Hello everyone!!! I am copying and pasting quickly the chapter because i am afraid i will lose the little signal i found

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 Chapter 14

Nicolas sat on his desk chair and drunk a big gulp of his coffee. He really needed that. Especially after that conversation. Too emotional. Again he did not expect that. He quickly searched in his computer the file that contained all the resumes of his employees. As soon as he found Maya’s he opened it and scanned it. She had worked in three different companies. She was in the last one the most time. If he wanted to see if she had a habit of sleeping with her bosses he would probably have to talk with all three of her previous companies. He googled all of them and checked the list of the personnel to see if he knew someone he could ask, without word getting out, that he was checking her references.  Fifteen minutes later he had what he needed. The accountant on the last two companies was Jerry a friend of his from college. So he thought that he would start with Jerry and if nothing came up from him he would try to find someone from the other company she had worked.

He called him immediately and asked him if he could pay him a visit this morning. He had to get out of the office anyway since he had told Maya he had an external appointment. Thankfully for him Jerry had an opening around ten thirty which gave him just enough time to drive to the other part of the town where Jerry’s office was. That is why he grabbed his keys and left quickly telling July that he would be out on an external appointment all morning. He was not sure how much time he would have to spend in Jerry’s office or if he would have to talk to someone else after that.

Half an hour later he was right on time for his appointment outside of Jerry’s office. His secretary told him that he would be free in about ten minutes. In less than that Jerry’s office door opened and he exited with someone that was obviously a client of his. He saluted him and as soon as he spotted Nicolas on the reception couch a huge grin appeared on his face.

“Well well well, long time no see Nicky. Where have you been? My God I haven’t heard from you in years. “

“Yes, trying to establish myself in the business world is not an easy thing as you know yourself. How have you been Jerry? ”

“I am doing fine. Come in we have a lot of catching up to do.”

“Thanks you”

“Jane keep my calls please and notify me when my next appointment arrives.” he told his secretary

“Yes sir.” She responded as they got in his office.

“I am so happy to see you Nicky and I am really sorry I won’t be able to spend more than half an hour with you but I have an appointment next that I could not cancel it. But I would really like for us to meet again when we will both have more time. Maybe we could go for drinks some time like old times.” At the last comment he winked at Nicolas.

“Oh God don’t remind me how our nights when we used to hit the bars were. And please stop calling me Nicky. You know I hated it then, and nothing has changed on that department.”

“Ha ha always sensitive on the name department. It was so easy to get you pissed back then.”

“Yes well I was hoping that we had both grown up since then.”

“Ha ha always too serious. We were all sure that you would certainly be the one that would thrive on the business world. Apparently we were right. From what I hear you have expanded your business to Europe.”

“I am trying for the best. In fact I was in Europe these past months. It is only a few days since I got back. But you are not doing bad yourself mate. Even if you were always the prankster of our little group. You are the prime accountant in how many companies now?”

“Yes I really have no reason to complain. I am hired by 23 companies up until now and I hope that number will get bigger.”

“Maybe we could work together at some point. My accountant intents to go into retirement in the next year and I need someone I can trust.”

“So this is a business meeting and I thought you really missed me.”

“Ahhh the baby of our gang is feeling neglected?” Nicolas teased him

“Of course I am! You all were supposed to be responsible for me” He grinned back

“Ya I’ll buy you a lollipop next time.”

“Make it a bourbon flavored one” he winked at Nicolas and they both laughed at that.

“As interesting as the prospect of us working together is, it is not the reason I contacted you to begin with.” Nicolas turned serious

“It sounds ominous Nicolas. What is the problem and how can I help?”

“It is not ominous but I really would like your help. I want some information on a new employee of mine that used to work in a couple of the companies you are an accountant. I wanted to be discreet in my inquire and that is why I came to you.”

“Who is this new employee. Is he causing you problems?”

“No, she is an excellent employee so far and I was wondering why she left her previous jobs.”

“What is her name?”

“Maya James.”

“Aaaah yes Maya James”

“You don’t even have to look her up should I be worried?”

“No not at all. If you ask me you have hired a diamond.”

“So why did she leave?”

