Page 52 of The Executive Assistant

Recently, he barely looked at me in the eyes. We only discussed work, and there was a tense coldness separating us. I couldn’t believe we had been having the time of our lives at the beach only a week ago.

I tore my eyes away from Cameron and turned back to my design team. “Let’s send him what we have and close out this project.”

A palpable sense of relief flooded the room.

“Thank you for all your hard work,” I continued. “I know this blindsided us, but we all came together and got it done. I’m so grateful to have such hardworking and talented people working with me. Once we getconfirmation that he’s received everything and he’s signed off on it all, everyone can go home early today.” I hoped that Henry would be quick about it, so my employees could go home and sleep or see their families.

There were a few murmured responses, and then everyone poured out of the conference room, tired like zombies. I headed to my office, and kept checking my email, nervousness churning in my stomach as I waited for Henry’s confirmation.

Around noon, my office phone rang.

“It’s Henry,” Cameron said. He used the same purely professional tone he’d used with me all week.

“Great, put him through. Thank you.”

There was a click, and then Henry’s voice came out of the speaker. “Alison,” he boomed.

“Hi, Henry,” I said, trying to sound calm. “Did you receive our email with your campaign products?”

“Sure did. Everything looks good to me.”

Thank god.“Are you sure?” I asked, just in case. “We won’t be able to make any last-minute revisions once you sign off on it.”

“Yep, it all looks good. Thanks for getting it all to me by the deadline,” Henry replied, sounding far too relaxed for someone who’d lit a fire under my company.

“Of course. Thank you for trusting us with your marketing needs,” I told him, pitching the usual corporate line of gratitude.

We said our goodbyes and ended the call. I slumped back in my chair, closing my eyes as I reveled in the moment by myself for just a few seconds.

We did it. It was all over with. We could go back to normal.

I drew in a deep breath before drafting an email to send to everyone in the company.

With great pleasure, I’d like to inform everyone that Henry Johnson of LearnQuest has accepted our marketing materials without any complaints or requests for revisions. I would like to thank everyone for their hard work and diligence. Without all of you and your determination, this campaign wouldn’t have been completed in time.

This project is officially closed. Please enjoy the rest of your day and have a restful weekend.

I hit the send button, and it wasn’t long before I heard people leaving their offices and heading out, sounding a lot more energetic than they had in the conference room. A huge weight had been taken off everyone’s shoulders.

As for me, I could take a break. A short nap and then lunch sounded wonderful.

Before I could even get up from my desk, there was a knock on my door. I expected it to be Hannah or one of my other department leads, but it was Cameron. My chest tightened as we stared at each other, my body feeling frozen in place.

Cameron cleared his throat and glanced behind him. “Can we talk?”

I nodded and motioned for him to come in, trying to ignore the mix of guilt and hope I felt.

Cameron stepped into my office and shut the door behind him, a frown lingering on his face as he slowly approached my desk. He didn’t make it all the way over to me, though, stopping a few feet away.

“I’m sorry,” I blurted out, standing up. “Last week, at the hotel, I took my frustration out on you. I know it wasn’t your fault. It was bad luck.”

Cameron stared at me.

I swallowed, forcing myself to go on. “I know you had my wellbeing in mind. You just wanted us to have fun. I’m sorry I haven’t made time to talk.” I thought of the conversation we had.I don’t think I can deal with this right now. Please go home.

Now that the project had finished, my mind had cleared enough. I knew our relationship had gotten a bit messed up, but we could still fix it. I just needed to apologise, and things could go back to normal.

Cameron gave me a sad smile and somehow, that felt scarier than if he looked angry. “I like you so much, Alison. You’re one of the most amazing people that I’ve ever met. That’ll never change.”

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