by Ami Snow
Nathaniel West, the CEO of the company and her boss, was very clearly stressed but always made an effort to treat his staff well. “I don’t want you to feel burdened these next few weeks because of my attitude. I want the only burden you might feel to come directly to the job,” he had told her in a meeting before this all started. He wanted to be sure he did not contribute to the stress of his employees during this time. He was a firm believer that it was important to keep employees happy in order for the company to run smoothly. Aside from being an excellent businessman, he was also a good-natured one who took every opportunity to demonstrate kindness through actions rather than words. It was the way he ran his business and the way he lived his life. So, while there was more tension than usual in the office, Laurie was thankful she at least did not have to worry about a frustrated boss with misplaced anger.
“Good morning,” she said cheerfully as she stepped into his office after setting her belonging down on her desk. “Would like some coffee, Mr. West?”
He looked up from his computer screen and held up a mug. “Got it already, thanks.” He took a sip and said, “I’m all set for now. Why don’t you grab a cup for yourself before starting on your tasks?” He smiled and nodded toward her before returning to his computer screen. She stepped out of the office silently and walked toward the break room to prepare a cup of coffee. She took one sip of it before returning to her desk. Though she knew he would not mind if she enjoyed the cup in the break room before starting, she preferred to just get to work immediately. As she rifled through papers and input data, completing her daily tasks as quickly as possible in order to begin helping out with the upcoming event, she felt relief run through her.
While most people would hate going in to work every day and would especially hate it during a time like this, she did not have to share their feelings or worries. She as comfortable, paid well, worked for a company she actually supported, and had a great boss. That was more than most could say. What was even better about her work situation was that it seemed Nathaniel West truly liked her. He did not just treat her as well as he treated all employees but seemed to actually get along with her as a person. It was always very minimal and casual because he liked to keep the workplace very professional but she appreciated when his personal fondness for her did show. He was the type of person she would likely befriend out in the world and it was nice to know he would too.
It was not even time for lunch when Laurie had successfully wrapped up her daily tasks and popped into Nathaniel’s office to ask what she could to now for the event. It was the fastest she had found herself unoccupied in the last two weeks so that even he was a bit shocked. “Wow,” he said, “I’m used to you being efficient but this is a new record.” He smiled and stood up, waling around his desk to filing cabinet off to the side. There were stacks of papers and folders on it. He took a couple folders that happened to be colored blue and handed them to her. “These are some accounts that need to be reviewed before payment is finalized. I think you should be able to get that done before lunch but don’t worry about it if you need to work a bit after your break.” She took the folders and thumbed through them briefly before nodding and saying, “I’ll get on these right away.” He had been right in assuming she could finish before lunch because it was thirty minutes before her scheduled time when she walked into his office and handed him the folders with the notes. He was apologetic in not offering her an extended lunch because he thought she definitely deserved it but there was far too much to get done. She had only to make a couple calls before taking her break.
“Laurie,” said Martha, one of the secretaries from her floor who worked with the vice president of the company. She took a seat across from Laurie and smiled. “Haven’t had the chance to eat lunch with you in a while,” she commented as she busied herself with cutting up the chicken breast on her plate. “How have you been?”
Laurie swallowed the bite of sandwich in her mouth and replied, “Tired from running myself ragged for this event but pretty good otherwise. You?”
“Same, same. You have the worst of it, I’d imagine. Speaking of the event, are you taking a date?” Her eyes twinkled like those of a teenage eager to hear the latest gossip regarding the love lives of others. She was a nice enough woman who was easy to talk to, probably because she always seemed to have a lot to say or ask, but she did have a certain immaturity about her that did not sit well with Laurie. She was the kind of person one could tolerate or even enjoy talking to in brief intervals but should be weary to confide in. And that was exactly how Laurie had decided to handle her long ago.
“I don’t think so. Are you?”
“Oh,” she said with a tinge of disappointment. It was clear she had been hoping for an entirely different answer so she could ask a slew of questions she had mentally prepared. “I am,” she said proudly. Laurie was unsure of the reason behind such pride at having a date to a work event. Though she was hesitant to ask for any details, she did so anyway. She figured it would be less painful than having to be asked a million other questions she likely would not want to answer. “His name is Paul and I’ve been seeing him for a couple months now. He’s a lead of a marketing team on the short track to becoming the VP of marketing!” Laurie smiled and nodded unsure of what the proper response to such an excited proclamation about the job of a date was. Martha’s eyes darted around and she leaned in closer as if getting ready to whisper a major secret. Laurie leaned forward too on instinct. “Do you want me to set you up with someone? You know, for the event? Who knows, maybe you can even hit it off with him.”
