The next morning, Hayley wakes up a bit exhausted. She had stressed herself too much yesterday and couldn't sleep well too.
( ## I don't mean last night, I mean the whole of yesterday, she worked extra hard trying to sort out some stuffs Miss Cranes asked her to do. I know what you were thinking - Author's Note ##)
"Are you sure you can go to work?" Chase asks with concern as he sees Hayley looking very tired on the bed.
"I can!" Hayley replies and tries to get up but falls back on the bed.
"I'm calling Britney!" Chase says and goes to the living room to speak to Britney on phone because he didn't want Hayley to hear a part of their conversation.
***************
"Wait! So you mean you were hyperactive yesterday so she's tired and can't even get up from bed?" Britney asks in surprise.
"Ahm.. not really!" Chase replies, "But kinda!" he adds.
"Chase!! Do you wanna kill her? Hayley is still young!" Britney yells as Chase confirmed her doubts. "She's still growing. She hasn't had any kids yet. What the hell were you thinking?"
"So am I!" Chase tells her. "You've probably forgotten but she's my wife and plus, she brought herself yesterday, I wasn't the one who started it." Chase adds. Britney sighs.
"Tell her not to worry, I'll cover for her." Britney replies. "Even though Miss Cranes won't buy it that easily." she says.
"Thanks Brit!" Chase appreciates.
"I'm doing this for Hayley not you!" she cautions him.
"Sorry! Hayley says Thanks!" he corrects himself.
"That's more like it. Bye!" she says.
"Bye!" he replies and hangs up.
When he gets back into the bedroom, Hayley is fast asleep. It seems she can now rest a bit.
( ## Actually, what you were thinking was right. Chase really caused her tiredness. You know what I mean lol - Author's Note ##)
He stares at his sleeping beauty and goes over to her. "I'm going to work Babe, take care!" He speaks to her, though she's asleep and kisses her. He picks up his coat and heads off to work.
--------------------
"Good Morning Henry!" Chase gathers courage to go see Henry in his office today. "I wasn't expecting you to come back to work that early." Chase tells him.
"Well, I have to find a new secretary, ASAP! And I hate that wheelchair. I can't sit on it forever." Henry replies.
"Got anyone in mind yet?" Chase asks.
"Not really, but I..." Henry pauses for a moment. "Hold on!" He dials Ryan's number on his phone.
"Call for a meeting. I've got my new secretary." Henry instructs him.
"Yes Sir!" Ryan replies on the phone and hangs up. Chase sighs in distress.
"Woah! So you finally got him to stay by your side." Chase compliments.
"What are you saying?" Henry asks confused.
"Why would you ask Ryan to call for a meeting when I'm right infront of you?" Chase answers back in a question. Henry chuckles.
"Ryan is competent more than you are. And also more hardworking." Henry says and stands up. Walks up to Chase and pats his shoulder. "You gotta stand up buddy!" he adds and goes to take his office breakfast.
Chase kicks the air as Henry leaves the office.
"Save your energy for work. We've got a lot coming up. And also work on your punctuality." Henry says when he notices it.
--------------------
"Why are you just standing there? Say something!!" Miss Cranes yells at Britney but she does speak. "Alright I'll ask politely." Miss Cranes says with a cunning smile. "Where is Hayley?" she asks in a soft, yet dangerous tone.
"She's admitted!" Britney answers quickly.
"What?" Miss Cranes exclaims and Britney nods, forcing a smile. "Which hospital?" Miss Cranes further asks.
"Ahm.. well, she's not in a hospital. Her Doctor admitted her at home!" Britney replies.
"Then we should go see her!" Miss Cranes adds.
"No!" Britney yells.
"Why? Are you lying to me?" Miss Cranes starts getting suspicious.
"Not that. It's just that she's got this disease which is highly contagious, whooping cough!" Britney adds.
"Argghhh!!!" Miss Cranes yells as she despises any form of cough, cold or sneeze. And when she herself coughs, the world takes three steps closer to ending.
