The Office Assistant

Office Drama

Annie was tapping her foot annoyedly by the elevator the next Monday. Elise was sure she was going to get an ear full from Georgia she had not expected her best friend's lecture too. She smiled at the morning guard, whose name always escaped her, and scanned her work badge silently begging the machine to malfunction. It didn't.  

"Well?" Annie asked as she punched the up button.

"Okay, don't break the elevator, Ann. And well what?"

Annie ignored her until they were on the second floor up. Elise stood in the far corner of the small space but could still feel the tension and anger rising off her friend. She felt like a physical touch and that worried her. She didn't think Annie had any reason to be angry with her she hadn't talked to her the whole weekend and she'd been off Friday for her youngest son's dentist appointment. Elise let out a loud sigh.

"Are you going to explain your tude or am I just supposed to guess?" 

"Tude? What are you six? Don't act like you don't know."

"Okay then your effing attitude. And, trust me, I don't have a clue what your issue is." 

"Georgia is firing me, because of what happened the other day with you."

"What happened?" Elise moved closer as the doors opened on the fifth floor. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I haven't said anything to her since last Monday before she left."

Annie glared death rays at her, "Apparently you did. Why else would she want me gone?"

Elise thought for a minute the only argument she'd had last week was with Roy. And she couldn't believe that was a reason Annie would get fired. Nephew or not it literally had nothing to do with Georgia or Annie. The only time she remembered Annie's name coming up was when Roy had said it. "I swear the only argument I had with him had nothing to do with you or her. He threatened to hit me because I spilled coffee on him. Some things were said, but the only time anyone said anything about you or Georgia was when he said and I quote 'if you weren't Annie's friend I'd...' "

"He'd what?" Her posture changed to defensive from hostile.

"Don't know," Elise shrugged. "I interrupted him with a few words of my own. That's why I don't get why she wants to fire you. Unless it has something to do with Thursday night." 

They hit their floor and Annie grabbed her arm. Elise was forced to follow her into the women's bathroom. Annie called out when she only got an echo she locked the door. "Okay, spill it what happened?"

"Remember my meeting with Mr. Gaius?" Annie nodded. "Well, Georgia was apparently was having a mental breakdown." Elise recounted the whole story. 

"She didn't?" Annie laughed. "Oh I bet that was fun."

"I bet that's why she's picking a fight with you. We're friends, but after Thursday night she feels I'm off limits so if she fires you or gets you to quit then I'll obviously have to quit. At least in her mind."

Annie rolled her eyes and sighed. "And then of course her email to me made it seem you had said something so we'd be fighting and not have each others backs. Oh, that manipulative b***h! Forgive me for being an i***t?"

Elise hopped off the sink counter and hugged her. "Of course! I was about to pop you over the head but yes I forgive you. Now to figure out what Georgia wants."

Unlocking the door Annie said, "Oh joy joy! Listen I'm buying lunch and you are going to fill me in on the details on that meeting and your weekend. And I'll feel you in on the latest drama at Chateau Stone."

"It's a date, Babe." She replied as she opened the floor's main door.

Elise stopped at her desk while Annie went on and paused at Roy's desk. Her smile was lethal as she looked down at her assistant. Elise stayed standing so she could see over the dividers. "I'd hate for that look to be pointed my way." She heard to her left. Her cube mate, Ally commented as she peered around her  own desk divider.  Elise nodded her agreement. 

"Mrs. Haynes, you are ten minutes late. In my office, now." Georgia called from the belly of her office.

Annie turned in an almost predator like fashion, "One moment, ma'am." Turning back to Roy she said, "You, Mr. Knight are so gone. I've gotten a number of complaints about your attitude toward other people, but I've ignored it because you are Georgia's nephew and you're a fairly good assistant. But you crossed a line when you threatened physical violence toward one of your fellow employees. 

"I fu...didn't threaten anything." He tried so hard to defend himself. 

"You didn't? Do I call the person over?" Since he'd recently threatened both Elise and another woman he only shook his head. Annie didn't waste another minute, "You have twenty minutes to get your things and remove yourself from the building." With that she turned and walked, with her head high, into Georgia's office. 

