CH 2
1100 Words
She sighed as she opened the worn-out door to the agency, they was chaos inside. staffs were huddled in groups, whispering to themselves, mostly about what's about to happen.
As soon as they saw her, they all rushed towards her with questions. "su, do you know the boss wants to take the billionaire outside new York?". a girl working in the spa section asked. "that's ridiculous!". she half-yelled. "He believes the billionaire has seen everything in New York, so he's trying to renegotiate with him to let us give him a tour outside the city". a sommelier added in-between desperate breaths. "the billionaire wants a tour here in New York, why take him elsewhere?". she asked, staring at them as though they'll provide a valid answer.
"let's face it su, we can't pull this off, the billionaire is said to know every street in New York by heart and the boss thinks we should take him to somewhere in Singapore". a tour guide chipped in.
"c'mon guys, I read the man has businesses over there, are you trying to tell me he hasn't toured the entire city?". the agency's chef deadpanned, looking at everyone.
"you went reading about him?". her male assistant asked, clearly irritated and jealous.
"of course I did". she retorted "I love being in front of everything, and although I didn't get his picture or real age from the tabloids, I do know he has a six-year- old daughter and has toured every country in the world including countries in africa". she added with a proud look, her assistant sneered and walked away.
"guys, this rich old men don't care about rules. they just get bored and decide to pick on the weak, this is a rough gamble and it'll be stupid to throw in all our cards. if he says new York, then I think we probably stick to New York so that when he decides not to sponsor, we get something to fall back on". a red-haired toured guide said.
"good morning people". the boss's thunderous voice boomed through the agency like a tornado, everywhere was suddenly as quiet as a graveyard, not even a heart beat was heard.
"I can't believe I've been working with this much dumb people for years, you have sour s**t where your brains are supposed to be". he said casually, then turned to Susanna. "Susanna, I want to see you in my office in the next one minute and everyone else better not be standing idly here when I get back". then he turned and walked away.
she hated being called Susanna and he knows it, she was about to say something about it when she saw the looks on her colleagues faces.
everyone looked at her with pity, it wasn't the first time she was getting into trouble or getting summoned by the boss, but their reaction often remains the same.
"guys, I'm really not going to get eaten alive". she said, trying to lighten up the mood.
"with the way he was looking at you? I think getting eaten alive should be the least of your worries, su. the man is ready to completely ruin your mood and that's worse than being eaten alive". the sommelier said, and slowly walked away with a feigned look of despair, the rest followed him.
she knocked at her boss's office door, walked in and slowly sat on one of the chairs.
"I would have asked you to sit, but I see you've already made yourself comfortable". the boss remarked.
"I'm sorry sir". she said curtly but made no move to stand up, after two minutes of glaring at her, her boss gave up, she wasn't even looking at him, her eyes were fixed on the portrait on the wall, they were always fixed on that portrait whenever she comes to his office. It was a portrait of a regal woman casually sitting on what looks like a throne.
"I heard you think I'm not running the agency the way I should, I heard you think you can do better". his voice jolted her back to reality. she knew he didn't hear anything like that, and if he indeed heard something like that then it was definitely made up by his ass-kissing secretary.
"I don't think that way, and you know it sir. I just don't think its right to wager all we have left on something or someone we are unsure of".
"and what makes you think I'm not sure of this person, who do you even think he is?". he asked.
"An old bored rich man who loves playing games, if he wanted to help, he would have. why does he insist on seeing a place he has never seen before he helps us? here's my take on this, I think he's one of your arrogant, dumb rich classmate back in the day who has accumulated more wealth over the years and probably looks down on the weak and poor, so when you ran to him for help , he saw an opportunity to completely crush your ego with his huge pot belly, and you're falling for it". she said, looking at him like she just cracked davinci's code.
her boss just sighed and shook his head, Susanna has always been a hot-headed girl with a strong disliking for the rich and men, she's quite intelligent but sometimes her childhood trauma beclouds her judgement.
"Susanna, I don't know who died and made you Sherlock Holmes, but you've got everything wrong, I'll leave you to find out yourself by tomorrow. however, you'll take this man to Singapore and show him Zeus's temple, and make sure he agrees to support the agency".
"first, I don't think Sherlock Holmes is dead and secondly, I've never heard of Zeus's temple in Singapore". she stated calmly. her boss has always been the type to mix up places and sometimes she wondered how he became the owner of a tourist agency.
her boss slammed his hand on the desk and glared at her, she was used to getting glared at by him all the time so she didn't mind, and she figured he could glare all he want if that'll make him reconsider spending what's left of what they have on a tour outside the country for a man who actually wants the tour in New York.
"you know what? I've decided you won't even be the tour guide, you'll assist the assistant of the assistant tour guide". he stated flatly.
"why not throw in mopping the Atlantic ocean too". she mummured to herself .
- Writer
