FALLEN

Chapter Fourty One

Aurora's P.O.V

"Hey Mary, are there any leftovers from last night? The food was so good I asked for seconds." I blush and she laughs.

"Yes there is Miss, would you like me to heat it up for you?"

"Can you make it for later, like for lunch? I'm already running late." I look at my watch and she nods, packing me a lunchbox. God when last did I pack a lunchbox. I laugh to myself. I hurriedly make my way to the office, I cannot be late for that meeting with the editing team.

"Miss Anderson, you're late." He gives me a knowing look and I scoff.

"I know, mother." And he laughs.

"I am just doing my job."

"I know Justin, has everybody already arrived?" And he nods. "Okay let's go." Getting into the boardroom everyone takes their seats. "Good morning everyone, so, can I know what this reoccurring problem is? Because quite frankly I'm getting tired of addressing the same issue over and over again." Everyone keeps quiet, not speaking. "Do I need to start firing people?"

"No." They say in union.

"Then what is it? Did I not give the editing department specific instructions? What happened?"

"Well, Miss Anderson the thing is the reason we failed to meet the deadline is because Bobby hasn't been showing up to work lately, quite frankly he's been slacking off and we've been trying to cover for him because we didn't want him to get fired but-"

"How's that working out for you?"

"Not so well Miss." He says looking down.

"Ma'am we understand that we made a mistake by lying and we take full responsibility, it's just that we have all worked together for a very long time and we know that Bobby losing his job would mean suffering for his family."

"I am fully aware of Mr Jones' absence and I have been for a while now, I am also aware of why he isn't at work and had he come to me, as his boss, and discussed this with me I would have come up with a solution to help but he didn't. Instead he lied and blew off his responsibilities as a worker, which is unacceptable. You guys have missed four deadlines. This is a company not a charity case, if you guys fail to perform that is someone else's dream destroyed and money wasted, the same money I use to pay you. I thought I was a fair and understanding boss but I see now that that was my mistake. Let me make this perfectly clear, this is the first and final warning, if anything like this happens again I won't fail to fire all of you. Meeting adjourned." I say leaving.

"Iced coffee?" Justin asks when we get to my office and I nod. Maybe I was a little hard on them but I have to set an example to all my other workers. Getting back to work I get through half of the work I'm supposed to complete today. Taking a lunch break I heat up my lunch and eat in my office, my mind can't help thinking about last night. Dinner was really nice and the setting was beautiful too. Even though Cy and I are getting better at this being together thing I just can't shake this engagement thing, he's engaged to another woman, a woman who also loves him and as much as I know his heart belongs to me I'm still not the one he's engaged to. She is.

"Miss Anderson." Shit. He startled me.

"Yes?"

"Mr Jefferson is here, should I send him in?" Ben's here? But we don't have an appointment.

"It's okay Justin." Soon Ben walks into my office and I gesture for him to take a seat. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I'm sure you know why I'm here." So this is business.

"The four missed deadlines." I point out.

"What's going on? You run a tight ship here, I didn't expect this from you." Hell, hearing that really blows.