Chapter 22
Cassandra and May were teaching me how to print Statement of Accounts when Harper walked into the office.
"Hey, everybody! How's it going? Long time no see."
"Hey, Harper! Good Morning." "Morning, Harper!" some of us beamed.
"Good morning, guys. I know, I know. I missed you too." Soft laughter filled the room. "Alright, gather round. We'll have a small meeting before we start the day." We moved our chairs to the center, some of us just glided.
"So..." Harper clasped her hands together, "As you all know, NYFW is finally over." She let out a loud sigh. "I missed the office. And... we're heading towards the 4th quarter." several nods were exchanged. "Lauren with AR, I need you to check in with May for clientele billings."
"Got it," I replied.
"Dave, are we up to date with the Payables?"
"Yes, Harper. All n/30 due in September were already paid."
"Great. Give me the schedule of payments later and I'll approve payments with discounts. I'll check which ones we could pay-off to take advantage of that." Dave nodded and wrote on his notepad.
"Cassandra, how's GA?"
"I'm looking up provisions to back the new Depreciation method we'll use so I could send in the memo to the other branches. I'll send it to you, for approval, once done."
Harper brought her hand on her chin, forefinger resting on her upper lip, "I see. And when can I expect this?"
"I'm almost done with it but I have to double-check the terms and its effect on the Income Statement and subsequent Taxes. I'll turn it in tomorrow before lunch."
"Alright, that's great." She clapped her hands together. "Anything monumental or interesting happened while I'm away?" a mischievous smile spreading on her lips.
The room was silent for a second.
May cleared her throat, "Well, Dominic almost slipped down the hallway while getting the boxes to retention." We all laughed. I forgot about that.
"The tiles were slippery." Dominic defended.
"Oh, come on, Dominic." Liam rolled his eyes, "We all know it's because you saw Sharon." A teasing smirk forming on his lips.
"Sharon from reception?" Harper inquired.
"One and only." Cassandra jibed.
"Hm..." Harper said as she nodded slowly. "Okay." We already know she's plotting something even if she stays silent. She loves playing Cupid. Dominic placed his palm on his face.
"Alright, do you have any more questions about the 4th quarter?"
There were several nopes and nos and none so fars as we all shook our heads. "Okay then, that ends our morning meeting. I'll be in my office if you have any concerns whatsoever. Have a great day ahead, team!" she smiled and walked to her office. We all went back to our cubicles.
"Oh, Cassandra, Dave and Lauren, please be in my office in five." Harper held her office door open. We looked at each other, wondering what we did to be in trouble.
The three of us remained quiet for the next five minutes. Barely even doing any work.
"Hey, it's alright. It can't be that serious. She was in a good mood." Liam said next to me.
"Right," Dave replied. "That's what I said when my co-worker in the Bakery got fired."
"Bakery?" I asked.
"Yeah, I worked at a Bakery part-time when I was 16."
"Cool," I remarked.
"So, what do you think it is?" Cassandra asked Dave.
"I haven't the slightest idea, Cass."
"Cassandra, Dave, and Lauren?" Harper called from her office.
We all raised our heads in attention.
"It's gonna be fine," May said as we stood from our seats.
We walked towards her office, gray casted on our faces.
"Dave, get an extra chair," Harper said as Cassandra and I sat on the chairs in front of her table. Dave nodded and went to the left side of Harper's office to get a chair from the stack.
He placed the chair between Cassandra and me and sighed ever-so-slightly but I didn't miss.
"So, you're probably wondering why I called you here." Harper started, placing her elbows on the table, chin resting on her hands.
"Yeah." Cassandra let out a nervous sigh.
Harper scanned the room and found our impossible-to-paint faces. She squinted, "You're not in trouble, you guys." We let out a small sigh of relief. "If that's what you're thinking, based on the horrified look on your faces."
I let out a small chuckle. "I was pretty nervous."
"Yeah, me too," Dave said and Cassandra nodded.
Harper smiled, "Okay, so back to the task at hand... I called you three to discuss our Sydney audit."
"Oh. Oh." I said.
"Yeah." Harper nodded.
"So, I was planning that we'll conduct the audit on the 28th of October. Do any of you have deadlines to meet from the 28th to the 31st?"
"I have to check my calendar," Cassandra said.
"Yeah, me too." Dave nodded.
"Alright, do you have them at your desks?" Harper asked.
"Yeah, will you excuse us to get it?"
"Of course, of course. Go get it so we can finalize before I book our flights." She motioned to the office, and Cassandra and Dave stood to get their planners.
It took us two hours to discuss the details of the upcoming audit, its extent, and test of controls.
"Alright, let's have another meeting on Friday. Don't worry, I'll be sure to update you on any progress or change in the engagement from time to time. For now, I still need to schedule of AP. Dave, can you furnish that by the end of the day?"
