Because of Nyla's involvement in various sections of the company, her position as executive secretary is almost an understatement. Men and women don't dare to challenge her after months of being personally trained by the boss himself.
Her analytical thinking is very advanced and needless to say, she is the only one who can straight-forward challenge Callum on difficult cases.
One afternoon, Nyla is reviewing the designs Hank sent through email.
Callum is on his desk, seemingly focused on his monitor but not doing anything on the keyboard or the mouse.
Nyla stopped and stretched her back and noticed Callum's furrowed brows.
"Hey, what is it? Need help?" Nyla asked.
"Huh, uh, yeah... You're not fit to be called my executive secretary anymore."
Callum clicked the heart icon of the blue sapphire and white diamond engagement ring he saw on a jewelry website owned by another friend of his father. He mentally noted tomorrow's free time and decided to call in advance later today to set an appointment. He then locked his desktop and a picture of Nyla in blue sundress appeared as a screensaver.
Callum stood up and approached her desk. He leaned and half-sat at her desk and looked at her while showing a complicated expression.
"You're firing me?!" She gasped, in an over-reacting way, earning a chuckle from Callum.
"No. Of course not. I cannot live without you both at work and home. What I'm thinking is, that you should have a much better title under your belt. Your contribution to HR, Finance, Safety, and other departments in the past months is beyond expectations. I am undermining and disrespecting your talent by maintaining your title as an executive secretary."
"That's true... but Sir," she specifically softened her tone when she called him 'Sir', "are you finally willing to let me go and deal with other people? Will you let me have my own office? Will you--"
In a split-second, Callum is hovering over Nyla, his hands bracing the armrests where Nyla was sitting, effectively trapping her inside.
"I never said I will let you roam as you please. Who knows how many men will covet you? You will stay here at my office. I never stopped you from exploring, have I?"
Nyla lovingly hooked her right hand in his nape and pulled him closer. She kissed him tenderly.
"No, my boss never suffocated me." She looked at him with misty eyes.
"You..." He removed her right hand from his nape and pulled her up. He then turned his back and pulled her towards the private room.
As he carefully removes her clothes, he is also telling her of his plans.
"This promotion will not cause major change. You were already doing so much anyway. The Chief Operations Specialist position sounds good. I will talk to HR about the benefits and compensation adjustments." As he lay her on the bed, he trapped her beneath him and carefully removed his clothes to keep them from getting wrinkled.
"Tie..." She whispered while blushing.
"Heh..." He smirked and started tying her hands using his necktie above her head.
Nyla squirmed and giggled as he ran his hands all over her, his knees spreading her legs in the process...
They spent less than an hour for an afternoon delight; did a quick steam bath and went back to work separately on their desks.
"Sometimes, I wonder..." Nyla suddenly uttered.
Callum raised his head from his monitor. He is currently looking at the ring he chose. He also thinking of how to customize it further while his email composition is open. He is writing his ideas and will send the inquiry to the owner's personal email address. He also expressed his intention to talk personally later.
"What?" He asked.
"We do those naughty things while at work, aren't we 'immoral'?" She whispered the last word with an expression that was both questioning and funny.
"No. Think of it as our version of team building. Part of work-life balance. Don't worry about it. As long it is an exclusive activity between us two, our consciences are clear." After saying this, he went back to check the jewelry site.
An hour before the day ended, Heidi went in and handed over a few documents to Callum.
"Thanks, Heidi. By the way, are you still interested in getting transferred to an administrative position? There are a few job openings and before we get interns, you might as well tell me so we can give you priority."
Nyla stopped what she was doing and listened openly to the conversation.
Callum stood up and motioned Heidi to sit on the sofa.
Heidi followed. She realized this would be a serious talk involving her career. They sat opposite each other and before Callum said another word, Nyla interrupted.
"Hold up. Sit tight. Don't start without me."
Nyla prepared coffee and pastries for the three of them. She then sat beside Callum at about a foot distance.
Callum looked at the space between them and a quick questioning brows and eyes told Nyla she was too far from him. But Nyla kept her distance. She feels a little guilty given what they just did in the private room a while ago.
Callum sighed silently and focused on Heidi in front of him.
"So. You have been in this job for a while now. Do you feel like exploring new knowledge and opportunities with other departments?"
"I love working with you, Sir. But indeed, I want to expand my critical thinking and explore the possibility for growth mentally."
"Nyla, do you think with my plan for you, you will need an analyst?"
Nyla's eyes widened at the immediate thought. She unconsciously put her hand on his thigh and exclaimed.
"Oh my, yes! Recently Heidi also assisted me in some of my research." She then faced Heidi.
"Heidi, what do you think of working under me? We will explore developments, progressions, new things, and more. Of course, if you already have a department in mind, I will not keep you from--"
"Yes! I would love to ma'am." Heidi responded positively.
"So, that's settled then. You can talk more. Nyla and I will discuss this further later and will inform HR of the movement and other details tomorrow." Callum stood up and went back to his desk.
Nyla transferred to the seat beside Heidi and excitedly shared some of her ongoing projects.
On the way home, Nyla is still excited and thinking of the future changes.
"Oh! I just remembered!" She exclaimed.
"What is it, baby?" Callum responded calmly while driving.
"The whole floor is just your office, conference room, spacious lobby, and Heidi's small table. I was thinking, maybe you can create a small room for me and Heidi...? Please?"
Callum didn't speak for a while. Seriously considering what she said.
"That will not be a problem. We can have a minor renovation and it won't take too much time. However, I suggest you change your desktop into a laptop. I will not allow you to spend your whole day in that office. At least you can bring your laptop to both offices. You can plan all of this out after you talk to HR. Remind HR to deploy a reliable replacement for Heidi. Other details, let Heidi handle after you finalize."
"Yes, yes, noted. We can call Hank again for the renovation! Two birds with one stone!"
Callum glanced at her quickly and smiled when he saw Nyla's childlike enthusiasm.