Survivor Read online

  Survivor

  Mary Alford

  Contents

  Untitled

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  About the Author

  Untitled

  Survivor

  by Mary Alford

  Published by Clean Reads

  www.cleanreads.com

  * * *

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, constitutes a copyright violation.

  * * *

  SURVIVOR

  Copyright © 2016 MARY ALFORD

  ISBN 978-1-62135-601-1

  Cover Art Designed by CORA GRAPHICS

  To all the everyday survivors out there. Those who fight the battle of cancer with undying optimism and an inextinguishable hope. God bless you. This one’s for you. I hope it makes your day a little brighter.

  Chapter One

  For as long as I can remember, my grandma Ruth always knew when something big was about to happen in the lives of the people she loved. For better or worse, it didn’t matter. Her insight came in the form of vivid dreams, and she was right every single time.

  So when she phoned me exactly five minutes past three in the morning, I knew better than to scoff. Grandma Ruth had just had a dream about me. My future could be in question.

  “Grace, honey, I hope I didn’t wake you, but I’ve just had the most amazing dream about you.”

  Her voice always got to me. It reminded me of home. All the things I loved about growing up on my grandparents’ farm near Amarillo, Texas. Even though I was miles away, in my tiny, one-bedroom apartment in Austin, her sweet voice had the power to dispel some of my fears.

  “Hi, Gran. Um…no, no, you didn’t wake me.” In the darkness, I searched for the light switch. What I couldn’t tell her was that I’d just awakened seconds earlier to my own uneasy feeling.

  I’m not usually one to believe in the power of feelings, but the fact I’d awakened from some troubling dream I couldn’t recall, followed a few minutes later by a call from my grandmother, well…even a nonbeliever had to have a few doubts.

  “Gracie, that’s a lie and you know it,” my grandmother exclaimed in her usual, straightforward way. She knew me far too well for me to get away with fibbing to her. “You’re still in bed, aren’t you?” I could almost picture her, standing in front of the sink, waiting for the coffee to finish brewing, the belt of her worn flannel robe cinched tight around her narrow waist.

  Always the first to rise each morning, she’d slip out of bed, trying to keep from waking my grandfather, to have quiet time alone with God before starting breakfast.

  Resisting the urge to laugh when I imagined her expression, I inched up the headboard and stuffed my pillow behind the small of my back, anticipating a lengthy conversation. Grandma Ruth loved to talk, and I loved listening to her. “Okay, you got me there, Gran. I’m sorry. I just didn’t want you to feel bad. But I’m awake now, so why don’t you tell me about your dream.” I stifled a yawn and let go of any hope I might have of falling back to sleep. It wasn’t going to happen with my future in jeopardy.

  “Something wonderful is about to happen to you, child—I just know it. I dreamed about you, Gracie. You were happy and smiling and you weren’t alone. Someone was there with you. I just couldn’t make out his face.”

  I felt disappointment all the way down to my toes. I’d been so certain she was going to tell me my promising career in public relations was close to taking off.

  After all, it had been more than six months since I’d graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in public relations, and while I’d been actively interviewing for my dream job, so far nothing had come about. Out of desperation, I’d taken a job as a temp, working at a large, homegrown Austin advertising firm to pay the bills.

  My current position was relatively low key. It didn’t require a whole lot of thinking, which wasn’t a good thing considering it allowed my mind to wander far too much.

  While my job title fell under the administrative umbrella, I didn’t do any actual secretarial work. I was mostly the girl who took care of what didn’t fit into anyone else’s job description. A girl Friday, if you like. But I didn’t mind, because frankly, it was only temporary and I was just passing through. And it did allow me a certain amount of freedom. I had my own office, and I worked at my own pace. My manager left me alone for the most part, so there wasn’t much pressure involved. And, as I was quickly finding out, the job market in my particular field, especially in Austin, was slim pickings.

  So, you can understand why I was almost desperate enough to get excited about Grandma Ruth’s dream. Until she told me what it entailed.

  “That’s great, Gran. What do you think it means?”

  “Why you’re going to meet someone special today. A person who is going to change your life for the better, doll. Are you as excited as I am?”

  I wasn’t. But I couldn’t tell her as much, so instead, I let her keep her happy dreams for me and forced myself out of bed to face another day of temporary employment.

  After a particularly grueling commute to the office, not only did I end up late, I also had two messages from my manager asking to see me the second I got into the office.

  Susan Jenkins had an office one floor down from mine. Situated in the coveted corner spot, her office was all windows and light and her furniture actually matched. It was also more than twice the size of my office, which wasn’t much bigger than a broom closet. But then, Susan was a permanent employee of LoneStar Advertising. I was not.

