Page 43 of Falling for the Bosshole

“Killian, I’m so glad you’re finally here. You cannot leave me with that witch again.” Gilly looked down the hall for the “witch,” then pulled Killian inside with her.

Killian knew the best thing to do was to let Gilly rant to let the anger and frustration out of her system. Not once did she contradict or blame the old lady. She listened attentively without patronizing her patient. Killian didn’t need to castigate the old woman. She just gave her a look that said a lot without uttering a single word. When Gilly settled down sufficiently, she apologized for being a difficult patient. She swore she would take her medications if Killian returned later in the night and give her a massage before bedtime. Killian promised she would as she tucked the old woman back into her bed.

“She’s fine now,” Killian announced to the surprised “witch” nurse on duty.

Killian headed for the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor. Upon reaching the lobby, she made a beeline for the hospital exit and crossed a grassy knoll that led to the courtyard of the Medical Arts Building. This was a more modern building compared to the hospital where she worked. The MAB housed a restaurant, coffee shop, and a cafeteria on the ground floor. The next couple of floors were occupied by doctor’s clinics.

Killian headed for the 10th floor, where she would find the lavish offices occupied by the different members that comprised the Maxwell Saint Senior Memorial Hospital Board of Directors. She had never met them and only knew of them through the regular memos that emanated from this place. Those communications ran the hospital with efficiency and direction.

Killian never needed to ever step foot in here except by a fluke of nature. The cottage in the wood that she wanted to have with growing desperation was an asset of the hospital. When she learned that, she set about doing everything in her power to get hold of that abandoned asset.

Killian had drafted a letter addressed to the board of directors stating her intent to lease the property. She knew it was impossible to present her case to each of the nine directors, so she handed her letter to the board secretary, Miss Mary Smith.

Killian had placed all her hopes on a woman who seemed a little hard of hearing and was continually flustered about the many tasks she had to perform for the board.

Killian entered an office and hoped she was in the right place to find Miss Mary. The room was broken down into partitions of smaller workspaces, and each cubicle was occupied by a secretary working on a computer screen. At the rear was a cubicle that was twice the size of the smaller workspaces in front.

Killian headed toward it and spotted Miss Mary. She crossed her fingers, hoping for some news even as she tried to stop the feeling of gloom. She had made so many follow-up calls and never had any luck.

Mary Smith stared at her through thick-rimmed glasses. Killian wondered if the secretary even remembered her.

“Nurse Killian. I’m glad to see you.”

Hope bloomed in Killian’s heart. “Has my letter gotten any response?”

Mary Smith clucked her tongue. “The board has read your letter. But they cannot give you the answer you need because the property is a personal asset of the Chairman, Maxwell Saint.”

Killian felt her spirit sag. “Can I make an appointment to see the chairman then?”

“Mr. Saint is a very busy man…”

“Oh, please, Miss Smith,” Killian begged. “I promise I won’t take too much of his time. I just need to convince him to give me that lease.”

The secretary looked uncertain, then replied. “I am not promising you anything. He might not even want to see you. But if you can come around at 9 p.m. tonight, you may just catch him in his office.”

Killian was elated. She would definitely make it back here. Nothing would stand in her way from talking to Maxwell Saint and make him understand how important the cottage was to her. The only problem was she knew nothing about the man.