When Monday arrived, Aaron was reluctant to keep his promise, but Violet was ecstatic. He was apprehensive; he'd never intentionally brought a child to the office before. Keeley had visited a few times when she was content in her stroller, but now, older and with a short attention span, he worried about maintaining her entertainment while working.
However, he couldn't refuse. Violet woke him at dawn, jumping on the bed and chattering about her workday with Daddy. Unlike his father, he kept his promises to his children.
Entering Hale Investments from the parking garage, hand-in-hand with Violet, he received many strange looks. The unspoken question on their faces was clear: What is the boss doing with a little kid? He wanted to tell them to mind their own business.
"Mr. Hale, don't forget the shareholders' meeting today," his secretary, Cheryl, called.
Great. He'd completely forgotten. The materials were prepared, but he couldn't conduct the meeting with Violet. He doubted she'd leave his side. Perhaps Cameron or Aiden, whom she knew, could persuade her.
"Thank you, Cheryl," Aaron replied smoothly, concealing his forgetfulness.
Violet, captivated by the unfamiliar scale of the office, seemed to have forgotten her previous visits. Once in Aaron's office, she happily unpacked toys from her backpack and played on the couch, rendering his concerns unnecessary.
They worked quietly (though Violet occasionally talked to herself) for a couple of hours until Aiden burst in.
"Boss man! I heard you brought a kid to work. Hi, Violet!"
"Hi Aiden," she replied shyly, waving. She recognized him from previous visits to their home.
"Is that all you came for?" Aaron asked suspiciously.
Aiden, notorious for wasting time, usually had a valid reason for his visits, especially now as head of cybersecurity. His visits had become less frequent in recent years.
"You got me," Aiden sighed. "I need time off. Nova's graduating college, and I want to attend." Due to scheduling issues with some of Nova's classes, Aiden explained that her graduation would take longer than expected. Aaron understood his desire to be there. Over time, Aiden's deep affection for his online girlfriend had become apparent.
"You could have gone to HR," Aaron pointed out.
Aiden shrugged. "Why bother?"
Aaron conceded. He couldn't argue with Aiden, though he wasn't really a kid anymore—Aiden recently turned twenty-five. His birthday dinner, attended by eighteen people, including the Hales and Singletons, had been somewhat arduous, but Keeley insisted they support their friend. Even David, the man who once saved Keeley's hard drive, was there. He was surprised, to say the least, to see them with two toddlers. Aaron felt a smug satisfaction at having "gotten his girl."
"How much time do you need?" Aaron sighed.
"A week. The graduation's on a Friday, but I want extra time with her. It's in December, but I wanted to ask early, given the holiday rush."
Aaron raised an eyebrow. "You're spending Christmas there? Most semesters don't end until the week before."
Aiden nodded. "Yes. She wants me to, and I couldn't say no. I'll fly back on the 26th and return to work on the 27th."
"Fine. Are you finally going to propose?"
Aaron recalled a conversation at Cameron's wedding. Aiden had been unsure about asking Nova to relocate. But for the past two years, he'd used all his vacation time to visit her, and she'd visited him a few times. Given Aiden's position and Nova's computer skills, he'd brought her to work during her visits. One summer, she even held a temporary consulting position in the cybersecurity department while staying at Aiden's place in New York.
It was clear their current arrangement wasn't sustainable. Nova moving to New York was the logical solution.
Aiden blushed slightly. Aaron rarely saw him embarrassed, the only other time being when he dressed as Bethany Carlisle.
"I'm planning to propose on Christmas Day, so she won't expect it. The ring will be in a regular gift box."
A smile touched Aaron's lips. It was about time. Aiden was the last of his friends unmarried (technically Kyle was still engaged, marrying his fiancée on Valentine's Day).
Nova's evident infatuation during her two-month office stay suggested this was inevitable. Aaron wasn't sure what she saw in Aiden, but Aiden claimed they shared a sense of humor.
The prospect of another "clown" joining Aiden and Cameron's group wasn't appealing; he anticipated much teasing once Nova was comfortable. However, his friend's happiness was paramount, and Nova clearly brought that. The extraneous text at the end of the original was removed.