My Beloved Boss (The Short Story)

5

Kyra Lewis:

I woke up and went to the bathroom to do my morning hygiene. As soon as I finished, I put on comfortable clothes.

I went downstairs and, upon reaching the living room, found my family gathered for breakfast.

— Good morning! — I greeted, with a smile.

— Good morning! — they responded in unison.

I sat at the table, grabbed a slice of carrot cake topped with chocolate — my favorite — and served myself some coffee. While enjoying my breakfast, my father interrupted me.

— Have you thought about Matteo's proposal? — he asked, with a serious tone.

— I was considering it, but I still don’t know if I’ll accept. I don’t feel ready.

— Look, daughter, no one here will force you to do anything. But you need to get out of this bubble that’s stopping you from doing what you love out of fear of others’ opinions. You say you’re not ready, but you’ve never truly tried to find out. You’re beautiful, strong, and very brave. You’ve always liked wearing bikinis and, even more, taking photos. Don’t let that prevent you from living fully and doing what makes you happy.

— Did you know you are amazing? — I smiled, appreciating his words. — Alright, I’ll try, but I can’t promise anything. Thanks for your encouraging words; I really needed that.

— I know I am wonderful! — he replied, running his hands through his hair. — Go on and try. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to stay, and I’ll take care of everything related to Matteo.

— I love you, Dad!

— I love you, daughter! — He gave me a gentle kiss on the forehead.

After finishing my coffee, I went up to my room and grabbed my phone to call Matteo.

Calling in progress:

— Hello? — he answered.

— Hi, Matteo, this is Kyra.

— Hi, Kyra! Is there a problem? — he asked, a little apprehensive.

— No, actually, I called to say that I accept the proposal to be a model.

I could hear a sigh of relief from the other end of the line.

— Wonderful! We need to schedule a meeting for you to sign the contract and to understand how the agency works — he said, clearly excited.

— Sure, what day can we have the meeting?

— How about tomorrow? The opening is coming up, and the sooner you sign, the better — suggested Matteo.

— What time? — I asked.

— Around 10 a.m., is that okay?

— Perfect! — I responded enthusiastically.

We said goodbye and hung up. I placed the phone next to my bed and kept reflecting. It’s time to face the world and show how strong I am, remembering that I never give up.

[...]

Matteo Rossi:

I had just arrived at the agency when I received the call from Kyra, confirming she accepted the proposal. An involuntary smile appeared on my face.

— And what’s with that smile? — asked Nate, as he walked into my office.

— I just spoke to Kyra, and she agreed to be a model — I shared the good news, still smiling.

— Is that smile because she took the job or because you talked to her? — he questioned, with a teasing tone.

— Of course, it’s because she accepted! — I replied, trying to hide the truth.

— I’ll pretend I believe that — he said, with a mischievous smile.

— She’s coming here tomorrow to sign the contract — I informed him.

— Finally, I’m going to meet the famous Kyra Lewis! — he commented, with a somewhat amused expression.

I frowned, trying not to show jealousy.

— Don’t joke around with her — I warned, a little serious.

— I’ll never get used to seeing you jealous — he said, laughing.

—I already told you, I’m not jealous! — I retorted, a bit annoyed.

— You say that, and I pretend to believe — he said, still laughing.

— Whatever you think. We need to go, the investors are waiting for us to close this sponsorship today.

We left the room and passed by my secretary, who looked at us with a curious gaze. We took the elevator up and headed towards the parking lot, where I got the car and drove to the company where the meeting would take place.

☆

After about two hours of meetings, we finally returned to the agency.

— Man, I’m exhausted! — Nate exclaimed.

— It’s not just me, at least we closed the deal — I replied, relieved.

— That’s what matters — he agreed.

At that moment, the office door opened, revealing Melissa, who entered with an exaggerated smile.

— I’m leaving — announced Nate, hurrying to go.

— Matt, I’ve missed you! — she said, with overly sweet voice, approaching me.

— Really? Because I didn’t miss you — I replied, already irritated.

— Wow, such stress! I know something that might calm you down — she provoked, leaning in to kiss my neck.

I put my hands on her shoulders and pushed her away.

— I know of something that’s not you — I said firmly.

— What’s your problem? — she asked, now clearly angry.

— None — I replied, indifferent.

— Don’t want to sleep with me anymore? You’re treating me badly. You have another one, don’t you? Who’s the s**t? — she shot, with a challenging look.

— Shut up, I don’t care about your life. Get out of my office before I have to fire you — I retorted, trying to stay calm.

She shot me a outraged look and stomped out furiously.

I sighed, running my hands through my hair. The rest of the afternoon went peacefully. I only had one meeting and used the free time to catch up on some documents. When my time to leave finally arrived, I gathered my belongings and headed home, reflecting on everything that had happened.