Page 91 of Not As Advertised

Now it was my turn to be surprised. “Really? That’s an actual theory someone in the office spoke aloud?”

Ethan waved away my naivety. “You clearly underestimate how starved everyone gets for benign entertainment. You should come to a digital arts dinner sometime. The person with the best rumor that can be verified gets their dinner courtesy of the group. But what are you going to do about Abbie?”

“Well, my plan this morning was to lock myself in this office until I figured it out. But you can see how well that’s going.” I raised an eyebrow to imply his derailment of my day before it even got started.

“Un-huh. Sorry not sorry and all that. You practically made me an accomplice to this relationship. And since I’d never seen Abbie so happy as the weeks you were together, can I give you some advice?”

I nodded. Maybe Ethan had a wealth of relationship experience in his back pocket.

“Just be honest.”

“What?” That was his advice. I needed something spectacular, and this was his contribution?

“Yeah. You gotta start by being honest with yourself about what you’re willing to do here. It’s easy to make snap decisions inmoments of stress, as you’ve already found out. Figure out what you want here. Then be honest with Jack…”

I interrupted him by mumbling. “I have to face the board in short order.”

“Okay, fuck. Be honest with them too. Everyone makes mistakes. Even the infallible Aiden Sullivan. They fought pretty hard to get you here. If you come clean, they’ll likely be more receptive than you think. Same goes for Abbie. That young woman is the sweetest person who likely would love to forgive you if you can be truly honest with her. She deserves an explanation and the chance to make decisions together. You’re lucky she doesn’t seem like the type to hold grudges. Not like that best friend of hers.” He actually shuddered.

Begrudgingly, I had to admit that his advice was damn good. I’d been building up all the scenarios in my head when I just needed to face my actions head-on. One fuckup at a time and accept the consequences.

I stood and offered my hand in thanks. “You’re right, Ethan. Thank you. I’m glad you strong-armed your way into my office this morning.”

“You’re welcome. And I’d hardly say I used any kind of intimidation. Abbie helped pick another sweetheart for your EA. Though he’s loyal as fuck to you, so you’re lucky there. I bribed him with a coffee from Dean’s cart.”

Nodding goodbye, Ethan made for the door and shut it behind him.

Sitting back down behind my desk, I sent a quick email to my “sweetheart” of an EA and told him to keep my day clear. I needed to figure out exactly what my next steps were and start damage control right away.

The next morning, I found myself in the company’s largest conference room facing nine board members and a few of the highest-level executives in the company.

After opening the meeting, Jack wasted no time in directing everyone’s attention my way.

“Aiden, we all know why I called this special meeting. Based on the informal conversations I had with several individuals around this table in the past few days, we have almost universally been impressed by your efforts these past few months. That’s why we’re giving you a chance to make your case here today. So if you would…” He trailed off and gestured for me to take it away.

Steeling myself in case this went downhill fast, I glanced around the room. I noted first and foremost that Indie had got herself an invite to my public reckoning. Truthfully, I would have been surprised not to see her in the room. Unfortunately, my eyes next landed on Phillip, looking smug as if he was about to see me get my comeuppance for daring to point out his legitimate errors as a leader.

Sitting next to him was Ethan, so I knew I had one ally in the room. But if what Jack had said was true, it was possible I could sway the board members my way.

Taking a deep breath, I stood from my seat.

“First, I need to convey my sincerest apologies to everyone in this room for having to take the time out of your busy day to be here. I take full responsibility for my wrongful actions.”

Take that, Phillip. When you screw up, you admit it.I saw his smug smile slip slightly in surprise before I continued.

“I’m going to be completely honest with you. I should have gone to Jack right away when I realized my feelings for Abigail Summers. I have no excuse for that lapse in judgment. I can only hope that you will give me the opportunity to prove myself to the company in the future. From the beginning of my time here, I have demonstrated my total commitment to Appeal’s success. I would also make the argument that we have seen my efforts, along with the senior teams, speak for themselves in the resulting revenue over the past months.”

The next part was going to be the most difficult to say aloud. There was little I hated more than my private business out in the open, but I didn’t want to walk out of this meeting without putting all my cards on the table.

“That being said, my poor choices when it came to my relationship with Abigail made me realize that I have neglected to apply one of my steadfast rules to myself in a way that I would never let any employee get away with. For too many years, I have allowed my workload to dictate my life. But these past months, during my relationship with Abigail, I have found myself more energized and inspired at work due to her presence in my life.”

I looked to Jack briefly to see how my words were landing. He gave me the smallest of nods, which I hoped meant he approved of my slightly unorthodox approach.

“Maybe I should be standing here ready to tell you that I will end things with Abigail. But if I have learned anything lately, it is that it is better to be up-front and honest with my intentions. So here they are: I plan to continue my relationship with Abigail as long as she’ll have me.” That bit of self-deprecation got a few chuckles from around the table. “I will do anything the board wishes to rectify the ethical concerns and any conflicts of interest regarding Abigail’s position in the company, if you allow me to keep my role. Further, I would work with HR to develop a transparent and detailed addition to employment contracts forinter-office relationships so that this conflict could be avoided in the future. I also understand if you need to make an example of my actions. If you see fit to ask for my resignation as the only way for me to continue my relationship with Abigail, I will offer it willingly.”

It was time to wrap it up and throw myself, and my career, at their mercy.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we can’t predict who we will fall in love with. But a wise man told me that when we do find that special person, we need to do everything necessary to hold on to them. So I hope in doing the right thing, you will give me a second chance. And if not, I only ask that Abigail not suffer any ramifications as a result of my choices as VP. Please place full accountability on my shoulders. Thank you.”

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