Golden Opportunity

Chapter 4

AYLA

We go to the dinner across the office and I feel the everyone's attention on us. It's rare you see the CEO out for lunch, especially with a person of the opposite s*x. No one knows what made him hate women, but he never ceased to make it obvious.

Although, he's not behaving hostile towards me.

We take our seats and, soon, a waiter comes to our table to take our order. I feel invisible at that time. Her eyes are only on him and she is eating him up. After she took his order he looked at me expectantly, but the waiter was already turning to leave.

Irritation surges up inside me and I so want to give him a glare as if it's his fault. Well, it is. Instead I clear my throat loudly and, finally, she notices me. I give her a sour smile.

"A ham and cheese sandwich and a caramel latte, thank you", I say and look out the window signaling to her that I don't appreciate her service.

I hear a chuckle from across the table and I turn my head to see Mr. Kingston smiling amused at me.

"You scared her", he says, his shoulders shaking slightly with laughter.

"She deserved it", I reply immediately.

I may be a little too brave to give him attitude, but at that moment I don't care. He may be the one to sign my checks, but right now we're not in the office. I haven't eaten since morning and I was just about to remain without food.

"This is your fault, by the way", I gesture to the direction in which the Bambi2 disappeared.

"How so?", there's amusement in those green eyes of his.

"If you weren't here, she wouldn't be so dreamy. I don't even think she actually wrote the order. She only paid attention to your handsome features", I widen my eyes as soon as the words escape my mouth and look at my hands on the table in embarrassment, heat creeping up my cheeks.

"You think I'm handsome?", he rests his forearms on the table and leans forward keeping his eyes on me.

I look up and swallow at the intensity of his gaze. My hands are becoming clammy and I think: why did I say that? I don't know what happens to me. Usually, when I think something I am able to keep it for myself, but being in this close proximity to him it's like someone put an enchantment on me and my tongue comes loose. Yeah, that's the only explanation for what I say next.

"Everyone thinks that you're handsome and you know that you are, so don't put me in the spotlight", I say and try to regain my composure.

At that moment the waiter arrives with our order and I never felt more happy to see her. But at the same time, the irritation and another feeling — that seems oddly close to jealousy — I feel towards her when she looks flirtatiously at him is something I don't understand. Why am I feeling like this?

His eyes are solely on me though.

At the meeting, when he brought up the help I've given the other departments, I feared the worst, but then he said that he's impressed by me. And when he brought up the proposition about the project, it felt like a dream.

I worked so hard my whole life and studied a lot of subjects so I could have more options in a future career. Management was at the top three of my favourite options. Now this opportunity is a chance for me to climb up the ladder. Because of me and my achievements, not because of my father and his name.

A lot of thoughts and possibilities ran through my mind and he let me think. The moment he took my hand in both of his and started rubbing it as if he sensed how overwhelmed I was, I felt my entire body heat. A warm feeling took over all my senses. And the way he smiled at me. A real smile, not a grimace, but a smile that put his adorable dimples - that I didn't know he had - on display. I felt content and somehow complete. I became more aware of my movements and his presence beside mine. For a moment there, I completely forgot about Beau being there with us.

I have to figure out these emotions. This is a big opportunity, I can't let them ruin it.

And just like that I remember the reason we're here.

"Are we looking at the project or not?", I say, trying to redirect the conversation at the matter at hand.

I take my sandwich and take a bite. He gives me a glance and says, "I think you're beautiful too."

I almost cough on my sandwich and begin to munch carefully on it while assessing him. How did we come to talk about that?

He put the files on the table and begins to go through them like nothing happened. But I can see the shadow of a smile on the corners of his lips.

I shake my head and take a sip of coffee, and then take my own file and look through it as well.

We start to talk about the project and by the time we finish it's already 2 p.m. He looks at the watch on his wrist and sighs.

"I have a meeting to attend to. If we're done here, we better return", he says.

I nod my head and take the files and after he pays the bill we take off. As we enter the lobby, I see Veronica waiting impatiently near the elevators. There is a frown of worry on her face.

"Wait for me at the elevators", says Mr. Kingston and then he goes to the receptionist that gives him some papers.

I head towards Veronica and the elevators and, as soon as she sees me, her eyes widen.

"Ayla, how did it go? I heard that he fired some people, you're not one of them, right?", she asks while I stop beside her and touch the controller for the 5th floor in which are held all the meetings.

I give her a side glance and reply "No-", but she interrupts me.

"Because I swear if he so much as said a bad thing to you-"

"Roni!", I interrupt her this time as I see Mr. Kingston coming our way and I know he heard her.

But his expression gives away nothing.

"What?", she asks and then turns around and gulps. She gives me a concerned look.

"I believe you would be Miss. Wells", he says and at that exact moment the elevator opens and we enter.

"Uh... ah, yeah", Veronica says nervously.

I notice that she went to the wall and I stand between her and Mr. Kingston. She's using me as a chaperone.

"Good. Now to answer your question, no, I did not fire her and I believe I said only good things. We just came from a very productive lunch. Am I right, Mss White?", he says casually looking at me at the last part.

"You are perfectly right, Mr Kingston", I look straight ahead while speaking because I feel the gaze Veronica is giving me.

"Good. Well, if that's settled then, I guess I'll see you Monday. You can get settled in when you arrive. I'll wait you in my office at 10 a.m sharp."

"Okay", and the elevator opens at the 5th floor.

