I am the boss - English version

Chapter 10: The Laboratory

The next day I got up really early, I bathe, I put on the clothes I left ready since yesterday, I put my make up as if I were in a beauty contest and I make my favorite hairstyle, loose hair with beauty salon style curls, my perfume to conquer and I go to eat breakfast.

I finish and leave my place without seeing Natalia, I guess she is still asleep, she goes to work at noon, so she never wakes up early.

I walk to the metro station, and I quickly reach my destination.

I walk outside the station and at 7:30 am I am entering the building.

I approach the receptionist and tell her

- Good morning

- Good morning Miss Miller

- What is your name?

- Ann, Miss Miller

- Ana, nice to meet you, excuse me for bothering you again, but yesterday I had a small incident and got out of the office after the induction training, and I do not know where to go now

- Don't worry Miss Miller

- Ana, please don't call me Miss Miller, please call me Layla, I think I am younger than you

- I believe so, miss Miller, but it is the way Mr. Jones wants me to treat everyone who comes to reception.

- Oh, I see

- I will call to the laboratory, so it will take just few minutes for someone to come here for you to accompany you to get your access card and to the laboratory

- Oh yes, thank you very much

- You can wait if you wish in the waiting room

- Of course Ana, thank you very much and have a nice day

- Likewise, Miss Miller

I walked away from the counter and as I approached the waiting area I see, how he entered the lobby in all his glory, through the revolving door, Bennett.

Oh my god, what an amazing thing, he is so so handsome, I am so dumbed that I see him walking in slow motion.

- Hello Layla

- Good morning Mr. Jones

He grimaces at me with disapproval but when he sees that I winked at him, he shows me his perfect smile.

- What are you doing here?

- Waiting for someone to accompany me to get my card and to go to the lab

- I see, let’s go, I will accompany you

- Noooooo, that would look really bad

- Of course not, I am the-

When he watched my mischievous gesture he stopped, he knows what I am going to say if he pronounces once again that he is the boss here

- Let’s go!

I hesitated for a moment but since he looks like he has no intention to leave without me, I stood up, I walked towards the elevator following him and once we were there, he pressed the elevator button.

We waited for a few seconds, the 'ding' of the elevator was heard and when the doors opened, I saw James, in his clean and ultra-ironed white lab coat, looking more handsome than yesterday.

I opened my mouth and I do not know what to say.

- Good morning Mr. Jones

- Good morning James

- I came for Miss Miller to take her for her access card and to accompany her to the laboratory.

I turned to see Bennett and he looked back at me. 

He thinks about it for a second and then he said

- Okay, let's get into the elevator.

James stood inside and took a couple of steps backward, Bennett extended his arm as an indication for me to walk in, like a gentleman, he let me get inside first.

I walked in and behind me, Bennett entered the elevator.

The doors closed and Bennett pressed the button for the fifth floor.

- We are also going to that floor.

James said with a serious expression.

- I know!

Bennett answered in a biting tone.

I, I am mute, I do not know what to do or what to say.

We finally got to the fifth floor, the doors opened, and Bennett told me to walk out first, he came out behind me and James behind him.

- Let's go to security office, Richard is there

James told me and started walking in front of us.

- Follow me Layla

Bennett said, I told him yes nodding and I followed him to an office.

- Hey Jimmy, good morning, oh, Mr. Jones good morning, what brings you here?

- I came here, accompanying Layla

James turned to see us with a face of total amazement, which matches Richard's face.

F uck, I told him not to do these things.

- Yesterday Miss Miller felt bad and that is why I authorized her to leave early.

- Yes Sir, the lack of -

- I authorize it, please take the form to my office when the cut is made for approval

What the heck are they talking about?

- Please make sure that she signed all the required papers, that she got assigned her card, user, cell phone and laptop today.

- Yes sir

- Please accompany her to the lab when all that is done and just like yesterday, accompany her to my office.

What is wrong with him? He is ignoring everything we agreed to yesterday.

