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Chapter 10 by cphi cphi

Is that all that needs to be done at work?

Yep! You can head home.

Kayla walks back into your office. Her face is painted with concern.
"Any luck?"
"Yeah actually I figured out what happened. The software updated, and there was formatting issue, so the invoices weren't being recognized anymore. I fixed it. Honestly, it was luck that I figured out the problem. You probably wouldn't have figured it out." You try not to sound condescending, but you don't think you pulled it off.
"So this is the new format?" Kayla leans over you to look at the screen. Her rack is very close to your face right now.
"Uh.. yeah." She smells...really good. Fruity scented body spray complements her natural, clean scent. She doesn't wear too much makeup, just simple foundation and mascara, with a bright pink shade of lipstick. You can clearly see straight into her cleavage; her enhanced breasts are held firm and tight by a pink bra, and a diamond shaped pendant hung between them. It had been a gift from your father.
"You're the best, James. Thanks....boss." she winks at you and squeezes your shoulder. She sits down at the chair in front of your desk.
"I....have an awkward subject to bring up..." she seems nervous.
"What's going on, Kayla?" you sit back in your reclining office chair, regarding her over your steepled fingers.
"Well...this is hard for me. I'm a proud person, I think you know that." She's very unsure of herself. "So...asking for help..."
"We all like to stand on our own." You interrupt, "..but sometimes we need each other, Kay. What's going on?"
She fidgets, wringing her hands a little. "When I was...working for Frank... "
And fucking him, you mentally add.
"I got paid a nominal salary on the books, but he would give me frequent bonuses, off the books, commensurate with my work." She eyes you at this point. Probably don't make a snarky comment here, James.
"Frank always said my work was too valuable to let the government take so much of it." she chuckles a little.
"Yeah, Dad had a...pliable relationship with laws." A lifetime of association with the "Italian side" of his family had done that.
"When you took over, you switched everything to above board, which I totally agree with, by the way."
"I can't afford to get audited, Kayla." you sit forward. "I don't have 'friends' in the IRS like dad did."
She nods. "Right! Exactly." She returns to her hesitant tone from before. "The only problem is...my on the books salary was never really appropriate for all the work I do. Not trying to toot my own horn, but it wasn't!"
"No. It's important to know your own worth." You nod.
"And you've raised it a bit over the last two years, but to be frank, It's not enough. I...have some expenses now that are giving me trouble. My mom...she started chemo last July, and her insurance isn't covering all of it. I'm trying to help her out. And the city sued me for damage to the traffic barrier when I had my accident, because they claimed I was driving recklessly."
Kayla had crashed the Benz that Frank had given her, three nights after his ****. She had been driving 90 mph at 1:30 AM, around what street burners called "Deadman's Curve." It had been a miracle that she had been almost completely unhurt.
"I'm sorry to hear this, Kayla. Are you asking for a raise? Because I can totally sit down with Mary-Anne and see what makes sense." Mary-Anne, your accountant, was a wizard with the books.
Her face lights up. "That's...that'll help so much thank you....but..."
"Something else?"
She's really kneading at her sweater now, clearly uncomfortable. "I've fallen behind on a lot of bills. I could really use...like an advance. If I can't come up with $5000 this month, I don't know how I'm going to pay rent and keep the lights on and not default..."

You sit back, thinking.
"That's a big favor to ask, Kayla. You know the business isn't super cash-rich right now." You have a lot committed to two flip jobs for a real estate agent on the south side of town.
"I know. I wouldn't ask if I wasn't ****." She comes around the desk, planting her chair in front of yours and clasping your hand. "I know we have history, but I put everything I have into this place, you know that I do. I just need a little help."

Be like Frank, or be better?

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