me back because I miss the sound of those birds. 2. What is the ringtone you have assigned to me?
Julian: Sorry. I remembered one more thing. 3. Could you hurry up and get your butt here. It’s a ghost town!
Stevie got out of his message and went into her contacts. When she edited Julian’s contact information, she had changed his ringtone to the one he had programmed for her.
“Birds of a feather…” she mumbled as she slipped her phone into her handbag and made her way towards the elevator. She pressed the down button, and as she waited, she let her fingers run to the back of her neck and touched the ‘J’ tattoo.
We flock together.
“I thought you wouldn’t be in today,” Mona said.
Stevie turned around to see her mentor leaning on the cubicle wall, eyebrow raised and a smirk on her lips. The humorous twinkle in Mona’s eye left Stevie on edge. She didn’t know her mentor well enough to really understand that glimmer. She wasn’t sure if it was teasing or calculating. Wasn’t sure if she was fired for not turning up or if she even had an internship.
“Oh, umm, I have that assignment you wanted me to do with the billboards,” Stevie explained.
Mona pushed off the wall. “Type it up and email it to me by Monday.”
“Okay. I’ll just grab some things from my desk. Was there anything else you wanted me to do?”
“No. Just be prepared for next week. I’m going to test you’re capabilities and want you to work on one of the projects with me. Monday I want you in at nine.” Mona pulled out Stevie’s office chair and then sat in it. She tilted her head up and studied Stevie. “So, how long have you been into that consultant?”
Stevie flinched. “What?”
Mona’s smirk turned into a wide grin. “Julian. I felt the tension. And I can bet my career that you’re here to see him. No one on the senior team is here on Thursdays or Fridays.”
“It’s not what you think. If I’m being fired, then I can explain our history,” Stevie quickly offered. The nerves had her heart rate spiking and her breathing heaved. It confused her that she had tried to save her internship. Days ago, she had wanted to get fired. It just didn’t make sense to her.
“So there’s history?”
Stevie nodded. “I met him four years ago and we spent some time together. Then we lost touch and well, I met him again at our best friends’ wedding. I had no idea he was hired to be the consultant. Please don’t fire me!”
Mona laughed and shook her head. “I’m not going to fire you. There’s nothing wrong with what you and Julian have. He’s a consultant; he’s not an employee here. Plus I’m not going to fire the daughter of the man who helped saved this company and its reputation.”
Stevie’s jaw dropped. “H-how did you know about that? That’s disclosed information.”
“We all have secrets. Sometimes, it’s better to have someone who appreciates your secrets to know. Like how I know you’re Collette Agustin’s daughter.” Mona rose from the seat and set a hand on Stevie’s shoulder. “Sometimes being the daughter of someone powerful can be your downfall. But don’t worry, Stevie, your secrets are safe with me.”
Before Stevie could even ask how she knew who her parents were, Mona had already left the cubicle. No one knew about her family. Or the power her family had.
Stevie quickly spun around and rushed out of her workstation. “Mona!” she called out.
Mona stopped and then faced her. “Yes, Stevie?”
“Are you Rogers’… are you his daughter?”
“Please keep this kind of information to yourself, Stevie. My plans for taking over will be jeopardised if people knew. I want to know the company and the employees before I do. It’s clear that my father’s way of leadership isn’t what it used to be. Tyranny isn’t going to lead this company to succeed. And thanks to your father’s investment, we’re able to make it happen once my father signs his shares over to me.”
“I can’t believe you’ve kept that a secret. Like, no one in the office knows?”
Mona shook her head with a smile. “Those who knew about me retired. What I can’t believe is that no one has put two and two together with you. You’re as beautiful as Collette, if not more.”
“Blondie?” Stevie heard Julian shout behind her.
“He doesn’t know?” Mona asked.
“Nope. He will soon, though. I’m trying this honesty thing with him.” The tension in