"Did you go to see her?" She further asks Britney, slowly picking up a paper to cover her nose.
"I did!" Britney answers and before Miss Cranes could react, she continues, "But I wasn't allowed to enter. The Doctor just met me outside." she says.
"Pewww!" Miss Cranes sighs and drops the paper. "You can go now. Tell her not to come to work until she's stopped coughing!" she tells Britney.
"Yes!" Britney answers with a smile and turns to leave.
"Wait!" Miss Cranes calls.
"Did she by any chance get the cough from this company?" she asks, hoping not to hear a yes.
"I'm not sure. The Doctor said she got infected from home." Britney answers.
"Thank goodness!" Miss Cranes says in relief and signals her to leave.
--------------------
"Miss Cranes believes Hayley has whooping cough. She fell for it so easily. No need to worry, that's one of the very disease that freaks her out. She won't try investigating anything. And please, go gentle next time. I almost lost my head!" Chase reads Britney's message silently.
"Don't worry! I won't make it end up like this next time!" he sends back a reply, smiling on his phone.
"Chase!! Chase!!!!" Henry yells at him in the meeting. He raises his head. "Are you listening?" Henry asks.
"Yeah! I heard it all. Maybell, Z Agents, New Secretary... I'm all ears." Chase manages to say the few words he barely heard. Henry sighs and continues.
"And so I've decided to choose my new secretary from this company. I know everyone's profile here so I know who best to trust." Henry tells them and Ryan is already lightening up while Chase gets uninterested in this whole meeting, from the very start.
"Why the heck must he call a meeting to tell everyone his new secretary. It's simple! Just give Ryan the go ahead, he starts working under you and you find someone to fill his position, very easy!" Chase thought.
"And the new secretary, is Mr. Riley!" Henry announces and Ryan almost stood up but realized that is not his name. It's....
"Chase?" Ryan gasps.
"What!! Me??" Chase is shocked himself.
"Come on! Are you just going to sit there?" Henry asks, expecting him to stand up which he unwillingly did.
--------------------
"Secretary??" Britney gasps in shock. "I never saw that coming." she says.
"Me too, I didn't!" Chase replies, still trying to understand what went wrong for him to be chosen instead of someone else.
"Henry must have been injured badly. Of all people why did he choose you?" Britney asks, teasingly.
"I thought all his secretary's were female?" Hayley adds her voice. "Why pick a male this time?"
Hayley is seated on one of the couches just like the others, except that she's buried in a blanket since she got 'whooping cough'
"Yeah, cause he's had only Maybell since he took over from his dad." Chase explains.
"So what's next now? You okay with it?" Hayley asks.
"Of course not! I just have to deal with Ryan every single day." Chase adds.
"You mean that guy with the curly hair?" Hayley asks.
"Yeah!" Chase answers.
"What's up with him?" Britney asks though she doesn't know him.
"He's Henry's new personal assistant!" Chase announces.
( ## You probably didn't see that coming. And oh yeah! Henry didn't have a personal assistant so he just got one - Author's Note ## )
--------------------
"Thank you very much Sir! I'm so honored for the position." Ryan appreciates Henry's kind gesture as they walk to Henry's room.
"Don't mention it. I saw your capabilities and knew you were fit for the job." Henry tells him.
"I appreciate it a lot!' Ryan says, unable to hide his joy.
"Regarding Allan Nolls case, he just got away easily right?" Henry asks, changing the topic.
"Yes. It seems he had full government backing." Ryan tells him.
"Corrupt as the government is, they wouldn't have been able to pull this off alone. He was fully prosecuted by the public on his case. He had extra backing up. And my big guess..."
"Is the Z Agents." Ryan finishes off.
"Impressive!" Henry compliments with a smile, "I didn't underestimate you at all." he adds.
"So are we continuing with bringing him down?" Ryan asks.
"Don't worry about that. Someone else wants him down much more than we do."
--------------------
In a distant location, we see three expensive cars, moving in a straight line, heading for the same direction. We are zoomed into the third car where we meet familiar faces.