“Well she did not leave from the company that she worked before she came to the ones I am an accountant. The guy that owned the company had to cut back and she, as the newest acquisition, was the first to go. But her references were excellent and that is why she quickly was hired at the company I work with. She did not last long there because the owner is a total creep and always hits on the women employees. We constantly have complains about him. Let’s just say he keeps his lawyer really busy with sexual harassment lawsuits. We had worked together a little bit while she was there and I was impressed by her work. I was the one that introduced her to the last company she worked for.”

“So what happened there? Why did she leave?”

“it is not a pretty story and I am not sure I should be telling you it is kind of personal”

“What happened Jerry! If it is something that can affect my company I am entitled to know it”

“I can assure you that it will not affect your work.”

“Come on Jerry what happened? Did she sleep with the boss or something and it got weird afterwards?”

A surprised look appeared on Jerry’s face that was quickly was replaced with a grin.

“You wish that she was the type that sleeps with her boss don’t you Nicolas? I can see it in your eyes. Not that I blame you of course. She is an eye candy and if I was not in a serious relationship I would have made a move on her a long time ago.”

“Stop fucking with me Jerry. You know that from my college years I had a rule not to sleep with the people I work with. Even if it was just college assays then.”

“Ya I still cannot believe you did not sleep with Mary Mikols. She was so hot and she was throwing herself to you all through second year.”

“Enough about my past. Why did she leave the last company Jerry.”

“You are really putting me in a difficult position here man. It really won’t affect your company.”

“What happened Jerry?”

“Man you never stop until you get what you want?”

“No, so tell me before your next appointment comes here.”

 “Agh!!! A few months after she started working there another colleague of hers started hitting on her hard. He can be very charming when he wants and in the end he convinced her to be his girlfriend. They went out for a long time but in the end he got bored and started cheating on her with his secretary. She is really sluty and obviously that is the kind he prefers. She caught them together in his office one night. She got very upset and had an accident while leaving. She spent a lot of time in the hospital and when she returned it was obvious she would not be there for long. You see she was pregnant when she had the accident and she lost the baby. That really cost her. On top of that her ex officially hooked up with his secretary that kept spreading malicious rumors for Maya all over the company. I don’t blame her for quitting. I would too.”

Nicolas was silent. He kept replaying his and Maya’s last meeting. What Jerry just told him explained why she freaked out about everybody in their office finding out about their night together and probably why she got herself that drunk. And he had been such an ass to her along with thinking the worst of her.

“Hey Nick. Where are you traveling man. You totally spaced out on me.”

“Sorry, what were you saying to me?”

“I said she is a really good kid and excellent in her job. Treat her good.”

“Ya I will don’t worry. Thanks for telling me all this. It explains why she is so closed to herself.”

At that point the intercom buzzed and Jerry’s secretary announced his next appointment had arrived.

“Thanks for everything Jerry. I’ll call you next week to arrange our night out ok?”

“Sure it was really nice seeing you again Nicolas. I hope we also get a chance to work together when your current accountant retires.”

“Sure thing Jerry. We will talk next week. Thanks for your time.”

“Don’t mention it man. See you soon”

At that point Nicolas was already exiting Jerry’s office. He had learned a lot of things today about Maya and he really needed to process it. He could not go back at his office which he really appreciated since he was in no condition to work. So he went to the nearest pub and ordered a double whisky. Maya’s story really bothered him. More than he wanted to admit. He could not stop thinking how sad she must have been when she caught her boyfriend cheating on her and lost her baby in one night. And all he wanted to do was find her and hug her until she felt happy again. She was becoming an addiction he really could not afford. He quickly ordered the second whisky. It was going to be one long day followed by a long night. Even if he did not want to admit it even to himself he wanted to see her again and tomorrow was too far away.

“Not doing good Nicolas. Not doing good…” he kept mumbling to himself after the fourth drink. He kept drinking until it was dark outside. He had not done such a thing since he was in college. Needless to say that he had confessed all his current problems to the bartender. Thankfully the bartender was a stand up guy and did not leave him drive home no matter how much Nicolas insisted that he was fine and perfectly capable of driving. He took his keys and called him a cab. He even wrote a note saying that he could take his keys back the next morning and placed it in his pocket just in case Nicolas did not remember all the details of the previous night. When he reached his place, Nicolas did not have the stamina to even have a much needed shower. He dropped to his bed wearing his clothes and slept like a baby.

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