CHAPTER 1
"But you can't make me leave!" Celia's voice entered a fevered pitch as she paced in front of her boss's desk. "Honestly Steve, I have so much I need to do, I can't take the time right now. Maybe later. In a month or two."
Smiling, Steve leaned on his desk, crossing his arms, pen tapping against his bicep. "Sorry, Celia. HR is firm. You have way too much banked holiday time. You need to use it, effective immediately. Don't worry about the current campaign. The team can carry it for a week while you take some time off to recharge your batteries."
Celia flopped into a chair, her long hair falling out of her bun in wispy trails that hung well past her shoulders. "I don't need to recharge my batteries. My batteries are fully charged. Amped up. Ready to go." She resisted the urge to pout but the last thing she needed right now was time off. What she needed was to stay busy. Really busy. Maybe even putting in some overtime. What she didn't need right now was time on her hands.
"No one is saying anything about your work ethic or energy. This is strictly a policy from HR requiring that staff need to use their vacation time and can only carry over a limited amount. HR has been very lenient with you in the past. You know that, but they're putting their foot down." Steve cleared his throat, his dark eyes studying her face. "And I have to agree. You really need to take some time for yourself. Do something other than work. You have gone from campaign to campaign, often putting in tons of over overtime, without taking any breaks. When was the last time you took a day off?"
"I… I took time for a medical appointment last month," Celia stammered.
"That was only a few hours. I'm talking about actual time off, not an extended break. A few days. A true vacation from the office. I had HR pull it up. It's been over eighteen months since you took any vacation time. And that was only two days."
Celia's forehead wrinkled, her gaze flicking to the ceiling as she thought for a moment.
Had it really been that long?
"This isn't personal, but speaking as your friend, you need to do this." His eyes softened as he considered her face. It occurred to Celia that he was quite handsome in a button down suit kind of way, and for a moment she wondered how they had both ended up alone. She could only assume it was the job that had kept them too busy over the years to find love. His voice brought her focus back into the office. "I don't want to see you burning out. Take some time to do something special. Deal?"
Tipping her face down to study her hands, Celia blinked rapidly to hide the tears threatening to spill. She didn't have anything to do outside of work. There was no one at home waiting for her. Her fortieth birthday was looming before her and she was facing it alone. At least at work she had people around her and could feel valued and needed. Facing her fortieth birthday was depressing enough. Facing it alone, at home, with no distractions was going to be torture.
"There is nothing special for me. My life is about work. Please, just let me postpone," Celia pleaded, her hands interlocked over her heart.
"I'm sure you can find something special to do. HR mentioned the big four-o is coming up. I'm betting there will be a few surprises in store for you," he laughed softly and winked at her.
What? He never winked. Celia's brow wrinkled as she stared at him.
"What do you mean?" she asked hesitantly.
"I mean you are a very special woman. A woman I consider to be in her prime who is about to have a very special day. So as your friend, and boss, I insist you take time off to celebrate. Do something special. Something wild and crazy. Understood?"
Celia frowned. S pecial? In her prime ? Steve was known for being a little awkward when it came to women, and if she didn't know better she might have thought he was flirting, but that wasn't possible. He was her boss. Her friend sure, but boss first and foremost.
She didn't have long to dwell
"But you can't make me leave!" Celia's voice entered a fevered pitch as she paced in front of her boss's desk. "Honestly Steve, I have so much I need to do, I can't take the time right now. Maybe later. In a month or two."
Smiling, Steve leaned on his desk, crossing his arms, pen tapping against his bicep. "Sorry, Celia. HR is firm. You have way too much banked holiday time. You need to use it, effective immediately. Don't worry about the current campaign. The team can carry it for a week while you take some time off to recharge your batteries."
Celia flopped into a chair, her long hair falling out of her bun in wispy trails that hung well past her shoulders. "I don't need to recharge my batteries. My batteries are fully charged. Amped up. Ready to go." She resisted the urge to pout but the last thing she needed right now was time off. What she needed was to stay busy. Really busy. Maybe even putting in some overtime. What she didn't need right now was time on her hands.
"No one is saying anything about your work ethic or energy. This is strictly a policy from HR requiring that staff need to use their vacation time and can only carry over a limited amount. HR has been very lenient with you in the past. You know that, but they're putting their foot down." Steve cleared his throat, his dark eyes studying her face. "And I have to agree. You really need to take some time for yourself. Do something other than work. You have gone from campaign to campaign, often putting in tons of over overtime, without taking any breaks. When was the last time you took a day off?"
"I… I took time for a medical appointment last month," Celia stammered.
"That was only a few hours. I'm talking about actual time off, not an extended break. A few days. A true vacation from the office. I had HR pull it up. It's been over eighteen months since you took any vacation time. And that was only two days."
Celia's forehead wrinkled, her gaze flicking to the ceiling as she thought for a moment.
Had it really been that long?
"This isn't personal, but speaking as your friend, you need to do this." His eyes softened as he considered her face. It occurred to Celia that he was quite handsome in a button down suit kind of way, and for a moment she wondered how they had both ended up alone. She could only assume it was the job that had kept them too busy over the years to find love. His voice brought her focus back into the office. "I don't want to see you burning out. Take some time to do something special. Deal?"
Tipping her face down to study her hands, Celia blinked rapidly to hide the tears threatening to spill. She didn't have anything to do outside of work. There was no one at home waiting for her. Her fortieth birthday was looming before her and she was facing it alone. At least at work she had people around her and could feel valued and needed. Facing her fortieth birthday was depressing enough. Facing it alone, at home, with no distractions was going to be torture.
"There is nothing special for me. My life is about work. Please, just let me postpone," Celia pleaded, her hands interlocked over her heart.
"I'm sure you can find something special to do. HR mentioned the big four-o is coming up. I'm betting there will be a few surprises in store for you," he laughed softly and winked at her.
What? He never winked. Celia's brow wrinkled as she stared at him.
"What do you mean?" she asked hesitantly.
"I mean you are a very special woman. A woman I consider to be in her prime who is about to have a very special day. So as your friend, and boss, I insist you take time off to celebrate. Do something special. Something wild and crazy. Understood?"
Celia frowned. S pecial? In her prime ? Steve was known for being a little awkward when it came to women, and if she didn't know better she might have thought he was flirting, but that wasn't possible. He was her boss. Her friend sure, but boss first and foremost.
She didn't have long to dwell
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