going to find a replacement for you. I’ll get Blaire to find me the admin assistant I need,” I tell him when he comes into my office with my breakfast.
“Okay, Mr. Silvers, but is Kim not coming back? Has she left for good? Some of us were wondering if she’s okay and if you’ve heard from her.”
I smile at him, and I can see my reaction has taken him by surprise.
“No, she’s not coming back here as my assistant, but you may see her around from time to time.”
“Oh? In what capacity?”
“As my girlfriend, and the mother of my child.” I don’t hesitate when I reply but I can see how shocked Mike is. Sometimes I’m astonished how nobody else noticed or picked up on the vibe between us. Clearly, we did a good job of keeping our relationship a secret.
“The mother of your child?” Mike fumbles with the words.
“Yes, we’re expecting a baby together.”
I spread the avocado-mash on my bread and take a bite. Mike is still standing there, looking amazed.
“You don’t have to worry about keeping it a secret either. You can tell the others if they ask. I’m sure everyone’s been wondering what happened with Kim. She was friendly with a lot of you.”
“Yeah, she was…” Mike is lost, so I fill in the gaps.
“We started seeing each other shortly after she took the job. I’m sure you will all understand why we didn’t want to make it public. Now we’re expecting a baby and we’re very happy together. The next time she visits me at work, I’ll be sure to send her over to the cafeteria so you can all ask her yourselves.”
Mike looks embarrassed even though I’m smiling. I can’t believe how happy and proud it makes me to talk about our relationship this way. I haven’t even had a chance to tell Reed or the others. I’m not sure how my mother will react to it, either.
“Well, I wish you both the best of luck in your journey together,” Mike says. He’s finally managed to gather himself, and now he’s beaming.
“Yes, thank you, Mike, but I don’t think we’ll be needing any more luck. I feel like the luckiest guy around already,” I reply with a laugh. Even I can’t believe I’m talking this way.
When Tom Donnelley, Chairman of the Board, knocks on my office door an hour later, I look up and wait for him to come in. I’m surprised to see him because Tom is not the kind of man to walk around the office building without an appointment. Has Mike missed informing me about a meeting? I wouldn’t put it past him.
“Hi, Tom, what can I do you for?” I declare. I’m still in great spirits. There’s a skip and bounce in my step.
Maybe Tom notices it too, and he walks towards me with his hands behind his back.
“I wanted to speak to you in private, Kirk. You and I have always been honest with each other, especially outside the board room,” he says.
Instantly I guess what he’s getting at. This is about Kim. Mike has spread the news, and it’s reached Tom and he disapproves. He’s afraid of litigation and scandal. I’m going to walk out of this office and never look back if he says anything about Kim.
My face hardens as he draws in a deep breath.
“Okay, what is this about? What do you want to discuss with me honestly?” I ask, starting to lose my patience.
Tom’s hair is starkly silver. There are lines of wisdom and life-experiences marking his face.
“I heard through the grapevine that you’re planning on taking legal action against the board because of our previous discussion.”
“What?” I’ve been caught off-guard, and I’m not sure what he’s talking about.
“Your extreme-sporting habit, Kirk. How you love putting your life at risk once every few weeks. Apart from the massive liability that will cost the company, none of us want to lose a man like you. You are a valuable—”
If I let him, Tom will continue with his speech, but I have already made up my mind on the matter.
“It’s fine, Tom. The board has nothing to worry about. I promise to take it easy, going forward. I’m not going to pursue those habits. It’s behind me now.”
Tom’s brows are furrowed. He definitely wasn’t expecting it to be this easy.
“Why? What has changed? You were so determined when we last spoke.”
I’m smiling now. Debating whether to come clean and tell him the truth.
Ah, fuck it! They’re all going