  As I walked down the flight of stairs to her office, I ran through the possible scenarios of why she might need to talk to me so urgently. Usually if I saw Susan once during the week, it was simply in passing since she rarely arrived at work before ten.

  I knocked once on her open door and watched as she glanced up from her computer screen and waved me inside.

  For weeks there had been rumors flying around the company about the business being in serious financial trouble. Most of the permanent employees feared the company was about to be bought out by another, larger firm. Change was inevitable. The people who had been with LoneStar for years were worried about their pensions, not to mention their future employment.

  My only concern was paying the bills until something better came along.

  “Sit down, Grace. I’m sorry, I just got in myself. Have you had your coffee yet?” I noticed Susan had managed to get her small coffeemaker fired up and brewing the special blend of coffee she purchased. In that respect, she was a woman after my own heart.

  I gratefully accepted the coffee she offered and was about to sit down when she asked me to close the door. Not a good sign. In the two or more meetings I’d had with her in the past, I’d never once had any of them behind closed doors.

  I tried to keep my tone a
s casual as possible. “What’s up?”

  Susan took a deep breath and plunged ahead. “What I’m about to tell you is confidential. It must go no further than you and I, okay?” I nodded, while the uneasiness in the pit of my stomach cranked up another notch.

  “Have you, by chance, ever heard of Severn Advertising?”

  I tried to get some clue from her expression of what might be coming, but she wasn’t giving anything away just yet.

  “Um, no, I can’t say I have.”

  “They’re one of the biggest advertising firms in the country. Quite possibly worldwide. In fact, the company has just added several new branches in Europe, in addition to the ones they’ve owned here in the States for years. They’re based out of New York City.” Since I didn’t know what she was expecting me to say in light of the new information, I nodded again and tried to keep my thoughts from wandering.

  “I’m sure by now you’ve heard all the rumors about LoneStar?” Again, her blank expression had me wishing she would just get to the point.

  “Only that there might be a buyout coming soon. Is that what you’re talking about?”

  She nodded. “Yes. Unfortunately, the company has been doing terrible financially for some time now—several years, in fact. Our founder, Stephen Donaldson, has made some terrible business decisions in the past. Not to mention, hired some people he had no business hiring, especially in executive positions. It shouldn’t come as a great surprise to anyone that we’re in such bad shape. But apparently some people just didn’t want to face facts until it was too late.”

  I hate to admit it, but my mind actually did begin to stray a bit. Company lectures were not my forte.

  “Anyway, let me just get to the point. Given the company’s financial difficulties, the only way to keep LoneStar afloat is to find a buyer interested in sinking big money into the company to turn it around. Which is the reason I’ve asked you here this morning.” She gave me her best co-conspiratorial expression before continuing. “Stephen Donaldson will be finalizing the sale of LoneStar to Severn Advertising sometime this week. There will be major changes in the works because of this. Most of which will affect the management team more than any other area, but still there may be more to come once the new owner takes control.”

  Susan paused for a moment, expecting some reaction from me. I couldn’t give her one. I was too stunned. I’d heard all those rumors before. I’d just never given much thought to them.

  “Severn Advertising made an offer on LoneStar. Aaron Severn, the founder as well as CEO of Severn Advertising, will be coming to Austin. In fact, he’s here now, but only a few people are aware of it. He wants to keep his presence here as low-key as possible. He’ll be meeting with a few key employees.” Another pause told me she was expecting something from me. I no longer had to pretend. I was shocked.

  “Exactly. Mr. Severn has an award-winning team in New York running things for him there, and as I said, there are huge problems in management here. Because of this, he’ll be coming here personally to oversee things, hands on so to speak, until he can turn the company back around. He’ll be living here, as well, and working out of the Austin office while rebuilding his management team. Which brings me to why I asked you here in the first place.”

  Finally, I thought. As interesting as I was beginning to find our conversation, I just wanted to get it over. I didn’t want to think about the disturbing future in front of me.

  “Mr. Severn wants to select an executive assistant from a pool of qualified candidates here at LoneStar rather than bring in his EA from New York. There are many reasons behind his decision, but mostly because he believes it will help morale if he’s seen as picking his team locally, from within LoneStar personnel rather than bringing people in from New York. It will be a major accomplishment for our little administrative team if we can find someone to fit his needs. I’ve spoken to Mr. Severn in depth regarding what he is looking for in an assistant, and I believe I understand his wishes.”

  “Why doesn’t he just use Marge, Mr. Donaldson’s assistant? She knows the place like the back of her hand. She’s worked here forever.” I stopped just short of saying she was a dinosaur, with dinosaur ways of doing things. Just in time, I remembered Marge wielded an awful lot of power around these parts, and she was more than happy to use her power against anyone who got in her way. Including Susan, and definitely little old temporary me.

