AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’ll get to the point since you’re obviously busy. I want you to reconsider working with me again and before you say anything, you need to hear me out. Instead of being my assistant, you will have the title and the salary of vice president with your own office and your own staff. Of course, your benefits will increase significantly to reflect your position, including two additional weeks off. Plus, an expense account.”
The perks were exactly what I’d asked for more than once and he’d told me flat out I hadn’t been ready. “Why the sudden change in heart?”
“Because you more than managed to prove your worth. You were such a valued employee, someone I trust and a person everyone could look up to.” Why was the man smiling? Oh, yes. Because that usually meant he had something up his sleeve.
“So, I’m supposed to abandon my dreams to come work with you.” He almost seemed desperate, which wasn’t like my father at all.
“Only for a year. Only for one year. After that, if you’re still interested in pursuing your…”
When I exhaled with sound to it, he smiled. It was meant as a caution to him. “We’ve been down that road before.”
“Your dream, Selena, then I’ll back whatever the name of the place is so you can get a decent location. I’ll even purchase you a building of your own.”
“I think I’ve found the perfect place, Dad. You don’t need to do that.” Lying to him was often in my best interest.
He laughed. “Daughter, do you not think that I made it a point to check up on you? Alicia’s father and I go way back. I understand you just fired her.”
I’d be damned. Now I was the one laughing, although it was bitter and cold.
“What’s the real reason you’re kowtowing to my desires and requests, Dad? You never do anything without a solid reason.”
The look on his face was full of amusement. “I could never get anything past you. The truth is that since you left, things have gone awry. Plus, we’re in more competition than ever for new accounts, networks breathing down my neck, with one extremely unscrupulous firm doing everything they can to undermine us. Plus, you know I loathe having anything to do with the actors.”
He continually used words like ‘we’ and ‘us,’ another sly attempt at making me feel a part of his illustrious world.
“Who is this enemy?” Of course, there’d been competition while I’d worked there. It was a media and advertising firm, for God’s sake. But his use of the word ‘enemy’ was a bit new. Plus, I could tell he was truly troubled.
“Well, we have several, many of which you knew about while working with me, but lately it’s been all Progressive Media Productions owned by Sebastian Royal. Maybe you’ve heard of them.”
“I know who they are.” They were the big fish in the ocean, holding court in all areas of media production. In my mind, they were out of our league. Either they were having difficulties keeping clients or my father was stretching himself a little too high and too fast. “What did they do?”
“Just the usual threats.”
“Meaning what?”
“Sebastian is a bastard. A real bastard. However, with the way you handle aspects of business, I’m certain you’ll navigate the gray areas much better than I can. And don’t worry about his bullshit. Nothing I can’t handle.”
Gray areas. Really? My father often thought he was a big, bad wolf. I’d never wanted to tell him that he was still a little fish in piranha-filled waters. One day he’d get more than just a chunk taken out of him. However, I was incensed another firm would dare threaten my dad. He’d worked very hard to get to where he was.
With the big boys.
But I also had my scruples and I refused to lower them for anyone, including him.
“If you’re talking illegal, Dad, not a chance.”
“Of course not. I do have my scruples left.”
Sure he did.
The man had been capable of doing some pretty ruthless things over the years, something I’d discovered by searching through the files. I’d been somewhat shocked, but I’d soon realized that was the way of business. He’d told me I needed to toughen up. Maybe he was right.
But I wasn’t interested in returning to the seven to six grind I’d been on.
I hadn’t noticed until now, but it appeared as if my father had aged. Just to keep my hands busy, I wiped them on the messy towel all over again, uncertain what to do with his offer. “As I said, I’ll need to think about your offer, Father. I’ll let you know when I can.”
That was the moment his entire expression changed.
“Make no mistake, Selena. The Royals want to take us down using any method available and as a member of this family, you are under an obligation to help me keep that from happening. You owe me.”
