Winds of change

I stood near the window and heard Ronan and Charlotte zoom away from the house, the sound of my work car quickly fading into the quiet night. The silence that settled over the room afterward felt heavy, making the soft ticking of the clock on the wall suddenly much louder.

Turning back to the living room, I looked over at Matteo. He was still exhausted from the jetlag and from the alcohol at dinner, sitting slumped on the sofa with his eyes closed. A single lamp cast a dim, amber glow across his face, accentuating the deep shadows of his exhaustion.

"Are you going to make it up the stairs?" I asked.

I lingered by the doorway, watching him struggle to summon the energy to move.

"Barely," Matteo muttered, not even opening his eyes. "My body has absolutely no idea what day it is."

I smiled, leaning against the doorframe. It was strange how differently the travel had hit us. While he was utterly defeated by the trip, I was mostly fine. The long hours in transit hadn't worn me down the same way, leaving me awake and perfectly clear-headed.

"A good night’s rest will do you good," I said.

Matteo let out a tired sigh and slowly nodded. "I'm going to head up to the spare room. How are you not feeling this jet lag?"

“I travel a ton for work and am used to crossing multiple time zones constantly,” I said. “It doesn’t hurt to hydrate and rest a little bit while traveling back home.”

He managed to open one eye, looking up at me with a slow, appreciative shake of his head. "Hydration and rest. It sounds simple, but I always seem to forget the basics the moment I step onto a plane."

"Well, there's a fresh bottle of water on the counter if you want to take it up with you," I offered, gesturing toward the kitchen.

"Thanks," he said, finally forcing himself to sit up with a heavy yawn. He stood up slowly, steadying himself for a moment before taking a tentative step toward the hallway. "See you in the morning."

"Sleep well," I said, watching him make his way toward the stairs. "Leave all of your clothes in the hall. I’ll grab your stuff in a little bit to put them through the washer and dryer.”

“Appreciate it,” he said. “Oh. Phone’s dead.”

“Any time. I think there’s a charger in the room,” I said. “I’ll peek later after I’ve folded your clothes and bring them up.”

“Thanks,” he said as he was heading upstairs.

I sighed. I didn’t know what I was going to do with Matteo. We have a semi but not really complicated past. We met in college and dated on and off for a long time. At one point, he wanted to marry me, but I didn’t want to marry him—I did love him though. After that, we dated others, but we’ve still fucked a few times over the last few years. I don’t love him anymore, though. We’re really not a part of each other’s lives anymore, and honestly, I didn’t see a point in us remaining in each other’s lives at all. I feel that it’s time to have a serious conversation in the morning with him to put an end to this cycle.

He wouldn’t like it, but with our history together, I knew he would keep my secrets private, just as he knows that I would keep his secrets private. I’m sure that he’d be hurt when we have this conversation, but he’s a grown ass man and he’s emotionally, mentally, and physically stable. Anyone would be happy to have him in their lives, and any woman would be thrilled to be dating him.

I headed upstairs to the hallway to gather his discarded clothes. Before throwing them in the wash, I checked his pants pockets to make sure nothing like tissues was left inside to ruin the load. The only things that came out of his pockets were his wallet—which is, clearly, a given—and a small, velvet ring box.

My breath caught slightly. I opened the ring box. Resting inside was an engagement ring that I had always wanted. Granted, I didn’t know if the ring was meant for me or for someone else entirely. At the same time, I knew Matteo was still hurting deeply over his former fiancée cheating on him.

Holding the items carefully, I quietly opened the door to the spare room and crept inside to place his wallet and the ring box safely on top of the dresser for him. While inside, I also glanced around the room to see if there was indeed a charger for his phone. Unfortunately, there wasn’t one plugged in anywhere.

I headed back out of the spare room, grabbed his clothes, and headed down to the basement to start his laundry. Once the washer was humming, I came back to the first floor, grabbed a spare phone charger from my own stash, and headed back up to the spare room.

I quietly plugged the charger into the outlet and then connected his dead phone. I waited a few minutes for the battery to gain enough power to turn on. When the screen finally lit up, I unlocked it and set an alarm for 9:30 am so he wouldn't sleep the entire day away. I left his phone charging safely on the nightstand before slipping out of the room.

When I went back down to the kitchen, I noticed the food from dinner hadn’t been put away yet. Thankfully, it was still incredibly hot, so I quickly and gently transferred our food into containers and placed them in the fridge. I did some light cleaning of the kitchen and the living room, wiping down the counters and putting stray items back where they belonged.

By the time I finished, it wasn’t even 10:30 pm, and I was still wide awake, my mind racing. I knew that I needed to take some time before heading to Bahrain to end my working relationship with their government personally and privately. In order to do so, I need to reach out to the Canadian embassy there and the top government leaders to approve my official arrival. Thankfully, my doppelgänger hadn’t gone to Bahrain, so my sudden trip there wouldn't raise any suspicions.

Before sending any emails, I put Matteo’s clothes in the dryer, started the machine and headed back to the first floor. I threw my laptop open and created an email to the Canadian embassy.

Subject: Scheduling a trip to the Kingdom of Bahrain

Hello Team,

I am writing to inform you that I am planning to travel to the Kingdom of Bahrain in the near future and would greatly appreciate your assistance in coordinating the necessary arrangements for my visit.

