Page 19 of The Boss and the Wedding Mess
“I know you’re not going to keep me on,” I add, “and I accept the severance package.”
“Is that so?” His tone is skeptical.
“It would be for the best. We didn’t exactly get off to a great start, and I think the trust between us has already been damaged. You need a PA you don’t automatically suspect. Still, I’ll give my all and support you until my very last day. This company means a lot to me—not just the business, but especially the people. I want to leave with dignity.” I smile and step closer, offering my hand in reconciliation. “So, do we have a deal?”
“Which is?” he asks.
“Pleasant weeks until my departure. I’ll do my best, and you’ll treat me with respect.”
Alexander hesitates, then finally takes my hand. A tingling sensation rushes through me, making me shiver. His grip is warm, firm, and the scent of his cologne throwing me off balance. Why does my body react so strongly to this man? He looks at me, and I have the sudden urge to glance at his lips. Just briefly. Just for a tiny moment. Then I look back into his eyes.
“Deal,” he says with a smile, and we let go.
“Okay. So, this is the luxury lounge. The most beautiful room in the entire company. We host very special guests here—wealthy clients, close friends of the family. The room is heavily soundproof. If you want someone outside to hear you, you haveto raise your voice," I explain in an almost friendly manner as I walk to the cabinets. “There’s also a hidden bar. Your father takes pride in his collection of fine spirits, and guests love to sample them. We stock wine, vodka, and other drinks—always with at least two spare bottles in the cellar. If anything runs out, it’s reordered immediately. Only your father, security, and I have keys to the storage room. And every time the lock is opened, it’s recorded. I’ll show you that later.”
“Why all the security?” he asks.
“Because this bottle of wine alone costs sixty thousand pounds.”
“I see.” He steps closer, takes the bottle from me, examines it, and sets it back. “I need an office.” He scans the room. “This will do.”
Will do?!
“But this is—”
“It was. You’ll redesign it as my office.”
“Of course. Gladly.”
Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, clearly. I take a deep inconspicuous breath and show him the rest of the room’s features: the air conditioning, the snack bar, the dimmable lights.
“Would you like me to introduce you to all the employees or just the department heads? I can arrange meetings in each office.”
“Just the department heads and the key people who should know me.”
I nod and begin our tour.
The most important offices are on the top floor—his father’s, of course, along with the department heads. They rarely work from them, but they’re there. The floor also has multiple conference rooms equipped for video conferences.
On floors one through seven, the various departments are located: customer service, sales, development, and more. Alexander shakes a lot of hands while department heads explain things. Every now and then I quietly feed him names and titles as we go.
“This is his deputy, Miss Carlson,” I explain, for example, when she is visiting her colleagues to show off her newborn. “She had a daughter, Marie, four weeks ago. She’ll be on leave until next year.”
“Miss Carlson, a pleasure to meet you,” Alexander greets her, glancing at the baby. “What a sweet girl.” In her little green outfit, the baby could easily have been mistaken for a boy. I’ve just saved him from a potential faux pas.
On the ground floor, we stop at the training rooms, the reception, the kitchen, and a large cafeteria. I point out thefitness studio. “Employees can use it for free.” Then the massage practice. We can treat four people at once. “This boosts morale and also helps prevent back problems. Very important to your father.”
We even have a first aid station for minor injuries. “We get accidents treated here, Mostly burns from hot coffee or nausea. Pregnant women also come here when they feel unwell.” The daycare is also there. “Two facilities—one for babies and toddlers up to three, another for kids up to ten. They stay here after school—we got teachers and childcare workers on staff who can help with homework or just play.”
“Pets, too?” he wonders.
“Yes. A lot of employees bring their dogs so they’re not home alone all day. Staff plays with them, feeds them food specified by their owners, and walks them.”
“My father never mentioned any of this.” Alexander lingers at the glass, watching the dogs.
“Many colleagues spend their lunch breaks visiting their pets,” I explain, then gesture toward the stairwell. “Now we just have the basement and parking garage left.”
He follows to the stairwell silently, while I go on, “From the start, your father wanted employees to be able to focus fully on their jobs. If a child is sick, one parent usually stays home or gets sick too. Parents don’t get the chance to rest then come to work sick.He wanted to prevent that. So contracts here include more sick days than the law requires—with full pay, of course.”
