Through the quarter and the project’s completion, our lead’s changes stabilize but his hypnotism remains as well, just as uncontrolled as it started. He brushes back a glob of hair in a huff, annoyed that it had grown this long and full and more annoyed that his boss forbade him from pulling it all back in a hair tie. When his messenger dings, he reflexively shudders before getting up, smoothing his skirt, and heading to the boss’s office. He’s stopped in the hall by one of his coworkers, pleading to ask once more for the boss to return the caffeinated coffee to the break room. Our lead rolls his eyes and tells his friend to ask her himself, but he begs once more that she doesn’t listen to the rest of them, she only likes him.
Settling into the chair across from his boss, she beams and places an envelope on her desk. With the team’s project at completion and the team on time, under budget, and doing the company proud, she couldn’t be happier with her work and how the mentorship helped everybody. Seeing how they both excel when they work together, his boss slides the envelope towards him. As he knows, somebody else was hired for the role last quarter that would be a full step promotion for him, so the company isn’t ready for another promotion just yet, but she’s talked it over with the people upstairs and they’re willing to allow her to bring him up as her second-in-command. If he wants the assistant to the manager role, it’s all his and will only strengthen his resume. Our lead nods and asks if there’s any kind of pay raise that comes with the role. The boss pulls back and hems and haws for a moment, but then our lead feels that familiar warm rush through his body and a button on his blouse suddenly strains. The boss’s position changes and she agrees that she can work out some kind of bonus for him. She slides him the envelope and tells him it contains his new employee badge, new parking space number, and his keycard for the executive gym. Before he can decline the pass, she stops him and tells him that it’s mandatory he do sessions at the gym. It’s the best place to get face time with the people upstairs so it will be a boon to his career and the fortunes of the team. He quietly thanks her and slips the envelope onto his lap.
Our lead gets up to leave but the boss stops him. She has one last boon to award. With their current project and the other teams’ finalizing, it’s time for the company to hold its retreat and decide on the next projects and team funding. She wants him at her side for the meeting and to deliver their presentation to ownership for their next pitch. It’s a great chance to meet the leadership from the other branches and his competition for other employees looking for promotions. She’s never met a young lady quite as persuasive as he is, so he’s sure to ace this pitch too. That persuasion is going to be the team’s secret weapon for years to come!