Employee of the Multiverse and His Darling Cat

9| Log 002 Pt. 4

After that second of recognition, he dipped his head and said, "I apologize." Then, he turned back to the CEO, eyes still on the floor. "I'll place the order right away."

The CEO gazed at his secretary, smiling, and I could almost swear it was a look of endearment. I don't always know why people are feeling what they feel, but to compensate for that weakness, I do have a skilled eye in at least perceiving emotion. After that odd look, his expression and pose returned to how it had been when he'd come around the bend speaking of plants. He gave one more glance around the office then walked out into the hallway, and the other two trailed after.

"Back to business. Manager, shall we return to your office?"

I placed a thoughtful finger to my lips and asked Bradley. "Do you think our CEO is insane?"

Bradley's eyes grew wide. "Wh-wh..." He then hissed, "Are you trying to get fired?" Grabbing my arm, he tried pulling me in the direction of our offices.

"Do you think he's forced the secretary into some weird work-inappropriate dynamic?"

"Please, Loren. Shh!"

Was I really the only one who found him utterly disturbing? He definitely looked like he was enjoying humiliating his secretary. And it was the oddest form of humiliation.

Unless there was something odd about the secretary too. I could only wonder was this really the man running CenUMR? Did he really come here to remodel?

"We should go back to our offices," I told Bradley, heading in the opposite direction from the trio. I took out my communicator and messaged Darcy to ask if they'd heard anything about decorating or resupplying any of the Tech divisions or the CEO stopping for a visit.

Then, I turned to Bradley. "What did you mean by the secretary being the most accomplished person in CenUMR?"

Bradley spun his eyes then replied, "Secretary Grey first joined CenUMR several years ago. I heard he was a Class A RRR field worker; nobody knew how he got to that position, only that he was close to the CEO so maybe he was hand-picked. But as an RRR employee, he set records that haven't been broken since! Highest rate of successful repairs within a tenure, most completed missions in high danger level worlds, and he's the one and only ranker in achievements for solo missions!"

The excitement gleaming in Bradley's eyes dimmed. "Then after a few years, he left the RRR department and became the CEO's head secretary. Even there, he's really good at his job. He's functionally the COO, but it's not formally acknowledged with a title and no one has seen him much since he left RRR. He didn't really talk to people back in RRR and he's even more like a specter now. He's as big a mystery as the CEO, I guess."

I thought on the information then asked, "How do you know so many details about him? If he's the CEO's... right hand person, wouldn't only top level division employees have encountered him?"

Bradley alternated pushing out his cheeks.

"You even know his history in the RRR Department... His photo and name isn't even in the managerial staff records."

Both of Bradley's cheeks filled with air.

"Bradley?" I smiled.

He lifted a finger and gestured me to come closer. I reluctantly bent down and he cupped his hands to whisper. "Two years ago.... I got demoted," he said with clear shame.

I stood back straight and looked at Bradley whose head was tucked into his shoulders, neck gone like a turtle.

I placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "I'm not sure what happened, but don't let the past eat at your future. Insecurity is your only weakness. You can handle being Team Leader. I believe you've got this and you should believe in yourself too."