There's excitement in the conference room as Noah tells the team that he will be informing Mrs Clancy about our new designs today and that if everything goes to plan, both products should be in production by the end of the week.I can't believe how quickly we've gotten to this point. It's super exciting to think I've been involved – sort of – in the process. I provided coffee and snacks; I feel like that's a valid contribution.He tells everyone to double check everything. There's no margin for error after everything that's happened over the last few weeks.Noah is clearly worried that Lewis Artie will try something but he doesn't say it in the meeting. Instead he keeps everything upbeat, thanking the team for their hard work.Everyone is so excited and happy that I'm a little scared we'll jinx it. I'm not usually superstitious but the last few weeks has me touching wood. He doesn't say it but I'm pretty sure Noah feels the same way.When the meeting is over, I follow him out of the co
Noah's POV:My morning has been hectic. Mondays always are but were usually I find it only mildly irritating, now I find I'm disappointed that I've not seen much of Eden. Other than the occasional request for coffee, I've not had any excuse to speak to her.But then again, I shouldn't be looking for excuses to talk to her. I should be working, not flirting – or even thinking about flirting – with my assistant.I work through my lunchbreak, but Eden brings me a sandwich, insisting that I eat before the meeting. More than anything, I'm just happy to see her, even if it's only for a few minutes."You need to eat," she tells me, moving the files I'm looking at off my desk as she places a plate down in front of me."Thank you," I say, although I don't really have the time to stop if I'm going to be ready for the meeting at two."Eat," she repeats firmly.I lift up the sandwich not wanting to disappoint her. She sits down opposite me and I get the distinct impression she won't leave until my
"Wait," James Artie cuts into my pitch.He doesn't need to utter another word for me to know that it isn't going to be in support of my team's work. He's going to do everything he can to pull our products apart. It's what he does."We haven't got the factory capacity for either of these," he says.I don't know how he'd know that. He's the head of finance and has very little involvement in the production side of things."Actually we do," I tell him, handing Mrs Clancy the documents that Eden has been working on, including a run down of the time and man power each factory is able to give."Not if we want to create a new range around the rocking bed design."I pause. He's right. Without knowing Mrs Clancy wanted to make a new line, I hadn't anticipated the need to include it in the projections."Well, it says here," Mrs Clancy responds, "that these numbers make an allowance for a twenty percent increase in demand for other products."I glance at what she's looking at. There on one sheet o
Drinks had seemed like a great idea earlier. Then again I hadn't been planning on a Monday night rager. I'd anticipated a couple of rounds at the pub and nothing more.I'm not sure why I didn't try and get out earlier. I should have just made some excuse about needing to feed my dog, not that I have a dog and then I wouldn't be in the waiting room at A&E right now. I don't even remember who recommended going to a club. It's Monday night! Who does that? Whoever it was that suggested it is seriously at risk of losing their end of year bonus.The only positive in this entire situation is that I'm not alone. Eden is sitting beside me, her head resting on my shoulder as she sleeps. Stacey is pacing back and forth. It's exhausting just watching her."He'll be okay, won't he?" she asks, coming to sit down opposite us."It's only a broken arm," I reply."I can't believe he did that.""Me neither," I grumble, glancing at my watch. It's three in the bloody morning and I only have about three hou
When I arrive at work, I'm surprised to find that Noah still hasn't arrived. I never beat him here. Then again, he'd made a point of telling me to come in later than normal. However, this is later. It's almost nine and this might be the first time I've ever come in after seven thirty in the morning.Some of the team have already arrived, none of them looking particularly great as they hide away in the cubicles, working as quietly as possible. Even if their heads are killing them, I still think they got off lightly though. None of them spent several hours in the emergency room. Making my way into the kitchen, I make myself and Noah a coffee. We're going to need a hell of a lot of caffeine to get us through today.Noah wanders in while I'm waiting for the kettle to boil."I thought you might be in here," he says, offering me a coffee from the coffee shop across the street."Oh my gosh! You're a lifesaver!" I gush, accepting the coffee eagerly. "I was just going to make coffee.""I think
My cheeks are flaming red as I make my way across the department floor towards Noah's office. I try to reassure myself that he couldn't have noticed me staring at him. He was surely too distracted with everything else going on. There's not much that can distract Noah Grisham from his work and I'm pretty sure I don't make the list.That thought is a little upsetting, not that it should be. I'm his assistant; I'm supposed to help him get his work done not hinder him. I certainly shouldn't be a distraction.I hurry to sign into his computer, surprised that he shared his password with me. He shouldn't have done that. Even if he's deemed me trustworthy, the rules are the rules and he shouldn't breech them. I make a mental note to remind him to change his password.There's a window open and I go to close it but my finger hovers over the mouse as I find myself reading its content. I shouldn't. It's none of my business but I can't stop myself.Why would Noah be looking for a new job?He can't
I knock on my grandma's office door. Noah has sent me to get her signature on a couple of documents. I feel weirdly apprehensive. It will be the first time we've actually spoken since I came to work here. For the most part, I've been working hard to avoid her. I'm not sure either of us will be able to act like strangers.What if someone other than Martin is in her office?I've never been a very good actor. At least, I was never picked for my high school plays. And for good reason.When I hear her call out for me to enter, I hesitate for a fraction longer before opening the door. I do my best to paste a smile on my face. As I feared, the room is full of people, mostly people I don't recognise but that doesn't mean they don't know who I am."Eden," she says far warmer than she should and I grimace."Hello Mrs Clancy," I say with what I hope sounds like polite nervousness. "Mr Grisham asked me to get your approval on these.""Of course," she replies, holding out her hand for the documents
Making my way back to the department, their conversation runs on repeat through my mind."I just don't understand why there wasn't the funding to replace the products," one of them had said, only moments before I had walked away."It's just James Artie being a jerk," the other had replied.They had seemed genuinely concerned that our company might be suffering some sort of financial difficulty. Grandma would tell me if that was the case, wouldn't she? It's hard to believe that she wouldn't. She normally can't get enough of talking to me about the company. And in recent weeks, since I started working here, she's become more talkative, not less.I can't help but wonder why Noah didn't tell us that Mrs Clancy had chosen to bankroll the replacements herself.I'm distracted for the rest of the day and everyone notices it, none less so than Noah. He seems a mixture of irritated and concerned as he struggles to get my attention repeatedly before deciding to give up."Eden, I think you should