When She Mistakenly Said “Darling” to Her Boss—What He Said Next Changed Everything!
Facing the Board and Final Victory
The aftermath saw Riley practically pounce on Natalie the moment she emerged from James’s office.
“Well? Are you fired? Are you okay? Do I need to start planning a revenge plot?”.
“I’m being promoted,” Natalie said, “regional development director. New position, different department, 60% salary increase”.
Riley’s eyes went wide.
“That’s incredible! But wait, why do you look like you’re in shock?”.
Natalie lowered her voice.
“James has feelings for me. He’s been in love with me for 18 months. He created this position so we could date without ethical complications”.
Riley grabbed her arm.
“I need you to repeat that because I think I just hallucinated”.
“James Callahan is in love with me,” Natalie repeated, and saying it out loud made it feel real.
“And in two weeks, after my transfer is official, we’re going on our first date”.
“Oh my goodness,” Riley breathed, “this is like something from a romance novel”.
“It feels surreal,” Natalie admitted, “four hours ago I thought my career was over. Now everything has changed”.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. Natalie handled the Anderson conference call flawlessly, coordinated with human resources, and began training her replacement.
She was acutely aware of James across the office; their eyes met occasionally, each time sparking that same electric connection.
Everything was different, and yet everything remained professional. They had two weeks to maintain the status quo before they could explore what lay between them. As evening approached, James offered to walk her to her car.
“Thank you,” he said simply as they reached her vehicle.
“For what?”.
“For being brave enough to accidentally tell me the truth. For giving me the opening I needed to finally be honest”.
Natalie smiled.
“Thank you for not firing me”.
“Never,” James said, “seriously you’re too valuable to lose in every possible way”.
Natalie thought about how one small word had changed everything as she drove home. Her phone buzzed with a text from James: “2 weeks seems like an eternity”.
She smiled and texted back: “Then we’ll just have to be patient, darling”.
The transition began the following Monday morning with Director Jennifer Walsh in human resources. Natalie signed the paperwork while Jennifer reviewed the documents with sharp eyes.
“This is quite a promotion, Natalie,” Jennifer observed.
“Regional development director is a significant step up. Mr. Callahan’s recommendation was glowing. He said you were the only person qualified”.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity,” Natalie replied.
“You’ll report to Thomas Reynolds in operations. Different chain of command entirely”.
Jennifer looked up.
“Is there any reason this transfer might be problematic? Any conflicts of interest we should be aware of?”.
Natalie’s pulse quickened. She knew she and James planned to begin dating once the transfer was complete.
“No conflicts of interest,” she said carefully, “i’m excited to work with Thomas’s team and contribute to the company’s expansion goals”.
Jennifer nodded.
“Good. Welcome to your new role, Natalie. You start officially next Monday”.
A new chapter began as Natalie spent her final week training Beth Crawford. She walked Beth through James’s habits, from his 8:15 coffee to the way he needed lunch placed on his desk when stressed.
Beth was professional, but Natalie felt a pang of possessiveness. Throughout the week, James maintained perfect professionalism, though they exchanged brief, secret texts in the evenings.
James: “Six more days.” James: “I’ve made reservations at the Cove for Friday, 8:00.” Natalie: “I’ll be ready”.
Riley helped her shop for a deep emerald dress for the upcoming date.
“He’s going to lose his mind when he sees you in this,” Riley said with satisfaction.
The first date Friday arrived slowly. Natalie spent her first official day in her new role meeting with her team. At 5:00, she went home and spent two hours getting ready.
When her phone buzzed at 7:30, she found James leaning against his car. He looked more relaxed than she had ever seen him, wearing a charcoal suit without a tie.
“Natalie,” he breathed, “you look stunning”.
“Clean up pretty well yourself,” she managed.
They drove to the Cove, where the conversation flowed easily despite the new anticipation between them. They settled into a private corner table away from prying eyes.
“I have a confession,” James said, “i’ve imagined this moment for so long that now that it’s here I’m terrified of messing it up”.
“You’re terrified?” Natalie laughed, “i’ve changed my outfit four times and had Riley talk me down from a panic attack”.
“Riley seems like a good friend,” James assured her, “you were professional to a fault. I convinced myself I was imagining any signs of interest”.
“What changed your mind?”.
“The day you called me ‘darling,'” he said with a soft smile.
The dinner was perfect, filled with laughter over shared interests like hiking and true crime. As they walked along the waterfront after dinner, James took her hand.
“I don’t want this night to end,” Natalie admitted.
“It doesn’t have to,” James said.
They found a small cafe open near Pike Place Market and talked until nearly midnight. When James walked her to her door, he asked to see her again tomorrow.
“I want every day,” James said before kissing her softly.
But on Monday, reality intruded via an email from Gerald Preston, James’s uncle.
“Kurt, need to discuss recent personnel changes. My office, 10:00 a.m.”.
James forwarded it to Natalie: “Here we go”.
Facing opposition in Gerald’s wood-paneled office, James maintained his neutrality. Gerald questioned the suddenness of Natalie’s promotion.
“Did you create this position specifically for her?” Gerald asked. “I’ve been hearing rumors, James. People say you two are involved romantically”.
“My relationship with Natalie began after her transfer was complete,” James responded steadily.
“But you’re the CEO. The optics are terrible,” Gerald argued, “what message does this send? That attractive assistants can sleep their way into management?”.
James’s expression hardened.
“You will not speak about Natalie that way. She’s worked harder than anyone. Every success she’s achieved is because of her talent, not our relationship”.
“The board is concerned,” Gerald warned.
“Then the board should review Natalie’s file,” James said firmly, “look at her results. Look at the revenue she’s helped generate”.
An unexpected ally appeared in Carolyn Wright, a fellow board member. She entered James’s office later that day after Gerald’s confrontation.
“Gerald called me this morning all worked up,” Carolyn said, “so I decided to do my homework”.
She reviewed Natalie’s history of major contracts and crisis management.
“Your regional development director position has been in planning for 6 months,” Carolyn pointed out.
“So either James is a criminal mastermind who planned this romance months ago, or Natalie genuinely earned this promotion”.
Carolyn offered to secure the necessary board votes, though she warned the upcoming meeting would be uncomfortable.
Going public became the mission. Natalie threw herself into her role, developing a comprehensive strategy that impressed Thomas Reynolds.
On the morning of the meeting, she entered the boardroom after James and Carolyn presented the facts.
“Ms. Brooks,” board member Robert Chen asked, “can you explain your qualifications for the position in your own words?”.
Natalie outlined her strategic vision and the work she had already accomplished confidently. When she finished, the room was quiet until Carolyn moved to officially approve the promotion.
The vote was seven in favor, with Gerald abstaining. As Natalie left the boardroom, James briefly squeezed her hand in support—a silent victory shared between them.
