by J.M. Cagle
Alex was typing away at a brand new computer on the desk. The office had already been redecorated. In place of the photos that Anderson had put up everywhere were blank walls. Anything personal had been removed. Now it felt like a waiting room at a doctor’s office. The view behind the desk was still glorious. Yet Alex didn’t seem interested in it because he had closed over the blinds. The office was illuminated purely by a few lamps.
Alex looked up when she entered. She had closed the door behind her. Alex’s face looked like steel. His suit was perfectly tailored. He looked back down at the computer screen.
“Courtney, good morning. I understand you are used to how my father ran things but I do have to inform you that my office door will be closed. If I don’t answer your knock, you aren’t to come in.”
“I’ll file that away,” Courtney replied in a tone that made Alex look back up, “I thought you weren’t going to fire anyone, sir.”
“And when did I say that?”
“Saturday, at the party.”
“Saturday was a couple of days ago. I spent all of Sunday rethinking how to approach this position. I went over everyone in upper management and who did what. Some cuts had to be made.”
“Really? Some of these people have worked here for ages. They’ve been helping this company forever. If your father knew about this-”
Courtney knew instantly it had been the wrong thing to say. Alex’s face changed. For a brief moment she saw actual anger behind his eyes. Then they closed back over, seemingly ice cold again.
“My father, if you remember correctly, is no longer in charge of the company. I am. And since he has retired, he has no interest in the matters of this company. He has left it all to me. I went through all the employees. Every single one, Courtney. The people I let go were overdue for a firing. My father is a bit sentimental. I am not. So before you yet again stampede in here to play the savior, may I remind you that I am your boss. Not your friend. Not your equal.”
Courtney fell silent. Anderson had never spoken to her like that but why was she surprised? Alex had revealed his true colors. He wasn’t going to be kind or nice to anyone, no matter what they may have done for the company. She merely nodded at him and turned back around, leaving the office. She made sure to shut the door behind her.
“No luck, huh?”
She looked over to see her close work friend, Suki, walking past her desk. She didn’t have a box with her and looked okay. Courtney assumed that she hadn’t been fired.
“No. No luck at all. He’s vastly different from Anderson.”
Suki glanced at the door and lowered her voice, “No one can understand why Anderson chose him. We all knew Anderson had been falling ill a lot easier lately. Maybe he kept bothering him about it. Put the idea in his head. Spoke poorly about George a lot.”
“Maybe. I don’t know. In the end there really isn’t anything we can do, is there? Anderson picked Alex. If we want to keep our jobs, we’ll have to go with it.”
Suki nodded, “Luckily we managed to avoid the axe but what about next time? It is a classic move to come into a new position and fire people, after all. Shows your dominance. Shows you aren’t going to be like the old boss.”
Courtney thought it was clear as day now that Alex wasn’t going to be anything like Anderson. She was still smarting from the verbal lashing she had received from him. She sat down at her desk, determined to do her job well and try to ignore Alex. She wasn’t going to mess up again.
***
Courtney usually worked late. There was no way around it. As the assistant to the owner of a billionaire business, she constantly had things to do. After the rest of the offices emptied of people going home for the day or for good, Courtney was working on going through her e-mails. She had gotten more today than any other day she had been working here. Everyone was e-mailing her about the CEO change. She wasn’t surprised. No one could believe that Alex had gotten the position.
It was after six when the office door behind her opened. Alex stepped out. For the first time today Courtney got a good look at him. His hair was perfectly combed and his suit seemed to fit him like a glove. He looked every part the dashing CEO of the company. At first glance, Alex seemed perfect. It wasn’t until someone looked twice they’d see his face like stone and his eyes devoid of emotion.
“I’m going home,” He said to Courtney in a brisk voice, “Do you usually work this late?”
“Usually later, sir.”
Alex studied her for a moment, as if he was trying to fit something together in her mind. Courtney didn’t say anything else. Was he not speaking because he thought the silence would bother her?
His next question was unexpected, “You think I went too far today?”
Was this a trick? He had given her a lecture for the ages just earlier this same day. There was no way that Courtney was stupid enough to tell him that she had thought he had made a mistake today.
“You’re the boss,” She replied, “I’m sure it’ll end up being good for the company.”
Alex clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, “Dad always said you were smart as a whip. I know you think it is a bad idea. You wouldn’t have stormed into my office like that if you had thought it was a good idea.”
Courtney didn’t say anything. She wasn’t sure what he wanted to hear. Did he want her to tell him that it was a bad idea? She wasn’t going to. She felt as if she was stepping into some mental minefield and needed to be fully aware of her next step.
“Sir, I apologize if I came across as if I knew more than you. It was wrong of me. I shouldn’t have been so presumptuous. I’m sorry again for what I did. I trust you in all of your decisions,” She lied, “And whatever you need me to do, I’m here.”
Alex was studying her again. Courtney felt exposed in front of his stare. It made her feel odd. Once again she could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up.
“Okay,” He finally said and turned away, “Have a nice night.”
Courtney watched him go, wondering what in the world he was thinking about.