- Sir -

I tried to say something, and he interrupts me

- Miss Miller, have a great morning, I will see you later in my office.

He turned around and without saying another word he walked away, what a blatant attitude.

I turned around and saw how both Richard and James were looking at me so shocked, I think this is completely out of their usual procedure, holy cow!

- What is this Richard?

- Hmm I honestly don't know Jimmy?

- Did you meet Mr. Jones before, Miss Miller? Are you two acquainted?

Richard asked me and they both watched me intently waiting for my answer.

- I just met him yesterday at the time of entry.

- This is strange Richard.

- Jimmy, let's do what we must, for now, ok? Don’t jump to conclusions.

James seemed really upset but followed Richard and I followed him.

We walked into an office identified as security and Richard requested the required access and my id card.

I feel completely watched by them and totally out of my element, Bennett, he is a wretch, he did it with all intent, but intention for that?

- Let's go to the lab.

James said, ushering the way.

- Let’s go

Richard said

- No need, we will go, you go back to your office

- But -

- Ricky, I am going there, with her, you do not need to come and go back, there is no need.

- Jimmy, look, if Mr. Jones asks me and I didn't do what he told me, I will be in big trouble Jimmy.

- How annoying, come on.

- Shut up, you won't want to-

- Ok ok I got it back, come on.

I watched them, alternating my gaze from one to the other, as if I were watching a tennis game.

They both started walking towards the elevator and I followed them in silence.

We walked inside it and James pressed the seventh floor button, then he looked back to see me with a smile, that smile melts you, and then he winks at me.

Quickly we got to the seventh floor and as I got out of the elevator, I noticed that we have reached paradise, obviously nerds’ paradise.

All my eyes can see are workstations filled with the newest and most sophisticated equipment, laboratory material, shelves full of reagents and materials, glassware, metal, porcelain, all the staff wear their super white and well ironed lab coats , personal protective equipment, everyone is busy, wow, that look more amazing than everything I have seen before, and I have seen lots of laboratories at school, but nothing compares to this.

- Follow me to my office so I can assign your lab coat and safety gear.

The sound of James’ voice snapped me out of my mesmerized state.

- Jimmy -

- Yes Ricky, you can go now.

- Miss Miller, I will return for you at 1:40 pm, please set an alarm ten minutes in advance, so we can be at the CEO’s office on time.

- Right.

I said with some annoyance, Bennett is going to make Richard take me out of the lab right in the middle of my activities.

- Over here Layla.

James told me and I followed him to his office.

- I think that this lab coat will fit you, by tomorrow I will have your five new lab coats with your name.

- Woooow that, wow, fine.

- These are your safety shoes, and these are your safety goggles.

- Thank you, Jim, but how did you know my shoe size and my clothing size

- In your interview forms, there we have all your data, remember?

- Duh, you are right, I completely forgot I filled those forms last week.

- Unfortunately, although your hair looks really beautiful today, due to company policies and safety issues, women are not allowed to have loose hair inside the laboratory.

- I understand James.

I said and I took a hair tie out of my pants bag, raised both arms, took my hair and made a high updo.

James watched me with some curiosity as I did this, but with that beautiful smile and those honey eyes looking at me, I blushed.

- Wow, I did not expect that.

- What?

I asked him

- I did not expect that you would look the same or even more beautiful with your hair all up.

I stayed mute, I am flattered but I do not want to flirt with James, he is my immediate boss.

- Thank you

I just said.

- Let's go outside, I will show you around and take you to your station

- Great!

As we went out and walked between the workstations in the Lab, James explained to me what each subdivision was, what they are in charge of, who the head of that section is and stopped with each member of the lab crew to introduce me, everyone smiled, wished me luck, and welcomed me.

- All the ones in the laboratory are assigned their lunch hour, they are assigned in a staggered way, so there is always someone from each subdivision at all times, you will go to eat at my same time, since you are in training and in my charge, ok?