While I understand that diplomatic visits typically require the appropriate visa, government authorization, and official approval from the Bahraini authorities, my planned trip is somewhat unique in nature. The visit will serve both diplomatic and personal purposes. On the diplomatic side, I will be representing and coordinating matters related to the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada. Personally, I also wish to conclude and formally bring closure to my previous work associated with the Government of Bahrain.

Given these circumstances, I request that you discuss with the appropriate government representatives and the high ranking officials to determine the best course of action and, if possible, establish an agreement that would facilitate this visit in accordance with all applicable diplomatic protocols and governmental requirements.

I sincerely appreciate your time, consideration, and assistance with this matter.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Deppgrl Smith

After sending the email, I checked on the dryer to see if Matteo’s clothes were done. Thankfully, they were. I took his clothes out, folded them, emptied the lint trap and brought his clothes up to the spare room. He was still fast asleep and his phone was almost finished charging. I placed his clothes on the desk for him for the morning and headed back downstairs.

I knew that the embassy staff get inundated with emails 24/7 and I knew that they’d get to my email when they get to it. Figured I’d check my email anyways as I still was wide awake. To my surprise, I did receive a reply from the embassy.

Subject: Re: Scheduling a trip to the Kingdom of Bahrain

Dear Prime Minister,

We have forwarded your correspondence to the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and we are pleased to share their favorable response. The Bahraini government has expressed that your visit would be warmly welcomed and greatly appreciated. As a gesture of goodwill, they have also confirmed their willingness to waive the standard visa requirements for your visit.

At present, Bahraini officials are finalizing an appropriate public explanation for your trip. Their current proposal is to present the visit as a series of discussions regarding trade opportunities, with a particular focus on iron ore, slag, and ash. They believe this would provide a suitable and credible public framework while allowing the broader purpose of your visit to remain appropriately discreet.

The king himself, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has personally conveyed his enthusiasm for welcoming you to Bahrain. He would appreciate your thoughts on whether the proposed trade-focused explanation would be acceptable as the official public reason for your visit. Upon your arrival, His Majesty would be delighted to discuss the more personal aspects of your visit with you in a private setting. Limited staff but also to keep with tradition of respectability and appearances.

We look forward to your response and remain at your disposal should you have any questions or require further assistance in preparing for your visit.

I replied instantly.

I’m in agreement with His Majesty, King Hamad, with the public reasons of the meeting as well as the more private meeting. Please let him know that I’m going to talk to my staff in the morning – our time - to arrange travel with you and the Bahraini government for the meetings. Thank you.

I replied:

I’m in agreement with His Majesty, King Hamad, with the public reasons of the meeting as well as the more private meeting. Please let him know that I’m going to talk to my staff in the morning – our time - to arrange travel with you and the Bahraini government for the meetings. Thank you.

With a quick click, I hit send, shut down my laptop screen, and finally made my way up the quiet staircase to my bedroom for the night.

Once in the bedroom, I stripped off my clothes, tossed them onto the floor, and crawled into bed naked. I tried to settle in, closing my eyes and letting the stillness of the house envelope me, but sleep simply refused to come. My body was resting, but my mind was still spinning—replaying the upcoming conversation with Matteo, the ring on his dresser, and the delicate diplomatic travel logistics waiting for me in the days ahead.

Realizing I was far too awake to just lie there in the dark, I reached over to the nightstand, picked up my phone, and unlocked the glowing screen. I opened up my email app, pulled up the emails between myself and the Canadian embassy in Bahrain, and hit forward. I drafted a quick note to my staff members, attaching the entire thread so they would have full context on the approved diplomatic and non-diplomatic visit, the visa waiver, and King Hamad’s plans.

I knew that every member of my staff would be either in bed or fast asleep at this hour of the night, but forwarding it now meant it would be sitting right at the top of their inboxes first thing in the morning. Satisfied that the ball was moving forward on all fronts, I finally locked my phone, set it face down on the nightstand, and let myself sink into the darkness of the room.

Due to the mix of jetlag, trying to get back into the rhythm of my time zone, and being completely wired from the evening, it took me a few hours to fall asleep. I lay there shifting occasionally under the covers, watching shadows shift across the ceiling as my body fought the lingering restlessness. Thoughts continued to drift in and out—visualizing how to start the conversation with Matteo tomorrow, considering the ring in the box upstairs, and anticipating the diplomatic meetings in Bahrain. It wasn't until the hours stretched long into the night and the faint early light began to touch the room that my mind finally quieted enough for sleep to take over.

Unfortunately, I didn’t sleep long but I woke up well rested. I showered, dressed, brushed my hair and teeth and then headed downstairs to the kitchen. When I looked at the clock, it was 8 am. I hoped Matteo would wake up before the alarm but between tequila he had at the house before we went to dinner plus the pitcher of margarita and the jetlag, he could sleep until noon or later. He’s not a bad guy but due to life and my work, we’re not in each other’s lives very often.

Before I could pull a pan out of the cabinet to make scrambled eggs, I headed to my computer to see if the embassy staff in Bahrain responded. Thankfully, they did and they’re starting the process to finish the details with the king. I’d get an answer when I could travel in a few hours.

I moved back to the kitchen, pulled a pan, eggs, bacon and bread. I got to working on frying the bacon and toasting the bread as I heard Matteo snore away. I made some noise to wake him up as te smell of bacon wasn’t working. Minutes later, I heard him getting up out of bed and into the bathroom. I finished making breakfast as he got ready. I swear he takes more time than I do to get ready in the morning. Though I live about thirty minutes from my prime minister office, I still take less time than he does and he lives five minutes from work.

