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(2am and Distain)

"Hm," Carl said, acknowledging that he'd told the truth. "Well what are you doing up here, son? Looking for Calena?" He wasted no time getting to the point. He stepped closer to him. "Lemme tell you something: stay away from my daughter. She doesn't need any trouble. You understand me? This is business, boy. Be professional!" He shook his head and took a step back, taking a sip of his coffee. "You're here to work. Not have fancy time with Calena. You'd do well to remember that. You hear me? If another goddamn thing happens I'll have you thrown on your ass faster than you can say goodbye." He pointed to the elevator. "Take your ass back to work. Don't let me see you up here again." Carl knew he was intimidating enough but that didn't stop him from purposefully trying to scare Stephen. Of course he was worried about how it looked for the business, but he also was concerned about Calena getting involved with somebody. She had never done that before, so he didn't know how he should react.
 
"No sir, I was trying to escape the constant questions that i was getting from my coworkers. " He grew very defensive he did not mind being brown beat by his boss for walking away from his desk. He was not how ever going to accept being told he could not see his daughter. "It was mind numbing down there i just wanted to work and get my job done for the day. " He said growing very defensive and proud of his work ethic. "I have done nothing but be professional! I have not spoken to Calena since i arrived at work today. " He moved to the elevator calling it back up before he realized he was telling him to not be with her. "Are you telling me that I am not allowed to see her outside of work?" He looked at him his heart breaking he knew what was coming next he was going to open his mouth and get fired but he could not stop himself. "Sir I deeply care about your daughter, I also deeply care about my job. Please... don't ask me to choose between them, you will not like my answer. " The threat to his relationship has made him brave he had dealt with over protective fathers many times before.
 
Carl rolled his eyes. "I'm supposed to feel sorry for you? You get a little action and then you can't handle a few people in your business?" He scoffed. This Jacobs guy wasn't good enough for his daughter. But then, what father finds any man good enough for their daughter? He was surprised that Stephen was fighting back. "Since you arrived, huh? And how the hell did you get here?" he spat out, his eyes narrowing. He nodded. "I'm telling you that you aren't allowed to see Calena period." Carl shrugged. "I don't have to ask you to choose. You continue your relationship and I will make the decision for you." Stephen's sincerity shocked Carl but he stood his ground. "You say you care about Calena. If you do then you'll do what is best for her. You and I both know that isn't you. Come on, son. This is a damn good job and the chances of you finding anything close to this are none and none. But what do you know about Calena? Do you know how quickly she'll get bored with you?" He studied Stephen's suit. "What's going to happen when she's done playing dress up with you? Ask yourself: what will Calena pick? You or--" He gestured to the office around him. "This." He let his last statements linger in the air.
 
"Well then your right sir you made my decision. "He stepped back into the elevator pushing the button to take him back to his floor. "I will have my resignation on yours and Calena's desk first thing in the morning. " He said as the door closed ending their conversation he was so furious both at him and at himself. With a groan he turned punching the elevator wall yelling at himself for ruining everything. His knuckle split open slightly and the wall had a small dent in it as he turned and walked to his office. His whole hand ached and nearly brought him to tears as he typed up his resignation. His blood staining several of the keys as he tried to type.
 
Carl made no reply. It was better this way. Let Stephen break ties instead of him having too look like a bad guy and do it or even Calena doing it herself. "You do that," was all he said, turning his back to the elevator and looking out of the windows.

Calena had been pacing in her office for a while. She knew she had to talk to Stephen. She sent him a quick email: Meet me downstairs in five. B level. Password is 4377. She left her office telling her secretary to hold her calls. She pressed the button for the elevator, the butterflies in her stomach making her feel queasy.
 
Stephen's email had fallen silent, walking to his desk with his hand bleeding was more then enough to make people leave him alone today. When he heard the email he checked it and hung his head, he figured her father had told her what he did. Slowly he stood up and walked to the the elevator as he walked there he thought. There had to be a way out of what he was doing there had to be a way to have his job and his girl. Slowly he stood in the elevator getting an idea though he was certain it would not work. It would at least be something he needed to check before he resigned. Within 10 minuets of her email arriving he was walking threw the door his hand having finally stopped bleeding.
 
Calena turned when she saw the door open. It had been longer than five minutes. She was worried he didn't get her email or had refused to come meet her. She rushed over to him, tears welling in her eyes. "Did you see the paper? My father is fur--" she stopped seeing his crimson hand. She immediately held it up. "Oh God, Stephen, what happened to you? Are you ok?" she asked, her other hand stroking his cheek. "We gotta get this cleaned up and stuff."
 
