Trey looked at Georgia's shut office door and opened a few of Lalie's drawers and looked through them.
"There has to be something of use in here," Trey muttered. "Something on Georgia... just anything!"
"Why the hell are you going through her drawers?" Georgia's demanding voice came up from behind.
Trey shut the drawer and spun the chair around, meeting her stern eyes. "I was looking for the… Dwyer report."
Georgia held up a folder on the desk. "You mean, this? It was right here in plain sight."
"So it was," Trey muttered, grabbing the folder and thumbing through it. "Ah, yes, here's that information I needed." He looked in the corner of his eye to find Georgia staring at him. "What?"
"Trey, do you know how many bottles of these I am going to go through as long as you are employed here?" Georgia asked him, holding up an Aspirin bottle.
Trey stood up in concern and put his hand up against her face. "Georgia, the last thing I want to give you is an addiction to Aspirin."
Georgia whacked Trey's hand away. "Trey! No one is getting addicted to anything. I don't know what my father was thinking when he decided not to fire you this morning, but he'd better have a damn good reason when I question him about it."
"Be sure to let me know what it is," Trey urged. "Now, did you leave your office just to spy on me, or do you have something for me to do?"
"I have something for you to do," Georgia replied. "You can find Marcia Santiago's empty desk, set it up as your own, and make any necessary changes to that Dwyer report and give me a progress sheet by the end of the day. How's that?"
"You mean, I have to resort to sitting out here in this sea of desks?" Trey wanted to know. "Why can't I have a nice private office like you and Kevin Neelan?"
"You're not an owner or president," Georgia reminded him. "Besides, I'm sure you'll get used to sitting out here with all the other employees and make some new friends," she advised him. "And just think: you could have had your own office had you not stolen that money... but now, you're back to the bottom of the ladder."
Trey watched as Georgia picked up the Dwyer report and slapped it against his chest. "Was that necessary?"
"Just a little first day humor," Georgia let him know.
"But, neither one of us are laughing," Trey noted.
"Funny, isn't it?" Georgia asked him with a chuckle, as she began to walk away and then turned back around and raised her hand, pointing at him as if she were about to shoot at a bull's eye.
As Georgia turned around, she came face to face with Kevin.
"Georgia," Kevin muttered. "I have to have a word with you."
"Let's go in my office," Georgia suggested.
"No, I'm making this quick and I'm saying it right here," Kevin told her in a serious tone.
"What is it?" Georgia asked him, concerned.
Kevin seemed to have taken a deep breath before answering, apparently getting emotional. "I'm stepping down as president."
"What?" Georgia mouthed, not able to get the words out.
Trey turned around, upon hearing Kevin's announcement and seeing Georgia's pained expression.
"Oh, fabulous," he happily muttered, rubbing his hands together.
Georgia shook her head, not wanting to believe a word of it. "Kevin, you have to reconsider."
"My decision is final," Kevin firmly replied.
"Does this decision have to do with Lalie working here, also?" Georgia wanted to know.
Kevin seemed as if he was in thought before replying. "Actually, it doesn't," he replied. "It's just something that I need to do for myself. My life has been like a rollercoaster; there have been so many ups and downs, and spirals. I need to make a fresh start, and if that means freeing myself from the past and any reminders of it, so be it."
"Are you leaving town?" Georgia wanted to know, still in initial shock from the decision.
"I'll be around until the wedding," Kevin smiled at her. "I couldn't miss that."
"I'm glad that you'll be here for that," Georgia replied in a genuinely happy tone. "I know that I can't change your mind and I respect your decision, which is why I won't try fighting it… even though, I'll be losing the best president that Caldwell Banking has ever seen."
"I don't know if I'd go that far," Kevin replied, a little embarrassed by that.
"I would," Georgia affirmed. "Now, I have to get a replacement."
Trey pretended to flip through the Dwyer report as he eavesdropped on Kevin and Georgia's conversation.
"Yes, you do, Georgia," Trey muttered. "You do need a new president."
"How about Lalie Mills?" Kevin proposed.
Trey squinted his eyes, as he buried his face into the Dwyer report.
"Lalie Mills... over my dead body!" Trey shouted, quietly.
Georgia thought about it for a moment. "Lalie Mills," she repeated. "I don't know."
"Is she still going to work here?" Kevin wanted to know. "I know after our last breakup, she quit."
"I spoke with her over the phone and I got the impression that she was staying on," Georgia informed him. "It's just that she hasn't been here quite that long."
"Kevin, I'm truly sorry for your predicament," Trey's voice came up from behind.
Georgia turned her head slightly and saw Trey walk up and stand next to her. "Trey, how long were you standing there?"
"Not that long," Trey replied.
"Have we met?" Kevin asked him in a confused tone.
"I don't believe we have," Trey replied. "Georgia, why don't you introduce us?"
Georgia sighed, reluctantly agreeing to do so. "Kevin Neelan, this is Trey Clemens."
"How do you do?" Trey extended his hand to Kevin.
Kevin shook Trey's hand. "I could be better but thanks for asking."
"Kevin, I'll keep in mind what you said," Georgia let him know.
"Thanks," Kevin replied. "Take care, Georgia and... Trey."
"Bye now!" Trey shouted.
Georgia watched Kevin head to the elevator. "Another void to fill," she muttered.
"I have the perfect candidate for a replacement," Trey announced, subtly.
Georgia knew where he was heading, but her eyes aimlessly searched around the office. "Really?" she asked him. "Who?"
"Well... me," Trey informed her.
Georgia folded her arms, as she made eye contact with him. "You?" she asked him. "I'd hate to see what the accounting books would look like after a month with you on the job as president. We'd only be off by a million... or seven."
"I believe a treasurer is responsible for a company's income and outcome," Trey reminded her.
"I'm sure you'd find a way, Trey," Georgia flatly replied.
"Try me," Trey offered.
"I don't think so, Trey," Georgia informed him without a hesitant tone, as her eyes searched around the office. "There's an abundant amount of people in this room more qualified, and trustworthy, than you."
"Like who?" Trey challenged her.
"Well, there's Betty Nelson," Georgia pointed to Betty and made eye contact with her, noticing Betty look up from her work.
"Two plus eight is ten, right?" Betty called out.
Georgia forced a smile as she gave her a thumbs up sign, as her eyes searched to the next desk. "And there's Dennis Henry; look at him at work on the phone."
"I'm sorry, how do you spell Minneapolis?" Dennis asked on the phone. "Does it start m-i-n-n-i-e as in Minnie Mouse?"
"Oh, yes, qualified indeed," Trey observed.
Georgia forced a laugh. "Trey, I think it's time that I hire a staff that have actually made it out of grammar school," Georgia admitted, pulling out her Aspirin bottle, and walking over to the large water machine on the wall, and filling two paper cups with water, as Trey followed her.
"Two cups?" Trey wanted to know.
"I think we both could use it," Georgia let him know, handing him a cup of water and an Aspirin.
"I think we could," Trey let her know.
"Cheers!" Georgia exclaimed, as they each held up their respective cup and pretended to clank them, and downed their Aspirin with the water.
"So, tell me, Georgia," Trey began, having swallowed his Aspirin. "Should I order your next installment of fifty Aspirin now or later? It would make a wonderful Christmas gift, don't you think?"
Georgia crumpled up the paper cup and threw it in the waste paper basket, as she looked at Trey with a worn-out expression on her face.
Chapter 19
Non-Nsync Fiction
I'll Never Stop {Fiction}
Email Tracia