’s wild red hair.
She stops, puts her hand under her hair, and flops it all back so it is out of her face.
Then she puts the files that were in her hand under her arm and grabs the clip that is always attached to the bottom of her shirt, if not in her hair, and clips her hair up with it.
“Sorry about that, this hair just does its own thing sometimes.” She huffs out a laugh. Then she walks to my desk and hands me a stack of files that I have to work on, and I thank her.
She turns to walk out, then turns back quickly. “Oh. One more thing,” she says. “I got an email today about the charity gala next week. They are working on their seating and need their final numbers and want to know if you will be attending.”
“I will be there. I never miss this event, it’s too important to me.”
“All right, I will confirm your attendance once I confirm if Ms. Lewis will be attending.”
“Excuse me?” I ask, confusion evident in my voice, causing Renee to look at me questioningly.
“Um, Ms. Lewis has been invited as well, I just wasn’t sure if she would attend considering she just moved here. It takes time for women to prepare for these things, Mr. Simmons. We need dresses, hair and makeup, shoes …”
I cut her off. “Find out if she would like to attend. If she wants to attend but isn’t prepared, let me know.”
“I’ll go ask her now,” she says as she rushes out of the room.
After a few minutes, she comes back. “Ms. Lewis seemed like she really wanted to go, but she said she doesn’t have any dresses appropriate for the ball, since she left most of her belongings in Chicago. She has decided she will pass on this year, and she plans to go next year.”
I hand her my credit card. “Take this. I want you and Sarah to take her wherever she would like to find a dress, shoes, and whatever else she will need for the event. Use my card to pay for it all. Anything she needs, buy it.”
Renee takes the card with wide eyes. “Uh. Sure. Will do,” she says as she rushes out again.
I should have just gone to Ellie myself.
The news of me buying her stuff is going to end up all over the office and will definitely be exaggerated.
The last thing I need is all my employees too worked up over my personal life that they can’t focus on their actual work.
I don’t know what it is about this woman, but it’s like I forget how to be professional.
Ellie
I have been working here for a week now, and I am still catching up on random tasks that were behind.
Renee was in my office for a few minutes talking about a gala that the company participates in to help victims of domestic abuse.
Unfortunately I’m not going to be able to go.
Renee left a few minutes ago, and now I am trying to get back into the working mindset when she comes walking in my office again.
“Hey, Renee. Did you forget something?” I ask, looking around for something she might have forgotten when she left a few minutes ago.
“Um, no. Actually, I’m supposed to take you shopping!” she says excitedly.
“Take me shopping?” I say with a laugh. What the hell do I need to go shopping for?
“Uh. Yes. I told Mr. Simmons that you would not be attending the gala because you didn’t have a dress or anything. He, uh—well, he gave me his card and said that Sarah and I should take you shopping to buy anything you would need to be able to attend.”
“He said what?” I say a little too loudly.
Sarah comes into my office then. “Hey, I heard we get to max out the boss’s credit card! What are we waiting on?”
“No way in hell am I using his card to buy myself a dress,” I scoff.
“He just wants you to be able to attend. He knows you want to go, and it is for a worthy cause. Maybe he is hoping it will encourage you to donate?” Renee says, shrugging.
“This is insane. I cannot allow him of all people to buy me stuff.”
“Why not? I mean, it is a little weird that your boss wants to pay, but it’s for a good cause. Added bonus, you get a beautiful dress for free!” Sarah says.
“I—uh. I just can’t,” I say, unable to come up with an excuse to make this less awkward. Can he not see what kind of questions doing this will raise?
“Let’s just go. It will be fun! We get to take the afternoon off and buy you a pretty dress! Every girl needs new, pretty things!” Sarah says, also bouncing with excitement now.
Reluctantly, I say, “OK, but I am inviting my friend Bri too.” She would kill me if I didn’t. I guess we are off to find me a dress.
“Yessss!” Sarah and Renee both say excitedly, and I grab my phone and text Bri to meet us at the mall. Then we are on our way.
Cole
Later that night I am still at work. I hear something in the hallway. I glance at the clock and realize that while working on this report, time has flown by. Everyone should be gone by now. I get up from my desk and walk into the hallway. “Hello?” I ask to see if anyone responds.
“Oh! You scared me!” Renee says as she stands up from behind her desk.
“What are you doing here?” I ask her.
She hands me my credit card. “I was bringing this to lock in my desk, I didn’t want to be responsible for it overnight. I didn’t think you would still be here,” she says with a nervous laugh.
“Oh, well thank you. Did Ellie find everything she needed?”
“Yes! She is going to look so beautiful!” she says excitedly.
“Yeah, well, she always does,” I blurt.
Renee’s eyes go wide with shock. “Well, uh, I’m going to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Have a good night, Renee, and thank you for taking Ellie today.”
“Not a problem, I’ll go shopping anytime you want to send me,” she says with a chuckle, and then she leaves.
I go back to my office and sit at my desk. I stare at the report I was working on, unable to continue. My thoughts are taken over by Ellie once again. I sit there for even longer before I finally give up and go home.