Twenty minutes later, Matteo finally made his way down. I’d finished my breakfast – his was in the microwave – and had already started to clean up.

“Morning, sleepy head,” I said. “Sorry about the noise. When worried about getting back to work in a more normal job, I make noise.”

“It’s ok,” he said. “Let me help clean up.”

“I got it,” I said. “I’m almost done plus your breakfast is in the microwave. By the way, you need to empty your pockets better before laundry is done on your clothes.”

“So you saw the ring?”

“Yep.”

“Well?”

“Nope.”

“That was the quickest to ever to ask someone to marry them.”

“It is but you know it wouldn’t work out.”

“I do. Just trying to get you off of the market because Brick is absolutely in love with you and wants to marry you.”

“Ew,” I said. “Your uncle is a nice dude but he knows I wouldn’t marry him.”

“Yeah, ew is right,” Matteo said as he took his plate out of the microwave. “Nice dude but far way too old for you.”

“My point exactly.”

Matteo ate in silence as I finished cleaning. When I was done, I dressed for work and headed downstairs.

“Want me to drive you to work?”

“That would be great. Don’t forget your food.”

“I’ll grab the food and load up while you do what you need to do.”

I nodded, grabbed my work computer from the coat closet, ran upstairs to grab my phone and drivers license and my keys. By the time I was downstairs, Matteo was waiting for me by the front door.

“Ready?”

“Yep.”

We left my house, I locked up behind us and we got into his brand new truck.

“Better ride than the last one?”

“Much smoother of a ride. Plus safer.”

“I’m sorry about what happened to you and to your truck last time I was home.”

“No need to apologize. I got a new truck out of it and a restraining order against Mike. Win win.”

“Definitely a win win. Know where you’re going?”

“I do. Looked it up before you came down with the stuff you needed for the day.”

“Awesome.”

Matteo drove off in silence and it worked out well. I needed to reply to emails and arrange to pick up a new personal phone some time during the day. I logged into my phone carrier’s mobile app to arrange a time to pick a phone up locally. I figured I’d pay for it while I was at it. My card wasn’t able to process the payment as I had been a loyal customer for so many years, so the phone was free. I decided to call the store.

“Hi, it’s Deppgrl Smith. I’m trying to pay for a phone and arrange a time to pick up a phone. The thing is that I wasn’t charged for the phone.”

“Prime Minister, this is a surprise,” Max said. “We weren’t expecting your call. And yes, since you have been a loyal customer of fifteen years, we, the company, decided that the next few phones you purchase would be of no cost to you. There are also free upgrades.”

“Due to my position, I can’t accept this as it’s considered as a gift,” I said. “I’m grateful that you guys are willing to do this for me but I need to be careful with things such as this.”

“You got it. I have an idea,” he said.

“What’s the idea?”

“When you come in, we’ll charge you the phone but only the cost for the upgrade. I am sure that you have a phone that’s a trade in.”

“That is something that we can do. And yes, I do but it’s a phone from Europe…Italy to be exact.”

“That’s even better. We have rebate forms that you can fill out to get reimbursed for the cost of the phone. It’ll take some time but it’s a good rebate.”

“Sounds good, Max. Thanks so much for taking care of me. Does 1 pm still work for you?”

“Yes, it does. See you then.”

“Bye.”

When I hung up, Matteo was pulling into the outer parking lot. Since he didn’t have clearance, he couldn’t get into the main parking lot. That’s when it hit me that I forgot my identification to get inside the building. Oh well. I’d figure it out.

“Thanks for coming to get me from Italy and thanks for driving me in today,” I said. “I appreciate it very much.”

“You’re very welcome, Deppgrl,” he said. “Is this the end of the road?”

“It is.”

“Then I’ll keep your secrets forever.”

“You always have and I know you will continue to do so,” I said with a smile. “I’ll keep yours as well.”

“You’ve got a few secrets.”

“So do you.”

We both smiled for a second. I got out of the car with all of my stuff in my hands.

“Call the office if you need anything,” I said. “When you do, tell the staff that you’re Bob Marley.”

“The dead reggae singer?”

“Yup.”

“They know when he calls, they forward his calls directly to me.”

“Thank you.”

I winked and closed the door. I walked behind his car to the security gate.

“Hi, I’m so sorry,” I said. “I forgot my identification tag but I have my drivers license.”

“Without your id, you can’t get passed the next gate. I’ll scan your license in and send you to that gate anyways. Maybe someone will reach out to who you need to get a hold of.”

“I need to get a hold of myself,” I said as I handed over my license.

The security guard took my license, scanned and handed it back. As he was waiting for my image and my information to populate, he muttered: “Some people thinking who they are.”

I couldn’t do anything but giggle.

“I know that giggle anywhere,” he said. “Prime Minister. My apologies.”

“Let my stuff populate before we get ahead of ourselves, Fred,” I said with a smile. “Once I’m approved, we’ll take the next step. It’s not worth you losing your job over this.”

Fred smiled, nodded and kept checking his computer for how much longer my information would populate. It didn’t take too long, thankfully.

“Alright, Prime Minister. Everything pipped up and you are who you are. As you head on over to the security team by the north entrance, I’ll give them a heads up that you’re on your way and that you forgot your identification to enter the building,” Fred said, “They’ll probably send you up to Charlene to get a new ID for the building.”

