Chapter 45: Because One Trip with Your Billionaire Boss Isn’t Enough, Let’s Have Another

Something had happened on that trip to the Bridlington-Scotts, Adelaide could tell. But she had no idea what.

First, Raemon had given Octavia the week off for some reason. With Octavia out for a whole week, Adelaide was almost forced to acknowledge how useful Octavia had been.

It was Adelaide whom he began to order around in the same way he’d ordered Octavia.

Even so, Adelaide was ecstatic to be needed by him in that way again. But there was something different this time—she could feel it.

She felt like Mr. Raemon Kentworth was just biding the time until Octavia came back. Adelaide always angrily brushed those thoughts out of her mind.

Then, Mr. Bridlington-Scott walked into the office one day to see Raemon. He remained closeted in Raemon’s office for the next three hours.

When the two finally emerged, Mr. Scott wore a wide grin, and Raemon had that triumphant look on his face that he wore when he closed a business deal.

“That settles it!” Mr. Scott announced to no one in particular. “Icarus Tech and Voyage Express are going to do great things together!”

Adelaide was confused. From the little Adelaide had surmised of the trip, it ended abruptly, and something had happened to sour Raemon’s opinion of the Bridlington-Scotts.

Before he left, he was able to tolerate them. When he returned, he seemed disgusted at even the sound of their name.

Adelaide watched Mr. Scott shake Raemon’s hand enthusiastically.

“I have to say, Raemon, seeing you talk to Lila like that, I’m impressed. I’ve never met a man who could look into Lila’s big blue eyes and keep his head about him.

“Hell, even I cave to her demands a little too often. Can’t help it, you know, just like her mother she is.” He sighed.

“I can tell you’re not the kind anyone should mess with. I’d rather be on your side!”

Raemon merely acknowledged his words with a nod.

Now, standing before him in his office, Adelaide discreetly observed Mr. Kentworth. How had that conniving tramp wormed her way into his confidence, Adelaide wondered.

They literally went everywhere together. Sure, that was technically her job, but still! Raemon didn’t have to make it so obvious that he enjoyed it.

Well, to be fair, he gave no indication that he enjoyed Octavia’s company more than anyone else’s. To the casual observer, he was always only civil to her.

But Adelaide knew. She’d known her boss long enough to know he never treated anyone like that.

He’d never treated her like that. Everyone around him was a “something” to him. An employee. A business associate. A competitor. Nothing more.

Octavia was different. To him, she was a person. Adelaide would have given anything to have him think of her that way.

“As soon as Octavia returns, we leave for the mountain retreat,” Raemon said. His voice cut through her tumultuous thoughts.

“Yes, Mr. Kentworth,” Adelaide replied. She scanned the tablet in her hands, looking through his itinerary.

“Make sure to have everything arranged,” Raemon said.

And now he was going away for a two-week trip with her again. Only this time, there’d be no Lila to get between them. It would just be him and her.

Well—it would be him, and her, and the entire Icarus Tech design team. The retreat was an annual trip Raemon went on with the Icarus Tech lead design team.

They’d hash out ideas and updates to existing products for the upcoming year—away from distractions and also the spying eyes of his competitors.

It always happened at the same exclusive resort, located far off in the mountains.

“The designers should have their flights booked by now,” Raemon said.

“Yes, that’s all arranged,” Adelaide said.

“Good,” Raemon said, “I’ll be there a day after they arrive. This whole business with the Scotts will keep me here a bit longer. But Octavia and I will join them shortly.”

Jesus Christ. Octavia and I, he said. Like the two of them were married or something.

She was just his bloody assistant for fuck’s sake. He’d do better keeping any association between the two of them to a minimum.

That was when the thought struck her.

She cleared her throat. “Maybe I should book a separate flight for Octavia?” she said.

Raemon continued rifling through a file as he answered. “There’s no need. She can fly out with me when I do.”

“Sir, if I may…I would suggest she travel to the retreat on a separate flight,” Adelaide said.

At this, Raemon looked up. There was the slightest hint of annoyance in his cool demeanor.

“Oh?” he said. “And why would you suggest that?”

Adelaide knew she had to choose her words carefully. “Well…she is only your assistant. But she does seem to be with you a lot of the time.”

“That’s her job, Weston,” Raemon said curtly.

Adelaide ignored the fear that was seeping into her veins.

“Of course. It’s just that you never know what someone might think…seeing you arrive at a mountain resort for an unknown reason with that—uh, with Ms. Wilde.”

Raemon was silent. Adelaide hoped it was because he was considering her words, not contemplating what qualities he wanted in his next secretary.