"I did not see the paper but i heard about it... I know... I... I saw your father up stairs. Instead of backing down and taking by beating ... I yelled back... Unless i can find a way to force him not to fire me. " He looked at her a tear streaming down his cheek he hated that he had to do this. "I will be resigning in the morning. " He spoke softly looking into her eyes taking a deep breath as she looked at his hand. "Forget it its fine. It has already stopped bleeding. Why did you want to talk to me?"
 
"You yelled at my father?" Calena groaned. "Oh no." She shook her head trying to imagine how upset he was. "No. No," she said, wiping the tear from his cheek quickly. "The last thing you are doing is resigning! Do you hear me? You need this job, Stephen. You do. And don't argue." She held his face in her hands. He was willing to give it all up for her. Just after one day. She gave him a soft kiss. "You still need to get your hand checked out." She sighed and stepped back. "My father talked to me too. He said I could either fire you or stop our relationship. And if I didn't make up my mind, he would just fire you."
 
"I need to look at the contract i signed before i turn it in. I am not breaking up with you because your father does not like me. I can find another job I found this on. " He spoke softly his hand slipping from hers and going to her face gripping it lightly. "If i can not find a way out of this in my contract... I am quitting and there is nothing you can do to stop me. " He said softly looking into her eyes leaning in slowly and pressing his forehead into hers staring into her eyes. "Lets just hope that there was nothing in there about me not dating inside the company. "
 
"It isn't that he doesn't like you," she responded. Honestly she didn't know how her father felt. "It's just..it looks bad you know? I take home my intern after his first day. This company's reputation is also built on mine. He just doesn't want any bad PR." She stared back in his eyes. "I refuse to let you quit. I'm not dating a man without a job," she said simply. "I will not let you give all of this up because of me. You're too hard a worker and you've done too much to let it all slip away after one day." She took a deep breath. "I care too much about you to let that happen."
 
"Then i guess we better hope my contract does not say i can not date co workers. Or ... " He turned to the door his heart breaking inside he was going to lose her one way or another and he wanted to puke. "We break up until i find another job. " He said softly running his hand over the suit she had bought him before leaving the room. In one day his life had gone from amazing and perfect to destroyed. He had a couple ideas to try before he handed in his resignation but he needed to think clearly and he could not do that next to her. He returned to the elevator and began the trip back up to their floor.
 
Calena swallowed hard. She didn't know if her relationship with Stephen would last. None of her relationships did. (If you could even call them relationships) She didn't want him to get hurt and be out of a job. She knew she wasn't worth it. She hated having to push him away but it was the only thing she could think of. She watched him leave, but she couldn't think of anything to say to call him back. Instead she sighed and followed him. She wiped her eyes, trying to look emotionless. She was still at work and still had to command respect even though the entire office was buzzing with what was going on.
 
He reached over placing his hand on her side choking up a bit as the climbed to their floor. His hand fell away not long before the door opened and he walked out of the elevator. Making his way back to his desk quickly he gathered his contract up and began pouring over the pages hoping to find what he was looking for. It was everything he could do to concentrate it was hard enough with all the whispering and hearing his name constantly.
 
She let him get off the elevator but didn't follow. She decided to pay her father a visit. Her anger at him and the situation had been steadily rising for quite some time. Once on the floor she brushed past the secretary and bounded into his office unannouced. "How dare you!" she bellowed at him. Her fists were tight at her side. "It was one thing for you to threaten me but to threaten him? I can not believe you would do something like this. If he quits or resigns or you fire him then I will raise hell!" Her body was shaking, she was so angry. "You know how many shares I have in this company. You mess with me and I will call a meeting of the board. I will have you removed from your position." The last part was an empty threat. Calena did not have that kind of power. "Or, I will go public with what you've done. You care about your pretty little reputation? I will leave this company and tear it to shreds when I leave!"
 
Stephen found what he needed the policy was clear... if their relationship caused an issue for the company they would both be fired. He smirked as he saw that taking his contract and circling it he then set to work on the next step of his plan. He searched the internet for everything he could find on her past boyfriends. He then set to work on his own past finding it he stood and quickly made his way to her fathers office. Once there he looked at his secretary and sat down in the waiting room. "I need to see Mr. Morrison as soon as possible it is urgent. " He said smiling looking into her eyes a confident look in his eyes.
 
