Babysitting The Boss

_________________ . . . "What do you mean, George resigned?" PA June Rivers blurted out into the phone, her eyes widening as the office around her buzzed with the usual Monday morning clatter. "It's all over the news, June," her friend Laura replied, a hint of surprise in her voice. "Heath Robbins is taking the reins at Robbins Tech." June felt the color drain from her face as she gripped the phone tighter. George had been a mentor to her, a guiding force in her career. His sudden departure left a void she hadn't anticipated. Heath was... well, she didn't know him that well, but she'd heard the rumors. Heath was a playboy and the last choice to be CEO. He was tardy, lazy and immature. The black sheep of the otherwise hardworking family. June's mind raced as she hung up the phone. Her desk was already piled with the day's work, but the news had thrown her off. She knew she had to prepare herself for the new regime. She took a deep breath and straightened her skirt, steeling herself for what was to come. The office door swung open and in walked Heath Robbins, looking every bit the part of the CEO with a sharp suit and a smug smile. His eyes scanned the room, seemingly unfazed by the tension in the air. He waved a hand, and the murmurs of the employees died down immediately. "Good morning, everyone," he announced, his voice echoing through the open-plan space. "I'm sure you've all heard the news. I'm Heath Robbins, and as of today, I'll be taking over from my dear brother, George." June's heart sank as she watched him stride towards her desk, the clack of his shoes on the polished floor resonating through the room. His eyes locked onto hers, and she forced a professional smile, her mind racing with questions about what this meant for her job. "Ah, June," Heath said, his grin widening as he leaned against her desk. "The legendary PA that keeps this place running. I've heard so much about you." June's smile remained in place, but she couldn't help the knot that formed in her stomach. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Robbins," she replied, keeping her voice even. Heath waved a dismissive hand. "Please, call me Heath. We're going to be working closely together." His tone was casual, but there was an underlying confidence that made June's nerves jangle. She'd heard enough about his reputation to know that working closely with him could mean trouble. "Now, let's get down to business," Heath said, picking up a random piece of paper from her desk. "What's on the agenda for today?" June quickly gathered her thoughts and opened her planner. "There's the quarterly review meeting with the board members at 10 AM, the investor call at 2 PM, and the team project updates are due by 4 PM." Heath barely glanced at the paper. "Cancel it all," he said breezily. "We're going to do things differently around here." June's eyes widened in shock. "But, Mr. Robbins—" Heath held up a hand to silence her. "Heath," he corrected. "And I'm serious. Clear my schedule. We're going to need time to get acquainted and set the new tone." June nodded, trying to hide her disbelief. She could feel the eyes of her colleagues on her as she worked to reschedule the day's meetings. The room was thick with tension and whispers grew louder as they watched her. She knew they were all wondering the same thing: what kind of leader was Heath going to be? With shaking hands, she sent out the emails, noticing the time tick away on her computer screen. She needed a moment to herself, so she headed to the rec room for a cup of coffee. The room was thankfully empty, giving her a brief respite from the chaos. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air as she poured a cup, trying to ignore the tremble in her hand. The door swung open, and in walked Polly, a fellow employee and June's closest confidant at the office. Polly's eyes searched the room, finding June by the coffee machine. "You heard?" June asked, keeping her voice low. Polly nodded, her expression a mirror of June's own anxiety. "The whole office is talking about it. What do you think he's going to do?" June took a sip of her coffee, the warmth barely reaching her tight throat. "I don't know," she murmured. "But I have a feeling it's not going to be good." Polly leaned against the counter, her arms crossed. "He's got a reputation, that's for sure. But maybe he'll surprise us." June raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" Polly shrugged. "I mean, have you seen him? The guy's a total heartthrob. He's got that whole 'bad boy turned CEO' vibe going on." June couldn't help but chuckle, despite her nerves. "Yeah, if the office falls apart, at least we'll have something nice to look at." Polly grinned, but it was clear that neither of them were fully convinced. They both knew that good looks wouldn't save the company if Heath couldn't deliver. "I guess we'll find out soon enough," June said, pushing off the counter. "I should get back to work." Polly nodded in agreement. "Let's keep our chins up. Maybe he'll be better than we expect." June forced a smile and headed back to her desk, the weight of her new reality settling in with each step. As she approached, Heath looked up from his phone, his gaze lingering on her. She swallowed hard and sat down, trying to ignore the way his eyes seemed to appraise her. "So, June," Heath began, leaning back in George's chair as if it were his own. "What do you know about marketing strategies for the new product launch?" June paused, gathering her thoughts. "I know the basics," she said, her voice steady. "We've been working on a multi-platform campaign, focusing on social media and targeted ads to reach our demographic." Heath leaned forward, his elbows on the desk. "Good," he said. "But I want something different. Something that'll make waves." June felt a flicker of excitement despite her nerves. "What do you have in mind?" Heath's eyes gleamed. "How about a surprise announcement at the tech conference next week? Something flashy that'll get everyone talking." June's pulse quickened. "That's a bold move, especially considering the competition we're facing." Heath's smile grew. "Exactly. We need to stand out. What can we do to make sure our product is the talk of the town?" June tapped her pen against her planner, her mind racing with ideas. "Well, we could announce a never-before-seen feature, or maybe bring in a celebrity endorser for the event?" Heath nodded thoughtfully. "I like that. Who do we have in mind?" June rattled off a few names of tech influencers they had previously approached. Heath waved them off. "Bigger," he said. "Someone who'll really make an impact." Her mind raced. "How about Alex Romano?" she suggested, thinking of the A-list celebrity who had recently expressed interest in their eco-friendly tech initiatives. Heath's eyes lit up. "Perfect," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Make it happen." June's heart raced as she nodded, jotting down notes as quickly as she could. She knew Alex Romano was a long shot, but if they could pull it off, it would be a game-changer. She stood up, ready to tackle the challenge. "Consider it done," she said, her voice firm. Heath's gaze remained on her for a beat longer than necessary before he nodded, clearly pleased. . . . _________________