Page 21 of Texting the CEO's Obsession
My brows furrow in confusion before I realize what she’s apologizing for. She thinks she took too long getting this file to me and that I’m frustrated with her.
God, nothing could be further from the truth.
“You’re the only person I’ve ever had get me reports this detailed so quickly,” I assure her. “You do excellent work. Sit.”
I keep myself stern and serious as I wait for her to sit, but I can’t help praising her a little. It’s true, but I’d say it even if it was a lie just to see the sweet flush of pride on her face. She tries to hide it by pushing her glasses up, but it’s impossible to miss.
I hate the way it vanishes as soon as I continue speaking.
“How long have you been doing Sloane’s quarterly reports?” I ask bluntly.
There's no point beating around the bush when we both know the truth.
Her hazel eyes blow wide with panic, and she glances down at the folder on my desk like she wants to snatch it back up. “I—No, sir, I don’t?—”
“Don’t lie to me,” I say sharply. “Answer the question.”
Riley bows her head, not meeting my eyes as she balls her hands into fists in her lap, sucking in a nervous breath.
“I—it’s not all the time,” she says quietly. “Sloane asks me for help occasionally when her workload is too heavy for her.”
I hum thoughtfully, glancing back to the reports I have on my computer screen that date back a year and a half.
“Occasionally?” I ask, watching Riley nod, stilted and unsure as she looks up again. “Sloane shouldn’t be asking her subordinates forhelpat all. She’s the department head, although I’m starting to rethink that decision. And ‘occasionally’ shouldn’t mean every quarter since you started, Riley.”
Riley pales further, the slight blush that decorated her cheeks when she came in nonexistent now.
“Why didn’t you report it?”
“It’s fine,” she insists, looking even more terrified at the thought of saying anything. “I like my job. I don’t mind a little extra work, and I didn’t want to cause any problems.”
A little extra work wouldn’t keep her here several hours after everyone else goes home every day.
I sigh heavily, a sharp huff of breath out of my nose. I’m pissed in all directions. At Sloane for daring to do this in the first place, at myself for not catching it earlier, and at Riley for not telling me.
Okay, I’m notmadat Riley, but I’m upset that she didn’t give me a chance to solve her issues until I inserted myself. She didn’t even let HR try to step in. I suppose I can’t expect less. She’s so sweet and is always willing to help others in the company. I’ve heard from other departments countless times over the past year about how helpful and kind she’s been.
Why would I think anything less in this sort of situation?
Not to mention Sloane isn’t the nicest person to work with. I don’t know why I’ve kept her around. All I’ve had are complaints against her.
“Am I going to be written up?” she asks meekly, and I look up sharply to see her shoulders trembling as she stares blankly at the hardwood floor. My mind unhelpfully conjures up the sight of her on her knees for me as I tell her we can work something out instead of a write up. I push the thought away without hesitation.
Now isn’t the time to be thinking with my dick and she doesn’t deserve that. She didn’t do anything wrong, per se. It isn’t a violation that she did the reports; it’s more of an ethical thing on Sloane's part.
“No,” I say gruffly. “You’re not the one in trouble. I’ll handle this so you can focus on your own work.”
Her ponytail flies through the air in an arc of honey-brown as she shakes her head, looking at me pleadingly.
“Mr. D’Amico, it’s fine, really. Sloane will be furious if she finds out I said something, and I really don’t want to cause any more problems. Please, sir, she probably won’t interrupt me if I’m working on files specifically for you.”
She somehow manages to continue being timid even as she argues with me, and at any other time, I’d find it cute. Right now, I simply narrow my eyes at her. “What do you mean bymoreproblems? Is there something else going on?”
I swear, I’ll send Sloane packing without any warning if she’s been doing more than this behind my back. Fuck her daddy’s connections; I’ve built my own. And I have no problem ruining her and her father if she continues to get in my way. She came here as a favor to her father, a way to give his spoiled daughter a reality check when it comes to hard work. And clearly, she’s learned nothing. So firing her isn’t an issue and herdaddy’sbridge is one I’d gladly burn just to watch her crumble.
Riley glances away nervously, obviously skirting the question when she says, “I just don’t want to make waves. All I want to do is keep my head down and do my job.”
Annoyance flares in my gut at the thought of sending her back down to get bossed around and have work heaped on top of her, at the thought that she believes shedeservesit. She’s the most brilliant employee I’ve ever had. If I thought she’d go for it, I’d promote her to department head here and now.