“Thanks, my friend,” I said. “How are these buildings during the winter and the summer?”

“Extremely rough, ma’am, to be honest. Our space heaters don’t do enough and if we have too many plugged in, we short circuit and lose power. Our fans and window aircon aren’t enough either. Once too many are plugged in, we short circuit and lose power. It takes hours if not a full day to get power back.”

“It sounds like an insulation and electrical thing,” I said. “Come up with a plan with your colleagues. See what you all need….better insulation and better electrical wiring, fridges in each guard shack, a fridge, microwaves, sinks and bathrooms. Whatever it is, it’s not too big nor too small. I’ll start working on a plan as well. Once you’re done, call my office. I’ll let my staff know that you’ll be calling and to put you through immediately.”

“Thank you so much.”

“You’re very welcome. I will be stepping out for a bit this afternoon to get a new phone….I’m desperate for an upgrade. Before I step out, I’ll remind my staff about your call and if I’m not in the office, they will invite you up to wait for me until I arrive. When I see Charlene, I’ll let her know.”

He nodded and I was on my way to the north entrance. It was a three mile trek and thankfully, I was wearing leggings and a loose fitting shirt. I knew that I had extra clothes in the office – as well as toiletries. One never knows when I need to spend a night in the office. By the time that I arrived at the second guard shack, the guard was aware of me being on my way and had already called Charlene down.

“Hey, Jedidiah and Charlene,” I said. “Sorry about me forgetting my ID. It’s been a whirlwind since I got home.”

“Not an issue, ma’am,” Jedidiah said. “Just need to scan your license.”

“Of course,” I said as I passed it off to him. “Charlene, do I have a few minutes to shower and change before we take care of the new id?”

“Certainly, Deppgrl. As you take care of yourself, I’ll have things brought to your office and get everything set up.”

“Appreciate it.”

“Here’s your license back.”

“Thanks, Jed!” I said as I reached across the counter to take it.

“On our way up to my office, Charlene, we need to discuss some stuff. That ok?”

“Absolutely!”

“Perfect.”

As we headed inside the building, I stated that all is good but talking with the guards, things need to make a change.

“What changes?”

“There’s a big temperature differential between the guards inside the building versus the guards in the shacks. The guards inside aren’t affected by the weather nor is their electric messed with unless there’s a legitimate power outage. The guards in the shacks are either boiling in the summer or freezing in the winter. The insulation is a major issue. When fans, window aircon units, and even space heaters are plugged in and turned on, their circuit breakers malfunction. It can take up to twenty four hours for these guards can access their electricity. On top that, we have staff coming in sick plus visitors. Each sick person easily shares whatever illness they have with our security team. Imagine your immune system working overtime in the dead of winter when you’re freezing. You’re going to get sicker. Plus, no guard can get coverage to go to the doctor or to take a sick day when they work in the shacks. Add in they do twice to three times the amount of work but half the pay and longer days.”

“Wow. Something needs to be done about this.”

“It does which is why we’re talking. I spoke with Fred. He is going to come up with a plan of what each shack needs; better insulation and better electrical wires, bathrooms, sinks, fridges, and all that stuff. He is going to call this afternoon and I’ll let my staff to put him through to me immediately and it doesn’t matter what I’m doing. I did tell Fred that I’ll be out of the office and if he calls when I’m gone, he is to reach out to you, get coverage and wait in my office for me.”

“Deppgrl, none of this is any of your concern. There’s a reason why I’m head of security.”

“It is my concern when this has been happening for years under you. Things have been said, emailed and whatnot. Nothing has changed. Until this gets fixed, you’re on notice. Either shape up or start looking for new work. How you respond to getting things taken care of – preferably sooner – will not only affect your pay and your time here and references. Anyone calling to say what your work ethic is like will be transferred to me.”

“But Deppgrl…”

“There’s no buts,” I said as we entered my office’s foyer. “Once I get information from Fred, I will share it with you. It needs to be taken care of immediately. I know that there will be a high cost but due to my previous work and current work and barely using any of the budget of this office, money can be shuffled around and taken care of. I also know that there’s more funds in your budget to take care of it. If need be, we can cut your pay. Using my personal funds is the extremely last call as is using this office’s funds.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Charlene said.

“Be back in ten minutes with what and who you need. The sooner its set up, the sooner you’re available to meet with Fred and I. Speaking of Fred and the other guards working in the shacks need updated technology for their shacks, higher pay, better benefits and they’ll rotate with the guards working inside the building. All of this will be taken out of your budget.”

Charlene paled, nodded and headed out of the foyer of my general office staff to get what she needed for my new ID to get back in the building. I greeted my staff, thankful for all of them for running my office without me, covering for me and for recording the conversation with Charlene.

“Barb, please forward the conversation to who you need to.”

“Yes, Marie,” she said with a smile.

My entire staff knew my true identity and they had the liberty to call me Marie Alexdrovna Romanov. The only time that they knew that they couldn’t is when others not in this office visited. I gave my staff the trust and they respect that they all deserved from the first moment we met. They learned to trust me and respect me but over time, we were family. I fought for them daily. They all earned the same amount – except for the more senior staff, of course, they all had equivalent benefits with their health plans, sick days, personal time off, vacation days and education reimbursement. If they needed more time off after using their forty five sick days per year, they still get the time off – I pay them myself. They can’t control when they get sick or their loved ones get sick. I implemented two week period for each time they lose a loved one – they knew full well that I would research this and once I made the familial connection, they were able to take that time.

