The CEO's Romantic Wager

Chapter Six: Rallying Support

Boss and assistant stood still, frozen in time as they gazed at each other, their shared laugh easing into warm smiles of amusement.

For a split second, Ajax Creed felt a spark of something—a glimmer of warmth that chipped away, just a little, at his cold exterior.

But he buried the feeling, and at a good time too, for the weird moment quickly passed.

“So,” Jayla continued, hands clasping together with a burst of enthusiasm, “We start working on your Christmas spirit from tomorrow. And Mr. Creed, I don't want to hear a single complaint about holiday decorations, music, or any festive attire that might appear around here. Got it?"

Ajax groaned inwardly, but he managed a stiff nod, eyes narrowing at the prospect of his sleek, sophisticated office being decked out in tinsel and tacky ornaments as was characteristic of the holiday season.

The thought alone made him shudder in terror.

But he’d already agreed to this madness, so there was no turning back now.

“Great!” Jayla chirped excitedly, clearly having fun at his expense. “So now, I’m thinking some Christmas music, a bit of snowflake window spray to give your beautiful windows a more seasonal vibe... uhm, I don’t know, maybe even a Christmas tree in your office?”

“A Christmas tree? Window spray?” he repeated, his tone as dry as his patience. “Woah, woah, Ms. Beckett, okay, let’s not get carried away here.”

“Too late for that,” she replied happily with a mischievous wink, gathering her things and already heading towards the elevator that had brought her in not too long ago.

“Wait, wait,” Ajax hurried after her, “Didn’t you just get to work, Ms. Beckett?”

“I know, right? I did. But given what we have on our hands now, clearly, I need the rest of the day off.” She gushed excitedly, stepping in the elevator.

Jayla turned to face him, grinning like a Cheshire cat, “Oh, tomorrow, Mr. Creed, you’re going to experience the holiday spirit like never before.”

The door closed before Ajax could get a word in, and even though he was on the verge of a panic attack, a faint smirk tugged at his lips.

What in God’s name had he gotten himself into?

*******

Jayla returned to the office about three hours later, completely stocked up on Christmas décor and other holiday-related items. Her boss had left the office for a meeting, one that she had record of and knew about, and it was exactly what she had used to trick him into thinking that she had taken the day off.

Mr. Creed was not going to come back, knowing she wouldn’t be around, so that gave her more than enough time to rally the staff and get started on decorating the office.

The moment Jayla stepped off the elevator to the middle floor where majority of the staff were located, arms full of shopping bags and festive supplies, she was met with a mix of curiosity and disbelief.

Some peered over their cubicles, while others exchanged glances, unsure of what was happening.

A few actually burst into laughter.

“Oh, come on Jayla, you are no novice here at Creed Holdings.” Tim, an old guy from the IT department frowned at her, “Surely you know that everything you have in your arms right now is contraband.”

“It used to be, but not anymore,” Jayla chirped brightly, understanding their fears and yet finding it amusing anyway. “Mr. Creed asked me to inject some holiday spirit into this bland office, and that’s exactly what we are going to do.”

Her words were met with silence, because everyone knew they were lies.

There was no way in hell, Mr. Creed would agree to this nonsense.

“Oh, come on, guys.” Jayla planted her hands on her hips, her expression full of sass and exasperation as she tried another tactic. “When was the last time this office felt alive? Do you even remember the holidays being celebrated here? Because I don’t, and why should it be so? Why should our holiday spirit be trampled upon just because we want to find our daily bread?”

She tried to meet everyone’s gaze, “You all have my word on this, I will take full responsibility if things go south, but I can assure you that it won’t. Now, can we get to decorating? It’s almost close of day.”

The staff exchanged uncertain glances; their hesitation still thick in the air.

Jayla scanned the room, recognizing the reluctance etched on their faces.

It was understandable—Ajax Creed wasn’t known for being lenient or particularly forgiving, but he wasn’t going to harm them because of her little arrangement with him, though she couldn’t exactly tell them that.

Rita, a young woman in client service, was the first to voice what everyone else was thinking. “So, you’re telling me, Jayla, that Mr. Creed gave the green light for this? The same guy who banned birthday celebrations because the noise ‘disrupted productivity’?”