Elise shared a look that said 'oh s**t' with a few others then took her seat and started her work load. Between wishing she was a fly so she could hear more of the meeting than a few screamed words and spinning in her chair, her work load stayed almost the same size it had been when she'd started it. "Ugh."

"I know, right? Want to go get a snack in the kitchens?' Ally asked as she stood. "I want to know what's going on so bad it's not even funny, but I also don't want to be the dope standing at the office door with her ear pressed against it."

"Same."

 Four hours later  Annie walked up, "Ready for lunch?"

"Totally." Elise saved her document. "Ally, you want to come?"

"I can't, I'm taking off tomorrow so I have to work through my lunch. But if I give the money will you grab me something?"

"Of course" Elise took the other's money and put it in her wallet as she walked to the elevator. 

The two women didn't talk until they were far out of reach of the building's ears. "So, what happened? Obviously, she didn't fire you, but what happened?"

Annie linked arms with her. "Oh boy was that fun. She was so angry that I had fired Roy I swear there was steam coming from her ears. Oh and she did mean to fire me, but since I fired Roy it'd look suspish as hell!"

"Why yes it would seem very suspicious. Good thing she's smarter than she looks. So what was the screaming about?" Elise pulled open the door to The Small Café on 25th.

After being seated Annie finished her story. "She basically threatened to demote me since she couldn't fire me. When I reminded her she would need Grace's okay on that she decided to transfer all her drafts to my email that's the part she was screaming."

"Thank you," Elise said absently to the waiter as he dropped off their food. "Well if you need any help just throw it my way. I'm working late tonight. I hardly got anything done this morning."

"Well maybe you'll see Mr. Sexy"

"Annie hush!"  

 Annie laughed and took a bite of her grilled chicken salad. "I should be good, though, I'll work until seven then Mike and I have a date so I'll just loose some along the way until tomorrow. So tell me about your weekend."

Elise chewed and swallowed a bite of French Dip before answering. She wanted to lie and say it'd been a great time, but she also wanted to whine about the whole thing. "Well it was a total freaking nightmare. Daddy Dearest spent the whole time making jokes at my expense and Tweetle Dee and Tweetle Dumb laughed right along with him. My mom nor my sisters did anything to back me up and to top it off we spent about fourteen hours in the tornado shelter."

"Awe, Babe. I'm sorry. My Saturday was spent in the ER with Mike because that new mare he got a few weeks ago bucked him then turned and kicked him square in the head. I thought he was dead for a good two minutes."

"Oh my gosh!" Elise gulped down her Coke. "So what did the ER say?"

"After waiting for a life time they finally said he had a grade two concussion and a some broken ribs. So they kept him over night until Sunday afternoon."

"Dang, girl. I'm sorry I wasn't here to help."

"It's ok you had your own drama going on and the boys were a lot of help. They were with Edna, Mike's sister,  but they put the mare back into her stall, fed everyone else, and helped make spaghetti for dinner and Sunday morning they helped me with Mike's choirs and still got theirs done. So this weekend if Mike is feeling better we're going to the water park as their reward. And it was so adorable Kaycee, and Kylie tried helping me do laundry but they messed up and put bleach in with blacks. They were crying and brought me their piggy banks so they could pay for their mistake." 

"Awe, they're so sweet."

They finished their meal and was on their way back when Annie realized Elise hadn't told her about her meeting with the boss. "So I'm still waiting for details about your meeting."

Elise felt herself blushing. "Oh gees. I mean nothing really happened." Annie gave her a look that said uh huh. Elise knew she wasn't believing her. Heck! I'm not believing me. "Oh! Look at the time. We've got to get going."

Annie laughed, "Yeah, saved by the bell. But I demand to know something at supper tonight."

Of course she does, Elise shook her head. They chatted about random things on the walk to the office. Elise tried to focus, but thoughts of the kiss she shared with their boss had her trying to breath correctly. They had spoke about business and their day, which he wasn't elaborate on. He had made small talk while he watched her as she watched the city through one of the large windows. She could feel his hot gaze on her back. When his chest was pressed against her back she took a deep breath, breathing in his scent . She couldn't name the way he smelled, but she liked it, it was musky and woodsy yet there was something primal that spoke to the woman in her.   

"Hello, earth to El." 

Elise blinked, looking up she narrowly missed the revolving door. "Guess I need a nap," she offered.

