Page 103 of Lucky In Love

“Girl, go read the damn email.”

“I don’t know why. I’m going to be asked to fix the problem, anyway.” Being a certified- engineer in a dual degree, chances are likely that I will be assigned captain save a hoe once again. This company owes me nothing. However, I’m very much underpaid as an acting District Industrial Engineer. The acronym for the position didn’t sit well with my soul, so I finessed my boss into making the position managerial. The way my life is set up, I’m lucky if I live to see what an elderly life looks like. I will not go around stating that I’m D.I.E. for Divisions Innovated Centralization. There are things that I might do for dick, but dying will not be one of them.

“Fine, I will go read the dang email.”

“No, I’m not blocking my blessings,” I say, sashaying back to my office. Shontae Denise Woods is one of my oldest and closet friends. I’m her boss, and ironically, she informed me about this company. Only I didn’t want to be a cubicle chick for no more than two years. Shontae has been in the company for about five years. She strives not to advance in the company, Shontae live by this motto. Less is more is her only way. We laugh about it every time she’s asked to do something outside of the job description. Shontae is smart and talented at what she does, but add more workload it throws her off. However, she is monetarily driven. She calls herself The Cubicle Chick, because her skills go no further than her cubicle. If she has to leave her cubicle, you better believe the company paid for it.

Back in my office, I lean over my desk, accessing my computer to read the email regarding the outage. As I scan through the context of the email, it’s evident that the outage is affecting a small area of consumers. Their systems were migrated over ten days ago, and it seems that a patch installed by one of the local IT companies disregarded a step in the upload. The shortcut caused the servers to revert their systems back to the original application. “Not good.” As I scan more of the email, I’m taken aback by another fact stated. Not good at all. My boss has assigned my replacement as the lead engineer on this case. I will assist and shadow. In the email my boss states, “Julian Furey will be the captain and take the lead to save what’s left of the server and our dignity.” I read aloud. Looking up from the computer screen, I haphazardly fall into my chair. Not caring about the sound I make when my ass meets my leather chair, pleather chair… Okay, vinyl. Mr. Holt, my boss, is standing in the doorway with whom I presume is my replacement. Well, I’ll be damned I’m the hoe!

Chapter Two

“Enya, are you okay?” Mr. Holt asks standing in my doorway. If I wasn’t okay, the fact that he’s standing there not helping is crazy to me.

“Yes. Yes I am.”

“Have you read the email regarding the new migration outage?”

“I have.” Shit. Shit blessings blocked. I gain composure because what is happening right now?

“And are you okay to shadow Mr. Furey?”

“If that’s what you need me to do.” Shit. Shit! I’m definitely going to hell.

“This is what I need for you to do.”

“May I ask if we know the source of the patch missed?”

“Don’t worry, its nothing you and your team have done wrong upon the original install.” Julian Furey speaks from the doorway. I haven’t actually met Mr. Furey since it was announced that he was filling my temporary acting position. There happens to be an on-site project that I inserted myself into Julian’s first week at D.I.C. The second week, I decided to take an impromptu vacation. I did nothing at all. There was no real reason for me to avoid this man. I just refuse to train the person that this company is replacing me with. Which brings me to today; the second day of the third week, of which I have yet to be introduced to my predecessor. “I wasn’t.”

“You weren’t what, exactly.” Julian says, with his hands behind his back.

“Worried.” I say in a tone of assurance. Julian nods, and my boss steps into my office.

“May I come in?”

“Sure.” I tell Julian as he stands reluctantly in the doorway. Like there’s an energy force preventing him from entering. I refocus attention back to my computer.

“Are you sure?”

I look up from my computer, “why wouldn’t I be sure?”

Julian shrugs, “you seem defensive, and annoyed.”

“I’m not defensive.” How dare he make that assessment of me?

“But you are annoyed?”

“Does it matter?” I ask in a blown breath.

“It does, actually.” Julian says, as he smiles. His smile isn’t full on, but he’s handsome and somewhat intimidating at the same time. There’s something else in his smile, something roguish and pantry dropping.

“I’m annoyed that this outage has happened.” I’m annoyed that I’m not leading this case. “Again, your team did everything correct. This issue most likely happened because of the storm, and because the patch that was missed was an important part of protection, it was easily compromised.”

“I know my team installed everything correctly. We offered to install the patch extension for the customer, but they declined.” Julian nods, as Mr. Holt does the same.

“We need to resolve this matter quickly. Sixty percent of the western suburbs use the same application programs, and the main base stations are being repaired. Within this time, we will need to get a team onsite to make sure our customer systems are restored. We also need a team offsite to retrieve the original install before the patch. Before I forget, or before Enya disappears for a week, Julian Furey this is Enya McCabe, your predecessor.

“Wow, tell me I’m fired, without telling me I’m fired.”

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