Chapter Four
The rest of the week passed by quickly. There were no more firings, as if Alex had been pleased with who he had let go. He hadn’t brought anyone back. He barely spoke to Courtney. Work, which had always been a pleasure, now quickly became something that Courtney dreaded. How could things have changed so rapidly in a week? It felt strange to her that work was so different now. Just a week ago it was a job she had loved. Now she felt as if she was walking on eggshells.
It was Friday evening before Courtney knew where the rest of the week had gone. She was alone in the office with just Alex. The office door was sealed, as usual, and she was working on something on her computer. Usually she had the radio on but it hadn’t been on once all week.
It was then that a voice stirred her out of her thoughts. Alex’s voice. He was angry, yelling at someone on the phone. Courtney froze. She didn’t want him to think she was listening in on him. But he was yelling so loudly that she couldn’t help but overhear it.
“I know what you think! You’ve told me a million times this week! I have no interest in what you think anymore!”
Yikes. Courtney turned back to her computer, trying to focus on her e-mail. Yet the next sentence made her stop.
“George, I don’t care! This isn’t your business to run!”
Yikes. He was yelling at George. Courtney had assumed that he was probably upset he had lost the position to Alex. This was certainly nothing she should be hearing. She tried to write more of her e-mail.
“No one is asking you. No one is asking you about anything important, do you understand? Maybe you should focus on your crumbling, shitty marriage instead of trying to wiggle your way into my job!”
Courtney knew that George and his wife, Demi, had been having a rough patch. She didn’t know the full details of what had caused it. But it had all seemingly been silently agreed upon in the family not to bring it up. To hear Alex
mention it and use it as an insult just reminded Courtney again of how different he was from Anderson.
The office was now silent. Courtney relaxed slightly. But then the office door opened quickly and Alex came out, holding his briefcase in one hand tightly. His knuckles were white. He was trying to keep his face impassive but it was failing. For the first time ever Courtney saw real emotion on his face.
“I’m leaving for the night,” He said to her, “I’ll be in tomorrow but you have the weekends off, correct?”
“Do you need me here tomorrow?” Courtney offered, not wanting to piss him off any more than he already was.
“No. It’s fine,” He paused for a moment, “I was too loud in my office. But you’ve been stuck in my family bullshit for ten years so I suppose nothing can surprise you.”
Courtney wasn’t sure what to say to that. She always tried to keep her space from the affairs of Anderson and his family. She was sure if she got involved it would only distract her from work. Whatever she did accidently find out she kept close to her heart, refusing to share with anyone. Courtney didn’t want to be known as someone who spread gossip around of the family she worked with.
Alex went on, “Listen, let’s cut the shit. We both know no one wants me in this position. All week has been like this. Everyone wanted George to run the company. I know this. I’m not an idiot. But trust me – George wouldn’t have been any better.”
Courtney stared at him, still unsure what to say. She wanted to tell him the truth – that everyone had wanted George to take over. Everyone had been expecting George, after all. But Alex looked actually upset and she didn’t want to make things worse.
So all she said was, “Okay.”
Her simple reply seemed to suck all the energy out of him. His shoulders slouched forward and he suddenly sat down at the chair near her desk. Courtney stiffened. What was he doing? He wasn’t going to try to be friends with her now, was he?
“Dad didn’t have a secret bar in his office somewhere, did he?”
“No, sir.”
Alex let out a sigh and closed his eyes. For the first time, Courtney actually felt bad for him. He probably wanted to do his best and it seemed as if he was acutely aware that no one wanted him in this position.
“Sir, can I get you some water?”
Alex mumbled something she didn’t understand. Courtney got up anyway and went over to the mini-fridge on the other side of her desk and grabbed a bottle of water. The mini-fridge usually had more in than just her things. She shared it with everyone. But the floor was emptied out and the people remaining had double the work. No one was concerned with bringing their own water and drinks in anymore.
“Here.”
Alex looked up and took the bottle of water, uncapping it and taking a large swig. Courtney felt a pang of sympathy for him. He was trying to run a billion-dollar business and was facing opposition from everyone. Maybe she could try to be more understanding as well.
“Can I get you anything else?”
Alex shook his head and she sat back down, unsure of what to say next. He cleared his throat and finally spoke.
“I didn’t want people to compare me to my dad or George. I’m not stupid. I know everyone was expecting George to get the position. He was being groomed for it and everything.”
“So…” Courtney wasn’t sure if she should ask but she couldn’t stop herself in time, “How did you get the CEO position then?”
Alex looked up at her. It felt like all the other times over the years that Courtney had caught him looking at her. The stare that she couldn’t read. The way her body reacted when his eyes fell on hers. Throughout the years Courtney had always felt his eyes on her once in a while. It had felt that he was studying her, as if she was some science experiment. She avoided his stare, glancing at her computer as if she was checking her e-mails.
“Long story,” Alex finally replied, “But George is pissed. We never got along anyway.”
Courtney knew that as well, although she didn’t know why. When she had started here ten years ago, they had gotten along just fine. It wasn’t until Alex’s divorce that things had soured between the two brothers.
