Page 47 of Alex

I half walk, half jog down the hall to his office. Calming my racing heart and ragged breathing, I knock on his door.

“Sir?”

“Come on in.” His tone is light and carefree despite the urgency in his message.

I take the seat in front of his desk. The same chair I was in yesterday when he found out about the contract.

He continues, “I didn’t mean you had to rush. This isn’t that important.”

I nod my head before speaking what’s on my mind.

“I just want to apologize for my mess up yesterday. It’s not how I work. I hardly ever make mistakes and if I do, they are never that bad, and if you let me prove it to you, I’ll work harder than ever before. Please, just don’t fire me.”

I’ve never begged to keep a job before, but I really need this one.

He looks at me with a stern expression on his face. “Did you get the new documents submitted?”

I nod enthusiastically. “Yes, sir. Early this morning before I went to bed.”

“Thank you.” His expression is still stern, leaving an uneasy feeling in my stomach.

Did Alex say anything to him about my late hours? Would he?

I can’t answer the first, but I know without a shadow of a doubt that he would definitely say something to his dad.

It wouldn’t be the first time that Alex stood up for something he strongly believed in. Last time, it was about a client, not me and my working hours.

Mr. Strickland leans his head back and lets out a loud laugh. It sounds so foreign that it makes me jump in my seat.

Oblivious to my reaction, he asks, “Do you really think I would fire you?”

I don’t know how to respond to that question. Normally, I’d say no, but after my huge fuck up yesterday, I don’t feel so confident.

“I wouldn’t fire my best employee. You’ve been working long hours, for months now, helping me get ready for this merger. You spent hours last night redoing the documents, when doing them today would have been perfectly fine.”

He folds his hands and places them on his chest. “You need a break. So I would like to extend an invitation to have you come with me and Alex on my business trip to the city.”

I raise my eyebrows in disbelief. From what I understand, he isn’t firing me, he thinks I work too much, and he wants me to go to a business meeting with him.

That sounds like more work and even long hours. Which city? And with who?

I muster up a smile. “Sure, no problem. I justneed to go home to check my mail, do some laundry, and pack a bag.”

Mr. Strickland stares at something behind me. Turning around in my seat, I see Alex standing in the doorway.

He clears his throat. “Sorry to interrupt your meeting.”

Mr. Strickland chuckles. “You’re not interrupting anything important. Please come sit down. I was just inviting Elise to the city with us.”

Alex plops down in the chair beside me. My gaze never moves off of his. “I overheard the tail end of the conversation. You can just use the washer and dryer here. There’s no point in bringing your dirty clothes all the way home just to bring them back.”

I glance at Mr. Strickland in time to see his eyebrows shoot up. Did he not know that I was staying here? Should I say something about it now that he knows?

Meeting Alex’s gaze, I say, “If you insist, but I still need to pack a bag and check my mail.”

Alex jumps up. “Okay, let’s go.”

I silently follow Alex down the hallway and down the back stairs to the garage. I wait until we are in his car and backing down the driveway to speak.

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