  I waited through another pause while Susan appeared to be trying to decide how much to divulge to me.

  “Yes, well he wants someone with, well, someone a little more able to adapt to a changing business environment. Marge is good at what she does, but she is also set in her ways. Mr. Severn needs someone who can be a bit more flexible in tackling difficult tasks. The position will involve more than just an executive assistant’s responsibilities. And I’m afraid they are way out of Marge’s efficiency level. The position will be as challenging as it will be rewarding.”

  Susan’s smile should have been my first clue as to where our little conversation might be heading. I hate to admit, but it took me quite a bit longer before it finally hit me. The real reason why she’d asked to speak to me. I almost jumped out of my chair at the realization.

  “Susan, you know I’m only temporary. I’m not interested in becoming anyone’s assistant.”

  “Hang on a minute and just listen to what I have to tell you before you say anything. I want you to hear me out.”

  Something in Susan’s voice told me I didn’t have much of a choice.

  Grandma Ruth’s words came to mind along with my own uneasy dreams. My fate was being sealed, and not in a nice way. Surely, not the way Grandma Ruth’s dream meant.

  “Look, I’m going to lay all the cards on the table for you, Grace. You deserve as much. You’ve been an excellent employee for me. And yes, I know you don’t want to be in administration forever. You were clear about your goals when I hired you. I think that’s why I liked you so much. You were honest with me right from the start. But the thing is, there will be some major changes taking place around here soon. Including downsizing and getting rid of excess weight, and that will most definitely include the administrative staff.”

  “You’re saying I could lose my job?” I asked in amazement.

  “I’m saying I don’t know, but I do believe there will be a lot of folks who will. I’m not even so sure my position will be necessary after everything is said and done. These are scary times for us all. Which is all the more reason for you to consider this offer seriously.”

  I thought about refusing outright, but then I remembered my rent and my electricity bill and the fact I liked to eat.

  “What if something comes along in my chosen field? I don’t want to be tied to a job I don’t like, and certainly am not qualified to do, when something else more suited comes along.”

  Susan weighed her words carefully. “I’d need to have a commitment from you to stay in the position for at least a year.”

  “You know I can’t give you a year’s commitment.”

  “Don’t refuse outright. Listen to me for a second.” I thought about what lay ahead for me at the moment, and I could swear, the walls were closing in around me. What choice did I have? I could quit, of course. Go back home to my grandparents’ small farm outside of Amarillo and admit defeat, but I wasn’t a quitter.

  “Okay, okay. But I have to tell you, Susan, if something in my chosen job field comes along, I won’t stay.” I might not have any choice but to give in to her terms, but I had a few of my own as well.

  “I understand you’ve worked hard to get your degree, and I know how important it is to you.” Her glance strayed to her watch again, and I wondered if she had another interview scheduled after mine. “Look at the time. Okay, I’ll have to hurry because we’re late already.”

  “We’re late for what?”

  “Follow me.” Susan walked out the door and waited on me. Her gaze went over my usual work attire of comfortable jeans. I’d tossed
on a white shirt, tucked it in and belted it, but I still wore my most comfortable tennis shoes.

  Since I rarely came in contact with anyone during the work day, Susan allowed me to dress pretty much however I thought appropriate, within reason. She frowned upon shorts at work.

  “What?” I prompted when she seemed to be assessing me from head to foot, and not in a nice way. “Where are we going anyway?”

  She shook her head. “You’ll have to do. I’ll explain to him you weren’t expecting to interview today.” And then it clicked. She was taking my silence for acceptance and leading me to an interview with old Mr. Severn.

  I stopped in the middle of the hallway. “Wait just a minute. You’re not telling me I have to meet him today?” Her expression said I’d been right on in my guessing. “I haven’t even agreed to take the job yet.”

  “I know, I know, but he wants to meet with all the qualified candidates today. Apparently, there isn’t much time. Mr. Severn wants the position filled before he heads back to New York later in the week.”

  “But I look terrible. I’m not prepared to do a job interview.”

  “You’ll be fine.” She started down the hallway at a fast pace.

  “Grace, you’re on a short list of possible candidates here. Mr. Severn has specific and detailed requirements. One, of course, is all the candidates have a degree in an appropriate field for business. You are one of only a handful who qualifies. Most of our girls have some college, and even a few have degrees, but they’re in either the liberal arts fields or something equally off the wall, and definitely not on his acceptable list. So, I’m being open with you when I tell you, you are only one of a few who will be allowed to interview. I’m counting on you.”

  She was counting on me to behave, which meant to keep my thoughts to myself and be nice. This was about impossible for me to do on my best days.

  I’d been at LoneStar long enough to have witnessed the bosses’ attitudes toward their assistants.