"Yes, definitely. I have a monitoring sheet. I can send it to you after lunch."
"Great thinking." She pointed at Dave, to which he pursed his lips, trying to hide a proud smile.
Harper sat back on her chair more comfortably, "Alright, let's get back to work?"
"Yup," Cassandra said as she uncrossed her arms and stood.
"Oh, Lauren. I need to talk to you for a minute." Harper said and I sat back on the chair.
"Oh, okay," I said. Cassandra and Dave looked at me, their faces painted with concern. I shrugged. Dave nodded and they made their way back to their cubicles, leaving Harper and me alone.
"Anything I can do for you, Harper?" I asked in a timid voice, alternately pinching my thumbs.
"Well, I just want to know if Axel found you last Saturday."
"Oh, right. That. Um, yes."
"That's good. You know, he asked me where you were after the show."
"Yeah, he mentioned it."
Her eyes lighted up, the corner of her lips tugged upward. "The boy likes you, Lauren."
"Uh..."
"I'm just saying what I see."
"Okay?"
She shook her head, clicking her tongue in the process, "I know you can't see it now but when I told him you've probably gone home, he sprinted out of the hall. Faster than any man I've seen." She said with awe. "That's when I knew this guy runs on a purpose."
"Yeah, a purpose..." I nodded with pursed lips.
Everyone lives on a purpose and that purpose is the game. He lives for the game. But I can't say that to Harper. She's a hopeless romantic who wants happiness for her staff. I can't tell her that Axel and I are a total sham. That her dare got twisted into some sort of who-will-kneel-first kind of game.
"Oh, come on. I know you had a great time at the orchard last week."
"How –"
"C'mon, Lauren. I know you're the Mystery Girl." She air-quoted.
"Hm." My breath puffed against my knuckles. Maybe Axel showed him the pictures.
She sighed contentedly, "From the moment Axel walked into the office, I knew you two would make a good couple. I just hope you'll see it too."
I smiled at her awkwardly, she let out a breathy laugh, "It's okay if you don't right now, you still have 4 dates left to get to know each other better."
Right. I forgot I still have to go on 4 more dates with him.
I just nodded, "Alright. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Harper. And for the Sydney opportunity."
"Oh, please. Sydney is work."
I let out a soft laugh. "Yeah, well, I still want to thank you."
"You're most welcome." she smiled, "Okay, so let's get back to work, shall we?"
I pressed my palms on the sides of the chair and hoisted myself up. "Of course. Just call me if you need me, Harper."
"Will do." She replied and I went back to my cubicle.
* * *
I was picking on my Caesar salad, laughing at Kendra's joke, when my phone vibrated on the table.
"I had fun last night. Let's do it again sometime? -Dean" the message popped. I chuckled at how he still writes a signature when I explicitly told him his number's already saved.
"Excuse me, one second," I said to the girls as they continued to string out the Straight-line Depreciation method child name joke. I picked my phone up and started typing, "Thinking about me at lunch, I see." I was about to press send when Instagram dropped down a banner notification, "Wish I knocked on your door and begged for you to open up?"
The fuck? I clicked on the banner and it took me to the message box.
"I wish? You wish." I replied.
Three dots were dancing around, indicating he's typing, then it popped. "Oh, your lips beg to differ."
My mouth opened involuntarily, more amused than shocked. Ha. This guy. "Oh? Is that another moan? Because your moans beg differ last night." I clicked on send then the three dots appeared immediately, then it stopped, then it went on again.
"Speechless, are we?" I pressed on.
The dots stopped then appeared again. Stopped then appeared again. Uh, ho-ho, Axel James is struggling with words! Now that's a first.
"It's okay if you still haven't recovered." I pressed send.
"I've been told I have that effect," I added. This is too fun to not string out.
The dots appeared again then stopped. Way too baffling but weirdly enjoyable for an afternoon conversation. The dots appeared again then stopped then a video call request popped up. I immediately clicked on 'decline'.
"What was that? I'm at work."
The dots appeared again then stopped. "What is wrong with you? Can't form a coherent sentence? Jeez." I added.
The dots appeared again then a message finally showed. "Alright, but this isn't the end of this."
That's it? Pathetic.
I clicked on the power button and went back to eating my lunch.
"You okay, Lauren?" May asked.
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, you look upset," Dominic said.
"Dominic! You never tell a girl she looks upset." Cassandra said. "Honestly. That's why you can't even get a date with Sharon." She murmured.
"What?" Dominic replied.
"Nothing."
"I'm okay. Really." I said, forcing a smile. "So, Kendra, about that SLM joke..." I started then we all went back to laughing at the jokes that piled up one after the other until break time was over.