“Don’t worry about what Miss Kane said. I’ll talk to her and get this sorted.”

“But—”

“Phoebe, trust me,” Millie said softly. “I’ve known Addison for a lot longer than you, and she’s had a rough morning. Now, I think the best thing for all of us to do is to forget about what’s happened here today. You two take the rest of the day off, with pay of course, and I’ll handle whatever incidentals come along. How’s that?”

Phoebe exchanged a quick look with Lydia before responding. “Oh, I don’t think we should—”

“I insist.”

“Millie, are you sure?” Lydia asked as she looked at the stack of work piled on her desk.

“Yes, now get out of here,” Millie said with a nod. “That’s an order.”

***

As Fran walked toward the president’s office, she stopped mid-stride as Addison’s two junior secretaries came out carrying their coats and handbags. Checking her watch, she shrugged off her confusion and went inside.

“Admin holiday?” she asked, seeing Millie sitting behind her desk at the far end of the room.

“More like getting them out of the line of fire.”

“Oh?”

“It seems Addison’s ill temper came back to the office with her, and she proceeded to sack Phoebe when the poor thing questioned one of her directives.”

“What?”

Rolling her eyes, Millie said, “And I don’t know what she’s doing in her office right now, but I’ve heard at least three things hit the floor and another two bounce off the wall.”

Fran’s shoulders fell. “Tell me you’re kidding.”

“I wish I was.”

Chewing on her bottom lip, Fran looked in the direction of the double eight-foot-tall cherry doors, behind which she knew lurked a very annoyed woman. “You know, maybe I should come back later. I wouldn’t want to be the next head on the block.”

“Throwing me to the wolves, are you?” Millie asked, the slightest of a twinkle appearing in her eyes.

“Hardly,” Fran said with a laugh. “If there’s one person around here with job security, it’s you. I’m just her lawyer, but you’re her right and left hand. She couldn’t get through a day without you.”

“You’re also her friend.”

“That’s debatable.”

“Is it?”

“At times,” Fran said as she sat on the corner of Millie’s enormous desk. “Don’t get me wrong, I still like Addison, but she doesn’t make it easy. I can’t tell you the last time we had a conversation that wasn’t about work.”

A loud crash coming from the next room caused both women to jump, and with a snicker, Fran hopped off the desk. “Well, I’d best go in and see what I can salvage.”

“I’m sure whatever she just broke can be replaced.”