Chapter 5: You're Fired

Evan's POV

I watched her standing at my desk in my office. I was antagonized by her behavior. She had already arrived late and when she eventually arrived I called her desk and she wasn't answering the line. I had to put an applicant in her place because Miss Blackman was nowhere to be found. She, of all people, should know better.

I hated slackers and she was becoming one, which was very disappointing. She was one of the best employees I'd ever hired and I really didn't want to regret hiring her.

"Miss Blackman, what's the meaning of this?" I asked, referring to her absence a while ago from her desk.

She hesitated to answer. I looked at her carefully and noticed her makeup had be smudged.

She was crying. Maybe because of her mom. What's really wrong with her mom anyway?

"I'm... very sorry Mr. Hollen," she stuttered and lowered her head in trepidation. 

She was trembling, sending all the signs of fear from being in such a position-- a position where she could be fired.

"Clean out your desk," I said to her and she flinched at the words.

She turned slowly on her heels and, without another word, she walked out the door.

My cellphone rang on the desk. I looked at the caller ID and flashed a smile immediately, but I let it ring out. I, then, threw back my head and laughed when she called again.

It was Jessica Hills, my ex girlfriend from high school. Apparently, Jessica wanted to reconnect with me and become friendly. The last I heard from her, she was traveling to Canada to go live with her cousins.

"She must be back in Brooklyn now," I said to myself.

Why else would she be calling my cellphone? And how the hell did she get my number? She must have called my family's mansion first. Dad would give my number to anyone. Ughhh!

I switched off my phone and walked out my office.

Miss Blackman was gathering the last of her things, throwing them into a box. The applicant I hired was at the desk, taking calls and glancing at Miss Blackman from the corner of her eye. I had dismissed the other applicant to another level where she'd be interviewed. I was not up for it anymore.

After Miss Blackman reached the end of her packing, she walked out from behind the desk and stood a respectable distance away.

"Thank you for the opportunity Mr. Hollen. I really did appreciate it and it was a pleasure working for you," she said, tears in her throat. She slowly turned on her heels and began  walking towards the elevator.

Where the hell is she going?

"Miss Blackman," I called after her.

Her pace slowed and she turned to me.

"It's okay sir, I'll be fine." She turned to leave again, which only caused me to go after her and stop her right before she got into the elevator.

"Where are you going?" I asked, arching my eyebrows.

"Well... um, home. Aren't I fired?"

"No Miss Blackman. I never used those words. You're promoted to Personal Assistant; but, before you start, I can see you're distracted by something. Care to share what's going on with you?"

Her eyes lit up and she smiled, surprisingly, at me.

"I'm terribly sorry for my slack sir; I'll start work right away," she answered and went towards my office.

My office was designed to house the CEO and an assistant with privacy. There was a smaller office space, right outside of mine, where she would be working and performing her duties.

The secretary's area was outside of both offices and designed as the waiting room.

I followed her in. 

She set up her desk-- placing her notepads and pens within hands-reach, cleaning the desk phone with hand sanitizer and arranging it to her liking, dusting off the chair and adjusting the height of it to fit her comfort. She sat down and a small smile flashed on her face which made me smile too. I shook my head and erased the crazy image that was crawling into my mind next.

"Comfortable?" I asked her.

"Yes. Thank you Mr. Hollen."

"Good, because there's work to do. We have to get to a meeting in the next twenty minutes and I'll need you to take notes."

She pulled her notepads and pens closer to her. 

Her line rang.

"Sir, it's Mr. Hoggers, again," she said to me.

"Should I transfer it to your extension or you'll take it here? Sir?" her voice came again.

"Mmhh?" I answered.

"You have a phone call."

I was still standing there, admiring my assistant with appreciation and lust. What the hell was happening to me? I completely zoned out.

"I'll take it in my office," I answered and quickly departed as if I was running away from an invasion of killer bees.

After a lengthy phone call with Mr. Hoggers, where I had to explain to him over five times why I would not invest in his business, and after having to listen to his attempts at persuasion, I hung up the phone, stood, and thoughts about my assistant crossed my mind again.

I looked at my Rolex; well, it belonged to my father actually. I could afford my own Rolexes but I wanted something of his. I think it was a father-son thing. Not everyone would understand. 

It was 10:56 am. 

I headed out my office and found Miss. Blackman at her desk.

"Ready?" she asked upon seeing me.

"Yeah," I answered, straightening my five thousand dollar suit before going into my boardroom.

__________

In the boardroom meeting

"I think we should invest in the company. It's a very profitable one and the income we'll make would be great. I don't see any reasons why not to invest," Miss Rhino protested to the partners.

She was still after that silly proposal I had already disapproved, and the fact that she hadn't listened to my final words was unappreciated.

"Where's the proof of this?" one of the partners asked her.

"Well, here are the financial statements and the incomes, profits and loss," she answered and handed over a folder to one of my father's old investors and buddies.

"Mr. Arkisa," I began, clearing my throat and fixing my tie, "Miss Rhino and I already had a discussion about this exact proposal and I disapproved of it because it's not going to benefit my father's company in any way, shape or form. We're not going to invest three million dollars in a firm that has more loss than profit over five years and that's simple common sense."

"But Mr. Hollen, the losses were minor five years ago when the company went into a financial pothole, and I'm certain every company has its challenges, even your father's," Miss Rhino snapped at me with a respectful tone but a rude meaning behind it.

"Listen! I'm not a demigod. I'm not going to grant wishes to please anyone. I disapproved with reasons, I didn't disapproved because I wanted to or I could have. I'm not investing. It's not going to happen and that's that," I said, blood coming to a boil slowly but surely.

"Partners, do you hear this?" Miss Rhino asked them, as if they could go above me.

Ha, this woman is crazy.

We disregarded her and continued on with topics that were of much better interest to us.

After the meeting ended and the partners had left, Miss Rhino stayed behind to approach me directly.

"You're a terrible boss and an awful man. I was seeking interest for my brother's company and you know damn well you could turn around the financial situation for them."

"If they wouldn't let me buy them out, I'm not going to invest anything in it."

"You can't always buy out someone Evan. Would you let someone buy out Hollen Tower?"

"There's not enough money in the world to buy Hollen Tower. We're built on a gold mine, not dirt. And your tone isn't sitting right with me, I strongly suggest you change it," I warned her.

"I don't care anymore! I showed you the proposal and you said you were thinking about it. I promised my brother results and now you're not going to give it. It would benefit us in the future if not right now."

"The answer is no! Keep pushing this and you'll be out of a job."

"You're unbelievable, you're such an asshole! What kind of boss are you anyways?!"

"The one that just fired your ass! Now. Get. Out. Of. My. Tower."

She stood there, open mouthed like she was unable to breathe. After processing she had been fired, she turned around slowly and left the room, slamming the door on her way out.

Miss Blackman looked at me with even more fear. "Did you just fired her?" she asked with great disbelief.

I nodded yes.

Yeah I did, and if you slack off one more time, you'll be next.