By this point, Calena was crying. She didn't even know it but tears streaked her face. Her father came up to her and wrapped his arms around her. At first she flinched but then let herself be hugged. He rubbed her back, soothing her to calm her down. He guided her to a chair. "Calm down, sweetheart. Do you need some water?" She nodded, wiping away her tears. He patted her knee. "Just take some deep breaths." He left his office to get her a drink of water. While he was gone, his intercom buzzed to announce that Stephen was waiting for him. Calena pressed the button on the phone to send him in. She wondered what he could be up to.
 
Stephen walked in with his briefcase looking at her his face showed a glimpse of nervousness. He did not want to have to make this presentation with her in the room. He moved to her and and lifted his free hand whipping the tears away from her cheeks trying to remove the make up stains. The blood had been cleaned from his hand leaving only the wound visible. "I have a way to end this... I just hope your father is a reasonable man. "
 
She stood to meet him, looking in his eyes. "What are you doing?" She moved his hands out of her face. "Stop. I'm fine. I'm fine." She wanted to ask him what he meant when her father walked back in. His eyes narrowed when he saw Stephen. He handed Calena the water and she took a sip. He walked around behind his desk. "What in Sam Hill is going on here?" Calena stepped forward. "He has something to say. Please listen to him." She glanced at Stephen then back at her father. "Be reasonable. Please." She stepped back beside Stephen. She linked her pinky with his and gave a squeeze. "Need me to go outside?" she asked softly. Her nerves were still on edge and she didn't know if she could take continuing to be in the room with both of them.
 
"It would probably be for the best. " He said softly looking at her a faint smile hitting his cheeks as he caught her eyes. Giving her pinky a squeeze he turned to face her father looking him in the face. "Inside my briefcase is a small pile of paperwork for a presentation i am about to make for you. At the bottom is my resignation. If at the end of my presentation you still think i should be gone it is yours. " He said calmly if there was one thing he was good at it was public speaking. He was going to need to be as brave as he could be but he was going to give this speech.
 
Calena gave him a slight nod, understanding that she should just wait outside. And if her father got to yelling she would still be able to hear everything. She took one last look at her father before setting out of his office and closing the door behind her softly.

Carl Morrison sat back in his chair, watching the new intern. He was almost amused that the young man had the nerve to stand up to him. Nobody had ever done that before. Either the guy was crazy, stupid, or both. Carl decided to see which one it was. And besides, he wasn't trying to hurt Calena on purpose. If he thought there was another way to proceed, then he would have gladly taken that route. By listening to the presentation he could argue that he had exhausted every possibility. He glanced at his watch and nodded. "You have five minutes and not a second more. Go."
 
"I won't need 5 minuets. "He said confidently as he set his open briefcase on the chair next to him and pulled out a stack of papers. He then stood and began papering her fathers desk with photos. Each of them an attractive young man who his daughter had been romantically linked to. "I know you are concerd with how this will make your daughter and your company look. I have only been working on this presentation for an hour and this is what i have found. These are the last 7 men that your daughter had been romantically linked to by the same papers that posted our photo this morning." He then set out a paper below each of the photos. Each containing every public piece of information he could find. Drunk driving arrests, sexual excapades, drug usage, arrest records, and all the way back to weather or not they went to college.

With a long slow pause he allowed her father to scan the papers and see the men that his daughter had "dated". After nearly 2 minuets he reached into his briefcase and pulled out another small stack of papers setting them before him. They where his school records, the fact he was in the top 10% of his high school and college classes. Letters of recomendation from several of his college proffessors. He had typed up each and every time he had ever been spoken to by the police. 5 in total 4 for parking and driving infractions, and one where his room mate had a loud party in his room. "That is every thing there is to know about my past. "He then set down a list of every single thing he had done in the last day and a half. Easily 3 days work for a normal person.

"And that is what i do professionally. The way i see it, I am the best thing to happen to your daughter since you. With me in her life you will not see her in the papers as much because i don't like to party. Because i can help calm her down, she did not have a drop to drink last night even though she had ordered wine for us when we got home. Your daughter will see what life is like from my side of the world and that will certainly change her out look on things. " With that he sat down looking at her father waiting for his reaction to his speech praying his next step would not have to be taken.
 