Annie walked into one of the doors spaces, "yeah, a nap."

Elise stopped at the sixteenth floor while Annie went on to the eighteenth for a meeting.  The rest of the day passed in a fix of insults from Georgia and extra work on top of what she already had to do. When Ally said good bye she looked at the clock on her computer screen it read 5:05 pm. She texted Annie: 'Hey  Bish, gotta work late. Rain check on supper?'  Annie texted back 'You can't avoid me forever, missy. HAHA. Good news to come in the AM BTW. Be careful love ya. And I'm still sorry for this morning.'

"Avoiding her HA! " Elise laughed, "Good news? Great now I'm going to be curious all night long."

                                                             *   *   *   *   *   *   *

Cal woke as he always did. Slowly at first one sense one feeling coming back one at a time. Then all at once his brain and heart jump started and his breathing was quick and his heart was racing as if his body was speeding to get back to life. He hated it.

He laid there trying to force his body to relax. His silk sheets were wrapped tight around his hips and legs. He fought them off,  and stood. He had the weird sensation that he'd been in a dream before waking. He hated that feeling because he never knew what he'd dreamt. His body felt hot and heavy as he wondered to the bathroom and ran a hot shower. 

Running a towel over his hair with one hand he opened his email on his laptop with the other. While spam cluttered the list two stood out. One from Grace and another from Harriette Graves, his maker. He dropped the towel and set as he began to read. Harriette's email. Dearest Caligula, It has been too long. Unfortunately this email isn't a happy one. I have found Cassius. He was in Texas a few months ago so he could be in Oklahoma somewhere. I have not found exactly where, but Marks says he lost him on a highway and has yet to find him again. If you want to come home I will accept you with open arms, but as I know you and know you will never set foot on your homeland again I beg of you, my dearest, please please be careful. If you need me all you have to do is say the word and I will come. All my love H.G.  He paused and read it again. 

He had not realized Harri still had Marks trailing Cassius. He mulled this over as he replied his thanks. Next he called Grace as he dressed. She'd be out of town for the next month while she took her sons on a European vacation and wouldn't answer any emails.   

"Hello," Grace answered sounding strained. 

"Hey. Bad time?" He hit speaker and set the phone on the bed. He could hear the muffed sounds on the other end of the line just fine.

"Not for you. Did you get my email?" She yelled at her son, "I swear I should leave you in the kennel and take the dog."

Cal laughed. "I did. You put Ralph in a kennel?"

She said something away from the speaker. "Good," she answered, "I had too the dog walker got sick and Henry can't take him his cat hates dogs and weights ten pounds more than Ralph does."

"Oh makes sense." He pulled jeans over slim hips, "So Georgia quit or got fired?" 

"Kind of both. She was angry about her nephew, Roy Knight being fired for basically being an asshole. I told her I stood with Mrs. Haynes on that and wouldn't be hiring him back. She then went on to say...Oh hang on Cal."

Cal rolled his eyes, he loved Grace's sons like an uncle but sometimes he wanted to smack them upside the head when they were giving her a hard time. As he waited he settled on a dark blue plaid button down shirt; leaving it untucked, he pulled on an old pair of tan Timberland boots. Grace came back on the line when he set about fixing his hair.

"Sorry, teens suck at times, so anyways, she said she'd quit if I didn't hire him back. I told her to go ahead that it wasn't going to happen she then got nasty threatening you and I with a lawsuit so I was done and told her she was fired as well. I had been nice and allowed her to abuse company time enough and arguing with me was doing just that so she could gather her things and get out."

"Oh, so who is filling her job?" He hated to think of Elise having to carry that load. 

"Her assistant editor. Annie Haynes. She and I met this afternoon and she signed the paperwork today. Unfortunately that leaves her without a backup."

"I might have someone. I'll ask them."

"Who?"

"Elise Myers," He found no reason to not tell her. "She does a lot of editing already and she went to university to do so."

"I love her. I deal with her a lot and I think you are right. She'd be perfect!" Farther away a voice over a loud speaker called for their plan to board. "Well tell me what she says. I'll see you when I get back. Love ya!"

