My Boss Is A Dragon

Episode 02: Lost In Her Eyes

“Sorry.” Cheryl apologized for her friend’s busy schedule. “She agreed that I’d drag her on a blind date only if she could still answer her phone. I promise it won’t be long.”

Eric observed the woman through the window. Cheryl had been expressing remorse for over an hour. Dan proceeded without waiting for the woman to join us. He placed an order for meals and proceeded to consume an excessive amount of beer. “It’s a good thing we came to a Korean BBQ restaurant.” Dan encouraged. “It gets bloody time for the meat to cook.”

Eric shifted his focus towards the food. The appearance of the food was quite appetizing. The aroma of seasoned, grilled meat ranked among my top three preferred aromas.

As the woman prolonged their wait, his self-doubt intensified. He was an uncomplicated and laid-back individual who had been unattached for a considerable period of time, and my acquaintances were persistently urging me to acquire a romantic relationship. Eric experienced a mixture of excitement and anxiety, contemplating if she would appreciate my appearance as much as he admired her physique and dedication to the tasks she began. He couldn't help feeling out of place.

The beautiful woman walked in, interrupting Eric's thoughts. She had a commanding presence and exuded confidence with every step she took. I couldn't take his eyes off her.

“Savannah, meet Eric.” Cheryl said to break the ice. “Savannah is a busy business person who owns her own company.”

“I only agreed to go on this blind date because you kept nagging me, my friends to take a break from my hectic schedule and have some fun. I have no interest in finding love or getting into a relationship.” Savannah replied, giving Eric a poisonous smile. “It’s nothing personal.” The woman added, attempting to soften the blow of her cruel truth.

They sat down and started talking. Eric was immediately drawn to Savannah's intelligence and sharp wit. He tried his best to make her laugh and impress her with a diversity of stories, but she seemed unimpressed. Savannah was constantly checking her phone and seemed preoccupied with work. Eric couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

Despite Savannah’s obvious lack of interest, Eric was determined to make a good impression. He took her and the happy couple to a fancy dessert place after dinner and even bought thoughtful gifts from a street artisan. But Savannah remained distant. Eric couldn't understand why she had agreed to go on a blind date if she wasn't even going to make an effort.

At the conclusion of the evening, Dan and Cheryl bid them farewell with a wave. Eric escorted Savannah to her vehicle in a courteous manner, displaying gentlemanly behavior. With a swift gesture, he turned and moved away to demonstrate that he had no intention of behaving inappropriately or invading her personal space. Just as he was about to depart, Savannah abruptly intercepted him and expressed remorse for her conduct. He widened his eyes in a state of surprise.

“I’ve just gone through a difficult time in my personal life and am not ready to open up to anyone.” Savannah paused. “I appreciated your genuine efforts and kindness. They made me reconsider the nature of men. You’re not all jerks, right?” She carefully asked with a suspicious expression.

“No. I am the kind of guy who would save a bunny from crossing the street and probably get hit by the car instead.” Eric explained, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Let’s hope that it does not happen. The world needs more kindness.” Savannah smiled at Eric for the first time and his heart skipped a beat. Eric wanted to reassure her with his presence and kiss her lips, but he did not.

“I’ll text you.” Savannah said, getting into her brand new black Maserati.

“Tell me when you get home safely. If the other drivers are as drunk as Dan, I’d rather know you’re safe.” Eric replied, courteous.

“Will do.” Savannah replied, closing the door. She started the engine and drove away.

Eric let out a deep sigh. The evening did not unfold according to his expectations, but it ended in a more positive way than he thought. After drinking a few more drinks, he walked home.

Eric was back at his house following an amazing date with the woman of his dreams. Lying down on his bed, he couldn't resist the need to smile as he mentally reviewed the events of the evening encounter.

As the night went on, his excitement slowly turned into anxiety as he kept checking his phone for a reply from Savannah. Eric sent her a text thanking her for showing up and expressing his desire to see her again, even as friends. However, there was no response from her. Did he say something wrong? A million thoughts raced through his mind, and he couldn't shake off the feeling of unease.

Eric decided to distract himself by scrolling through my social media feed, but every few seconds, he caught himself checking his phone for any notification from the young woman. After what felt like an eternity, his phone lit up with a message. His jaw dropped. It was not the message he expected to see.

“You’re fired!” The words displayed on the screen intensified the palpitations of his heart. Eric tapped his boss's name with a trembling hand. A dozen messages and a few missed calls created more confusion than they resolved.

Eric excelled as one of the top-performing employees in the company. A continuous flow of clients allowed him to make a comfortable living as a freelancer. He was perplexed as to why his supervisor terminated my employment while he was on vacation. Feeling deceived and hurt, he texted his boss for an explanation, but he did not respond. Eric then tried to call, but the call was rejected.

“What is going on?” Eric wondered aloud, pacing in his bedroom. After powering up the computer, he sent an email addressed to the legal department of the corporation. They were unable to terminate his employment without giving him advance warning, and especially not while he was on vacation. Could they?

Unable to withstand the expanding silence, he went out and spent the night drowning his sorrows in a local bar.

As Eric stumbled out into the cold morning air, he received a call from an unknown number. Hesitantly, he answered, only to hear a confident voice at the other end.

“Hello, Mr. Eric. I have a job offer for you.” The voice paused. “I have located your phone and will pick you up in a moment. That is all.” The man hung up before he had the chance to say something.

Moments later, a black SUV came to a halt directly in front of him. The unforeseen occurrence instilled in Eric a sense of impending abduction. An elderly guy courteously emerged to unlatch the rear entrance. "Please go ahead." He uttered a polite gesture of bending forward. Eric observed the person, who responded with a gentle smile.

After hurling himself onto the rear seat, I fastened the belt. The driver's appearance resembled that of a character from a spy-themed television series, with a dark suit and sunglasses.

“To the headquarters.” The older man told the driver.

“Where are we going?” Eric asked, both anxious and curious.

“To the WINAIR company headquarters.” The man explained. “We want you to become the CEO’s bodyguard.”

“Why me?” Eric asked, not believing in luck.

“You are in need of a job, aren’t you?” The old man replied, observing the forthcoming congestion in the early traffic.

“Did you do a background check on me?” Eric asked, reviewing every memory of my existence that might have led me to such an odd situation. The old man remained silent. “You did. Didn’t you?”