Page 12 of Not As Advertised

More than once, I’d wanted to come to her rescue. To spare her the discomfort or disappointment of making a mistake or having to redo something. But before I figured out a way to help her without making it seem like I was micromanaging her, she’d searched out her own solution by asking another team member for clarification or through more trial and error.

She had impressed me with her work ethic, not through perfection but with effort. And that was usually difficult to do.

Then, to make matters worse, I kept finding out new things I enjoyed about her. Even just the other morning, she’d surprised me with the spine she showed when she called out Phillip’s behavior after the meeting. Though she came across as introverted, she had moments where she was much more expressive.

My problem was that my willpower was built on reservations I’d had before learning more about her. I was her boss, first and foremost. I needed to make the right decision and stay away from her for both our sakes.

The ethical issue aside, I had been certain the age difference between us was a major obstacle just by itself. She was only a few years into her career, only just starting to see some real progression and potential for growth. Abigail was in her midtwenties, and I was ashamed that one of my first actions after meeting her in my office was to check her HR file for her age. She should be out having fun and experiencing life.

Right. Because you like the idea of her out at bars and clubs exploring her options so much, huh?

I’d had to suppress that thought one too many times these past few days. I knew I was in trouble when I started to feel protective of her and not a little envious of all those hypothetical men out there who weren’t too old for her and her boss, to boot.

Rather than honing my success within Appeal, I was lecturing myself daily to stay away from my employee. I was on dangerous ground here.

My phone rang, tearing my thoughts from my assistant.

The video call on my screen contained all I cared about in the world. It was Sunday evening, and my sisters, niece, and brother-in-law were at my mom’s for our weekly family dinner. My chest ached every time I had to miss one of these nights.

Even with their busy schedules, my sisters, Isabel and Claire, always made time for family. When Isabel had married Andreas and had my niece, our tight-knit circle had grown.

“Aiden! Are you in theoffice? It’s Sunday!” My mom’s scolding voice was just as effective over video call as it was in person.

“Hi, Mom. Nice to see you too. How are things?” Knowing any rationale I had for being in the office on a weekend evening wasn’t going to fly with my mom, I skipped any explanation.

“Don’t even pretend you think I’m not happy to see your beautiful face after two weeks of ‘everything’s fine’ text messages. You can’t distract me.”

Just as quickly as I’d landed in the hot seat, I was yanked out of it again. Tiny fingers grabbed the phone off Mom’s kitchen table, and I was treated to a disoriented blur of hallways until my adorable niece’s face filled the screen.

“Hi, Uncle Aiden! I stole the phone from Grandma!” My niece, Adrienne, or Rennie as the family called her, grinned proudly.

“Good one, Rennie.” I shouldn’t be encouraging cheeky behavior; I knew my sister Isabel would not approve. But the perks of being the “fun uncle” was that this was the one area where I could choose my level of responsibility.

“Guess what, Uncle Aiden?” She bared her teeth in a “see” type smile. I could almost make out her molars with her efforts. Such a toothy grin would make wild hyenas proud.

Rennie was a mirror image of Isabel and me because of our resemblance to our mom. She was tall for her age, with dark chocolate-colored hair and rich brown eyes. The only evidence of my brother-in-law, Andreas, was the warm golden undertone to her skin.

Noting an extra gap in her teeth, I feigned anticipation. “What, Rennie?”

“I lost another toof! And the toof fairy left me four dollars in my toof pillow.” She pulled the phone right up to her mouth to make it obvious to her poor, bad-at-guessing uncle, so I could see the new gap in all its gory glory.

“Wow! I never would have guessed that! What are you going to buy with your money? Did you put it in the piggy bank I gave you for Christmas?”

Having already picked up a few of Claire’s facial expressions through osmosis—maybe there were a few disadvantages to living in each other’s pockets all these years—Rennie rolled her eyes in expert sixteen-year-old fashion.

“Uncle Aidennnnnnn! I’m gonna buy somefin’ wif it.” Her “th” sounds were now truly lost to the Island of Misfit Teeth, the sound of her little voice scolded me across the line.

“Oh, of course. What was I thinking? You can start your retirement fund at seven. Six is much too early. What are you going to get? Please tell me Auntie Claire isn’t taking you shopping.”

Claire could talk a saint into mischief. She and Rennie were an even match in their love of all things silly. I could see Claire paying the difference in whatever Rennie wanted and them bringing home a live alligator or goat to live on Isabel and Andreas’s balcony.

“How did you know? I sent her a voice message on Mom’s phone dis week, and she said she’d take me to the mall after school tomorrow! I wanted to buy a huge bag of lollipops like it was Halloween in May, but Mom said no.” Her little lip popped out to pout.

Her disappointment was a wrecking ball to my chest. There was nothing I wanted more than Rennie to have everything she wanted. Unfortunately, her Type I diabetes prevented her from indulging in the glucose free-for-all she wished for.

“Aw, I’m sorry. What about a stuffie or something? I bet Auntie Claire would help you buy one if it’s more than four dollars.” Great, now I’d be an accessory to the new alligator or goat. But I couldn’t stand to see her disappointed.

“Yeah, maybe. I could probably get a new Pokémon or somefin’.” A tiny smile appeared on Rennie’s mouth.

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