With that the line went dead. He rolled his eyes as he tapped the end button and slipped his phone into his back pocket along with his black leather wallet. Cal picked up Henry, the old cat he'd adopted years before, and scratched his head. Once in the kitchen the cat mewled his annoyance at being woke without his food waiting for him. Cal gave a short laugh, "you're such a diva, here ya go," he set a gold colored bowl full of raw chicken, vegetables, and Henry's vet given supplements. "Don't leave any then whine at me when I come home, either." Cal exited the building not long after. He sped through the still bustling city toward his building hoping Elise would still be there.  

                                                                         *   *   *   *   *   *

Elise came back from the bathroom to find her phone screen blinking. She sighed as she picked it up it was eleven p.m. who could possibly want her? DAILY SAYING flashed across the screen. Pressing Open she read: "“We try new things with open minds. Mistakes, they come and go. Attempting what we cannot do Is how we learn and grow.” ― Richelle E. Goodrich .  Well she's not wrong." Elise had downloaded the Daily saying and poem app not long after moving to the city. It made her think on things and also gave her a new perspective sometimes.

He watched her from the glass wall that over looked the bullpen. He missed her, he wanted to hold her, wanted to run his hands through her luscious hair, he wanted to feel her life slipping from her body as he squeezed her pretty little neck. He shook his head those thoughts wouldn't service his purpose tonight. His king wanted pictures. He'd give him what he wanted without questions. He had just clicked a few shots when she looked up. He ducked back from the wall. He had been told not to let her see him. It'd ruin the king's plan. He heard a bell from down the hall and stilled. No one was supposed to be there. NO ONE! He ran the opposite way he'd came, away from the elevator and hide in the shadows. 

Elise shivered, looked up, and seen a flash of someone or something. She had the oddest sensation she wasn't alone. She knew Cal worked late most days if he came into the office, but he'd have made it known or just kept to himself she thought. He wouldn't be watching her. Taking a deep breath she saved her last file and collected her phone. Maybe she was just tired and her brain was making up things. Elise didn't know, but she didn't feel like sticking around any longer than she had to. She cautiously opened the main door and came face to face with a tall man. She reacted and her fist almost connected with Cal's handsome face. Almost. He moved so fast she barely seen him grab her wrist. 

Cal let her arm fall as he slowly let go. "You greet everyone with your fist?"

"Um, huh? Oh, no. I..."

"Elise, breath." He gently held her listening to her heart race much too fast. "You're okay."

"Was that you?" When he raised an eyebrow she rushed on, "at the wall," she pointed, "there."

Cal looked in the direction she pointed without taking his hands off her shoulders, "No, I just got off the elevator and came to the door to see if you were here." Did her heart beat get faster?  "Maybe it was just a flash from the lightening."

It wasn't, she wanted to say but instead asked, "why were you looking for me?"

"I had a question to ask." Her heart still raced. "But I think you need a break."

"I just finished. I was..."

Cal heard it then another racing heart. He held a finger to her lips "Shhh."

"What?" Elise whispered. Had he seen something in the windowed wall behind her? It was twenty till midnight when the guard made walk through rounds, no body was at the front desk where the cameras were displayed. The year before flashed in her mind, the horrible pain of being kicked, hit, and stabbed made her blood run cold and she started to shiver. She wanted to hit head on a wall for her reaction. She knew she was over reacting but PTSD didn't care. No matter how many self defense classes or therapy sessions she went too, there was always going to be a trigger that would set her off.  

"I hea...seen something." Cal turned to walk into the hall

Elise took a deep breath trying to calm her emotions and body. He's in prison. Bert isn't here. It had to be the guard making rounds.  She grabbed his forearm. "Don't leave me here."

Cal looked at her small hand gripping his arm so tightly her knuckles were white. He looked into her eyes, seeing fear so strong it took his breath away. Cal nodded and took her hand using it to place her behind him. What was she so terrified of she was willing to risk running into a thief or a murderer to avoid? He followed the scent and heart beat of a person around a corner. Stairs to the left and bathroom to right the scent went both ways. The smell was so strong he didn't have to have a super smelling ability to follow it from this point. He felt Elise's body heat against his back when she ran into him when he stopped. Her quickening breathing caught him off guard.

He looked over his shoulder and her face looked horrified. "Elise, do you recognize the scent?"

