Chapter 5 - Work gossip
In the next year,
All my friends and girlfriend were working for my father. Me included.
We all have our own offices and high salaries. Alex works as the translator, since the organization gets in business with a French graphic design company. Chris is one of the Graphic designers; so is Pam. Gabbie is the receptionist. I am the CFO. So my dad is my boss, the CEO.
It was lunchtime so we all go to the cafeteria. It was on the 8th floor; there are 32.
We arrive at the cafeteria. My friends and I sat at our usual table. Pam sat to my right. Chris sat to my left with Alex in front of him. Gabbie sat in front of me. As they talk, I hear from the table behind us a girl with a high voice talking about their being layoffs.
I interrupted Gabbie talking about God knows what. "Guys, are there gonna be layoffs?" They look at each other confused and look at me strangely. "No, where did you hear that?" Alex says then takes a bite of her sandwich.
"The girl behind me." I lean forward and whisper as I slightly point her. They lean in too. "Are you sure, listen some more." Gabbie said. Me, Chris, and Pam lean back slightly trying not to be suspicious.
"Mr. Goint called me and told me that eventually, he will tell me to stop the payment from going out to a few coworkers. He said he'll send me the list." The girl said with a mouth full of food.
"She said Mr. Goint told her to cut off the cost of some of our coworkers." Chris said as we all lean back in. "Who?" Alex said fascinated. "She said my dad would send her a list. I think she's in accounting." I said.
After lunch, I walk to my dad's office which was on the other side of the room. I enter and immediately shut the door behind me. He looks up from his paper and sighs. "What the hell dad? Are there gonna be layoffs?" I said to him.
"It's not my choice. Alan said we need the extra money to keep the business going. He didn't go into detail about it." He said.
Alan is another Board of directors. My dad and me are on the board.
"Who's getting laid off?" I asked calmed down but still frustrated.
"Nothing is definite. But so far it's not you or your little friends. That I know of." He said getting back to what he was doing. I scoffed.
"Dad, I'm the CFO. I handle the money, why wasn't I informed? Why wasn't I apart of the meeting?" I said feeling left out of the loop. "I'm supposed to know everything about my employee's financial life." I continued.
"Listen we were gonna inform you. But, things have been hectic and were trying to keep the company alive." He said walking around the huge wooden executive desk.
"Fine, let me know when things become definite." I walk away and leave the office. I walk to my desk and sit.
I had a long, slim, bookshelf in the corner. There is a huge window that covers most of the wall behind me. I have pictures of me and my friends on my desk and other office supplies.
I start back working, managing the company's finances. I call the receptionist, Gabbie. "Hey, can you send Pam to my office?" I said.
"Sure thing. By the way, there's a new amusement park a few streets down, I was hoping we could get the gang and go there after work." She said.
"Cool, can't wait." We hang up.
A couple of minutes later I hear a knock. "Come in." I say and Pam enters and comes around the desk. She leans on the desk and crosses her arms. "You wanted to see me." She said smirking. "I did." I smiled back at her.
She sits on my desk fully as I still sit in my chair. "So, I talked to my dad and he said that Alan, decided this at the board meeting they forgot to include me in." I said leaning back in my chair.
"They didn't include you? But, you're apart of the board, I don't get it." She looks at me confused. I stand up in front of her and cup her face with my hands.
"I don't either. But they don't know who is getting laid off." I kissed her after saying that.
"Now, Ms. Laine, I'm going to have to ask you to leave so we can keep the business flowing or I will dock your pay. " I step back and put my hands behind my back and smile at her.
"Sure thing, Mr. Goint." She turns around and before she leaves I say, "By the way, Ms. Laine we will be going to a new amusement park after work, with a few other coworkers."
Then the workday ends.
We all text as we walk to our separate cars.
We leave the condo and see Gabbie in her SUV with Alex, Chris, and Zane. She texted us that we would go in her car earlier.
We get in and we ride to the water park.
We listen to music and play games. We take turns with the driving. 8 hours later we arrive. We get a hotel and check-in. It was night time when we arrive, so we sleep. In the middle of the night, Pam gets a phone call.
"Ugh, turn it off." Alex groaned sleepily. We all sigh until the ringing stop. Pam went into the bathroom and talked.
Pam's POV
Pam: Hello.
Person: Hey, how's the plan?
Pam: It's going great nobody suspects anything.
Person: Remember the plan, and don't sound to obsessive when you ask her.
Pam: I know what I'm doing it's not the first time, remember?
Person:'laughs' oh yeah I remember.
Pam: So let me do this. I'll get it out of her.
They hang up.
Ashton's POV
It was 9:00, I woke up and started waking up everyone else. "Come on guys it's time to go to the water park." I shake them awake. We all put our bathing suits under our clothes and grab our beach bags. We walk out the lobby with towels over our shoulder and get in Gabbie's car.
