Page 49 of The Executive Assistant

I slowly turned around to face him, watching his grinplummet off his face at the sight of me. “Are you okay? You look… pale.”

“I need to get back,” I said tonelessly.

He frowned. “What? Did something happen.”

“Work emergency.”

“I’m going to need more than that.”

How could he sound so calm?

“Henry wants us to redo the campaign. He’s been trying to reach me all weekend, and everyone is freaking out.”

Cameron took a step closer to me, hands out. “Hey, let’s just calm down.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down,” I snapped, dodging his hands. “You should’ve heard about this too, but no, you had the brilliant idea to turn off work notifications off. And like an idiot, I listened to you. I have no idea what I was thinking.”

He looked wounded. “I’m sorry. I had no idea this would happen.” He hesitated. “I just wanted to enjoy my time here with you.”

“We could’ve started fixing this immediately, but instead we’ve been wasting time, playing in the pool, having that spa appointment.” I glared at him “Even if we’re on holiday, you’re still my executive assistant. You should’ve been on top of this. I should’ve been on top of it.” I wasn’t just angry with him — I was angry at myself too.

“I thought that while we were here, we could stop being boss and employee, just for a moment,” he said quietly.

“Well, we can’t,” I snapped. “No matter where we go, I’m still the CEO. And you’re meant to anticipate disasters and be on top of things the moment they happen.”

He looked stung, and I felt a pang of guilt, but I had more important things to worry about. “I’m heading back to the room,” I said, voice like ice. “I’m getting changed and then I need to head to the office, ASAP.”

“Alison, just hang on a second,” he said, grabbing my arm.

I yanked it away. “Don’t. I need you back in work mode right now,” I said. “Check us out, organise how we’re getting to the office, and call Henry’s office to try and patch things up.”

With that, I turned around and marched back to the hotel. Beneath the panic, I felt a twinge of regret. Yes, I’d been rude, ordering Cameron around, but at the same time, thiswashis job. He should’ve realised turning off our work notifications was a bad idea.

Then again, it wasn’t only his fault. He hadn’t forced me to put my phone on silent. I’d done that willingly.

I’d been so stupid.

I shook my head as I stepped into the elevator, jabbing the 30thfloor button. I couldn’t dwell on Cameron and our relationship. I had more important things to think about.

If something bad happened to Firth Marketing, it didn’t just affect me. It affected everyone who had a job there, including him. We could lose clients, drop in revenue, andcollapse as our competitors took control of the market.

I couldn’t be a failure, even if that cost my relationship with Cameron.

Why would he want to be with a failure anyway?

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Half an hour later, I shut the passenger side door of Cameron’s car behind me. Uneasy tension lingered between us as he drove from the hotel to the office. I checked my phone for any new notifications, feeling nauseous just from looking.

“Henry’s request is unreasonable,” Cameron said. He hadn’t smiled since the pool. “We were already cutting it close before.”

“Unfortunately, we’re expected to turn unrealistic demands into reality. He is paying for premium service,” I replied. “I’m going to make a few phone calls, if you don’t mind?”

“Of course,” he said, but he sounded robotic. “I’d be working too, if I wasn’t driving.”

I spent the rest of the drive calling various departments, answering questions and trying to assure everyone that wecould achieve the project by the deadline. My fingers itched for a laptop, anything bigger than a phone, so I could do some real work.

When I looked at the time and realized it would be night by the time we arrived, my throat tightened. I was hoping to arrive earlier, so I had more time. But it would be okay — I’d just need to spend the night at the office.

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