Page 9 of Lying to the Boss

I’ve already slept with him, so that’s not it. I’m not one who goes back for seconds, not even in this case. This has nothing to do with sex. Yes, he’s attractive. Yes, we had a great time. But it’s something else. Something deeper. Something just a little more.

Hopefully, he shows. It’s possible he moved across the country after our encounter yesterday morning.

I’m pretty good at reading people, but when we parted ways yesterday, I thought maybe he’d hunt me down and laugh in my face. All morning, I’ve wondered if I’ll have an email waiting in my inbox, telling me I’ll need to interview others because Tage Briar threatened sexual harassment charges.

“Good morning, Mr. Monroe,” David, my bubbly receptionist, says with a bright smile.

“Have you handed in the paperwork for Tage Briar yet?” I question as I stop beside his desk.

David is phenomenal at his job, but he’s too perky to work closely with me, which is why he stays here in the front. He greets others with positivity and big smiles, something I don’t need during the day.

“Yes, sir. I did it before I left yesterday.”

“Great, but I need you to put in a request to bump the salary. Make it ninety-five.”

“Of course, sir. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“Just send him directly to my office when he gets here.”

“Sure thing.”

I don’t know what David’s salary is, and maybe I just gave him the idea of asking for a raise. I wouldn’t deny it. He is a valuable employee. Does more than required, and there hasn’t been a single complaint about him since starting here six years ago. Maybe I should give it to him anyway…

The executive suite is farthest away from the elevators. Tage will be the first person you see when you enter the room, with my office behind him. To the right, a coffee area is tucked in the corner, just beyond the filing cabinets, bookshelves, and other storage things Tage will need easy access to. Opposite that is a waiting area with a sofa for guests if they happen to show up too early—which I prefer over them being late.

I step into my office, closing the door behind me and hanging my things in the closet before going to my desk. It faces the door with my back to the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook Fulton Market, one of Chicago’s premier business districts. It’s a great area for business, not only because of the modern designs, but because of all the upscale restaurants that make it easy to meet with clients, meaning I don’t have to go too far during the day. I travel frequently, but that’s scheduled in advance. We’re currently trying to win the bid for a large resort that’s opening in Miami. It’ll be the biggest project we’ve ever taken on, and the furthest away, since we stay in the mid-west, but it’s exactly what my company needs to rocket forward in the market. Even if it’s just that one long-distance job, it’ll help. Of course, I have my name in the running for smaller projects as well. At this time, I’m constantly taking on new projects.

I turn on my computer, enter my password, and wait for everything to load before checking emails. There are plenty first thing in the morning, but none are from Tage or Harriet.

David took over Nancy’s tasks after she was let go and will do so until Tage gets acclimated to the position. It requires extensive training, and had David applied, maybe I would have looked past his bright personality and given it to him. He is good at what he does, and there’s no doubt he’d do everything I need. It just doesn’t feel like a good match.

As I go through emails, my eyes flick to the clock. We’re getting closer to eight and Tage hasn’t shown up. Does he not know the saying “to be early is to be on time; to be on time is to be late”? If not, he will certainly learn it today.

Eight comes.

Eight goes.

Once the clock hits 8:10, I dial David.

There’s no answer.

I grit my teeth and head to the front, stopping when I hear voices coming from one of the stockrooms. A glance inside shows me who they belong to.

“I thought I asked you to bring Tage directly to my office,” I say as kindly as I can.

David looks up, his cheeks flushing slightly.

“Yes, Mr. Monroe, we were going to be there in five minutes. I just stopped to get him a cell phone and laptop because IT told me the only time they have today to set him up is 8:30.”

“David, I am the CEO of this company. If I want my assistant to be set up on a laptop and cell phone at three in the morning on Christmas while the world is burning, it will happen.”

“Right,” he says with a firm nod. “Of course. I’m sorry.”

“You can go back to your desk. I’ll take Mr. Briar to the office.”

“Oh, but I thought I was training him?” he questions softly.

“Yes, you will be, but I have some free time, and I think it’s the perfect opportunity for us to get to know one another a little better, so I’ll get him started.”