"We're here." Gabbie says as she parks. "Yes, finally let's go." Alex tells as she hops out of the car.
We see areas to set up our stuff as a picnic. Me, Zane, and Chris run and jump in the pool. Gabbie, Pam, and Alex go down the huge water slide into the pool. We get our beach ball and play pool volleyball.
After the game I see Pam go to Gabbie and they start talking.
I sneak behind her and freeze when I hear the question Pam asks her.
Last year, when Gabbie's mom died, they realized that I was right and it was murder. So, Gabbie distanced herself from us and secretly searched for the killer. The police told her to drop it, so she lied and told them she would. When I surprised her at her place I saw the bulletin board with leads of her mom's murder. We talk and she stops the investigation. I never told any of the rest of our friends that.
Pam asked her how her investigation went.
"So, how was the investigation on your mom's killer, did you find anything," Pam said sounding as if she really was sad. Gabbie looks at her surprised because we promised each other not to tell a soul.
"I don't know what you're talking about." She said trying to hide the anger. I wanted to pop out and tell her I didn't tell Pam.
How did she even find out?
"It's ok, I'm your friend. Talk with me about it. I wanna make sure you're ok." Pam said. What is Pam doing?
"I didn't find anything. I just know the first name of the killer. It didn't help anything." Gabbie said trusting Pam.
Who told Pam?
Why is she asking questions about it?
What does Pam know?
" What was the name?" Pam said. Gabbie looks at her questioning. "Why do you wanna?" Gabbie asked her to study her face. "No reason, I just wanna make sure you're ok." Pam said trying to hide her nervousness.
Gabbie saw right through her. "Do you know anything?" Gabbie whispered.
"What could I-" I break her off as I walk around the wall I was hiding behind. "Who told you that?" I whispered high enough that Gabbie could hear, but kept my eyes on Pam looking at her with betrayal.
"I asked you who told you that?" I said more aggressively. Her face filled with fear. I scoffed. Gabbie still didn't take her eyes off Pam, neither did I.
"I'm sorry, I was there. I was coming to Gabbie's home cause we were gonna go shopping. Remember?" She said motioning Gabbie. But Gabbie just angrily stared at her like she was gonna pounce. "And I saw the door open, so I peeked and saw y'all hugging and I looked behind y'all and saw the investigation." She continued.
Me and Gabbie look at each other like we knew exactly what to do next. And we did.
We pretended to forgive her and apologize for glaring. And me and Gabbie walk away.
Later at the park, I and Gabbie grab our phones and walk the opposite way. Then we text.
Me: She's full of shit! She's working with someone.
Gabbie: I think so to maybe the guy who killed my mom.
Me: right we have to act as if we don't suspect something then after today I'll drive to your place.
Gabbie: ok
We stay at the amusement park for a few more hours acting as nothing happened. We eat Subway sandwiches in the hotel.
After we eat, me, Zane, and Chris play Modern warfare, while the girls talk about whatever.
"Fuck, he totally stole my kill!" Zane swears. The girls laugh while we take it seriously. It was the weekend so we had a day till we had to go home.
"Guys, there's a lake nearby where we can go canoeing. Wanna go tomorrow?" Alex said while looking at her phone.
"Sure, sounds phone." Gabbie said. "Yeah," Pam said. The three of them look at us ignoring them and yell, "BABE." At the same time.
Our heads snap from the game and look at them. We were frightened. "Sounds fun." Zane said you could hear the sound of fear he tried to hide. "Uh... yeah." I said. Chris nodded. We focus back on the game. But, it was too late, we lost.
The next day...
We are headed out and are driving to the lake. We arrive and while they look around and talk, I talk to the person who was supposed to pay and paid her. We put on are floating devices and get in the canoe.
Me and Pam sit in one canoe. Chris and Alex in another, and Zane and Gabbie together.
And we start canoeing. We were warned not to go in a specific part of the lake. There was a huge waterfall with an even bigger drop.
As we canoe through the huge lake we talk about the layoffs. "My dad said, Alan's giving layoffs cause the company might go bankrupt." I said loud enough so they can all hear. "Bankrupt? But the company seemed to be fine." Zane said. "It was, but they didn't include me in the meeting so I don't have details." I responded.
"I think they're exaggerating. It's not that bad. The company is strong. We just made the sale a couple of days ago, right Pam?" I said to all of them. Pam is one of the Graphic design salesmen. She recently made a sale with an ad company.
"Yeah. But it'll take more than one huge sale. We need more. And I do believe they are exaggerating." She said back.
"I'm meeting with a fashion design company in a couple of days to do business with them." Chris said shrugging his shoulders.
"Cool, let's head back." I said.
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i just finished your story and i seriously loved it the characters felt so real and every scene kept me invested i actually have a few ideas that might make it even better if you’re up for it