CEO??

Chapter 19

"That was the most amazing thing I have ever witnessed," Darren breathed.

I smiled. "Tell me, Ren, what did you learn from that?" I asked this question often, making sure that he was still learning from me, even though he was also acting as my assistant. Luckily, he was very observant and would learn from the smallest of things. Everything taught him something. Even something as small as how I smiled when speaking with someone.

"I learned that you have to be subtle when dealing with politicians, though firm at the same time. Don't let them push you around, like when you made it clear you weren't going to go on a mission for him, but stay calm and polite. Don't let them get the advantage by showing more emotion than polite interest."

I nodded. "You are a quick study, Kid. Come on, we've got some paperwork to look through."

He smiled brightly and I couldn't help but be in awe of his constant enthusiasm. I had never seen anyone so excited over paperwork before.

We spent the next hour looking through papers and sorting them. Some, I had to do myself, but others could be delegated to others. After sorting them, I quickly worked through those I had to do, narrating my process for Darren.

An hour later, I cleared my desk of all papers that didn't relate to my next task. My least favorite task. Firing people. Despite their incompetence, I hated firing anyone. "Ren, who do I have to fire?" I asked quietly.

He caught on to my mood and responded without his usual cheerful tone. "Sally Jameson, Derek Smith, Mary Harrisburg, and Cory Johnson. They are currently waiting outside."

I sighed. "Please send in Ms. Jameson. You don't have to stay if you don't want to," I said.

He shook his head. "I want to learn everything I can, and this is something I can learn from. I'll go let Ms. Jameson in."

When the woman came in, I masked my emotions with a straight face. "Hello, Ms. Jameson," I said. "Please have a seat."

She sat across from me. "Thank you, Sir. May I ask what I am doing here?"

I sighed softly. "Ms. Jameson, I regret to inform you that your time at Stark Industries is at an end. You will receive a couple of month's pay as severance to support you while you find a new job."

She looked down sadly, but nodded. "I understand. I appreciate my time here. May I put Stark Industries as a reference on my resume?"

I nodded kindly. "Of course. I will be sure that you receive a letter of recommendation."

After she left, I repeated the process with the other three. It was always the same reaction. The same questions. After I had fired the last one, I sighed heavily.

"Are you okay, Peter?" Darren asked timidly.

I smiled at him. "I will be. For now, what do you say to getting some food before we meet with my father. Scolding Pep and Tony can wait."

He nodded. "I was just about to remind you to eat and take a break, as you asked."

I chuckled. "Great minds think alike. Come on, Kid. I'm thinking the cafeteria will have something good."

He grinned and we made our way down. "Oh! Hello, Peter!" Amber greeted as we ran across a group in the halls.

I smiled. "Hello, Amber. Who is this?"

"A high school class from Midtown. Freshman this time. Dr. Stark must have approved a lot of Midtown tours because of you."

I sighed. Food would have to wait. "Mr. Brady, why don't you grab some food from the cafeteria for takeout while I speak to this group? We can eat in the labs with Shuri."

"Of course, Mr. Parker. What would you like?"

"Burgers sound good. Text Shuri and ask for her opinion. Then you can choose between those. Sound good?" I asked.

He nodded and skipped off. I turned to the group.

Amber smiled brightly. "You're in luck today, kids! Mr. Parker rarely speaks to tour groups."

I laughed. "Amber, I rarely speak to anyone; I'm too busy."

She looks around. "Where's Mr. Keener? He is usually with you."

I shrugged. "It's a lab day for him and I've got a million things on my schedule. Now, let's talk about what I do here at SI. My favorite part of my job is being able to work in the lab, but I also do some less exciting things, such as paperwork. I attend meetings and oversee projects. My assistant, whom you just saw, makes my job a whole lot easier. Sometimes, I get so focused on work that he has to remind me to eat." I chuckled. "I love to spend time with my family, so I try not to stay at the tower all the time, however it can be difficult."

"Why is Mr. Brady so young?" A boy asked. "And why are you so young?"

I laughed. "I'm sixteen, that's not so young. Mr. Brady is very smart for his age and is very reliable."

"Why did Ren have to text me that you're postponing eating?" Shuri demanded from behind me.

I winced and slowly turned around. "Shuri! Hi! Lovely seeing you!"

She tapped her foot impatiently. "Parker," she said warningly.

"Alright, fine! I stopped to speak with a tour group from Midtown."

She huffed. "Well, you're done. Say goodbye."

I sighed and turned to face my class. "I have to go now, or else she'll kill me. It was nice seeing you, Amber. I've got a bit for you later, so stop by the lab!" I had to raise my voice for the last part because Shuri was already dragging me away.

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