Page 24 of The Boss Problem

“Is everything okay?” he asked, looking worried as he sat up.

I nodded as I recognized he had managed to do that on his own this time before reaching for the thermometer. “We’re going to have instant noodles for dinner,” I said, holding the device to his forehead.

His temperature was back down to 98 degrees Fahrenheit, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Noodles is fine,” he said, closing his eyes again. “But I’m not really hungry. Just stay by my side, Chloe. Don’t leave.”

I held his hand in mine. “I’m not going anywhere, Henry.”

In a minute, he had dozed off again. Getting ready to spend the night by his side, I sat down when I heard a beep on my phone with a text.

Sean:Chloe, I need twenty unique Spider-Man figurines to be delivered to my office before I leave for home at nine. Let’s see if you’re up to the task, Woman Who Hates Bruce.

I stared at the text. It was eight at night, so there was no way I needed to do this and particularly not when I had an hour to get this done. But it confirmed what I had suspected all along.

Chloe:In an hour? That’s impossible.

Sean:There is no such thing as impossible. Impossible is just an excuse for people who are too scared.

Sean was certainly not giving up on his attempts to fire me. I looked at Henry, whose color seemed to have returned to his face, and placed a hand on his forehead. It was cool, and while I wet the hand towel again and wiped his face once more, I was drawn back to the phone as a new text came in.

Sean:Is this task too difficult for you, Chloe?

I gulped. So, this was his trap. I needed to run this errand, or I knew I could kiss goodbye any dreams I had of going back to Henry’s old and trusted medicines.

Henry’s temperature was normal now, and it would stay normal for a few hours at least. By the looks of it, he was in deep sleep and would probably sleep through the night.

I knew one eclectic shop near Times Square that would have Marvel characters and be open at this hour, but would they have twentydifferentSpider-Mans?

I scooted out of my chair. The only way to find out was to get out there. If I was quick, I could finish my task, keep my job, and be back before Henry comprehended I was gone. Writing a quick reply to Sean that I’d do it, I raced to the door, grabbing my purse on the way.

If Sean was determined to fire me, I was even more determined to not be fired. I could still save my job.

13

CHLOE

Does Sean have a Spider-Man craze at his age?I wondered as I got into a cab after letting the driver know I was in a hurry.

It seemed unreasonable to want twenty figurines, but I had been familiar with a CEO who wanted miniature figures of an entire baseball team lined up on his table each morning. It wasn’t too odd.

My first stop was a quaint comic-book store, tucked away in a corner of Times Square. As I entered, the familiar scent of ink and paper enveloped me. I approached the store clerk, describing what I wanted.

The clerk assisted me, leading me through rows of comic books, action figures, and collectibles. Time ticked away quietly, and soon, I found a few rare editions and classic Spider-Man figurines, bringing my count up to ten. I raced to the checkout counter, knowing that I was far from the twenty figurines I needed.

Leaving the comic-book store, I found a second yellow cab and got in, determined to finish soon and get back to Henry.

Next, I stopped by a bustling toy store in East Village. As I weaved through the maze of tourists in the shop, I scoured the store’s shelves, finding Spider-Man in various poses and costumes. I paid for three pieces I’d found, but I still had twenty minutes and seven figurines to go.

Whipping out my phone, I located more specialty toy stores around me. I visited three other shops, negotiating with shop owners and even getting one of them to make a call to some of his friends’ shops to find out if they had any more toys in stock.

When I got my twentieth figurine, I emerged triumphantly from the last store, a bag brimming with Spider-Man figurines slung over my shoulder. I hailed another cab, directing the driver to Sean’s office. The city skyline sparkled as we drove through the streets, and I checked my phone in case I got any calls from Henry. There were none, and I breathed easy, knowing that he was sleeping through the night.

As I sat in my fourth cab for the night, I stared at the bags next to me on my seat, brimming with expensive Spider-Man treasures.

Since I’d joined Sean’s company so recently, they hadn’t issued me a company card yet. I was using my personal card, and every time I’d swiped it for another expensive Spider-Man toy, my heart had almost stopped.

I would be lying if I said I’d never once wished I could trade places with someone more carefree for a day. Some days, the desire to escape the weight of caring for Henry was so strong that I would Google Dad’s name in desperation, wondering if he was nearby, and when I found nothing, I’d empty a bottle of wine. In the morning, self-hatred would creep in, and I’d make up for my previous day’s thoughts by doing something extra special for Henry.