Hello Mr. Arrogant

Chapter 9

[Semi-edited]

Chapter 9: {You May Go}

I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock blaring in my ear. I slammed my hand down on the end table missing the thing by a centimeter and causing a throbbing pain to shoot up my arm. I pulled back my hand and shot out of bed once I realized why my clock was going off. I had only twenty minutes to get ready before I had to leave for work, and then still get there on time with Ashton's coffee!

"Damn insomnia," I grumbled.

I threw back the covers and ran to my closet pulling out whatever clothes that looked descent. I skipped the shower this morning trading it for a piece of toast before leaving.

I rushed out of the apartment lobby doors almost forgetting that my hair was in tangled clumps on the top of my head. I ran my fingers threw it and pulled my hair up in a makeshift ponytail. 

I waved my hand in the air trying to call a taxi once I finally felt semi-ready. Most drove right by me in a hurried blur while others took their time and watched me as they went. I yelled many curse words at them before stomping a few miles to the coffee shop. It had been more than a week since I was with Ashton, but walking in heels was still something I hated doing. 

My legs went numb by the time I got there. I had momentarily taken off my heels so my feet wouldn't blister before I even got into the office, but in the process of walking, I scraped and bruised the balls of my feet on the cement sidewalk.

"Ash-Ashton Hadley please," I huffed out to the barista as I leaned against the wooden counter. The place was the same as it was yesterday and the day before that. Normal people standing in line to get their special everyday cups of joe, soft hipster music played in the background of their not-so-private phone calls, and the smell of bitter coffee and sweet pastries seemed to come and go with the draft that came every time someone opened tinted doors.

She handed me a warm coffee cup that almost burned my hand to the touch. I thanked her and sped walked as fast as one can in heels out of there. I looked down at my phone as I crossed the street. I had only two minutes to check-in and be in his office before I was counted as late. 

The feeling of dread washed over me. What would Ashton think when I showed up late? Even worse, I show up late and I can't use the excuse that I was fashionably late. I doubt he would buy that excuse, but I looked like a train had run me over.

"Where have you been!" Belle screamed as I walked in. She came and grabbed my arm basically pulling it out of its socket just to get me to the elevators. "You don't know how much trouble you'd be in if I didn't make up a reason why you aren't here. Karen was going crazy looking for you." She pushed me into the elevator right before it closed. She waved with a pitiful smile to go along with it before the doors closed and all I heard was the sounds of breathing surrounding me.

It was cramped. So cramped, in fact, that I had to hold my arms in front of my body just so I could breathe. All the people in the small elevator with me all looked so barbie like. Straight hair-Sometimes in a bun- slender legs, pale skin, blue or brown doe eyes. If I looked hard enough I could spot the individual differences, but just from a glance, they all looked the same. It was actually hard for me to picture them with separate lives outside of work. 

I imagine at the end of their shifts they would go into one of the many back rooms, in them would be little sleeping pods, and then they would wait until the next day. But, of course, that was not the case.

A faint ding signaled that the elevator had stopped and then the doors opened. I wiped the bead of sweat that formed on the forehead away with my finger and released the breath that I was very painfully holding. 

The first thing I hear is a high pitched chuckling coming from the desk over to my left. "Where have you been?" June asked while the other girls huddled around her. If I were to guess, June was the queen bee back in high school, and apparently she still thought she was. I would also assume that the ones huddled around her were followers of other queen bees themselves. They're always looking for someone to follow because they have nothing better to do and they feel helpless without their leader.

Pathetic. 

"Idiots," I scoffed to myself under my breath.

"What was that!" I heard that venom in June's voice and I knew if I didn't leave then I was going to hurt a certain someone. I continued to walk toward Ashton's office even after all the empty threats June threw at me as I went by her.

One knock was my special P.A code. One little tap on the door and he knew it was me. I heard a gruff version of "come in" before walking in and closing the door behind me.

"Hello, Mr. Hadley. I'm sorry I'm late," I greeted in a monotone of my own, placing the still steaming cup on his desk. I took in a deep breath as I took a peek at his wonderful face. Calm and collected as he typed away at his computer screen. Peaceful and focused. His eyes peered up and found mine straight away. 

"A-Anything else?" I asked not meaning to stutter the way I did. He sighed a sigh of relief and leaned back in his chair. Doing so, he cracked his knuckles and then placed his hands behind his head. The act was torturous to watch and I tried to look at anything else but him, but his flexing muscles kept drawing me in.

"You may go, Lydia," he said smiling at me, amusement hinted in his voice. I nodded and hurriedly walked away, softly closing the door behind me as I did. I swear I could hear a vague chuckle come from the other side, but I ignored it like I did most things, and walked over to my office.

My room smelled of chamomile and patchouli, my two favorite scents. Yesterday I lite a candle just so it would make the grueling day more bearable. That same candle was sitting on my desk neatly places in the corner next to my note pad and a mug with all my pencils and pens placed in it. There was a small vase with some fake red and white roses on the other side of my computer screen. That basically was my office. Even with all the space and room for other items and furniture, I preferred a small cubical space for me, myself, and I to work at.