Sandwiched Between Billionaires

CHAPTER 2

“What happened today Layla? You came in late.” A voice sounded from behind Layla as she tried to organize the desk in front of her.

“Oh my God, Peter! You nearly scared me to death.” Layla immediately responded after confirming who had walked up behind her.

Peter was a coworker at Seb-Umbrella. He was good looking and didn't have any obvious faults. He was also the first person she spoke to when she started working there. They both worked at the administrative department so he was the supervisor assigned to her.

“I'm sorry, you're so jumpy this morning though.” Peter said with his hands in the air, claiming innocence in his approach.

“I just came to tell you that an emergency auditing has been called. The CEO is asking for you.” Peter reported.

“Me?” Layla asked in shock. “You’re joking right?”

“Just be at the top floor in the next five minutes so you don't lose your job.” Peter said with a laugh as he walked away. He would always joke about things like that, there was nothing more dreadful to a worker than getting fired and Peter preyed on that.

“Did I do something that wrong”?

“None that I know of.”

“Just worried about the fact that he just might sack me because I came to work late today ?”

“ I doubt that but okay.”

Layla made her way toward the building scheduled for the meeting, she hadn't seen her CEO since she resumed work at Seb-Umbrella. According to the executive assistant who was acting by proxy for him, he was out of the state for a while.

“Why today of all days?” she soliloquized

‘Am definitely losing my job today’ she thought then sighed heavily as she was at the door.

Layla knocked and waited for a response.

“Come in.” a voice behind the door echoed

“Good morning Sir…I’m sorry for coming in late tod.…”

She was cut off abruptly when Sebastian threw some documents on his table hinting to Layla

“I need you to draft out these letters.”

“I and some of the executives of this company will be traveling for a business trip in three days. Make arrangements for that as well as accommodation.” He said

Layla who was mortified and as a result of that had put her head down, slowly tilted her head upwards to look at the figure to whom the voice belonged.

She was perplexed to see the same man she had come across during her stay at the clubhouse she used to work which belonged to her best friend's mother.

Sebastian who was too engrossed in making sure the documents he was about to hand over to her weren't merged with other documents, raised his head to look at Layla just to be sure she understood everything he said.

“You!”

“You!” They both said together.

“I’m sor, sorry, I..” She stuttered.

“Get this done as soon as possible.” he interrupted.

“You may leave now.” He finished.

“Uhmm, that's all?

“ unless you want to teach me my job, aside from that, that's all and you may leave” he retired to his seat and resumed working.

“ I didn't mean to, to come to work late, I kinda got, I got stuck in traffic,” she said

Sebastian gave no response, his head still facing downward completely focused on his computer.

Layla, cleared her throat believing that she was heard the first time and began again.

“Uhmm, sir, I, I”

“You talk to much Lily” Seb finally responded in the rudest tone.

‘Rude’ she thought.

“Layla” she stressed.

“You might as well want to stop fidgeting you're distracting me and close the door behind you as you leave.” completely ignoring the correction Layla made.

Layla reluctantly made her way back to her office, embarrassed, boiling up in anger and uncertainty.

She wasn't sure if she still had her job even when Sebastian said nothing about it. But she had a gut feeling that she might as well get sacked after she's made preparations for the executive meeting trip coupled with the fact that they started off on the wrong foot before now.

***

“Is he usually this cocky, rude and stupid?” she had asked Peter.

“Who are you talking about” Peter looked at her with a confused expression on his face.

“Who else?” She asked, giving him a look that was meant to explain who she was referring to.

Layla had decided to get lunch together with Peter at the office cafeteria when he offered, this was a way to forget about the event that happened earlier but she couldn't shake off the fact that what happened was humiliating.

“If I were you, I'd mind my business to keep my job”

“I was minding my business” she retorted.

“Well technically, you were late today” putting his hands up as if surrendering.

“Whose side are you really on?” she scowled, giving him a death stare

“The side that pays me my darling”

“How was I supposed to know I'd see him again?” she retreated, taking everything in.

“Hold up, what do you mean again?” gesturing a quotation mark.”

“Quite a long story,” she said sighing.

We bumped into each other at a club where I was working as a waitress with my best friend and I unintentionally spilled a drink on him”

“I tried calming him down, offering to clean his Tshirt, but he shoved me off rudely making mean comments and asking if I didn't have anything better to do than making a mess everywhere, I was pissed and didn't fail to emphasize on how dense and dimwitted he was. He stormed out and you know”…. She trailed off.

“Now here you are working for him, what a coincidence” Peter added.

Both Layla and Peter stood in silence for a few seconds.

“Maybe you should apologize and by that, I mean, the past and the present” Peter said, breaking the silence

“I mean he's strict, he doesn’t waste his time in sacking an employee but fun fact, you most likely won’t be seeing more of him since he’s barely at a place. Nothing a genuine apology won’t fix.” He said, sarcastically emphasizing genuine.

“I officially hate my life.” She said rolling her eyes.

“Just do it sassy and preferably before the end of today if I were you”

“Fineeee!! I will but I’m not sassy”

They both tidied up and made their way to their offices.

***

Later the same day, almost at the close of work, she made her way toward Seb's office She knocked on the door and waited for a response. When there was none, she held the doorknob and slowly opened the door, she peeked through but there was no one inside.

She stepped into the office, pacing the four corners of the wide office which had an extremely beautiful view. She inhaled as if taking in the view as one breath and exhaled.

“who ushered you in here?”

She was brought back to reality by the voice that came from behind her.

“Uhmm….I…just wanted to apologize for spilling uhmm.. a drink on you the other day at the uhm… clubhouse.” she stuttered.

“I...I… also brought some roses” She smiled awkwardly making an attempt to handover the roses to Sebastian.

“Put it in the trash and leave!” he said authoritatively.

“But I…”

“Now!!!!” he blurted

Know your boundaries or I’ll…” he was cut short by a voice screaming through the door.

“Sebastian Fitzgerald Williams!!”

“Can you give me one good reason you've been ignoring all my calls?” She squealed.

“What are you doing here Alicia?”

“To see my fiancee apparently.” Alicia retorted.

“Stop dreaming and see yourself out Ali” He looked away and fixed his gaze on Layla who got the cue and was about heading toward the door.

“Come back” Sebastian called.

Layla obeyed without hesitating, stopping on track with her head down.

Alicia who was still adamant stood in the room glaring at Sebastian who was now a few inches away from Layla.

Without warning, he pressed his lips against Layla’s, sending Alicia who was already fuming into a world of puzzles.