The Office Party

NINETEEN

URGENT:

West Media Internal Memo

Dear Valued Employees,

We’re only a few days into this year’s annual Office Party.

Although this is a tradition, in light of recent circumstances, I have decided to change a few things. If you’d like to go home for the rest of the holidays to spend time with your family and friends, please meet with logistics in the lobby so that they can work on the takeoff schedule with my plane(s).

If you’d like to stay, you are no longer obligated to attend any scheduled meetings.

This year’s Office Party is officially canceled

Still, I look forward to seeing you around the estate, if you choose to stay.

The Rose Ceremony will be held at a later time, in our office in New York.

Sincerely,

Garrett West

C.E.O., West Media International

P.S. Next year’s event will proceed as planned.

~ The entertainment industry never sleeps, but we can make an exception this time ~

TWENTY

Savannah

This Christmas

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Garrett and I are sitting on the enclosed balcony of his Presidential Suite. I’m resting my head on his shoulder, and he’s caressing my back as the company employees lose their shit below.

They’re running across the snowbanks with sparklers, laughing and drinking around bonfires, and I can see a few of them dancing in the carriages before take-off.

“I think I need to rescind my memo,” Garrett says. “There’s too much employee happiness going around, and as ‘Satan in the flesh,’ I’m not sure how it makes me feel.”

I laugh. “How many people took you up on the chartered plane offer?”

“Not a single one.” He smiles. “I think that deep down everyone loves my office party.”

“No, I’m pretty sure they hate it,” I say. “But it is all-expenses-paid, and without time constraints, it’s more than worth it to stay.”

“Good point.”

“I’ve thought of some ‘needs’ that can make this work better for me.” I sit up a bit, watching one of the employees launch fireworks into the sky. “I made a short list.”

“I’m listening.”

“I need you to be done dating other women.”

“That’s a given.” Garrett smiles. “I expect the same for you.”

“I need to be an exception to the “no off days” in December rule.”

“Also a given,” he says. “I gave you three off days this year.”

“Real off days, Garrett.” I shake my head. “Ones where I have a choice in what work I do, if I do any at all.”

“Okay. What else?”

“I need a bigger office, but not just any office. I need it to be significantly bigger than yours, because as your advisor, you need me more than I need you.”

He raises his eyebrow, looking as if he’s about to strike that down and argue with me, but laughs instead. “I’ll have a designer start drafting ideas in the morning. Anything else?”

“Sex in the office.”

“That’s happening the moment we get back.” He smirks. “Good to know your list of needs is rather simple, though. Can I give you mine?”

“I’m listening.”

“I need you to wear more dresses to the office,” he says. “It turns me on.”

“I just bought forty new pantsuits.”

“I’m sure the Salvation Army will love them.” He laughs. “If your office is going to be bigger than mine, I’ll expect an invitation at least seven times a week.”

“For coffee?’

“For fucking.”

I blush. “Is that it?”

“I also need you to take down all of your mean posts about me on that Boss-Snark message board.”

“I have no idea what message board you’re talking about.” No idea you knew it existed.

“I’ll give you seven days.”

“I’ll take them down in six.”

“Thank you.” He tilts his head to the side. “You do know that there's a private employee board where they talk shit about you too, right?”

“What?” I sit up a bit more. “No, there’s not.”

“Oh, there definitely is.” He smiles. “Your coworkers have been playing both sides for quite some time.”

“You’re making that up.”

I wait for him to laugh and tell me that he’s joking, but he doesn’t. Instead, he presses a kiss on my cheek and pulls his phone from his pocket.

“Here,” he says, tapping the screen. “See for yourself.”

Boss-Snark Forum 2.0

Subject: Savannah Grey

Russ76: Gah! She's just as bad as he is.

LilyV8: I know, right? But “just as bad” sounds like a compliment. She's worse. I feel like they both attended the same How to be a Fucking Psycho Boss class and she managed to get an A-plus.

JerryMkting: I honestly don’t think she truly comprehended why I gifted her that How to Deal with a Controlling Boss book last year. O_o

Heather20: @JerryMkting Ba ha ha ha ha! She probably thought you were giving it to her out of solidarity for how she feels about Mr. West!

JerryMkting: I knew I should’ve gifted her ‘How to Be a Better Boss’ instead. Damnit.

Russ76: @ LilyV8, you’ve made me think of something. Do you think they’re sleeping together? Like, have they ever?

Dale741: OMG, yes! I’m right on time for the new boss snark! And hell yeah, they’ve fucked. There's no way they haven't.