CHAPTER 2
1342 Words
Tears welled up in her eyes as the elevator rode down. It was taking forever and she was scared he was going to catch up with her. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Breathe seizing and the brain feeling frozen. She put on her shades as the elevator signaled to have it the ground floor. Not looking up with fear of meeting another worse encounter.
“You should watch where you are going”
The voice was different from the one in her head. It clicked that she just bumped into someone but couldn’t look up and was staring down
“Sor... sorry about that”
“You should be more focused next time”
The voice sounded familiar from last time. The shoes, the pants. Looking up in extreme shock as the realization dawned on her
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. I didn’t even expect to hit someone on my way”
“This is an organization and people do come in here and go in”
“I know I know and I’m so sorry but I need to go”
“Another appointment different from work?”
That came off as rude to her. Seems he was implying something which she wouldn’t agree with.
“And I don’t think I should disclose my next move to a stranger”
“Not when it involves your boss”
“Last I checked, I haven’t gotten an appointment letter from the organization”
Grabbing her arms and moving dangerously close to her ears
“A direct appointment from the boss is an appointment”
Feeling weak in her knees again. First it was the shoes and the pants and now the voice which is dangerously close to her ears. She could feel her pulse racing again. She could feel her palms sweaty. Still in a daze as the effect of the voice had a strong hold on her.
“I think someone is lost in thought?”
“Sorry I didn’t catch that”
“I said be sure to resume as early as eight O’clock tomorrow morning as we don’t tolerate lateness”
This was a big shock to her. Getting a direct offer from the boss. She doesn’t even know how to respond.
“Thank you so much”
“Don’t thank me yet. Let’s see what you are capable of and what you can offer”
He left her standing there without getting a reply from her. She kept opening and closing her mouth trying to get a reply out but he was far too gone before she could think of something proper to say.
Passing by the reception desk... she dropped the visitors tag.
“Goodbye ma’am”
“It’s Tristy but everyone calls me Triss”
“We hope to see you tomorrow”
“I haven’t gotten an appointment letter”
“You should check your mail and you don’t want to keep the boss waiting tomorrow”
Immediately, her phone dinged signaling she has a new message
“Alright thank you”
From the corner of her eyes. She could feel someone watching her. Looking to her right-hand side she saw him again.
Gripping the desk firmly, she was able to catch her breath quickly and with shaky legs walked towards the door and out of Tonias Enterprises without looking back to see if she was being watched again. She hated those eyes and the looks they were giving her.
Looking forward she could see her mum at the other side of the road. Sitting by the window side with a coffee on the table.
She crossed to the other side and went inside the cafe.
“How did it go?”
“Today is a bad day mum”
Tears welled up in her eyes
“Oh come on. You can still try out other places. They don’t deserve you here”
“Mum it wasn’t the interview”
“Come on talk to me... I know the questions wouldn’t have been something hard to answer”
She smiled at that. It was always the confidence her mother had in her even whenever she doesn’t feel achieved
“I got the job”
“That’s great news…you see I knew you could do this. Your smart mouth knows when to come out to be useful”
“Something else happened”
“Okay I’m all ears”
Tears started flowing down her cheeks. She just couldn’t open her mouth to talk. It felt so unbelievable. How will she cope at work?
“No it’s fine. It’s nothing serious”
“There is something serious when tears are rolling down your eyes dear woman”
“I don’t want to talk about it”
“Problem shared is a problem half solved”
“Not a problem that would make you look stupid. It’s best you keep it to yourself”
“Okay, I would give you time to get yourself together and we can leave here but just so you know. I’m always here for you my baby”
“I am no longer a baby mum”
“Still my baby”
Smiling at her mum because she knew she wasn’t going to drop it anytime soon.
“Okay let’s go. I need to freshen up and get myself together. I’m to resume tomorrow and last I heard they said the boss doesn’t take nonsense”
“Oh that’s quick. Immediate appointment”
“You don’t want to know my encounter before I landed that”
“At least you didn’t kill anyone”
“Oh my smart mouth almost got me in trouble and believe me I thought I wasn’t going to get even a cleaning job there”
“You still won this one…so thanks to your smart mouth”
The drive home was silent, and it was going to be a long heavy drive. One could hear the heartbeats in the car. Thinking back to today’s encounter again, tears welled up in her eyes and she looked out the window to enjoy the busy street of Los Angeles.
Taking a deep breath and speaking out the window,
“I saw Chancey earlier”
Her mum slammed the break so hard that she almost got hit from behind
“Move away from the road you crazy person. That was a shitty way of driving bullocks”
“I’m so sorry but you should learn how to speak moron”
She continued driving without uttering a word. Not knowing the right thing to say yet. Seeing the house down the road. She drove down and bent towards the garage and turned off the ignition. Holding Layla hands.
“I’m sorry about today”
“No mum it’s fine. I mean Tonias is big enough”
“You can apply to other places and leave there if you don’t want to be dragged back”
“That’s me being a coward and you didn’t train me to be a coward”
“I can contact one or two people you would like me to contact. I believe I still know a few good people out there”
It sounded like a good idea. She could just get some other place to work rather than be hoping for a slim chance of not bumping into him anymore.
“I would think about it”
“I'll wait till dinner time”
“Mum that’s too early. I need enough time to think this through.”
“You have an offer opened for tomorrow”
Remembering that she got a notification on her phone before, she picked her phone to check for the Mail from the company but it wasn’t what she was expecting.
She pushed open the door of the car and ran inside the house.
“Layla wait!!!”
Didn’t look back and ran to her room and slammed the door shut.
Screaming out of her lungs with hot tears streaming down her cheeks
“Why me!!!!!”
- Writer