I went to my private office, grabbed a towel, my toiletries and work clothes. I hit te panel on my wall to let me enter my hidden shower. It took a few minutes for the water to heat up but once it did, I showered three times. I got out, dried off, dressed and blew dry my hair. I applied light make up before closing up my shower behind the panel. I went back to my closet to put my toiletries away, hang up my towel, put my slides back on and headed to the foyer. Charlene was pissed. I took thirty minutes. I didn’t care at this point she infuriated me earlier.

“Ready?”

“Yes, we are.”

“Thanks for getting so quickly,” I said without apologizing for making her wait for me.

“Any time, ma’am.”

I stood in between the wall and the camera. The photographer took a few pictures and asked me to come over to approve which one to use.

“Whatever one you think is best, Marlena. You’ve always done the best when picking the best photo out of the group.”

“Thank you. I’ll get your ID back to you in an hour.”

“Thank you, Marlena. Charlene, I expect my ID to be here in an hour and being one hundred percent working order. I have a very busy afternoon as do you.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Thank you. That is all, ladies.”

They nodded and started packing up the equipment. Before I left to head back into my private office, I asked Barb to watch Charlene like a hawk.

“Of course.”

“And Barb? Once all of the work done for Fred and the rest of the guards in the sheds, please draw up a letter of termination for Charlene. In the letter, please explain that she won’t be receiving any positive referrals from other than the fact that she was the head of security here and mention her failure to treat all the guards respectfully.”

“I certainly will, Marie. I’ll come up with a few drafts just in case there’s one you like the most or in case you want me to merge them together.”

“Thank you, Barb. As usual, you’re amazing.”

I went into my office and started going through the emails that my staff left in my email that were directed towards me rather than my staff. It took a few hours to respond to all of them but I got it done. I ended up calling Fred when I was done.

“Come on up,” I told him. “I’ll send Charlene to the shack.”

“Ok!” was all Fred said.

I called Charlene and told her to go to Fred’s shed.

“Ma’am - ”

“This isn’t a request. It’s an order and you better have the keys because he closed up before he left. Get there and get there fast.”

I hung up before she could say anything. Before I could do anything else, I heard Barb say something like: “You can’t be in here!” and “She told me to come up!” Fuck. Forgot to tell the staff this morning.

“Barb. Fred. Glad you met. This is on me. Fred’s a guard in the first shack closest to the street by the north entrance. If anyone calls claiming to be the reggae singer Bob Marely, it’s Fred. I told him that I would tell you guys but it’s clear I didn’t. Anytime he calls or comes here, it’s ok.”

“It’s your first day back and you’re dealing with a ton of stuff, Marie. We get it,” Barb said then suddenly paled. “Ma’am, I’m so sorry!”

“It’s ok, Barb. Since Fred will be working directly with this office more often, he has the right to know just in case of any slip ups.”

“I’ll pack my stuff.”

“Barb? You’re not packing your shit because you still fucking work here with the team and I. You slipped up because you’re human and we’re all comfortable with each other. All that I ask is that you share this with the team as you guys deal with the Bahraini government, get my visa and limited security for the trip. And I mean limited security. Clear?”

“Yes.”

“Good,” I said. “Fred, there’s much to discuss besides the deal with the sheds. Oh, Barb? Please hold all calls and emails unless it’s life or death. Or the Bahraini government. And I don’t want to hear from Charlene. If she calls or emails, she is to stay in the shack for the rest of Fred’s shift.”

“Got it, Marie,” Barb said with a smile,

“Fred, come with me,” I said as I led him to my office. “We need to start with my real name.”

He followed me into my office and I closed the door behind me.

“Have a seat. I am sure you have about a bajillion to five bajillion questions for me.”

“I do.”

“Before we start, do you want anything to eat or drink? The door in the corner is my bathroom.”

“Do you have tequila? I think I may need some.”

“The answer is always tequila and rum but never together. Cold or room temperature?”

“Cold.”

“Good,” I said as I opened my fridge and pulled out my midgrade bottle. “Real glasses ok?”

“If that’s all you have, that works,” he said.

I nodded, poured us several shots in each glass, handed him a glass, out the tequila back in the fridge and sat next to him on the other chair facing my desk.

“Before your questions, I’ll tell you what’s going on and who I am. This may answer some of your questions but you’ll still have questions.”

“Go ahead, Ma’am,” he said as he took a sip of the tequila.

“My name is Marie Alexdrovna Romanov and I’m a distant but direct descendant of Czar Alexander. I have a brother that you know as Bob but his identity is Artem Alexdrovnich Romanov. We were both born in Italy to our parents. Somewhere in that lineage, we are related of the Romanov family. As we were growing up in Italy, our closest friend was then and still is Roberto Mazzarella. He is the head of the Mazzarella clan and that’s part of the Camorra syndicate but he is the head in name only and on paper. I am the brains behind it. For the last thirty years, I have lived in Canada as Deppgrl Smith and my brother has lived here as Bob Smith. For the last fifteen years, I have traveled the world to work for different governments doing a variety of jobs. Sometimes it’s sports and sometimes it’s spying. For the last eleven months, I have worked in New Zealand as the temporary new coach for the All Blacks rugby team. I traveled to Russia to verify my Romanov lineage, helped a friend and his former girlfriend get out of Russia, helped my brother and I get diplomatic passports and immunity from Russia though we’ve been banned for the next fourteen years and eleven months and I quit working for the Russian government. I nearly died several times in Russia but it’s clear I survived. After getting out of Russia, I went to bail Roberto Mazzarella out of prison where he was held for a year without a single charge. I changed my appearance quite a bit. Obviously, the hair is different. I also had a breast lift, eye and eyebrow lift as well as a tummy tuck. I arrived back to Niagara-On-The-Lake about thirty six hours ago.”