Her hazel eyes grew dark she tried to speak but fear closed her throat. She nodded. She'd know that smell anywhere, she'd given the cologne to Bert on their first year anniversary. Axe Body Spray in Anarchy. She'd loved the smell at first now it was such a bad memory it made her want to vomit. She forced her voice to work passed her fear and gag reflex, "it smells like a cologne I gave my ex. And I've never smelled it after him."

"He's the one who almost killed you?" 

She was slightly shocked but not completely, it was public information any basic Google search of her name would bring it up. "Yeah, Bert. But he's in prison."

Before Cal could reply he heard someone move in the men's bathroom. "Stay here."  

"Mr. Gaius?" 

The question came from behind them making them both jump. Elise seen a flash of silver in Cal's eyes, yet ignored it when she turned to face. James Hinderson, the guard on duty that night. Her heart slowly made it's way from her throat. James seemed just as surprised to find them in the hall than they were to see him. Cal did not move Elise from in front of him keeping her away from the bathroom door as he reached around and shock James' hand.   

"Miss Myers seen an unknown man on the floor as I was getting off the elevator. He went into the bathroom, I believe." He wasn't saying how he knew.

"Yes sir, I got a notice on my phone someone entered the building just before you did. I ran back to the screens, but I couldn't make them out or see where they went. So, I started a floor to floor search. Would you like me to call law enforcement, sir?"

Cal looked at Elise and decided not to put her through that, "No, James, maybe we should just go see who our guest is then go from there. Elise stay here."

She looked annoyed then though she was scared. Cal found it adorable and bit his cheek to hide a smile as he turned toward the door. He could still hear her heart racing, though slower than before he was glad for that. James entered  first and called out. They got no reply. Cal could smell the other man over the smell of the sanitized bathroom he heard his heart tapping an odd beat quick, slow, race, too slow, and back to quick again. His breathing was the same. 

"Who's in here?" Cal asked in a voice he'd have used to command an army. It usually got him what he wanted. The heart beat quickened, Cal imagined the heart literally slamming into the man's rib cage. He and James came to the second of the only two stales and he knocked. "We seen you come in here," he lied, "we just want to know..."

The door slammed open catching Cal off guard and knocking him back into James, who slipped hitting his head against the wall. Cussing a blue streak James stood shaking and rubbing the cob webs from his brain. Cal collected himself and chased the unknown man out worried for Elise's safety. He found her pressed so hard against the wall he wondered if he would have to pry her off. 

Oh, my God! She thought as she forced herself to step away from the wall. It couldn't be. It's not possible, I'd have gotten a notice he was let out. It's just my brain thinking up things. Or the lighting hitting that guy just right and the smell of him. 

"...Are you okay?" 

Elise looked up into soft gray eyes. Shaking her head to snap herself back to reality. "I, uh, yeah. He just pushed me against the wall as he ran passed me."

Cal fought to keep from wrapping his arms around her in front of James. He didn't want office gossip. It was a hard fight but he won by thrusting his hands in his pocket until he looked into her eyes. He pulled her into his arms then though she kept hers around her upper stomach. "James maybe we should call then get you to a hospital for that head. I don't want you to have a concussion or worse."

The three rode the elevator down in silence. After calling the police and making sure James went to the nearby emergency room Cal was able to concentrate on Elise. He had left her in the outer waiting area while he talked to an officer. She looked up when he came in. Clearly shaken.

"Do want me to drive you home?" He asked quietly. 

Elise swallowed, "No. If you don't mind I'll stay in Annie's office I have a key."

He remembered why he'd been looking for her in the first place, however he decided it could wait. Sighing he held out his hand when she took it he pulled her up. "You can come with me. I still have some work to get done."

Elise quietly agreed and allowed him to lead her to the elevator and up to his office. The adrenaline rush the fear had given her had left her feeling tired and heavy. She didn't want to think. She didn't want to feel. And she definitely did not want to talk. Which seemed reciprocated by Cal who was lost in though. Elise set on his over size couch and leaned her head back. She heard the click of a glass against something and looked up. Cal offered a gentle smile as he handed her a small crystal glass of bourbon.

"Thank you." Cal nodded as he set down next to her. " I thought you had work."

"What are they going to do fire me?" he gave her mischievous grin. " I think we need a drink after tonight."

Elise took a sip and laid her head back. "I agree."