Page 53 of Vows In Corruption

I asked him that very question two days ago and he reassured me that my job was safe, which calmed me down a bit but there are still a handful of questions that I have.

Some of them concerning the board meeting.

According to Bennett, I’m his assistant and I have to be there. Why? Who the fuck knows, but I’m going to be there and I don’t want to go in unprepared.

“It will just be like every other meeting that you’ve sat in on. Goldman is going to lead it, and drown on about how much the company means to him right before announcing he is going to retire.”

I nod. “Then he is going to announce you as his retirement and the board is going to vote on whether they agree to give you the title or not?”

“Yes.”

“Are you nervous about the vote?”

Bennett shakes his head. “No. I need ten votes I have no doubt in my mind that I will get them.”

“But you are nervous?” I didn’t want to say anything but when I switched the subject to the board meeting, the man sharing the back seat with me tarted getting a bit fidgety. Either he is nervous about the board meeting or being this close to me freaks him out.

A deep sigh escapes his body. “No. I’m not nervous but,” he pauses to think about it. “I know the board. They don’t want me to have this title, so they are going to do everything in their power to keep me out of that seat. I just don’t know what and not knowing is driving me insane.”

Right away, my mind got to Peter Hill. He hates Bennett and since board member, I know he has to have something up his sleeve to keep Bennett from being CEO. I really hope that I’m wrong though. I hope Peter doesn’t interfere with this, because even though I’ve only been working at Lane Enterprises for a short period of time, I know that Bennett would be a great CEO. He already does so much for the company, but the hire ups don’t even care. From what I’ve seen, he’s the best choice I just hope that nobody takes it away from.

I cross my legs and square my should as if I am ready to walk through a battle. “If they do try to take that title away from you, we will just have to find a way to stop them regret it.”

Bennett turns to me, with what looks like fire in his eyes and a grin playing on his face. This is a new look and I never want it to go away.

“Those are mighty words, Ms. Vincent.”

I shrug. “Well if people want to play with fire, they should know the consequences that come with it. Getting burned and the possible chance that there won’t be anything to stop the flames from over taking them.”

…

The day passes a lot slower than I thought it would. All people can talk about is what they think the board meeting is about. According to the chatter the cafeteria, is that nobody know why Gerald Goldman would call a meeting, apparently he only informed me and Bennett and nobody else.

From what I’m hearing, some people are guessing right, but other are just throwing the most random things out there. Like Gerald is leaving Lane Enterprises to go to another company, which is plausible but the man is up there in years and I doubt he even wants to continue working. Someone else said that they think that Gerald is going to be opening up his own winery in Italy, which I could happen, I mean the man is retiring and if he loves wine that much then go for it, but again, I doubt it would happen.

The most eye popping one though is the one I heard in the bathroom about how that person thinks that Thomas Lane himself is coming back from the dead and kicking Gerald out as CEO. Apparently this person thinks that the Lanes faked their own death and are choosing now to come back. Who even thinks that?

If I was a less civilized person, I would have walked out my stall and punched the lady in the mouth for thinking such a thing. She no doubt took something before coming into work, because that idea is absolutely bonkers.

I look at the time on the corner of my computer screen and let out a sigh of relief. The board meeting is thirty minutes away. Thank god. I don’t how much longer I’m able to sit at the age of my seat. Bennett may not be nervous about the vote, but I am.

What if it doesn’t go his way? Will he quit? Or continue working here while the board looks for another replacement for Gerald?

I also can’t take the amount of pacing that is happening in his office right now. He’s been going back and forth between the coffee maker and the door for the last hour and it’s driving me insane. For a guy that says he’s not nervous, he is shit at hiding it. I think about going in there but then I might to something stupid like kiss him again to distract him.

So to keep myself from walking into the office, I try to keep myself busy until it’s time to head up to the conference room.

I’m in the process of sending a text to Charlie, telling her that I will be late and to use some of the money I left this morning for dinner, when I hear footsteps approaching me.

When I look up, I’m a little surprised when I see a little boy in a suit standing in front of my desk.

He beams with a smile as he gives me a wave. “Hi.”

His smile elicits one of my own and I wave back. “Hi. Are you lost?” I ask, looking behind him for an adult that may be with him.

The little boy laughs. “No, my uncle works here.”

I study the little boy and he looks familiar. I’ve seen him before, but I didn’t get a good look, but now as I take in his face his familiarity is more than seeing him down in the lobby. Almost as if he were the younger version of the man currently pacing in the room next to me.

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