“What the actual fuck? Does the Canadian government know who you are and what you do?”

“It sounds crazier than it is and like a bunch of lies,” I said. “Bob and I came here illegally but once we went to the government, we told them everything – including our connections to the Romanov family and our connection to Rob. The government knows exactly who we are but graciously gave us Canadian birth certificates, passports and drivers licenses. The only way that both Bob and I could keep up with our Canadian identities would be for one of us to become a spy. I chose that as Bob prefers being a chef. Due to the amount of times that I have nearly been assassinated over the years, I told the Canadian government that it’s time to step down from being a spy. In order to do that, I had to travel internationally for the last eleven months to terminate my working relationship with the countries and other governments. As prime minister, I still spy on these governments. In the next year, I have to go to Russia. They don’t know yet but when they do, they can’t refuse my entry due to diplomatic needs and if they deny my entry, they know that I can truthfully state that they’re denying entry of a Romanov.”

“But you were just in the Middle East!”

“That was my doppelgänger,” I said. “We secretly put this out to criminals in the UK and Canada to hire someone – a doppelgänger – to appear as me and for me while I’m the current prime minister. The woman we all selected looked close enough to me but she had to gain weight, go under intense plastic surgery to look just like me and learned to talk and walk just like me. My staff goes overseas with my doppelgänger to keep an eye on her and to make sure all meetings go as planned. She was almost found out a few times in the beginning but as she practiced with both my staff and I, she improved.”

“What about the trip to Bahrain?”

“It’s to discuss diplomatic things as well as terminated my personal relationship with the king and government but they know with me being the prime minister of Canada, they can’t refuse my entry. Imagine losing your best asset and refusing their entry because they are a prime minister. No country would work with Bahrain for a long time.”

“This is a lot to take in,” Fred slurred his words a little bit.

“Best thing I can counter that is water and yogurt.”

“If that’s all you have, that works.”

I grabbed him a small thirty two ounce container of blueberry yogurt and a forty two ounce bottle of water. He ate and drank in silence for a few minutes.

“Ready to discuss the plans for the shacks?

“Yeah but it’s going to be expensive.”

“That’s ok. Charlene is going to be taking it out of her budget as well as pay raises for you guys working the shacks as well as better and updated technology.”

“She keeps claiming that there’s nothing in the budget for anything.”

I picked up my phone and called Barb’s extension.

“Barb, please come in.”

Seconds later, Barb arrived.

“Take a seat on the other side of my desk….my side. You have tons of writing to do and people to talk to. Write something up real quick in regards of a termination letter for Charlene. When you send for her, she needs to bring my ID with her.”

“You got it, boss lady!”

The three of us worked on the correct wording for the termination letter. Fred told us all that it wasn’t  easy working under Charlene as working conditions were bad and she barely approved any time off. I mentioned that it was a bit of a fight to get her up the office to get a new ID and Barb said that Charlene is unprofessional and rude in all etiquette when it comes to phone, email, texting and in person meetings. I left it to Barb to write the letter. We all tweaked it a little bit and after saving the document to my computer, Barb printed the letter. I called Charlene up from Fred’s shed and told her to lock up before heading to my office and she also needed to grab my ID and make sure it worked. She begrudgingly agreed to come up. Knowing her, it would take her twenty minutes rater than the ten minutes.

“Fred, from this current conversation and the conversation that we had earlier, I know exactly what should be done. Barb, use my login credentials at your computer to send a mass email to the guards working  and to the ones off duty. They are all to report here in an hour. The building will be on lock down – no one coming in and no one going out. After the email sent to the guards, please send another mass email to everyone on staff in every single department that the guards will be in a meeting with me and the entire building will be on lock down until the guards are back at their stations..”

“Yes, ma’am,” Barb said. This is the most formal I’ve heard her be after the first month we worked together.

“Thank you, friend. You’ll have a delivery at your home in an hour,” I said tapping away at my phone. “It will hold until you get home. Fred, I’d like you to remain here when meeting with Charlene. And of course, you’ll be here for the meeting with the rest of the guards.”

Fred nodded. Our phones pinged. An email from Barb through my secured email account. It was for the guards to report to my office within the hour no matter what was going on – barring any family or personal emergency. Another ping. Another email stating that in an hour from now, the building will be shut down due to the meeting with the guards until it ended – staff could leave now and work from home if they had pets and young kids….or elderly family members to take care of.

Charlene knocked on my door just after the termination letter printed. I took my time signing it and I then let her into my office. I closed the door after her.

“Have a seat next to Fred, Charlene,” I said as I reached out for my new ID.

“Here’s your new ID. Not only does it work, you have access to every room, office, basement and roof.”

“Thank you.”

“What’s he doing here?”