“She’s completely unknown, sir,” Adelaide considered. “She’s not the kind of person who moves in the same circles as you do.

“She doesn’t come from money and she has no place of distinction in the business world. What might someone think if they saw you and her together?”

Adelaide took a silent breath and steeled herself to speak the next sentence. “And what if that person had a camera?”

“I see,” Raemon said.

“I’m only looking out for your best interests, sir,” Adelaide said.

“Octavia’s just your assistant. She’s so far below you, professionally and socially. You wouldn’t want to be seen with her anywhere outside the office.”

The phone on his desk rang. Raemon picked it up and then waved Adelaide away. She left his office, exhaling a sigh of relief once she closed the door behind her.

He hadn’t fired her. That was good. Maybe he’d actually listen to what she said.

“Ew. I hate snow,” Octavia said.

From the lounge chair behind her, a deep laugh sounded.

“Come on, Octavia,” Hazel said, “you haven’t even been outside yet.”

Octavia turned from the walls of clear glass that looked out onto the resort grounds, all the way to the distant mountain peaks.

Pretty much everything had been dusted with a white blanket of crystallized droplets, the result of the light snowfall that had happened the night before.

She walked over to the lounge chairs Hazel lay spread on.

“If I have my way, I’ll never have to go outside in that,” Octavia said.

Hazel grinned and looked up from her laptop. “What? Not even to build a snowman?” Her bright magenta hair, chopped in a pixie cut, danced around as she shook her head in disappointment.

“Especially not that,” Octavia responded, falling into the chair opposite Hazel’s.

Hazel was one of the lead designers for Icarus Tech.

With her dyed hair, several piercings, and semi-goth outfits, the thirty-two-year-old would be the last person Octavia expected to find on a team of designers for cutting-edge technology.

Meeting the whole design team had been a surprise.

When Raemon’s private helicopter had landed on the hotel’s helipad, they had been ushered into the warm, inviting glow of the resort’s interior.

Octavia mentally prepared herself for sitting in on meetings with a bunch of old and/or nerdy dudes.

Not that she had anything against either one, but a girl got tired of being surrounded by the same type of people all the time.

The Icarus design team shattered her expectations in the most pleasant way one could be disappointed. The fifteen people on the team were all different ages.

The youngest on the team was Debbie, a short, dark-haired twenty-nine-year-old computer scientist.

The oldest was Bill, a balding, fifty-eight-year-old former petroleum engineer with a peppered gray mustache that wiggled a lot when he spoke.

To Octavia’s profound shock, the team was very nearly evenly divided between men and women, with eight women and seven men present.

Herself and Raemon weren’t even the only Black people; three other team members were Black, and six were from different Asian countries.

Raemon and all the designers holed themselves up in one of the resort’s conference rooms and spent hours going through different design ideas proposed by each team member, each person giving their input.

After the first gathering, Octavia congratulated Raemon.

“On what?” Raemon said.

“You’ve definitely hit your diversity quota with this team,” Octavia said. “Someone at Icarus HR really studied the chapter on ‘inclusivity’ in their Equality Handbook.”

Raemon smirked.

“There is no ‘diversity quota.’ I hire people who add value to my company. The people you met are not a visual for a brochure, they’re the result of putting talent and innovation ahead of anything else.”

Octavia narrowed her eyes at Raemon. “Seriously? Because for a tech company, there were an awful lot of women in there.”

“Are you complaining?” Raemon asked.

“I’m cool with it. Hell, I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my whole life!” Octavia’s smile faded slightly. “I’m just afraid it’s all a dream.”

“It’s not,” Raemon said shortly, “I don’t do tokenism. Those people are members of my design team because they create what no one else can.”

Octavia nodded in understanding. “I guess my respect for you has gone up just a little.”

“I’m thrilled,” Raemon said.

She enjoyed meeting the design engineers, even sitting in on their brainstorming sessions.

Watching the whole lot of them exchange ideas, making suggestions for each other’s designs, and scribbling down concepts on any spare piece of paper, Octavia saw something that she would have loved to be a part of.

A voice in her head told her that she would be—if she accepted Indira’s job offer.

Octavia would have had a much better time at the retreat if she didn’t spend most of it trying to work up the nerve to tell Raemon about the job offer.

Every time they were alone—going over the brainstorming session meeting minutes or reviewing the design sketches for the day—she would tell herself it was the perfect moment to break the news to him.

And every time she chickened out.

It wasn’t so much that she was afraid of what he would say or do.

