Chapter 5
1145 Words
Chapter Five
It's a busy street and everywhere is crowded and bustling with people...noisy too. Cassie and I stand underneath a trampoline, directly in front of a fastfood restaurant, covered in sweat.
Drained would be an understatement to how we feel but we are determined to find anyone putting on a Mickey mouse shirt.
"Are you sure about the place?" I ask for the seventh—maybe more, time.
"Yesssss, Elina, Yes!" Cassie replies, not taking her eyes off the road.
I squeeze my face, feeling frustrated. Apparently, our 'hacker' friend told us to come wait for him under a trampoline in front of a fastfood restaurant and check out for anyone wearing a Mickey mouse shirt.
A 'Mickey mouse' shirt.
At this point, it seems like a joke and I'm frustrated and sweaty and tired of standing under the scorching sun.
"If I lay my hands on that tech friend of yours, I'm so going to—" I am interrupted by a voice.
"To do what?" Cassie and I both spin around to find a skinny guy standing behind us. A bottle of soda in his right hand and a doughnut on his left.
He's wearing a red cap on his head and on his shirt is printed the famous Mickey mouse cartoon.
"Please don't tell me—" he takes a long sip from his drink with his straw, interrupting me.
"—that I'm the hacker that asked you to come and wait for me in front of a fastfood restaurant? Okay, I won't." He says in a dull voice as he takes a small bite from his doughnut.
"Jerry," Cassy says in a cherry mood. "Nice to see you after a long time."
"Yes, you too. I assume you've broken up with the well muscled dude you broke my heart for." His voice still sounds dull as he takes another sip from his drink.
"Jerry.... I said I was sorry about that." Cassie replies, leaving me to watch the weird scenario going on in front of me.
"I know." Jerry takes his eyes off Cassie and it falls on me. "So you need help finding someone. Well, come on in." He turns around, leading us inside the restaurant and I open my mouth in shock as I see other workers wearing the same Mickey mouse shirt.
"You f*****g work here?" I ask, taking a step closer only to be held back by Cassie.
"It's okay, baby bear, it's okay. Jerry can be a prick at times." She whispers in my ear as I watch Jerry walk, choosing to ignore the threat behind him.
We pick a seat at the far end of the restaurant as Jerry drops his half eaten doughnut and pulls out a laptop from a bag.
He clicks on the laptop the moment he turns it on and pulls out his phone to check the number from Cassie's text.
My stomach is tight with nerves. Every minute feels like another chance for that secret to explode.
Suddenly, my phone rings. I fumble to pick it. “Hello?”
“Miss Hemsworth?” Amelia's voice says. “You need to get down to the project site, Now. There’s been... a situation.”
"s**t!" I almost forgot. Today's the day for residential design. Cassie and I placed Amelia in charge till we got back. But it seems she's not capable enough. "I'll be there as soon as I can."
I give Cassie a restrained smile and she understands, giving me a nod as I bolt out of the restaurant.
It didn't take me long to get to the site but I'm panting like a dog on the run.
I find Amelia standing at the entrance with a tab in her hands and a nervous smile on her face.
"What happened?" I ask.
"Well.... One of the workers had an argument with the CEO's liaison. She was trying to tell him something but he thought she was trying to teach him his work. She slapped him when he called her a bad word and it took a few other workers to restrain him from doing the same to her." She says.
"Jesus Christ, Amelia. I left you in f*****g charge." I rub my face knowing the complications of what has happened.
I could very much lose the project.
"One other thing." Amelia pipes in, her voice barely audible. "The CEO wants to see you." She says and my heart almost stops beating.
Of course, he's around. I'm so lost on this project.
I rub my head and take deep breaths as I try to calm myself.
"Thank you, Amelia, you can leave. You've done a really great job today." I smile sarcastically at her as I turn to where she directs me to where Noah is.
Apparently, he's waiting for me in a black SUV. The door opens as I get closer.
"Get in." I hear him say from inside.
Taking a deep breath and after a gulp, I get in.
"Randolf, can you excuse me for a few minutes?" He asks his driver.
"Of course, sir." I watch as Randolf unbuckles his seatbelt and alights from the car, shutting it behind him, leaving me with Noah.
He keeps his face firmly on his tab but I can see him tense and his face still hardened.
"There was a situation over here and you weren't around." He says. Not a question.
"Yes. I—" I begin but he interrupts me.
"You don't think this project is important enough to give your all to it?" His gaze is finally off the screen and on him.
"It is, it really is. And I'm sorry. Something came up and I had to go there. It wouldn't happen again. I'm sorry." I beg because I can't afford to lose this project. It's the only way I can cement my brand and put it at the top of all competition.
Noah takes a few minutes to observe me and it's not until his gaze falls to my lips that he looks away. "Alright, one more chance. Don't let there be a recurrence of what happened to today again, El—Ms. Hemsworth."
I wince as he speaks to me professionally. "Alright......boss" I watch him have the same effect as me and I feel a pang of satisfaction.
I'm about to step out of the car when he holds my arm.
I turn to face him and I see him looking at me intently. He's suddenly closer than he was before and I can feel his breath on my face.
"Noah," I begin but I falter as I close my eyes.
I open my eyes and they drift to his lips. I'm about to move in when my phone rings.
Cassie.
I pull back and pick the call.
“We got something. An address.”
- Writer