"How many minutes more do we have to reach there?" Arnold asks his personal bodyguard.
"About 20 minutes!" he answers, while looking at his watch.
"Good!" Arnold replies. "Get the hotel ready. We'll start real business tomorrow. I've got to finish up something tonight!" he adds.
"Yes Sir!" the bodyguard replies and does something on the computer at the back of the front seat, infront of him.
--------------------
"So I'm not coming to work tomorrow right? I've obviously haven't recovered." Hayley speaks over the phone to Britney and fakes a cough.
They laugh together and while doing so, Hayley unexpectedly sneezes unintentionally. She gets surprised as they both stop laughing at once.
"Was that a fake too?" Britney asks, uncertain.
"Yes!" Hayley lies and sneezes again.
"Hayley! You probably don't have whooping cough for real?" Britney doubts.
"No! I just...." she sneezes again, "Inhaled some dust!" she finishes off.
"I think you should go to hospital tomorrow, perhaps you might not even come for the..." Hayley sneezes before she could finish. "...rest of the week." Britney finishes.
"You think?" Hayley asks.
"Yes. And who knows, Miss Cranes probably doubted me." Hayley sneezes again. "She might ask someone else to spy." Britney adds.
"You have a point girl. I'm going...." she sneezes again. "To the hos...." another one. "....pital!" Hayley breaths in relief and then sneezes unexpectedly again.
"I'm hanging up, one of the new symptoms might be it's transmitted on phone. Bye!" she says and hangs up before Hayley could speak. Hayley smiles at her phone and goes to the bedroom.
***************
We see Chase and Hayley kissing softly and then Chase stopps.
"What's wrong?" Hayley asks.
"It didn't end well last time." Chase warns himself.
"Chill! I just overworked that day." Hayley tries convincing him.
"What if it isn't the case this time?" he asks.
"Then you blame me." she answers.
"But I'll feel it." he says.
"Then relax and I'll do it!" she says and kisses him again.
************** THE NEXT DAY **************
"Got any news for me?" Henry asks his new secretary, Chase who comes into his office.
"Yeah, but it's personal!" Chase says, indirectly asking Ryan to go out. "I would love to say it to you in private!" he adds.
"Go on, I'm all ears." Henry gives him the green light.
"Well, we have a third person here so I can't say it." Chase makes his point.
"You mean Ryan?" Henry asks.
"You know it." Chase replies.
"He's my personal assistant so there's nothing to hide from him regarding company works." Henry insists.
"Then we'll save it after work." Chase says and turns to leave.
"He's going home with me and oh! He'll be staying with me soon, probably tomorrow." Henry says and Chase stops.
"Good!" he replies, slightly angry and turns to go.
"Chase!" Henry calls and he stops. "Come back here!" he orders him. Chase reluctantly comes back. "Take a seat!" he says pointing to one of the chairs and Chase goes to sit without saying a word.
"I gave you guys these positions not because you are capable: Ryan, not even you. But because I want you guys to work together. There's a lot... nevermind.
I hate talking too much about these stuffs so let's settle it, here and now. Ryan! Chase! I would love you guys to fight over this issue and whoever wins becomes my personal assistant. I can't have a weak person at my sleeves.
And the one who loses will not get a position, you returning to your previous post. So my able comrades, go ahead." Henry tells them.
"I respect you a lot Sir! But if that's what it takes to serve you and this company loyally, I'm ready!" Ryan says with a cunning look.
"I love this. Finally, I've got the chance to hit the hell out of a rat." Chase insults him.
"Well, look at the tadpole whose blabbering in gibberish." Ryan says back.
"If only you were better than a wormwood!" Chase insults back.
"Hold on! I don't mean verbal fight. I meant, physical!" Henry makes his statement clear. Without much ado, Chase gets up, ready to fight.
"I hate it when I fight with losers!" Ryan says and gets up to defend himself.
And so, the two co-workers fought a fierce battle in Henry's office and Henry relaxed on his desk, enjoying the show.