He smiles and sits back in his chair, intertwining his fingers in his lap. “I can make arrangements to be here for three months, maybe four.”
Lisa begins to think about Steven again. Calling her “boss” makes sense now. “I’ll accept, Mr. Masterson. Thank-you for this opportunity.” She smiles. “May I request one thing, aside from your time?”
Shawn raises a brow and nods. “Depending on what it is, I’ll consider it. Go ahead.”
Smiling, it’s Lisa’s turn to lean forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “Mr. Masterson, promote Steven. Move him into my vacated position. He deserves this and he’s worked alongside me for the last five years. He also worked alongside Samuel many days and nights. I think he would be a great asset as a partner in your firm.”
“I’ll talk with Human Resources about it. I’ll also personally talk to Steven about it.”
“Please, Mr. Masterson, let him know this was your idea.” Lisa smiles softly.
“Sure, I suppose I can do that. Give him time to come around and get used to you being in charge. If he gives you a hard time, fire him.”
“Oh, Mr. Masterson, I’m positive we’ll settle things just fine.” Lisa stands up, pulling her purse over shoulder.
Shawn also stands and extends his hand. “I’m happy you accepted the position, Lisa. I know you’ll run the company just fine.” He winks then lets her hand go. Opening the door, the people outside quiet down and turn their attention to Shawn. Lisa walks out and stands beside him. She tries to keep herself from looking at anyone directly until things settle down. “As with all things business, things change and people come and go. In my experience, it’s not by stealing and leaving town.” He chuckles and Lisa appreciates him making an attempt to lighten the mood before his announcement. Some employees have made Elite PR & Marketing their career and have many years on Lisa. She knows there will be some unhappy with the decision, some happy, and some not caring in the least.
Shawn continues, “I’m happy to announce your new CEO, Lisa Adams.” Lisa looks over and sees Steven coming back into the room. The red in his face has faded. Their eyes meet and he nods to her; she returns it. “Please join me in giving her a round of applause.”
Shawn begins to clap and, one by one, others join in. Lisa smiles and looks around the room. Some faces are smiling, some look upset. She meets Steven’s gaze and he looks defeated, but she appreciates him putting on a smile.
Hearing a few congratulations on her promotion, Shawn escorts her to what will be her new office. Walking inside what was once Samuel’s office, a familiar scent invades her nose…sulfur. “Mr. Masterson, would it be possible to have the room thoroughly cleaned?” She looks at Shawn. “It seems to have a dirty smell to it.”
He sniffs the air and shrugs. “I don’t smell anything but, sure, we can do that.”
The two discuss the changes, her new salary, and responsibilities throughout the morning. Around 12:30, she pulls her cell phone from her purse and dials Alex’s number. He answers on the first ring. “Lisa? Everything okay?"
“Yeah, it’s more than okay.” She sighs, then goes into details on what happened with Samuel. “Do you know if my assistant, Mariah, was a demon? Or maybe something like a minion to Samuel?"
“I’m not certain. Why?” he asks.
“It seems she’s disappeared. Speculations are she’s with Samuel, but no one knows for sure.”
“Really? Okay, if Samuel controlled Mariah, then it’s very possible that she’s with him. He would be her Master, leaving her no choice.” He thinks about how he could find out. He can’t go back into Hell, and he doubts any demon would tell him anything. “I’ll see what I can find out.”
“Okay.” Lisa smiles into the phone. “On a lighter note, I do have some positive news.”
“Oh, yeah? Do tell.”
“I was promoted to CEO today.”
“Really?! That’s great, Lisa! Congratulations!”
Hearing a knock on her door, she covers the phone with her palm and says, “It’s open.” Shawn walks through with lunch and takes a seat at the conference table. Turning back to the phone, she says, “I need to go, but I’ll call you when I get home tonight. I love you.”
“I love you.” They hang up and Lisa puts her phone away.
~~~~~~~~~~~
A few weeks into her new position, Lisa begins interviewing possible replacements for Mariah. A young man wearing a gray business suit enters her office. His dark brown hair is cut short, and a faint hint of a beard on his face gives him the appearance of looking older.
He extends his hand to Lisa. “Hello, Ms. Adams. My name is Xander Harris.” He smiles, his teeth white and straight, his eyes a dark hazel.