Page 5

5

T wo months later, Gabby smiled as she went to her office. Her secretary, Jackie, treated her like a daughter. Once the office discovered her pregnancy, Jackie ensured Gabby ate snacks in between meals and stocked her mini fridge with milk, yogurt, cheese snacks, and water. In the morning, Jackie always greeted her with decaffeinated tea.

“Good morning, Gabrielle. Mr. Wilkinson asked to see you when you arrived. He knows your penchant for coming in early. He likes a go-getter,” she praised her. “Maybe he has something he wants to ask you.”

Gabby laughed. “You’re incorrigible. I’ve only worked here for two months.”

Jackie’s glasses slid down her nose as she peered at the younger woman. “You work hard, figured out two major client files in a matter of days and landed a big fish. It’s more than some of these young pups who waltz in with their designer coffees and scroll on social media all day.”

Gabby shook her head as she sipped the tea Jackie left her. Grabbing a notepad and paper, she walked down the hall to the executive suite offices and knocked on Mr. Wilkinson’s door.

“Come in, Gabrielle,” the older man called.

“Good morning,” she greeted. “I understand you needed to speak with me.”

“Yes. Please have a seat.” He waited until she sat. “How do you like things here?”

Gabby smiled. “Everyone’s extremely helpful. My work keeps me busy and I find it challenging.”

“Good.” Mr. Wilkinson nodded. “Before you arrived, we decided to search for a manager for the office. Someone who can ferret out the issues and bring in business. You’ve proven yourself over the last two months. The account you brought in will keep us in the black for quite some time.”

“It’s what you hired me for,” she reminded him.

“I want to offer you a new position. Mr. Landsford passed away before you arrived. We didn’t immediately fill his position and we’ve given you the files and accounts he handled. You’ve done an impressive job and we want you to fill his spot.” Mr. Wilkinson slid a piece of paper across his desk. “It comes with a bump in salary, and the office at the end of the hall. You’ll have a personal assistant and a company card. It’ll require you to occasionally take clients out to dinner or meet them outsidethe office.”

Gabby’s heart jumped at his words. “Oh. Thank you for considering me. I never imagined getting hired for the position since I’ve only worked here for two months. I must remind you, I’m expecting a baby and requested a six-week maternity leave. Will this pose any problems? Does it require me to drive clients because I don’t own a car?”

The older man chuckled. “Jackie made your pregnancy knownthroughout the entire office. We’ve taken it into consideration. We’re willing to up the ante by offering you paid maternity leave and work from home. You won’t have to work a specific number of hours. We’ll work around you while you adjust to your child’s schedule. I forgot to mention, you’ll receive a company car.”

Gabby’s eyes widened as she absorbed the generous offer. She picked up the paper from the desk and stared at the number they listed as a salary. That alone made her decision. She smiled widely. “May I take the contract home to read it over?”

He chuckled. “I expected no less from you. There will be an NDA disclosure you’ll need to sign. Our clients’ privacy remains of the utmost importance.”

“Of course.” Gabby rose from her seat and shook his hand. “I’ll bring the contract in tomorrow. Thank you for the offer.” She barely held in her excitement as she turned and walked down the hall.

Jackie practically bounced on her toes, grinning as Gabby approached her. “Well?”

“They offered me the position,” she confided quietly.

Jackie gave a quiet squeal and hugged Gabby to her. “I’ll start searching for an assistant for you. You’ll need someone good.”

Gabby stood back. “I already have you.”

Jackie waved her hand. “You’ll want someone better.”

Gabby shook her head as she entered her office and read over the contract. Her eyes glazed over the numbers. With no car payment, insurance and the boost in pay, she can move her and the baby into a decent apartment in no time. Excitement rose through her for the first time since the move.

Picking up her phone, she dialed Mr. Wilkinson’s office. He gave a little chuckle as he greeted her. “Hello, Gabrielle. I see you already have questions. And you wondered why we chose you.”

“You mentioned a personal assistant. May I keep Jackie? We’ve worked seamlessly together since I arrived, and I hate to lose her and retrain someone else when I only have a few months before my leave. She already knows what I need and when,” Gabby insisted.

“If you prefer Jackie, we’ll offer her a compensation package. We want you comfortable,” he responded cheerfully.

“Thank you.” Gabby hung up the phone and bided her time for Jackie’s summons to the executive’s office, anticipating her assistant’s reaction.

Her smile slowly faded as she reached for her phone to tell Marcus. She drew her hand away as the pain in her chest sliced through her like a knife. Gabby’s mom died during childbirth with her. With her dad’s passing, Bryanna and Marcus remained her only family, and neither of themwanted to speak with her.

Determined to remain in a celebratory spirit, she put the contract in her briefcase and made a reservation at one of the nicer restaurants by her home. She moved up in the firm in two monthsand received a significant raise. For once, she didn’t need to act frugally. Gabby counted her lucky stars. She might even swing by the baby store and order the cute little bassinet she discovered a few weeks ago instead of the second hand one she found.

Marcus’ face drifted into her head but she pushed him from her thoughts. She refused to allow him to ruin this moment for her. Gabby worked hard to finish school and contribute to their future together. Marcus Hutchins made it clear how he felt about her when he tried to take everything from her during the divorce. He refused her attempts to let him know about the baby. Over the last year, he let her down when he didn’t show up for graduation, missed their anniversary, andeven returned home from deployment and forgot her birthday.

She didn’t mind his job. It became part and parcel when she agreed to marry him. It was the constant distractions,fights over silly things, such as her working at the diner she met him in, the days when he returned home and shut himself in his office for hours at a time, ignoring her touch, and he barely said I love you. This pregnancy came asa complete shock because they rarely made love. She cried herself to sleep when he returned home the night of her graduation. His touch burned her skin when he stroked her and his kisses demanded passion after months of getting no more than a peck.

Gabby refused to allow him to steal this joy from her. He already ruined the delight of her pregnancy announcement. She refused to allow Marcus “Knight” Hutchins to take anything else from her.