Laurie gave a sympathetic smile and shook her head. “I’m okay, really.” She sat back and gathered her trash before standing up. “I have to get back to work now. Hope you have a good rest of the day, Martha.” She walked away and dropped her trash in the bin before heading over to the elevators. She knew Martha meant no harm with that proposition and that was the only thing keeping Laurie from feeling annoyed. She did not date much and she did not really see why it was important to bring someone to a work event. It’s not like it’s prom, she thought as she pressed the ‘14’ button on the elevator. She leaned back against the cool wall, enjoying the small amount of time she had alone in the moving box. It was a rare but welcome occurrence that she would have the elevator to herself for the entirety of the trip up to the office.
This would not be one of those times, she realized, as the elevator stopped on the tenth floor. Much to her surprise, it was Nathaniel who walked in to join her for the remainder of the ride. “Did you have a good lunch?”
“It was okay,” she said truthfully.
“Only okay, huh? Well, that’s too bad. Hopefully your dinner will be better,” he said as the elevator doors slid open and he motioned for her to exit first. He walked beside her and stopped at her desk, catching her by surprise. “Just a few more days. I just wanted to take the time to tell you how much I appreciate and admire all your hard work. I’ll be sure to show you just how much I appreciate you when this is all done.” He rapped his hand on her desk before walking into his office and shutting the door. She stood there with a faint smile on her face. As she sunk onto her chair she wondered what had brought that one. He was always kind and encouraging but he had never done so in the way he just had. He had never said anything like it before either. She shrugged and figured it was because she had never worked with him this extensively on this kind of project before so it made sense he would notice if her abilities shined during this time. She got back to work and focused only on that until it was time to go home.
The next couple days went by without much difference save for her being able to enjoy a delicious and quiet lunch in the break room. This was especially good because she had the nasty feeling Martha would insist on fixing her up for the event if she cornered Laurie long enough. The days only got busier as the main day approached. It never failed to amuse Laurie how it never really mattered how much one prepared for an event because there always seemed to be hundred
s of last-minute details to take care of. It was Thursday evening after a very long day of work when she went to pick up her dress for the event. She just barely made it to the cleaners before closing time because she had stayed nearly two hours late at work helping to sort out some details for the following night. After kicking off her shoes and marching to her bedroom when she got home, she hung the dress on the hook at the back of the bathroom door. She stood there looking at it for a couple minutes, feeling confident about her choice.
The following afternoon, Nathaniel let her off an hour early so she could get ready for the event. “Laurie,” he had told her in his office as he leaned against his desk and peered down at her. “I want you to enjoy yourself tomorrow night,” he said seriously. “You’ve worked very hard in making this come together and your job for it ends now. Tonight, you just need to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Mingle and have fun. Heck, take advantage of that open bar. You’ve earned it.” He winked and walked away from her toward a filing cabinet to retrieve some documents he needed. She sat there slightly dumbfounded at his wink. That was definitely not something she had seen him do since she had started working for him. It was just a friendly wink, of course, but it was still rather odd to her. “I’ll try my best,” she said lightheartedly before walking out of his office to gather her things.
She tried to relax and free her mind as much as possible on the ride home. As the time for the event neared she began to feel a bit nervous about it. She was not sure if it was because it would be the ultimate test to find out if her hard work had paid off or if it was because it was the first time she ever attended something like this. Aside from holiday parties, which she sometimes skipped out of early, she did not really interact with her coworkers outside of business hours. When she got home she put on her favorite violin compositions as she attentively readied herself for the event. Despite having helped so much in putting it together, she was not entirely sure what kind of ceremony it would actually be. She knew it was celebrating the company for a record-breaking achievement but that was about it. That is when it dawned on her how little she knew of the actual ceremony. She did not know if Nathaniel would be giving a speech or who would be hosting.
“Ill find out soon,” she said as she finished pinning her blond hair back. She appraised the hairdo in the mirror and smiled in satisfaction. She rarely had the opportunity to wear her hair up in this spiral bun with her bangs swept off and flowing out. It was simple but elegant and framed her face in a soft, graceful way. Even her makeup was quite different than her usual. It was even different from those times she did go out with her friends to more upscale places. When she was finally done and had slipped the dress on, she walked over to her full-length mirror and looked over every inch of her face and body carefully. Her hazel eyes stood out beautifully against the dark contrast of the winged eyeliner on her eyelid with a backdrop of light pink eye shadow, the look pulled together by a very subtly tinted lip-gloss. Her face looked smooth, pretty, and youthful. The black silk dress flattered her larger figure exquisitely, draping perfectly on her curves. She even turned to the side and nodded, pleased with how her body looked and how the dress just fell off her very plump behind. She was even happy with how her thick legs looked partly in thanks to her simple but sexy black pumps. Nobody had ever seen her dressed or fixed up like this. She wondered if anybody would notice or even comment on it. But it did not matter because she actually felt good about herself and that was the most important thing. It was not until this moment that she realized she was not dreading standing next to the thin, beautiful women of the company in whatever getup they had chosen for the evening.
