The Swirl

Ep. 8

"...so tomorrow, I'm expecting all the files to be on my desk and with no errors this time around," the CEO said. "You may leave."

It was almost lunch time and they had been in this boring meeting for hours. Mabea grabbed her clipboard and stood from her chair as her coworkers walked out simultaneously.

The CEO called her name and she spun around. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Mabea's heart raced. Was she in trouble? What if she was getting fired?! How would she support her family? Oh snap! Wait...she hadn't done anything wrong so why was she freaking out?

"Yes, ma'am?" she said with as much calm as she could manage.

The boardroom was empty except for the two of them.

The CEO sat on the edge of the gigantic mahogany table and looked at her quietly for a few minutes. "Have a seat please," she said.

Mabea sat.

"So...you've been here with us for almost two years now, right? Right. It has come to my attention that...how do I put this?" The CEO smoothed her skirt. "That you've been a little too friendly with one of our Japanese friends."

Mabea's heart lurched and she froze. How did this get to her workplace? How-

"How do I know this? One of our Japanese associates was in your friend's community and he saw you sneaking out of your friend's house in the early hours of the morning."

"I can explain-"

"Don't interrupt me when I'm talking, please. Do you know who the man you were sleeping with is? Don't even deny it because a walk of shame means that you have had sex with that man. Do you know who he is?"

"Hiroto Kazan," Mabea croaked. She was totally getting fired today. Her brain was in overdrive, already thinking about the clause in her contract which strictly forbade her from interacting with any of the international associates on any other level other than work unless having met the person prior to working with them.

The CEO shook her head. "Who is he? How are we even linked to him?"

"We have a research project with him and the company he works for, ma'am."

The CEO was incredulous. "Are you serious right now, Mabea? You don't know who Hiroto is?"

Mabea was confused. What did the lady mean? "I just said he's an employee for the Japanese company that's working with us. Look, I'm sorry that I slept with him and I promise that I'll stop all form of contact with him at once and I won't ever see him again. Please just don't fire me. I broke the clause and-"

"Mabea, Hiroto is your sponsor."

Mabea didn't hear a thing and rambled on. "-and I will never talk to him again I promise. Just don't fire me because I need this job. My family would starve and-"

The CEO stopped her rambling. Mabea looked up at her, trembling. She was on the verge of losing it because her tuition wouldn't cover her various expenses.

"Mabea, Mr. Kazan is your sponsor. He's the owner of the company that we're working with and he's the one that is paying for your school expenses right now."

"Huh?" Mabea stopped thinking for a second. Her brain stopped functioning. "But...my fees and expenses are paid by some Australian man-"

"Mr. Kazan is that Australian man. He was born to an Australian mom and a Japanese father in Australia which makes him Australian by birth. And he's not just an employee for the Japanese associates. He owns the team."