37 The suggestion

As per Christopher's demand, a temporary employee was sent from Essence Concierge.

The woman, named Sandra, was smart and professional. Her working ability was not less than that of Christopher's secretary.

Christopher was dissatisfied with her, regardless of how good she was. He didn't care how intelligent or clever she spoke. He had different plans in mind.

"For the afternoon's meeting, you need to prepare a presentation," he said. "Don't think that I will go easy on you since it is your first day working here."

"I am confident in my ability, Mr. Sherman. I will not let you down." Sandra smiled.

Christopher would have been impressed with her, noticing her confidence. But he had determined not to be impressed by any of the employees that Essence Concierge would send.

"Uh? All right. You have half an hour to get everything ready."

Sandra's smile began to fade. She expected to have time to familiarize herself with the work Misha had been doing because the meeting was scheduled for the afternoon. It was going to be difficult to prepare a presentation in half an hour without knowing anything.

Christopher sneered inwardly when he saw her flustered face. He would have given her a little time to get familiar with the environment, but Sandra had shown overconfidence in her abilities. He wanted to teach her a lesson.

"Don't waste time standing here," he said, checking the time on his wristwatch. "You have got 25 minutes. If you feel you won't be able to finish it in time, you can simply leave."

"No, no… I will prepare right away." Sandra hurried out.

Christopher leaned back in his chair, smirking. "Let's see how you finish it."

Half an hour later…

Christopher had completely forgotten about Sandra. He and Brad were busy discussing the new technology they were going to launch with Mr. Clark. When he saw the new email from Sandra, he remembered that he had asked her to prepare the presentation.

He was surprised that she had completed her task on time. He checked the email right away out of curiosity.

It couldn't be considered impressive, but rather simple and decent.

If the circumstances had been different, Christopher would not have objected. He, on the other hand, was looking for an excuse to kick her out, and Sandra had provided him with the opportunity to point out her flaws. He was happy.

"What makes you smile?" Brad asked, curious as to what was making his moody friend happy.

Christopher was not even aware that he had been smiling. He made a stern expression and said, "I am just amused. You always praised the Essence Concierge employees, but I never had the opportunity to work with any of them in person. So, I thought I would test them on my own before renewing the contract. But I am disappointed with the lady they sent."

He shrugged. "Because you said they were very good at work, I had high expectations of them. But I'm not sure about them right now."

"Did she make a mistake?" Brad looked at his laptop, curious as to what blunder Sandra had made.

Christopher showed him the presentation. "Do you think I can attend the afternoon's conference with this presentation?"

Brad scrunched up his face as he checked the presentation. He was also not satisfied with it. He thought the trainees could make a better presentation than this one.

"Oh, that's not bad, but it's not appropriate for the meeting we are going to," he admitted dejectedly. "Sandra worked for me, and she was excellent. Maybe she rushed through it. If she got some time…"

"Are you trying to defend her?" Christopher fretted. "If she is so good, she should have done it properly. She cannot take the whole day to do simple work."

"I see what you are saying. Just leave it this time. I am sure Misha had already prepared the presentation. You can put that one to use today." Brad asked him to adjust this time, but he had no idea of the nefarious thought in his mind.

Misha, Christopher's secretary, had indeed made the presentation before leaving. But Christopher didn't reveal it.

"I cannot waste my time with her," Christopher stated sternly. "Ask her to leave, and I will think about whether to renew the contract with them or not."

"Hey, man… Calm down a bit. You cannot make a hasty decision." Brad was displeased this time. "Okay… If you are dissatisfied with her, I will tell her to leave. I will ask them to send another one. We have been working with them for the past three years and are pleased with their work. Don't forget that they are providing us with other services too. Because of one employee, we cannot discontinue working with them."

"All right…" Christopher held up his hands in defeat. "Arrange someone fast."

Brad breathed a sigh. "I will talk to Jasper personally."

The mere mention of Jasper dampened Christopher's otherwise upbeat disposition. He had unwittingly regarded him as a challenger and felt a strange sense of competition with him. He was curious as to how Jasper had gotten so close to Abigail.

The question of whether or not Jasper liked Abigail was causing him concern.

Christopher had never taken an interest in knowing about this man, but he was now interested in getting to know him well.

"Jasper Wilkinson, right?" Christopher rubbed his chin, his expression thoughtful. "I haven't had the opportunity to get to know him. How is his personality?"

"Oh, he is nice and friendly. He doesn't talk much. But once you become his friend, he will not let you get bored with him." Brad smiled, clearly pleased with Jasper. He was unaware that his friend's mood was deteriorating.

Christopher felt as if he were losing his wife as well as his best friend. Both his wife and friend didn't hesitate to praise Jasper.

He became even more agitated. "All right, all right… I get it." Christopher waved his hand dismissively. "Shall we continue working if you are done praising him?"

"I was just responding to your question," Brad snorted angrily. "I'm not sure what's wrong with you lately. You are always in a foul mood. Why don't you go out on a vacation with Abigail? You will feel refreshed."

"Uh? You are driving me away so that you can renew the contract with Essence Concierge!"

Despite the fact that Christopher made it clear that he was not interested in going on vacation, he couldn't stop thinking about the suggestion his friend had made.

"Ugh…" Brad sighed and rolled his eyes. "I am not saying anything. Let's get the job done first. I am starting to feel hungry."