True to form, the company car arrived right on time. Nathaniel had taken it upon himself to arrange these for the staff who had worked the hardest on the event so they could enjoy it without having to fuss over parking or even restrict themselves from an extra glass of wine. “I guess you’re not kidding about taking advantage of that open bar,” Laurie joked when he told her about the cars. He had only laughed and shook his head. The driver stepped out and greeted her pleasantly as he opened the door for her, giving her the appropriate time to sit and settle herself before he closed the door. It was a silent ride to the hotel where the event would take place save for the gentle classical music streaming quietly from he speakers. Laurie appreciated this. She enjoyed the relaxation and quite time before the huge buzz of everyone at the company plus the people they brought along.
It was not long before they arrived at the destination and the driver pulled up to the main entrance, exiting the car to open the door for Laurie. She stepped out and looked around. Even the outside of the hotel was the most luxurious she had seen so it made her all the more intrigued by the interior of it. Now she understood some of the dollar amounts she had seen on files she overlooked during the preparation phase. He spares no expense for his company, she thought as she walked up the carpeted stairs to the front door. Two doormen opened double doors in synchronization, simultaneously greeting her with a very pleasant smile. As soon as she stepped inside she saw Nathaniel standing in front of a table laid out with an array of beautiful flowers, talking to two of the secretaries from the company. As they walked away he turned in her direction and stopped with a look on his face she had never seen before. He opened his mouth and closed it again is if he had decided against saying whatever was on his mind.
“Good evening,” Laurie said in her usual bright voice as she walked right up to him. She smiled and kept her eyes from wandering away from his face. He looked even more handsome than usual, his light blue eyes and grey-streaked hair making a lovely combination with his black suit and royal blue tie. She had immediately noticed how dashing he looked but pushed the thought quickly out of her mind. Unfortunately, his handsome face and charming smile were quite distracting. She could feel her smile was not going to fade any time soon. What she also noticed was the way Nathaniel was looking at her but she was rushing to find other explanations for what seemed to be admiration and even longing in his eyes.
“Wow,” he said, “You look wonderful.” She could feel her cheeks turning pink but she tried not to show anything more than a sweet facial expression with gratitude at receiving a compliment. He cleared his throat and his eyes shifted nervously before he added, “Very classy. I’ve only ever seen you in your work clothes. Anyway, it’s great to see you. Don’t forget to have fun tonight.” He gave her the most charming smile she had ever seen cross his face before touching her upper arm lightly as he pointed down in the direction of the hall where the event was to be held. As she walked away, she was sure she had not seen him behave the same way with the women he had been talking to when she arrived. She reasoned it likely did not mean anything other than he was closer to her than those other secretaries. Once again, she was reminded they did share a nice bond but he always kept it low key at work. Perhaps this would be the first time he openly showed a bit more friendship toward her despite it being a work event.
Laurie was surprised to be escorted to the front, center table where the higher executives sat. They were all amiable and being a cheerful and charismatic person she was able to converse with them comfortably. The thought still lurked at the back of her mind that it was odd for her to be seated there and she wondered if they were thinking along the same lines. If they did, they never let on to it. It was not until a while later, when nobody was taking the seat directly beside her, that she took the time to look at the name card. Nathaniel West was written on it and a small shock went through her. He had not brought anyone to the event with him, had placed her at this table, and would be sitting right next to her. She smiled, feeling happy and accomplished that her boss valued her so highly.
The ceremony turned out to be a celebration of a major milestone in the company’s history made in commemoration of Nathaniel’s father who he credited for his success. When it was time for dinner and drinks he came and greeted everyone at the table individually before taking his sit beside her. He turned with a smil
e and asked, “How are you enjoying yourself so far?”
“It was a lovely speech you gave,” she responded. She then looked around at everyone seated at the same table, everyone engaged in their own conversations, and added, “Everyone has been very friendly.”
At this, Nathaniel leaned in unexpectedly close and said, “I’m glad to hear it. I was hoping you wouldn’t feel out of place because, really, you shouldn’t.”
“Mr. West, “ she started but he backed away and held up his hand. “Nathan, please. We are not at work and we’ve known each other far too long for such formalities.”
Laurie could feel her cheeks blushing once again because not many people called him Nathan. If anything, they addressed him by his full first name. Not many had the closeness or comfort to do otherwise but here he was, asking her out of his own will. She was happy to confirm her own suspicion he might openly demonstrate his esteem for her tonight. Perhaps they could be friends after all. Or, at least, maintain some semblance of friendship. As they dined everyone had an engaging, and surprisingly fun, group conversation. She had no idea what kind of people the higher-level executives were outside of work. She barely interacted with them at the workplace despite being the CEO’s secretary. It was entertaining to observe them during off hours and see how they interacted with their spouses or significant others. That is when Laurie realized she and Nathan were the only single people at the table. At least they were both single for the night as she had no idea if he was in a relationship. They never really discussed their private lives. Even if something did come up briefly it was never related to dating or relationships.
