My Mystery Mate is My Boss

Chapter 4: A First Proper ‘Professional’ Meeting

Grace’s POV

Alan was pleasant and personable. Just walking through the cubby stalls, I could see how much the other employees loved him.

I was honestly still a bit dazed. Somehow, I’d managed to get the job. I’d have to talk to my boss at the Makeup Emporium, turn in my resignation letter…and maybe see if she’d take me back if the job didn’t pan out—but that was quitter talk.

I would do great at the position and make sure I was the best assistant ever, if only for the sweet paycheck that would come with it.

“Here, this’ll be your workstation. It’s on the same floor as Richard’s office since you’ll be interacting with him a lot. Many of the people on this floor take calls from our various branches, especially the international ones, to confer on things like sales, meetings, and progress reports. This is all administration, though. R and D are in another building entirely due to the scale we work on.”

Alan presented me with a bare desk and swivel chair, but it looked comfy and had a top-of-the-line computer set up for it.

“Now, you’re expected to arrive here at 9 AM exactly. You can be early but DON’T be late. Even a minute late will get you in trouble. Richard has OCD, and since he’s the boss, it’s sort of everyone’s problem,” Alan shook his head before he patted my shoulder. “While you’ll be held to some strict standards, you’ll also be compensated for following them, which is part of the reason why our pay and care package is so good.”

“Alright, any other rules I should be aware of?”

“Yes, you’re expected to type, print, and present documents to him that are grammatically correct, or he’ll ride your ass about that. Spell check is your friend—and maybe don’t use any ‘lingo’ or exclamation points in official documents. You’re on call while you’re here in the office, so if you go somewhere, you have to inform him. Otherwise, he’ll just get mad that you’re not where you’re supposed to be. You’ve actually got a few buttons on your setup for that. Lunch break is exactly one hour, bathroom break doesn’t HAVE a limit, but someone will get sent to find you if you’re MIA for over 20 minutes.”

“Okay, I—I can do that.” I took a few calming breaths. It was only three rules, yet it already felt like a lot but I could do this. The benefits far outweighed everything else.

“Good, don’t worry. You’ve got at least three months,” Alan said, not as comforting as he probably hoped. “Ella, you got a minute?”

“Yeah, what’s up, Alan?” A pretty brunette with her hair cut in a short bob and her glasses on a chain made her way over.

“This is Richard’s new assistant. Can you introduce her and help her get to the lunchroom? She hasn’t eaten yet, and I need to grab her paperwork from HR.”

“Of course. I’m Ella Lawerence. Welcome aboard the team.”

“Thanks, I’m Grace Fitzgerald. It's nice to meet you.”

“Great, I’ll be back after lunch. Try to take a look at the rulebook while I’m gone.” Alan hurried off while Ella shook her head in exasperation.

“Don’t worry about Alan. He’s always busy, but hey, he turned you over to me, which means you get to meet everyone over food and hear all the tips and tricks to surviving the office.”

“Sounds great,” I chuckled, and honestly, food sounded amazing. I hadn’t been able to eat anything before I rushed out of the apartment, too nervous for the interview.

Ella introduced me to everyone in the lunchroom, where the company apparently always provided sandwiches and drinks for its workers.

I met many colleagues, most of whom were accountants who kept the numbers organized. I was a bit in awe of how smart they were.

“There’s one other thing you have to know, though,” Ella said, gaining my attention after Rodriguez told me how the last assistant got fired. I guess exclamation points were now illegal during work hours. “Mr. Morgans has a mate,” she whispered.

“He’s married?” That surprised me—not that such a handsome man was married, but I’d never heard even a hint of a rumor that he was a taken man.

“Oh, not just married, I heard he’s devoted,” Ella said solemnly. “Mr. Morgans stopped contacting over women since he made a pack with his mate, wouldn’t even hear out the elders about the marriage.”

“Wow.” He must’ve loved her a lot to go against the elders. Strange though—where was she?

“Married or not, I’m getting tired of seeing people throw themselves at him,” Lauren groaned. “And co-workers losing their jobs overshooting their shot.”

“I don’t see why, though. Apparently, he and his wife never appear in public because his mate isn’t as pretty as his other suitors.”

“If anything, that just says something about his character,” Ella protested. “He has the face, the money, he could have anyone, but he chose his mate and isn’t swayed by the women trying to flaunt their assets at him. Isn’t that romantic?”

“Maybe she’s beautiful, just you know, on the inside.”

“Oh, f**k you.”

A Luna that could make a man like Richard Morgans so devoted, she had to be something special.

“And no one’s seen her?” I asked, and Ella shook her head.

