Page 14 of At the Boss's Mercy
“I don’t know much about your family life,” Abigail said.
“Not much to tell.My grandfather started this business in advertising.My father, who was an outsider, and in all honesty, a gold digger, didn’t know what he was doing.My mother was never interested in business, she just liked spending money, not making it.My dad ran the business until there was nothing left.My grandfather, seeing what was happening, removed my dad from his seat, at eighteen he put me in the seat, and from there, he taught me everything about the company.I rescued it with my grandfather’s help.”
“Wow,” Abigail said.“I have never met your parents.”
“My grandparents died many years ago, old age.My parents died in a car accident.My dad had been drinking, and he thought he was still capable to drive him and my mom home.They died instantly.”
“Wow,” Abigail said.
“Yeah, wow.They died before my grandparents.I know it’s strange, but I feel like my grandparents waited until they knew I could make it on my own, you know?”
Abigail nodded.“Yeah, I get it.”
“What about you?”he asked.
“Oh, wow.My mom left me and my dad when I was fifteen.He worked two jobs, and ended up having an accident at work that killed him,” Abigail said.
“Okay, wow,” Roman said.
Abigail nodded at him.“Yeah, it was really strange, because the company was actually in the wrong.They had cut corners, and in doing that, killed my father.If it wasn’t for a lawyer who was determined to make this company pay, I would have ended up on the streets.My dad still had a mortgage.Anyway, he won the case, and I got a settlement out of it—quite a bit of money—and I sold the house and moved to the city.Not to my place now.I got a job at your company when I was twenty-one years old.Nine years ago.”
“You were the mail girl,” he said.
She smiled.“You remembered?”
“Kind of hard to forget the woman that made my advertising manager look incompetent.”
Abigail had forgotten all about that.Six months into the job.She had never seen Roman before, and she’d been on the elevator, when the lamest commercial idea was thrown out.She didn’t have much of a filter and hadn’t really thought about her working environment, and spoke her mind.Less than a year later, her idea was playing on television, the advertising manager was fired, and she was promoted.That one idea helped make the company millions of dollars.
From advertising, to finance, in the last nine years she had worked in pretty much every department for Roman.He wasn’t just into advertising, he had his hands in so many different pockets.The main building had one floor for each of his companies, and he oversaw it all.There were other buildings spread throughout the country, but the main one was the base of operations.
“Have you heard from your mom?”he asked.
“She died of an overdose the same year I came to work for you,” she said.
“Shit,” he said.“I never knew.”
“My dad’s death when I was eighteen was hard.I loved my dad, he was there for me through everything.He was even there at prom.He wasn’t my date, but he did warn my date.”She laughed.“He told me it was the prelude to walking me up the aisle.He never got that chance.”
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“It’s not your fault.”
“What about the construction company?I might be able to fuck them over for good.”
Abigail laughed.“That is kind of sweet, but trust me, they are no more.I was not the only one they had wronged.Or, I should say, my dad is not the only person they had killed.”
“This was not the mood I wanted to set for this picnic.I feel like I’ve spoiled it.”
“Absolutely not.This is wonderful.The summer sunshine, the heat, and the sandwiches.”She picked up one, and it was cheese and mayonnaise.Not a combination she would usually try, but it was tasty.“So, tell me, Roman.Why haven’t you been married off by now?Shouldn’t you be wanting an heir?”
“I’ve not met the right woman, but trust me, when I do, I’m putting my baby inside her.”
****
Several Days Later
Roman was pissed off.