“That’s part of the reason why both of you are here, Charlene. How long have you been the head of security here?”

“Fifteen years.”

“And how many of those years have you been telling the guards that there’s no budget?”

“Fifteen years.”

“After talking with Fred and confirming with the finance office and Barb, there is a budget. The budget is five times the amount of my current budget. This office’s budget has barely been used in two years. Your budget has also been barely used and when it is, it benefits only you.”

“I can explain!”

“I’m sure you can but I won’t let you,” I said. “Throughout the day after talking with Fred and also with you, many of the emails that I have responded to since my departure and return from the Middle East has been from the guards. They’ve been searching for jobs elsewhere and less prestigious as here as the pay and the hours are better. Guards elsewhere get sick days, other guards cover their shifts when sick time and PTO are used, they get paid vacation and their training is far less rigorous than it is here. The two biggest discrepancies are the guards that work inside refuse to cover shifts for the guards out in the shacks and they also get paid more than the guards work outside. I would give you a list of things that need to be changed starting immediately but that isn’t necessary.”

“Oh?” Charlene said as she looked hopeful.

“You no longer work here. As we speak, Barb and your second in command are revoking your privileges here. Your phones, computer, keys and parking are going to be taken before you leave my office. They’re being brought up from your office now. I have a termination letter in my hand that you will receive as you’re being escorted to your car by the RCMP and you will be trespassed. If you are caught stepping foot or driving on the premises, you will be arrested and charged for trespassing. I’m not barring you from working in security in the future but if future employers reach out to this building, they will be transferred immediately to me. I will let them know that you’re not on a rehire list here nor would I recommend you for employment. I won’t go into why with them but with them knowing you won’t be rehired nor do I recommend that they hire you, they won’t. When you get to your residence, RCMP will be there waiting for you. They have search warrants for all of your vehicles and for your residence to pick up all items that relate to and belong to this building. If you refuse to turn anything over, you will be arrested for theft. Also, if you do decide to file for Employment Insurance, you can however, your request will be denied. Do you understand this?”

“Yes.”

“Great. Here is your termination letter explaining everything. Also, here are some forms you need to sign stating that you are accepting getting fired and for the reasons why in the termination letter. Copies will be mailed to you within three weeks. In case you decide to sue for wrongful termination, all law firms in Canada have already been contacted to not work with you. There are law firms that are in the US and local to us have also been contacted and been informed that they cannot work with you. Fred, can you please let Barb know that I’m ready for the RCMP to come escort Charlene over to her vehicle after she confirms that everything from her office has been handed over. That also includes the keys in her hands.”

“Of course, Deppgrl,” he said with a smile.

“How dare he get to call you by your first name!”

“He’s earned the right to do so. Depending on how the meeting with all of the security guards go, he may be taking your place. Goodbye, Charlene. Oh, one last thing. I have a permanent restraining order against you. You may not be in the same country as me and if you are, you will be arrested and charged with harassment and stalking.”

“Will I know which country you’ll be in?”

“No. For my safety, you will never be informed of which country I’ll be in. Your passport is flagged so any time you leave or enter Canada or any other country – especially if it’s a country that I am in….the Canadian government will know. Once this passport expires – which will be in approximately two years – you won’t be allowed to renew it for another thirty years. By that time, you will be too old to travel.”

Barb and the RCMP entered my office without knocking. I nodded my head and Charlene was escorted out with Barb on her heels. Once confirming that all of her office items have been returned, she was escorted to her car.

“Wow,” Barb said as she entered my office and closed it behind her. “I need a shot. Do you?”

Both Fred and I agreed.

“The good stuff, Barb,” I said softly and with a smile.

Barb instantly grabbed the very expensive Ouzo from the fridge. I hated the taste of black licorice but this Ouzo, the best from Cyprus, is the best. Barb and I had some while on the island during my first trip to Greece. We – and many of my staff – went twice more before I was called to New Zealand. Barb poured a few ounce in each of our glasses.

“Here’s to friendship and great colleagues,” I said as I raised my glass.

“Here, here!” chimed in Barb and Fred. We clinked our glasses together and chugged the Ouzo. It hurt and burned all of the way down but it was also some of the smoothest and cleanest Ouzo the three of us have had.

“Shit, that hurts!” Fred wheezed. “That’s some damn good ouzo though.”

“Fuck, that hurt like a bitch!” Barb uttered.

“Holy fucking shit balls!” I could barely whisper. “I think I just grew some hair on my chest.”

Fred and Barb looked at me and started laughing. I joined them. A few minutes later, Emma knocked on my door.

“Marie? All of the guards who could make it are here. Four couldn’t make it as due to their hospitalization.”

“Emma, who has been hospitalized and why have they been hospitalized?”

“I don’t remember their names but they work in the northeast corner of the third floor. There was an incident while you were in Russia just before you were in Italy. A nutjob was trying to get your while your doppelgänger was in the Middle East. He thought you’re a part of the regime there instead of working for the good. The nutjob threw a few Molotov cocktails threw the window followed by a few grenades. Due to the poor quality of the Molotov cocktails, they didn’t go off but just broke and because of the fumes and the guards coughing, the guards didn’t realize that grenades followed. Unfortunately, the grenades went off. None of the guards were killed but they have lung issues, deep bruises and abrasions all over their bodies. They should be released in a few weeks.”

