Page 105 of My Secret Snowflake
“I think you’re going to be very happy with what we’re serving tonight.”
I walk us both into the bedroom, and she hugs me tighter as she closes the bedroom door with her foot.
Chapter thirty-two
Iris
Thenextmorning,aswe enter the office elevator and Sebastian presses the floor for Dream Company, Xavier joins us.
“My new GC and CISO! Great to see you both here so early,” Xavier says. “Did you run into each other at Starbucks?” He nods to our matching Starbucks cups. Xavier presses his floor.
I ended up not going home, so I’m actually wearing the same skirt from yesterday with a sweater of Sebastian’s, the sleeves rolled up so it looks less formal, over a T-shirt. We were able to buy underwear and the T-shirt at the CVS near his apartment.
Sebastian glances at me. It is true that I don’t want to lie to my boss. Especially not after being accused of subterfuge.
“Not exactly. We’re dating,” I say.
Sebastian flashes me a relieved smile.
“You’re dating?” Xavier asks, his voice rising.
That’s not a happy tone.
“Let’s go to my office,” he says.
I glance at Sebastian, and he shrugs, biting his lip. We’re silent for the rest of the elevator ride.
The dull gray metallic doors open. We follow Xavier past the movie posters and down to his office at the end of the corridor. Inside, there’s a blackboard covered in white chalk handwriting, various ideas outlined, trophies and deal toys on a shelf. Film scene stills cover the walls, along with framed review clippings of Dream’s first success.
Xavier shuts the door behind us and gestures for us to take seats.
He paces back and forth.
This is not good.Not again.
“I can’t have a GC and CISO who are dating.” He clenches his jaw. “I need unfettered loyalty to the company, and I’ll worry you won’t serve as a check on the other. I made a mistake starting a company with my brother. And as we all know, I was blinded by my loyalty to him and my belief in him. I want a fresh start. One of you needs to step down from this executive position. You can keep your original job, of course. Or if this is just a passing fancy, you can break up, and I’ll take your word that it’s over. But it has to be really over.”
I stare at him. My stomach drops, the buoyant balloon I’m floating in taking a sharp nosedive.
“I don’t need an answer now. I’ll let you guys discuss and decide.” He walks towards his desk. “It would be easier for me if I could appoint Hank as CISO, because otherwise I need to look for a GC. But I also was really impressed with your investigation and the way you followed the money, Sebastian, but was that just to clear your girlfriend?” He holds up his hand. “Don’t answer. Even if you think your relationship didn’t influence you, I’m sure it did. Just like I wanted to believe Colby. You can both leave.”
I can’t believe this. How could Xavier set such a condition? Is that even legal?
I stand. Sebastian doesn’t look at me.
I can’t step down. He can’t step down either.
I walk to the closed door.
He’ll step down, right? I mean, it’s a lot easier for him to get a GC position than it is for me to get a CISO position. And what if all the craziness I just went through leaks and other companies think that’s why I stepped down?
But Sebastian was so excited about his dad finally accepting his career choice.
There’s no good solution.
We exit and stand in the hallway.
“Should we discuss in my office?” Sebastian asks, his tone formal.
