Page 43 of Corporate Escapades

The week flew by, and Vic and Paris were seen several times by the board, eating lunch together, walking together, or even sharing a joke with one another. Jessamine and Nicola were excited to see that a change appeared to be taking place. The kids were getting along and staying out of trouble. The future had potential.

Chapter ten

Monday came with a couple of surprises. Walking into the boardroom, Vic and Paris were greeted with a buffet of tasty breakfast foods and gourmet coffees.

“We’re quite pleased with the progress you’ve made,” said Mikel. “I have to admit, I was a little worried that you two wouldn’t be able to pull it together, but you appear to have made progress. Nice work.”

“Thanks,” replied Vic. For once, he felt like he had something to smile about. “I believe I speak for both of us when I say it was not easy, but we’re working through our differences, and we’ve actually become friends.”

“It’s about time,” said Dom. He smiled at his son and patted him on the back. “I’m proud of the work you’ve put in. Let’s keep it up. This is only the first obstacle in a long course.”

Nicola looked at Paris and Vic. “Because you’ve shown such initiative in working together, we’re offering you upgraded individual apartments.”

Vic had always liked Nicola. She was beautiful and smart. Truly a driven woman. He was pleased to hear about the upgraded apartment offer, but new motivations had him wanting to keep things the same. Turning toward Paris, he said, “Do you want separate apartments or to continue to share a place for the time being?” He waited for her to contemplate his question.

“You know, I never thought I’d say this, but I want to continue living with Vic for the time being. He’s holding me accountable for my actions, which I guess I needed. Can we stay together, or is that against the rules?”

“I’m surprised to hear you’re willing to share a home with someone else,” said Nicola. “I don’t see why not. We’ll locate a larger three-bedroom unit for you and have your things moved this afternoon while you’re at work.”

“We don’t have to move our own belongings?” asked Vic.

“The perks of success,” laughed Dom. “See, son, it doesn’t take much to make us happy. Don’t make us regret it, okay?”

“We won’t,” replied Vic.

“Great work,” commented Cristo. “Mya, might I have a word with you outside?” he asked as he sidled up beside her.

Paris watched Cristo lead Mya out of the room. Her friend looked a bit uneasy. She knew Cristo was interested in Mya, but this was the first real interaction she’d noticed. She couldn’t picture her friend with Cristo. He wasn’t her type. Mya was into men with dark skin and six-pack abs. Men who viewed her as a princess and took their lives and work quite seriously. Doctors and lawyers. She was not into scruffy playboys. Cristo was decent looking, but Paris had heard on more than one occasion that he had a tendency to take things too far when drinking. She didn’t know what that meant exactly, but she worried about her friend’s safety.

“What do you suppose that’s about?” whispered Vic.

Paris jumped. She hadn’t realized he was standing so close to her. In a hushed tone, she replied, “I don’t know. It’s a little concerning, don’t you think?”

“More than a little. He’s near twice her age,” said Vic. “Now that you’ve rekindled your friendship, I think you should talk to her about it later.”

“Yeah, I agree,” she replied. “I don’t want him to hurt her.”

Breaking into their whispered conversation, Jessamine said, “One more bit of news for you. We’ve decided to promote you to assistant level. Vic, you’ll work under Tom Mariano and Paris, you get to work for Angela Martini. Since they’re the same level as your previous positions in the company, I trust you’ll know what’s expected of you.”

Paris’s smile faded. She was nervous about working under Angela. She’d never cared for her, and Angela seemed to despise her. Looking at Vic, she knew he was feeling something similar. Tom and Vic had a tendency to butt heads. Forcing a smile, Paris said, “That’s great news, isn’t it, Vic?”

Vic swallowed his pride and nodded begrudgingly. He knew he had to play it cool and take Paris’s lead, which was something he never would have pictured himself doing. “Simply spectacular.”

“Providing everything goes well this week, you’ll be given a bonus next week to be used on buying yourselves some new professional clothing. Keep up the good work,” said Mikel. “We hope that we’ll be able to promote you back to your rightful positions sooner than later.”

“We’ve got this, Dad,” replied Paris.

“Good deal,” said Mikel, “I like the enthusiasm. It’s a wonderful improvement.” Walking over to her, he grabbed her in a side hug. “Remember,” he said, “I’m still your father outside of the office. If you need to talk, my door is always open.”

“Thanks,” she replied. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mya scoot back into the room and take her seat.

Looking at Vic, Dom said, “Same goes for you, son.”

“I know,” replied Vic. He and his father connected regularly on weekends, but most often he dealt with his own issues, since Jack was younger and required more of his parents’ time.

“I’m feeling pretty good today,” said Dom. “What about you?” he asked Mikel.

Mikel nodded. “I feel great.”

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