“Never. He got married, traveled for business and pack matters, and then she was never brought up again. Honestly, in my opinion? I wouldn’t believe she was real if I didn’t see the wedding certificate. I think we’ve seen her as much as he has.” She shrugged.

Huh. That was…it sounded a lot like my situation. Quick marriage, busy partner, lack of meetings…ha! Still, there was no way Richard Morgans, the Alpha of the Blood Moon pack, was MY mate. That’d be crazy.

“Alright, guys, lunch break is almost over. Ten minutes left. We should hustle,” Nancy warned them. They were quick to clean the table. Ella reminded her to always clean up after herself and her station so she wouldn’t get in trouble, and then she was back at her desk.

The onboarding video, rulebook, and paperwork didn’t take nearly as long as I thought it would, but there were more rules than I thought.

“Hey, Ella? Where do I take these?” I asked, holding up the paperwork.

“Oh, you finished? You have to give them to Mr. Morgans. He likes to make sure you’re aware of what’s expected from you as his assistant. Here, let me look through them for you. I’ll make sure they’re filled out right.”

“Thank you,” I sighed in relief, and she laughed softly.

“Of course, no need for you to get on the boss’s nerves if it gets filed wrong. He’s in a bad mood. Scolded Davids for mustard on his tie—poor guy was just heading out to go clean it too.”

I superstitiously glanced at his office doors.

“Any reason why he might be so upset?” 

“Not sure, bad meeting? Dirt tracked into his office? Gratuitous use of perfume? Could just be pent up.”

 “Ella!” I gasped, scandalized, and she snorted.

“Oh, calm down. It’ll be fine. Just stay professional. It’s your first day. No one’s ever been fired on their first day. He has some patience for the new hires. You’ll be fine.”

“Let’s just hope I’m not the first,” I muttered, thanking her as she handed back my paperwork. Then, I made my way to Mr. Morgan's office.

“Mr. Morgans, I completed the paperwork,” I called, knocking on his door.

“Enter.”

I stepped inside, wincing as I watched him take a sip of his coffee, nearly slamming down the mug with an irritated look.

“You have buttons on your computer monitor. They’ll ping me if you have documents for me or anything else. I’ll be able to reply, and you’ll be able to let yourself in. When I’m in a meeting, you message me directly on my phone and wait to drop off documents.

“Understood, sir.”

I handed over the documents, his gloved hands taking the papers and flipping through them. A scowl appeared on his face, and I cursed myself inwardly as I opened my mouth.

“Is…is something wrong, Mr. Morgans?” I couldn’t help but ask, feel a bit of empathy for him, and maybe more than just a bit of compassion for him giving me this opportunity. I just couldn’t bring myself to view him in a negative life, even if he was a bit ornery with things being in order.

He was silent for a moment, then he put the paperwork down and laced his fingers together, his face serious and solemn.

“…I think my mate may be sleeping with another man.”

Despite myself, I gasped out loud, losing some of my professional veneers. Of all the things he could’ve said, that was the thing I least expected.

His Luna, cheating? It sounded impossible, stern perfectionist or not, even though I had only known him for a short time. Mr. Morgans was hardly a heartless man! Maybe the rumors weren’t as baseless as I thought.

“I…I’m so sorry.”

“I admit I haven’t been the most attentive of mates,” he admitted, sighing heavily. “However, a betrayal of this level is…far outside my realm of expertise. I’m unsure how to handle it.”

“Your mate link…is it still…” I trailed off awkwardly. No matter where a relationship was, marriage was binding for werewolves. Even if it were contractual or done without a meeting, our inner wolves wouldn’t let something like a betrayal lie without consequences.

That’s how I knew my mate was still faithful, even if I never met him. At the very least, I had that much.

“It’s still active.”

“Then, maybe it’s a misunderstanding,” I said hopefully. “Did you see her cheating?”

“…No.”

“Then there’s only one thing left to do. You have to confirm it yourself.” I said in determination, surprising him. “Mr. Morgans, I cannot begin to assume anything about your relationship with your Luna, but you’re mates. If you just assume your partner is cheating without even confirming it or seeing it for yourself, then you’ll only hurt each other’s feelings and trust by accusing them of such a thing.”

“You’re right. What I heard doesn’t prove that she’s cheating. It seems you’re already proving you’re the right person for this job.”

His words made me beam.

“Follow me. I’ll need your assistance for a more personal matter,” he said, gesturing for me to follow him. I fell into step behind him.

“What for, Mr. Morgans?” 

“I’m afraid I don’t know my wife as well as I’d like. I’d like your help to pick something out for her.”

I was startled by the amount of trust he was placing in me for such an important matter, but I straightened my spine.

“Of course, sir, I’d be happy to help.” And surprisingly, I really was.