Everyone chuckled.

“Yes, Rita, that very same Mr. Creed,” Jayla shot back, her tone firm but playful.

They still didn’t look convinced.

“Okay fine, I’m lying.” She admitted shamefacedly, “But let’s face it, that ban on cake was a crime against humanity. Don’t you want to get back at him even a little bit? To see him knocked off his high and mighty horse?”

Okay, it looked like she had them there.

“Unless you’re content to spend yet another holiday season in this joyless tundra, I suggest we get moving.”

“Easy for you to say,” another voice piped up from the back. “You’re his assistant, Jayla. He might not fire you, but the rest of us? We’re not exactly immune to the man’s wrath.”

Jayla smirked, undeterred. “You’re right. But I’m not immune either.” She clarified, “In Mr. Creed’s books, everyone is expendable. But here’s the thing—how many of you have been working directly with Mr. Creed long enough to know what makes him tick?”

The question hung in the air for a moment. No one raised their hand.

“Exactly,” Jayla said, her voice gaining confidence. “I know the man well enough to assure you that we can get out of this coup d’etat unscathed. And Mr. Creed himself might not know this yet, but he needs this too. Heck, we all need this. Now, if you want to keep working in a gray, lifeless office with zero holiday cheer, be my guest. But if you’re even remotely interested in proving that Mr. Creed is capable of adopting some holiday spirit, then grab some tinsel and help me out.” She looked around eagerly, “Who’s with me?”

There was a long pause before Tim sighed dramatically, shaking his head. “Alright, Jayla, but if this backfires, I’m blaming you.”

“Deal,” she replied instantly, grinning as she handed him a Christmas Wreath.

One by one, the rest of the staff began to warm up to the idea, laughter replacing their earlier skepticism.

Jayla directed them with the excitement of a two-year-old and the energy of a seasoned project manager, doling out tasks and making sure everyone had a role to play.

“Marketing team, you’re in charge of setting up the tree in the lobby.” She addressed the group of five. “Make it classy but not too uptight. We’re going for warm and welcoming, not a showroom display, please.”

“Got it!” Lucy, their self-acclaimed head chirped, already rifling through a box of ornaments.

“IT,” Jayla said, turning to the group huddled near the coffee machine, “You’re on lights. And for the love of all that’s merry, make sure they actually work before hanging them up. I’m talking to you especially, Raymond,”

Scattered laughter rippled through the room.

Jayla wondered why she seldom came down to hang out with her colleagues.

It was really no fault of hers, since Mr. Creed could be very demanding, but she made a mental note to do this more often.

As the decorations began to take shape, the office slowly transformed.

Wreaths adorned doors, even the elevators, twinkling lights framed windows, the ceiling, the faint sound of holiday music wafted from the office’s speakers, filling the air with its melodious softness, and Jayla took in a deep sigh, taking it all in.

Even if she was fired for it, this moment right here made it completely worth it.

The woman with the blonde hair caught Tim struggling with a particularly stubborn string of lights, and a smirk formed on her face, “Need a hand there, IT genius?” She teased.

“Ha, ha,” Tim deadpanned. “You know, Jayla, if this whole assistant thing doesn’t work out, you’ve got a real future in motivational speeches.”

Jayla grinned, handing him another set of lights. “I’ll take that as a compliment, Tim.”

By the time they were all finished, the office was unrecognizable.

The once sterile environment now sparkled with holiday cheer, and even the most cynical employees seemed to have softened.

Jayla stood back, admiring their work with a satisfied smile. “Alright, team,” she said, clapping her hands together. “Go home, get some rest, and prepare yourselves for the big reveal tomorrow. Mr. Creed’s going to lose his mind—hopefully in the best possible way. Great job, everyone,”

As the last of the staff trickled out, Jayla lingered, double-checking the arrangements.

She could already imagine her boss’s reaction, and while she was bracing herself for some slight grumbling, she knew that there was a probability that she had gone a bit too overboard.

Who knew what he would do to her if that happened to be the case?

Jayla swallowed the uncomfortable lump in her throat, calming herself down.

Everything was going to be alright.

It just had to be.

With one final look around the sparkling office, she flipped off the lights and stepped into the elevator, ready for whatever tomorrow would bring.