“I Fixed My CEO’s Broken Fence — Then She Personally Thanked Me Over Dinner”
Chapter 2
By noon, everyone at Whitmore Industries knew.
I had been invited to dinner at Victoria Whitmore’s house.
I discovered this when I walked into the maintenance building and found four coworkers staring at me.
“What?” I asked.
Nobody answered.
Then Marcus laughed.
“Man, you really don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“You’re having dinner with the CEO.”
I sighed.
“Who told you?”
“Security.”
“Security?”
Marcus nodded.
“Apparently she personally told them to let you through tonight.”
Another coworker leaned against the table.
“Do you have any idea how many employees have worked here for ten years and never even had coffee with her?”
I shook my head.
“Probably none.”
“Exactly.”
I returned to my tools.
“Maybe she’s just thanking me for fixing the fence.”
Marcus laughed again.
“Nobody gets invited to Victoria Whitmore’s house for fixing a fence.”
I didn’t answer.
But his words stayed with me.
The rest of the day felt strange.
Everywhere I went, people looked at me differently.
Some were amused.
Others were suspicious.
A few seemed jealous.
My supervisor, Mr. Collins, called me into his office around three.
He closed the door.
“Daniel.”
“Yes?”
“Did you repair the fence at Ms. Whitmore’s house?”
“Yes.”
“Without authorization?”
I nodded.
“I saw the damage and—”
He raised his hand.
“I’m not criticizing you.”
I stopped.
He looked uncomfortable.
“She called me.”
“Victoria?”
“Yes.”
“What did she say?”
“She said you prevented a security problem.”
I frowned.
“Security problem?”
He nodded.
“Someone had apparently been watching the property recently.”
My stomach tightened.
“Watching?”
“Nothing confirmed. But there were reports of footprints near the rear woods.”
I remembered the broken fence.
The dog.
The ball.
“Did she know that when she asked me to dinner?”
“I don’t know.”
Mr. Collins leaned back.
“Just be careful tonight.”
“Why?”
He hesitated.
“Because Victoria Whitmore doesn’t do anything without a reason.”
That didn’t make me feel better.
At six-thirty, I arrived at the mansion.
A security guard checked my name.
Then another guard escorted me through the gate.
The house was enormous.
Stone walls.
Tall windows.
Perfect gardens.
But unlike the corporate headquarters, the property didn’t feel luxurious.
It felt quiet.
Almost empty.
A woman opened the door.
Victoria.
She had changed into a dark green dress.
No jewelry except a simple watch.
“Daniel.”
“Ms. Whitmore.”
“Victoria.”
I nodded.
“Victoria.”
She smiled slightly.
“Come in.”
The dining room was smaller than I expected.
There were only two places set at the table.
I sat.
She poured water.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then she said:
“You really repaired that fence because of the dog?”
“Yes.”
“Not because you wanted to impress me?”
I laughed.
“No.”
She looked surprised.
“Most people would.”
“I’m not most people.”
“Apparently.”
Dinner arrived.
It was simple.
Roasted chicken.
Vegetables.
Bread.
Nothing extravagant.
Victoria barely touched her food.
Instead, she watched me.
“You know what everyone says about me?”
“Probably.”
“What do you think?”
I thought carefully.
“I don’t know you.”
She smiled.
“Good answer.”
“Was there a wrong one?”
“Several.”
She finally ate.
Then she asked:
“Why did you take a maintenance job after graduating from college?”
I froze.
“You know I went to college?”
“I know everything about my employees.”
“That’s a little unsettling.”
She laughed.
It was the first time I had heard her laugh.
And suddenly she didn’t seem like the terrifying CEO everyone described.
She seemed human.
“I graduated with an engineering degree,” I said.
“I know.”
“Then why am I fixing fences?”
Victoria looked at me.
“That’s what I wanted to know.”
Before I could answer, her phone buzzed.
She looked at the screen.
Her expression changed instantly.
She stood.
“Excuse me.”
She walked into the hallway.
I heard her speaking quietly.
Then:
“No.”
A pause.
“You promised me that wouldn’t happen.”
Another pause.
Her voice dropped.
“Where?”
Silence.
Then:
“Don’t tell anyone.”
She returned a minute later.
But the warmth was gone from her face.
“Daniel.”
“Yes?”
“Do you trust me?”
I stared at her.
“I barely know you.”
She nodded.
“That’s fair.”
Then she looked toward the dark windows.
“Unfortunately, I may need your help.”
