“I really need a new secretary.”
“You need me. What’s your plan, Michael?”
“What happened to professionalism, Regina?” He threw her own words back at her.
“Professionalism calls for a time and a place. Right now, it’s not the time. You need your grandmother.”
Michael smiled as she pulled a chair up on the other side of his desk. Her hair had gone much grayer over the years, but she was still the same nosey woman he’d known and loved for forever. If it had to do with him, Regina was all over it. As she should be. She was a hard worker, and he couldn’t find a more loyal employee if he tried.
“You should really consider retiring. Honestly,” he teased.
“Tell me your plan.”
He rubbed the bridge of his nose debating what he wanted to tell her. He feared if even one person knew of his plan, the greater the chance of him getting caught. But she was also his grandmother. He sighed. “My plan is to create a profile just like you said. But I would look like the biggest loser in Colorado if everyone knew it was me.”
“So you’re going to fake it?” She squealed with more excitement than he’d heard from her since he took her to a Justin Bieber concert, and he couldn’t hide the grin on his face. She was already getting much more excited about this ludicrous plan than was necessary.
“Indeed. Will you help me find a picture? With the thirty-day grace period, it won’t charge my PayPal account, so I should be in the clear for that.”
“Are you going for a smart and handsome look, or something more hippy and offbeat? Long hair seems to be the trend these days. Or those dreaded beards!”
He laughed. “I haven’t thought that far, Regina. Rest assured though, long hair and beards are out for me. I’m more of the clean-cut kind of guy, even when faking it. Let me think about it, and I will let you know tomorrow. We can figure it out then. You should head home; you had a busy day today. And it’s after five already.”
“Think about it. I can get some stock images we can use. Maybe Eddie in IT can help us.”
“No!” He about came out of his chair. “Absolutely not, Regina. If I do this. No one can know about it. Only us.”
“Fine,” she huffed. “Let me know what you decide.”
As she ambled around his desk, it wasn’t lost on him how tired she looked. She kissed his cheek and affectionately patted his shoulder. Her smell comforted him in a way only a grandmother’s could.
“See you tomorrow, Dear.”
“Good night, Grandma. Don’t stay up too late.”
“Don’t work too late, Michael. This is part of your problem, too, you know? If you didn’t insist on working all the time, you might have time to meet someone.”
“Good night,” he said, disregarding the tiny pull he felt at the truth of her words.
Alone once again, he kicked his feet up on to his desk and considered his options. Posting a photo of himself was out of the question. People would latch onto it immediately and the media would get wind of it. Someone would then call to confirm whether it was in fact, Michael Vilander. He’d have to make a statement; it would be never-ending. The only way to do this would be to create a fake profile, find a picture to use and see what happened.
His press secretary would have his ass if she knew he was even thinking of doing something like this. Julia Owens was not a woman one wanted to mess with. Going behind her back and creating a potential PR nightmare was certifiable, ass-kicking, craziness. She’d probably quit. For real. She’d threatened him a few times in the past, and Michael had been able to talk her off her high horse, but this might take the cake.
Crap. Was he this desperate?
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Also by Ashley Bostock
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About the Author
Ashley Bostock was born and raised in Colorado where she currently resides with her husband, two children and her animals. She loves reading, writing, and music and is always trying to find more time in the day to incorporate all three.
Seeking an outlet and pursuing her life-long passion for writing, she began composing her first novel in 2013. She has traveled all over the world, but still has an extensive list of places she would love to visit. Anywhere near a sky-blue ocean will always be at the top of that list.
She carries a Bachelor’s Degree in History with a concentration in Elementary Education from Metropolitan State College of Denver. While she loves children, she now fears teaching, which probably has something to do with being a stay-at-home mom.
She would love for you to follow her at any or all of her social media pages!
To connect with Ashley
www.ashleybostock.com
ashley@ashleybostock.com
