The Pen Pal Who Turned Out to Be My New Boss novel · Chapter 4 of 24

Chapter 4: No Spying

Dear Lark,

My boss wants me to tell him what my coworkers say when he leaves the room.

He says it is not spying, just helping.

I need the rent, and I like my coworkers.

What do I do?

Stuck in Spokane

Dear Stuck,

Say no once, out loud, where other people can hear.

A quiet no gets renegotiated, and a witnessed one doesn't.

Lark

I thought about that column all through Wednesday, because I had cut it out of the March issue and taped it inside my desk drawer.

At two o'clock Gordon found me in the break room.

I was standing at the microwave with a bowl of soup, and three people were within earshot.

The intern was at the fridge, the web editor was at the sink, and the sales guy was stirring creamer into his coffee for a very long time.

"Hallie," Gordon said, warmly. "There you are."

"Hi."

He put his hand on the counter beside the microwave, so that I was a little bit trapped.

"I like the way you're coming along," he said. "Marguerite marked your copy, you two seem to get along."

"She's my editor."

"Right. I'd like you to be my eyes a little."

The sales guy stopped stirring.

"She's new," Gordon went on, softly. "People take time to settle. If she balks at the sponsors, or says something she shouldn't, you tell me first."

"Tell you what?"

"Whatever she says at her desk. Between us."

The microwave beeped.

Nobody moved to open it.

"After a merger," Gordon said, in the same friendly voice, "the junior editor line is usually the first to be looked at. I'd hate for that to be yours."

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