Best Friends with the Boss

13

The days I spent with my mom were absolutely amazing. It was a well deserved vacation, and when I surprised my mom with a ticket back to Louisiana, she almost cried. I made her promise that she wouldn't tell Daddy, but she would have an even bigger surprise for him. I wished I could've stayed longer, but unfortunately (but very fortunately), I had a job that actually needed me.

The food and music there was amazing, my mother even tried to hook me up with the life guard. He was a little young for my taste (read 18 and fresh out of high school). And I had the time of my life. I was going back with a new confidence and a new mindset.

"Mom, be good." I was dropping my mom off at Derek's house, he was currently at the office going through any last minute plans with Damien, and he was hoping to have the biggest shock when he got back. I felt bad I was ruining his vacation, but I would've felt worse leaving my mom alone again.

"I'll just wave a knife in his face for a second or two, honey."

"Mom..." She gave me a cheeky smile before grabbing her suitcase and slamming the door in my face. Sometimes I wonder where all that southern training went to.

I was fine on my way to the office, peaceful even, after talking with my mother I was prepared to give Dai 'the talk' and go on about my life with a new, positive outlook. But as soon as I parked my car and got out the anxiety hit me like a truck.

"Are my hands sweating? Oh my god." I wiped them quickly on my skirt and hustled through the lobby. I wasn't late for the meeting or anything, I was just hoping the sooner I got to my station and dealt with Dai, the sooner my heart could stop beating so hard.

Amanda saw me before I saw her and slid in the elevator with me. "How was your mini vacation?" She turned her head towards me and gasped, "Are you okay? You look all splotchy."

"I'm just having a minor panic attack. I just did something so unlike me, it's insane." I opened my phone's camera to see if it was really as bad as she made it seem, it was.

"Yes, you took a last minute vacation, but that isn't reason enough to have a panic attack." Amanda smiled and placed a hand on my arm, "I've probably done worse."

"That's not what I'm really nervous about, I have to give Dai the talk, and I'm really shook up about it." The elevator doors opened and the noise activity on the usually quiet floor was surprising. Even on the day of meetings, things usually went very smoothly. "What the—"

"I have so many questions." Amanda stood beside me also looking surprised at the amount of people running around, "I guess...I'll get back to my station. Let you deal with this."

I nodded my head and walked quickly to Damien's office. I knocked and heard a gruff come in, when I entered he gave me a look of pure gratitude, but he quickly changed it to one of disapproval.

"Mr. Masarti...s," I nodded my head in the direction of Daddy and Uncle Don, and they gave me a strained smile.

"Sit down." Damien waved towards a chair, and gave me the fakest employee—employer smile. You know the smile, when your boss is about to accuse you of something you didn't do, so they start it off by being nice, yeah that look. "It's come to my attention, that some of the papers for my presentation are missing. Now Ms. Breutreaux, before you left on your unpermitted vacation, I remember you telling me you had finished all of your duties."

"And I had, if it was dealing with your presentation, I placed it in your hand Friday night before I left." I sat up straighter in my chair, "And in the incidence that it was misplaced in my absence, I made four copies. I gave you two, placed another in my desk, and I have one on me."