I understand.

- That's at 2:00 pm

- Right, but -

- I know, maybe today you can't either, but from tomorrow we will, we will go to eat at 2:00 pm together. This is your place.

James told me at the same time that he stopped at an empty station next to the glass wall that has an amazing view of Central Park, which reminded me of the office of a certain man, Bennett, by the way, with whom I am quite annoyed to be honest.

- These are the manuals, and these are the procedures, you will be assigned to me, as my analyst, we are working on a project, the project is for the moment, for you, confidential, but once you have the indefinite time contract, you will know all the details, for now you will help me with all the tests we need, ok?

- Of course James, I love it

- Hey, we said you were going to tell me Jim, remember?

- Oh yes, excuse me, Jim

- I like the sound of it, hey, and what happened to you yesterday? I was waiting for you, and you never came back

- Oh, I don't know if I want to tell you, but I think you deserve to know.

He looked at me strangely but with attention.

I approached him and quietly said,

- Yesterday, I had some complications at home, so it was late and because of those complications I did not have the time to eat breakfast, which ended up causing me to faint in the office of the supreme overlord, you do not know how mortified I feel.

- I do not believe you

James told me with a face between mocking and incredulous.

- Well, I never thought I could humiliate myself so much, goodbye first good impression

- From what I can see, of course you made an impression on the 'supreme overlord’, lol, the nickname is great, star wars style

- Oh my God, just remembering it I get red from shame again

- Hahahaha you are the sweetest thing in the whole world

- Jim, you are going to make me blush again

- What? I am just telling you the truth. I am dying to eat with you to get to know a little more about yourself

- Ask what you want, I am an open book

- Married? -

- Hahaha you don't mince words, huh?

- You said that whatever I wanted, since yesterday uncertainty is killing me

- Why?

- To know if you are single or not

- I see, please, don't die, I am single.

I told him with my flirting little smile, he smiled hugely, wow, that beautiful smile, white dentures, perfectly aligned teeth, in a single word, it is perfect.

- I am also single and totally available

- I didn't ask

- Hahaha good then, just in case you were wondering, I wanted to let you know

- Hahaha thank you for clarifying my no doubt

- Anytime

We are talking so nicely, working absolutely nothing, but I am completely lost in his eyes and his smile.

- You know

- Hmm

- You have a very cute personality, cheerful and spontaneous Layla

- Oh, I try to be a positive person, you do not gain anything from crying and lamenting about those things in life over which you have no control or the power to change.

- Wow, and where did that come from?

- Oh James, if you knew, maybe you would cry, lol, it doesn't matter now

- Layla, I will not be able to sleep if you leave me with this uncertainty

- Hahaha it is nothing Jim, I just say that I don't like to regret, you know, you always know one person, one hypochondriac or extremely pessimist and people run away from them, it is not my case, I decided years ago, that I want to be happy and enjoy the good things that happen to me, like today, like you

- Me?

- Of course, who would have imagined that in this amazing and awesome place, I would have the coolest boss in the world?

- Wow, that sounded more than great, thank you, I try not to be an annoying boss that makes everyone suffer when coming to work, we are all adults, professionals and if we are here, it is because we enjoy working here, well, that is what I think, if it is not the case, it shows, as you said

- Well, what you just said has all the logic, it is similar to what I tell you about hypochondriacs, they are extremely noticeable.

I heard someone clearing his throat, we both looked back, and it was Richard, woooow, is it 1:40 pm already? 

Time flew by and I didn't even realize it.

- Jimmy -

- Already Ricky?

- It's about time, ready to go Miss Miller?

I nodded and stood up from the seat

- Hey, when you come back, call me at my number, I will go for you wherever you are, ok?

James told me while extending me a business card.

I took it and read it.

- Back.

He told me with his masculine and hoarse voice, I flipped the card to see that it was written with a blue pen, his personal mobile phone number, and the phrase "Please call me" with a wink emoji.