Carl raised an eyebrow when the intern said he wouldn't need five minutes. If it were anybody else he would have been sure he was being a smart-ass. He cleared his throat to remind Stephen exactly who he was talking to. He watched him open his tattered briefcase and litter his desk with photos. Each showed Calena with a man with her in various intimate situations. They were hugging, holding hands, kissing or otherwise showing their interest in each other. Carl shrugged. He'd seen these photos before, they certainly weren't a surprise to him. He was about to ask what the point of the pictures was until Stephen placed a note underneath. Each contained several pieces of personal information, most of which was negative.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Calena had always been a "popular" girl and he had never threatened her to stop her relationship before. Then again, none of her relationships had been with her employees or any other members of the office. And it certainly hadn't been an intern on his first day of work. He waved his hand at the second stack. "I know everything there is to know about you. I take pride in thoroughly checking out my employees. I know what you're capable of," he said, quickly growing tired of the presentation.

He stayed silent while Stephen finished his speech. It was certainly compelling and he had produced a lot of information in a very short amount of time. Carl had come down hard for the exact reasons Stephen gave him. They had a future. And the uncertainty of that future worried Carl. As a father and as a businessman. None of Calena's relationships had gone anywhere. If anything it was done to generate PR for the man and it gave Calena the opportunity to have a good time. He crossed his arms over his chest. If there was one thing Carl Morrison hated, it was to be wrong.

"Listen here, son. All this is damn well and good. It is. I'm not out to say that you aren't a bright young man. But you need to understand my position. It is a delicate one. Calena just isn't on the board as a head of a department, she's my daughter. I have to look out and protect her. But I also have to protect this business my father built out of his bare hands. If you were in my position what would you do? Let some country boy swoop in and take over?" Carl shook his head. "I ain't gonna do it." He stood up. "You play by my rules then you get to keep your job here." He pointed to the door. "Send my daughter in here and then you tell us what we should do about this mess."
 
Stephen gathered up his papers and put things back in his briefcase. "Sir... I want to say this to you before she comes in as i would rather keep this between us. If... Something where to happen and our relationship did not last. I would walk away from the company and only ask an honest reference I will sing any document you want telling you that. I am not here for your company. I am here to make a living it just so happens i found someone here i like spending my time with. " With that he turned and went to the door opening it he waved her in taking her hand as she walked in with him.

Once they stood in front of her father her released her hand and took a deep breath. "Sir i don't want any special favors...I just want to be treated fairly. I made Calena promise me that she would not ever consider our relationship when it came to business. I want to move threw this company because of my performance not because of my heart. " He spoke softly looking into her eyes. "We can spin this... we can say we bumped into each other after my interview and started talking. Tell people she did not realize i was working here till i walked in on Monday. Then it would look more like a miss communication then anything shady. It also would help the appearance of us going home together. Seeing as we would have known each other for nearly a month. And all it takes is the truth she was not the one that interviewed me. And a lie that she and i met in the elevator. "
 
Carl gave a slight nod. A gentleman's agreement was something he could respect and adhere too. He was shocked when he said he would walk away from the company. Verglobus Publishing treated their employees very well. It was one of few companies with a lot of room for advancement. "I'll have something for you in writing before this day is over," he told him before he walked Calena back in.

During their impromptu meeting, Calena had paced the hall back and forth wondering what was going on. Stephen looked determined and seemed to have a plan but she couldn't figure out what it would be. And if it was going to change her father's mind then it would have to be incredibly convincing. Calena wasn't sure that Stephen could pull something like that off. She tried to read his face when he came to get her but she hadn't known him long enough to read his emotions that easily. And because she was just outside the door it was only a step before they were back in her father's presence.

She sighed when he released her hand. She wanted to keep holding it. She stood close to him, nodding at his words. All of that was true. And Calena had assured him that anything that happened to him within the company would have nothing to do with their relationship outside of the office. She gave him a slight smile when he mentioned his heart. She gently slipped her pinky around his and gave it a squeeze.

Her father considered his statements. He'd done more than slip a little lie in order to smooth certain situations over. He sighed. It did all sound very simple. "Are you willing to say that Calena? Lie for him?" Calena looked at Stephen and then her father. She nodded. "I met him after his interview. He didn't recognize me because he's from a small town. We just started talking in the elevator. I told him my name was Carol. He said he got a job in town and I invited him over. I didn't know he worked for us." She said it evenly and calmly as if she were retelling actually events. "Just don't fire him or accept his resignation," she pleaded at the end. She didn't know what had happened while she was in the hallway.

"Fine," Carl said. "Lie. Cover this up. Do what it takes. But the two of you will use discretion while in this building and outside of it. If I see another page like the one in the paper today--" He let his voice trail off. "Now both of you get out of here. We've wasted enough working time today." Calena rushed over to give him a hug. "Thank you, daddy," she whispered in his ear before kissing his cheek. She followed Stephen back out of this office, relieved that they could stay together and that Stephen would be keeping his job.
 
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