A Night to remember : Book 3

Chapter 9

****Max****

1 Week later

The moment I stepped off the elevator, it was pandemonium. The phone was ringing off the hook at Gladys's desk, she was nowhere in sight. I picked up my mail and headed over to my office only to be stopped by Josh as he meets me half way towards my door.

"Where is Gladys?" I frowned.

"That's what I came to tell you. Arthur wants to see you." He says.

"Do you know what for?" I turn to him as he hands me a folder. I open it and check the reports quickly noting the changes and I thanked him before placing it on my desk.

"He didn't say but what he did say that it was important." He frowned pensively.

I nodded and placed my things on my desk. I quickly walk out towards the reception area and dodge the few workers that pass me by with formal greetings and Good mornings. I finally get to his door and knock.

"Come in!" he yells.

I enter in time to see him end a call. He turns to me and urges me forward. I do so and quietly take a seat in the chair before his desk.

"It's chaos in the reception area what's going on?" I ask watching him place his headset on the desk.

"Gladys had an emergency early this morning. It seems Walter had another heart attack and this time it's taken a toll on him." He breathes rubbing his head.

Saddened by such news, I lean forward. "So sorry to hear that dad. How is she holding up?" I sit back and listen to him.

Gladys has been a part of the company for as long as I can remember. She and Walter have been married for years. They had no children as far as I know. "She spoke with your mother and I, not too long ago and mentioned before this that she felt it was time to retire so that she can dedicate more time to Walter." He says slowly sitting in his chair.

I remained silent.

"I went ahead and told her to take all the time she needs and spoke with Tom in accounting to deposit a little something on our behalf into her account." He breathed. "It's the least we can do in such a difficult time."

I nod and agree completely with him. "So-," he exhaled. "In the meantime Dina in HR is bringing over a Temp until we can fill her position preferably a PA. How does that sound?"

"Sure, it will help out a lot." I agreed.

Sometime into the conversation and wrapping up the situation with Gladys, we get into more pressing matters with the Merger and decide to go ahead and plan the meeting with the shareholders. As we spoke he drafted up the email. Sometime had passed as he went over more things on the agenda and finally we wrapped up everything.

He leaned back in his chair then, looked at me. "You look worried."

I looked up to meet his gaze. "Worried?" I chuckle.

He follows. "If I didn't know better, you are thinking heavy on something and it's not about the merger," he leans forward and folds his fingers on his desk.

I do admit I am. There was so much on my mind. Kira's pregnancy, Bianca running loose and the Merger.

I swallow hard and hold a level gaze with him. "I heard it dad." I say. I try to contain the smile on my lips at his puzzled stare. "The baby's heartbeat."

The way his face softened was incredible. Intrigued like a little boy hearing a secret for the first time he scoots his chair closer. "Don't just stare at me son, tell me all about it," he chuckled with an anxiousness to his tone.