“Reach out to them and their families. Let them know that all medical bills will be paid directly by me and if they need help with any other bills, I will personally cover the costs. They are not to return until they have been medically cleared by the hospital staff and my personal physician and they will be earning seventy five percent of their pay effective immediately and they will also get back pay for any pay that has been missed.”

“Got it.”

“Thanks so much, Emma. When the guards are ready, have them squeeze into my office.”

She nodded then left. The guards started to trickle in slowly. It was a tight squeeze for all of them to fit and some had to stand just outside of my office.

“Hey, everyone. Sorry for the short notice but important meeting. Four of your crew are missing and I hope you all understand why. It has come to my attention that during my absences and the places that both my doppelgänger and I have been that working conditions under Charlene have been difficult and also great. Moving forward, the guards that have been working inside….you will be working out in the shacks until further notice. Charlene, I’ve been told, has told you to not cover the shifts outside. This made your colleagues miss celebrations, funerals, doctors appointments and other significant dates. I don’t know how long this change will last. This means that starting your next shift, the guards outside will now report for duty inside and those working inside will now report for duty outside. Charlene’s second in command, Bob, and Fred will work together this afternoon to work on that. In regards of pay, it will slowly increase to what is demanded of armed security guards keeping this property, building and ultimately me safe. I will bring in some of my former colleagues from my other jobs to help with third shift. They are licensed and bonded and will carry their personal weapons. They know that you are the rightful protectors hear and will be support to you. Moving forward, if someone calls out or takes time off – no matter the reason, you will all step in to cover shifts. Those that never covered shifts will start. You will all be paid for any overtime worked – provide support and submit it to the finance department so they can do the math. Once submitted and approved, they will send it to me for final approval. As for the lack of budget that your department hasn’t had for fifteen years….you guys have had the budget. Charlene hid it from me, the other prime ministers, Bobby and yourselves. The shacks will be used until new ones are being constructed. Each new shack will be fitted for a bathroom with a sink, a full fridge, a sink in the main area, better and new technology, security cameras all around each shack, better desks and chairs, microwaves, better insulation. There will be aircon in the summers and heat in the summers. I have several construction companies ready to start work tomorrow morning. With the number of crews out there, it will be not only expensive but it should be done in the next three months. It will take that long as they still need licenses each step like for plumbing, electrical and all that stuff. Any questions?”

There was some silence and some grumbling quietly.

“I know that this may seem unfair to many of you, especially the ones that have been working inside. Upon talking with Fred and Bobby, not only were shifts supposed to be rotated but working inside versus outside were supposed to be rotated as well. I am not making this switch to punish you for anything Charlene has done or hasn't done. I am doing this to make sure it is fair and even for all of you. I am also adding more sick days and paid bereavement time. None of you have control when you or a loved one gets sick. If you do need more sick days, whomever is up next to cover your day will cover your day. Submit all requested bereavement days to me. One last thing, IT and I will be working hand in hand to create an all encompassing app for this particular department. We’re not sure what it’s going to be called. Any time you want to request a sick day or PTO, enter the days you’re requesting through the app. Your sick days will be approved by the administrators of the app in a matter of thirty to sixty minutes. PTO needs to be submitted no less than seven days before your wished time off. The administrators of the app will send the information to Bobby, Fred and I. For now, I will be in charge of approving PTO. As for submitting bereavement time, email me with your name, the name of the person that has died and the connection they are to you. Are they a relative, family friend, spouse or spouse’s family member like parents and/or siblings?”

There were a few less mumbles and grumbles.

“For now, there is no active department head for security. Bobby, Fred and I will be working as a team until the three of us feel comfortable with Bobby and Fred can take the department back into their hands. My plan and hope is that Bobby and Fred are both the directors of your department as they are both trusted and respected by all of you. If they feel that they can show to me and to you that they can work together, they will. They will work as a checks and balances. Fair?”

The mumbles and grumbles that I just received were mostly the guards saying “fair”. I know that they were going to miss Charlene and will for a long time. They were loyal to her and the previous prime ministers. These changes weren’t going to be easy and it’d take time for the guards to get used to the changes…..I just hoped that they would come around and quickly.

The guards left so they could back to work and lift the lockdown. Bobby and Fred just sat there. They were going to need a ton of help and in a day or so, I wouldn’t be able to help them through the first week of changes. I didn’t want to feel guilty but I did. I stepped out of my office and asked for my staff to step in.

“You all know what’s going on. In a day or so, I’ll be gone and not sure for how long. Charlene is gone and Bobby and Fred have a ton of work to do. I know that all of you have your own specific roles here too but if you guys can, spare some time for them as I won’t be here to help. I may be on a diplomatic mission with limited personal security, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me – all of you can reach out to me. Barb, I want you to be a part of leadership while I’m away but it won’t be easy. Please pick up to three others to help you out. Assign yourself tasks that you know that you can handle on top of your normal stuff. When Barb picks her team, she will let them and the rest of you know. Now, are we expecting word from Bahrain anytime soon or can I step out for an hour to pick up two phones? I need to upgrade my personal one as it’s European and the second one will be just for us in this department plus Bobby and Fred. I will keep the one that this office provided me but everyone in the building has the number for it. Nothing wrong with that but I want to keep my personal stuff personal, work stuff in this department plus Bobby and Fred related to this department and Bobby and Fred and this building all separate from each other.”

She nodded as I got up from the desk. I needed to leave to get the rest of my day going, including picking up the cell phones.