It was that the times when it had felt like the two were working against each other— which, honestly, they were— seemed so far away now.

And even if their current situation was only ‘friendly-ish,’ it was still better than what it had been before.

If Raemon responded to the news with rage, the friendly-ishness would end. She’d miss that, Octavia knew. She could admit that.

“Truthfully,” Octavia said, “I’ve been seriously procrastinating on something I should have done a while back.”

“What does it involve?” Hazel asked, typing something on her computer keyboard.

“Just giving a piece of information to someone. They might take it as bad news,” Octavia said.

“Is it bad news?” Hazel asked.

“No, it’s really good news. For me anyway. But this person may not see it that way,” Octavia said.

“Then cut them out of your life,” Hazel said. “You don’t need that negative energy.”

Octavia mused on her words. “You know what? You’re right.” She stood. “Thanks.”

“Also, try to get out there at least once. Take a walk outside. It’s not so bad, I promise,” Hazel said.

“Nah, I’m only gonna go with your first suggestion,” Octavia said, starting for the exit to the lounge.

As she walked through the halls of the resort, she readied herself for the conversation that would soon take place.

They’d intentionally taken the retreat during the off-season. During her time there, Octavia had run into only a handful of other guests.

The resort had been modeled to give it a cabin-in-the-woods feel. Splashes of rustic, cozy décor were here and there.

Juxtaposed with glittering chandeliers and plush red carpeting, it made one feel like they were living in a five-star, vintage home.

Octavia found Raemon alone in his suite, sitting at a desk and going over some information on his computer.

“What is it?” Raemon asked after she entered.

“Uh…I was just…wondering whether you wanted any help, that’s all.” Octavia wanted to punch herself. She could not leave this time without telling him. ~Just do it!~ she commanded herself.

“I can manage,” Raemon said, focused on his screen.

“Great,” Octavia responded. She stood before his desk, hands clasped before her, just about ready to start wringing them out.

“Isn’t it hot in here?” she asked. “Maybe you should open a window.”

“The temperature’s fine,” Raemon said. “If you need something to do, you could—”

“Indira offered me a job and I’m going to take it so I can’t be your assistant anymore!” Octavia abruptly blurted out.

Raemon looked up. He narrowed his eyes at Octavia, then spoke evenly. “What did you just say?”

Her eyes were fixed on her feet. Octavia exhaled slowly, forcing herself to speak again.

“Indira offered me a job—working with you, in fact. She wants someone to help with the adoption of Curie Tech in Icarus products.”

“And she wants you to fill this position?” Raemon said, though it was clear he was making a statement and not asking a question.

“Yes,” Octavia said quietly, “so instead of working for you, I’d be working with you.”

Raemon was silent for a moment. Octavia’s eyes remained on her shoes.

“No,” Raemon said.

Octavia’s head shot up. “Huh? But—why?”

“Because I said so,” Raemon said testily.

Octavia crossed her arms. “That’s not a real reason.”

“I need you as my assistant,” Raemon said.

“No, you don’t,” Octavia countered. “Most of what I do I’ve pretty much automated now. You can hire any person to fill my role. As long as they can click a mouse, they can do my job.”

“That’s not the point,” Raemon said.

“Then what is?” Octavia demanded.

“I said no, and that’s final,” Raemon said, a distinct scowl crossing his face. He swiveled his chair so his back was toward Octavia.

Octavia fumed. She forced her arms to drop by her sides. “I wasn’t asking for permission. I was just informing you what is going to happen. I’m going to take the job.”

“Then why are you still here?” Raemon’s voice, cold and flat, as he spoke. “You’ve told me, you can leave now.”

“I think I will!” Octavia nearly yelled. She spun and stormed out of his suite.

Back in her own suite, she dropped onto her bed. She was still fuming on the inside.

“Damn him,” she muttered to herself. Her eyes roved around the room, looking for something to calm her raging mind.

They landed on a sealed box resting on top of the mahogany dresser. It was her new drone. She hadn’t yet tried it out.

Octavia looked out the window and observed the clear blue sky, a direct contrast to the snow-covered ground below it. As much as she hated the cold, being outside would get her farther away from him.

She jumped up and snatched her winter coat in one arm, then tucked the box with the drone under the other. As she walked outdoors, she told one of the staff that she would be going out for a bit.

“Better be careful, madame,” the doorman said, “there’s supposed to be a storm this evening. Don’t want to get caught in that.”

“I’ll be fine,” Octavia said. “I’ll stick to the nearby trails through the woods. I don’t plan on going very far either.”

She zipped up her jacket and proceeded into the cold, crisp air.