Lorna’s Revelation Creates a Corporate Splashdown

Naomi and Grant’s faces both paled at this revelation but Lorna didn’t seem to have picked up on their reaction and didn’t realise that it was his role her mom would be reclaiming.

“Listen Lorna,” Grant said, “It is very important that Cassie doesn’t take that role. You’ve seen how crazy it is here. It would be much better if she stayed in Japan. Where is your mom now?”

Lorna looked suspiciously at Grant not inclined to take the advice of a weirdly intense naked man, but she answered “I’m not sure where she is right now. Somewhere in the office or the mall, I guess. But it’s too late for that other thing. She handed in her resignation from Wet “N” Antics Japan two months ago, they’ve already got her replacement, Ryo Henri,” Naomi knew of the hot shot Japanese-French salesman, “and mom came in to speak to the boss, Yumi,” Lorna paused struggling to remember Yumi’s surname.

“Yumi Takahashi the MD” Grant said impatiently

“That’s right. She came in for a 06:00 meeting about getting her job here back. They agreed it this morning and Yumi sent her approval to Tokyo to take her on in the States. Corporate just need to sign off her approval.

My mom thinks I am off on a trip with friends but I came in super early, for a Saturday, myself. Mom wanted to keep things on the lowkey so Yumi told me she had set it up so that mom would be in a side booth in the cafeteria. She had a couple of Zoom calls with Japan as it’s afternoon there in our morning. When Yumi gets back they were going to go for lunch.

I arrived at 09:00 but was going to only pop out to say surprise to my mom at 11:00. Yumi said I could hang around in the office until then, use the pool or whatever. But then everything got really fucked up and everyone started doing…it. Now that I think about it, I think the weirdness was happening in the mall as well; I saw a bunch of couples going into the bathrooms together. When it started, I jumped in this office and have been here since.

I’m not sure where mom is. Oh god you don’t think…!” Lorna put a hand to her mouth suddenly realising what could have happened to her mother. “Her having sex with a co-worker and having a baby would be a big fucking yikes. She would definitely cancel my trip to Europe this winter.”

“Well, we didn’t see her in the cafeteria or elsewhere, so she probably hiding”, Naomi said, adding bluntly, “and unbred. You mother returning to the States and to her old job as Regional Accounts Lead is intriguing. She built quite a reputation in Japan. You must be thrilled Lorna?” she said smiling at the eighteen-year-old, and gently brushing her arm in encouragement. Despite her broad smile Grant recognised the look in her eyes as being hard as flint. His life-mate looked up and held Grant’s gaze. She didn’t say anything but her impassive expression spoke volumes.

“Cassie has returned. Which makes your position in Wet “N” Antics redundant.”

Grant clenched his jaw slightly.

“Unless she’s bred.” His reply went unsaid. Naomi also did not need to hear her life-mate’s words to understand.

Grant didn’t know why Cassie had left herself in this technically precarious position but the United States and Tokyo offices were technically separate companies in different counties. By resigning from one before being formally accepted by the other Cassie had let herself be in a position to be dropped by both. He guessed that she figured the job was a done deal and perhaps wanted some extended time off. It didn’t matter. There was a small window where Corporate could rescind their offer and leave her in the wind.

They just needed the right motivation. Forgoing on a year of maternity leave and the associated contractual payouts seemed about right.