“Listen, I can’t go back and hire people I fired. I went over the numbers. It saves us a lot of money. And some of them truly were doing jobs that could be given to other people. We didn’t need a whole person for the job. Dad was sentimental. You know that.”
“Yes. I suppose you’re right.”
“But what, it made me look like an asshole?”
Courtney was growing tired of trying to figure Alex’s moods out so she just said, “Yes.”
“Well, I’m not bringing them back. But…maybe I’ll run some things by you before I do them.”
Courtney blinked, “Me?”
“Why not you?”
“Why not your father?”
Alex peered at her closely and this time his face looked confused, “Courtney, why would I bother dad?”
“Well, I know he’s retired but he still would want to know about the business. He could help you. I know you don’t want to rely on him but….what? What did I say?” Courtney said, trying to make sense of Alex’s pitying stare.
“Courtney,” He said slowly, “Dad is dying.”
***
After Alex had told her that Anderson had discovered he was in the late stages of stomach cancer, Courtney wondered how she had missed the signs. Alex had even tried to comfort her in his own strange and slightly awkward way by hovering over her and telling her that Anderson hadn’t told anyone until he was too sick to keep working. That was why the retirement and Alex taking over had happened so suddenly.
Courtney had worked with Anderson for so long that he had even felt like a second father to her. Her own father had passed away when she was in her early twenties in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. Anderson had filled that gap and guided her through her life. He hadn’t just been a boss to her. He had been a father figure. Finding out that he had been so sick and now had a short time to live was like a punch to the stomach.
In bed that night, she tossed and turned. She was thinking back to the last few months, trying to pinpoint what she had missed. The days that Anderson went home early. The fact he had missed coming into the office more and more. Courtney had just assumed that he was getting so old he could just work from home instead of coming into the office every day. Never had she thought that he was sick. Anderson had gone bald years and years ago from stress so there were no signs of hair loss from the chemo. When he looked sickly and Courtney had asked if he was okay, Anderson had blown her off and said he was old.
This whole time he had stomach cancer. Courtney was unable to sleep. She wanted to see Anderson before he passed. Alex had said he hadn’t much time left. Even though it was three in the morning, she found herself reaching for her phone.
She texted Alex, asking if she could see Anderson later. Courtney wasn’t sure if she’d get a reply. But almost instantly it came – a curt yes.
Chapter Five
Even though Courtney had been to Anderson’s house many times over the years, it had always been for parties or other social events. Today the mansion that Anderson had lived in for so long was practically empty. Even when Courtney stepped inside, the doom and gloom seemed to ooze from every corner of the house. She had never seen the mansion so empty. An aura of sadness seemed to radiate everywhere.
Courtney was shown up the stairs towards Anderson’s room. She passed by Jill who was curled up on a couch in one of the living rooms upstairs. Jill didn’t look up. She was looking out the window with empty eyes. Courtney couldn’t help but feel a surge of irritation. She spoke to Jill the most. Why hadn’t Jill told her? Why hadn’t anyone told her that Anderson was dying?
The butler took her past Jill and down the hallway where she knew Anderson had his rooms. He used to complain his house was too large but he didn’t know what to do with his billions. For some reason Courtney felt sad knowing he never ende
d up with a smaller house.
Anderson had another living room area just outside his bedroom. George was here, in a corner of the room, looking outside the window. He didn’t glance at her when she stepped inside. To Courtney’s surprise, Rebecca was here as well. She was sitting on one of the couches, holding a book tightly between her hands. She looked different than the last time Courtney had seen her. All her hair was shaved off, for one, leaving her completely bald. Her clothes looked like she had been training with monks or something in India, which wouldn’t have surprised Courtney at all. Rebecca had always been a bit on the chubby side but was now so skinny her cheekbones seemed to poke out of her face.
When she saw Courtney, she offered her a wan smile, “Long time no see.”
“Rebecca. Did you just get in?”
“Last night.”
“You’re here.” Came another voice.
Courtney turned around and saw Alex coming out of one of the rooms on the side. Today he was wearing just a regular t-shirt and jeans. His face looked the same but his hair was messy, as if he had been running his fingers through it non-stop.
For some reason, Courtney felt relieved at seeing him. George was giving off a vibe that clearly told everyone he didn’t want to talk to anyone. Rebecca was practically a stranger now. Jill was staring at nothing in the other room. She hadn’t seen Sydney anywhere.
As if sensing her thoughts, Alex glanced at the door, “Sydney is in there right now. Have a seat.”
Courtney sat down on a chair and Alex sat down on the couch, pulling out his phone.
At this George seemed to come alive, “Must you really tend to business now?” He snapped.
“I’m not checking my business right now.” Alex replied, clearly trying to keep his tone light.
But George refused to let it drop, “You shouldn’t even be here, Alex. You never respected father. Not like us.”
“Not like you, you mean.” His tone was still light but the meaning was clear.
George stood up and for a second Courtney was concerned the two brothers were going to fight. But then the bedroom door opened and Sydney came out. She had clearly been crying. Her eyes were red and cheeks tear stained. She barely glanced at them as she walked out of the room, sniffling loudly. No one went after her.