Erica Clifford - Completed

Thirty two

I stood on the edge of the room, leaning against the wall as dad spoke about all of our achievements in the last month.

These meetings were always busy. As much as they were kind of formal, Dad was very much like me in the sense of we didn't have very professional personality. We'd uphold it if we had to for big meetings with important people, but like this. I wasn't going to. 

I was looking around the room at all the faces in the room and how they were as lost in my dad telling another really bad joke. I'd heard this one before. The build up. He'd told it last week at breakfast. None of us laughed then so I don't know why he was going on with it now. 

My mind was stuck tracing through my catalogue of songs I'd written, hunting for one for me and Levi to sing at the party. I could give Jace a punch by singing the song I wrote for us. Now that. That had potential. I'd have to see what Brooke thought. Maybe that would be too much. 

I felt a hand brush against mine and I looked up, quickly loosing my thoughts. I smiled sweetly at him. Lee's face showed concern. I lowered my brow and nodded to the door, standing up straight. He walked through it and I followed in silence. I wasn't missing much. I still had 20 minutes before dad started talking about me. 

"Are you okay? You looked lost in thought and really sad?" He wrapped me in a hug. "I heard your dad screaming my name." I chuckled against him. 

"Grand. I'm guessing the whole office knows too then?" 

"Pretty much yeah." 

"HA." I laughed and had to stop so I didn't disturb the meeting. 

"I'm fine. He had me like right at the edge. I was literally milliseconds away from walking out. Like quitting the job everything. And then he just started laughing because I started shouting back at him, not taking his shit. He thought it was hilarious and then started going on about how he could see that I was ready now and if it was you that pushed me to be ready then he was happy." 

"Wait, so he doesn't mind?" 

"He doesn't have a choice." I snickered. "I told him if I left then my songs do too and that's where all his money is. If I leave he won't find lyrics to replace mine and he sells them off for that much money he can't afford to loose me or the company goes under." 

"Woah. That dependant?" I nodded. "I knew you were important but god." He wrapped his arms around my waist. "I'm dating a big fancy business lady." He snickered and leaned down, kissing me. "Oh my god, I'm in a relationship with my boss." 

"Only in the office." I looked up and him and bit my lip. 

"Stop it." He brought his hand up to my face, grabbing my cheeks and squishing them together, forcing me to drop it. "Not right now. Keep it in your pants." I chuckled and looked back at the door. 

"We should go back in. I'll probably get a bollocking if I miss too much." I stepped back from him. 

"Did I tell you how good you look in black?" I looked over my shoulder and smiled at him before pulling the door open and signalled for him to walk in, both of us standing at the back of the crowd. 

His hand found mine and put his fingers in mine as he stood behind me, his other hand on my hip. I laid my head back on him and let out a sigh. This was all I wanted. Just this. Natural comfortability. It didn't have to be sexual, or for us to even talk constantly. Just being around him was more than enough for me. 

"So that's all the revenue, new additions. What I want to do now is introduce a new promotion." Dad's voice rang through the room and Levi's grip on me tightened before letting me go.

 "Everyone in this room has had the pleasure of working with this person and most of you probably don't know how important they actually are. Not only with the job they've been doing for me for years now, but their standing in their business. They are one of the single most hard working people I have ever met. They have put in more extra hours over the past 3 months than I have in the past year. And they never complain when I give them more either." 

"Yeah but if you could stop giving me more that would be great!" I shouted back and the people around me laughed. 

"Anyway. Before I was rudely interrupted." Dad looked in my direction but couldn't see me. "You have all seen the office space at the front by the lifts. It's pretty much just used for storage right now but it will be getting a new Chief Operating Officer. For those who don't know what that means, nothing special. It's just a fancy name. No I'm kidding. It's a really important role with a whole host or responsibilities." He pulled up a slide behind him with all the things I already do. I didn't realise how much it was until now. He flicked to the next slide where it continued. I looked up at Levi who brought his head down to me. 

"I already do all of these. I didn't know it was so much." He lifted back up and kissed the top of my head quickly.  

"So the COO is an internal promotion and just to make this perfectly clear, they have been working here, without pay, since they were 13. They have been doing all of these tasks for every single person in here, without pay, for 10 years. Never batting an eye. They have been working harder than me to make sure this business makes as much money as possible. And it is their writing that makes sure you all get bonuses. And if you have a problem with it, well you take it up with her." He looked over at me. "Erica." I sighed and made my way to the front of the crowd where he pulled me up beside him. 

"Everyone this is Erica. You all know her as the songwriter, the girl who grumpily slogs around with her headphones on ignoring everyone like the brat she is." I looked up at him and scowled. "She was even a brat here too." He flicked the slide and a photo of me with my arms crossed at 12 popped up on the screen. 

"Oh my god." I put my hands over my face and laughed out of embarrassment. 

"Erica, you may be the biggest pain in the arse any father could have but you are so hard working, talented and amazing at what you did, I am so glad you finally let me give you this. I'd say do us proud but you do that everyday." He wrapped me in a hug and I hugged him back as everyone applauded. 

Great way to start the job I guess?