"Good day, ladies", he says before heading through the metal doors.

As the doors slide close we slump on the wall and breath heavily. So much tension in such a little space.

"Jeez, that was so close!", says Veronica. "Did he really talked to us?!" The incredulity in the words is hilarious.

We look at each other and start laughing.

"No, really. What just happened?", she asks once we calm down. "What good things did he say to you?"

"How about I tell you tonight at mine with a glass of wine? We have to celebrate!", I reply and the excitement of the day comes back to me.

"Count on me!", she says with her own to match.

We get off the elevator at the 8th floor and go to our respective desks one beside another. As soon as I take my seat, there is the sound of a chair swiveling followed by heels clinking on the floor. A presence is looming over my desk in no time and I sense the rose perfume coming from them.

There is only one person smelling like that.

I look up with a disturbed look on my face and there she is. Alice Carter. Her face is caked up with makeup and her hair has so much hair spay it looks like metal on her head. The red short dress she wears is revealing and fits her body like a second skin. The fake breasts she purchased six months ago are pushed up, only half of them covered.

I look down at my own appearance. The faded blue wide jeans are my absolute favourite and the satin pink shirt is literally cute. The nude stiletto 8inch heels go so well with the clothing, I couldn't help myself in the morning. And then I look in the hand mirror on the desk at my face. Other than mascara and matte nude lipstick I have no makeup. My natural light red hair is in a ponytail that come in waves, a braid style on both sides of the head. And the Cholé perfume and body cream I used have such a soft scent. I look comfortable and professional. And I like it.

I remember a time when she used to dress like a nerd, wearing big round glasses on her face, and not really caring about her appearance. Her hair used to be in a ponytail most of the time. This drastic change from a nerd to the Diva of the office happened a little over seven months ago. No one knows why or how did it happened, but one day she just came in like she decided that life is too short to live in the shadow of others. Not that I disagree, but she got it to exaggerated extremes.

"Don't think you won something", she warns me with a scowl on her face that makes her even uglier than she already is.

"Excuse me?", I say confused.

What could I win?

"Don't pretend you don't know! All these smiles and the innocent way you act, you're not fooling me. You can fool others when you go around and offer your help, but not me."

I raise an eyebrow at her and I notice that she attracted the attention of others on us. I raise from my seat having had enough of her bossy behaviour.

"You may think what you want. I offer my help because I can and want and I have what I offer." I cross my arms across my chest. "If it bothers you so much why don't you do it?"

"I don't do it because I have my own work to do. You knew he would see, that's why you came at me yesterday and took care of these documents."

"If I did or did not know, it doesn't matter. You were going to destroy them if someone wouldn't have intervened."

To be fair, I didn't know. I only found out today and, after everything that happened since then, I completely forgot. Now she reminded me that he most certainly would see this too. But she doesn't seem to care.

"It was my job!", she shouts.

"And you didn't do your job correctly!", I shout back.

At this point I'm fuming with anger. Who does she think she is to tell me what to do? The CEO of the entire company didn't do anything other than be impressed and offered me a higher position, but here she is, fighting with me for helping her instead of thanking me.

"Don't tell me what to do!", she replies.

"That's exactly what you're doing right now! And keep your voice down. You wouldn't want to attract unwanted attention."

"What unwanted attention? The CEO? My man? He is mine", she says in a lower voice only for me to hear while leaning towards me with her hands perched on my desk

"It doesn't seem like it", I tell her in the same way. "He didn't regard you with a single glance. Instead he called you out."

Her face is so red at this point that I think she might punch me if we continue.

"Now take your attitude elsewhere. There is not enough space for it in this room." My voice is calm but firm and my eyes are not even blinking as I look at her. "That's not how you grab the attention of a man."

She scoffs at me in anger and turns to leave. But I have one more thing to say. And it's probably not the wisest in this moment, but she called for it.

"Oh, and next time, wear something more appropriate for work. You look like a slut. We're in an office, not a club", I say as I retake my chair and, without another glance at her, I open my laptop.

I hear a collective of gasps and whispers and even chuckles at my words. Alice's 13inch heels - that make my feet hurt just by looking at them - stomp away angrily. Veronica turns her swiveling chair in my direction and I look at her with an emotionless face.

"That was amazing!", she says and starts laughing out loud and I join her. Soon enough others join us in our amusement and we stop only when Mr. Bolton comes in the room.

"Okay, that was enough entertainment for today. Ms. White, I appreciate the mature way you handled Ms. Campbell, but don't you think you were a little too much at the end?", he asks.

"She was the perfect amount, sir", says Alan from behind me. "Alice started it, so she had it coming. Someone should've put her in her place a long time ago."

Others agree with him and I do too. She is so much sometimes. Always behaving like she owns the office and the rumors she started about her affair with Mr. Kingston are so untrue that even the one about Michelle from finances - that she eats in the ladies bathroom - can be truer than hers.

***

"Ahhhhhhhhh...", Roni let's out a high-pitched scream when I finish relating to her what happened in the meeting.

We're at my apartment, the place I had before moving in with Brad. After I moved with him, I never thought of selling out the apartment. It was the first place I felt at home after so many years from the first moment I stepped foot in it. Now that I think of it, I must have had an intuition.

I didn't even took all my things at Brad. Many of my clothes were still in the walk-in closet of the master bedroom, the furniture and vessel were in their places.

When I came in after I left Brad, I spent the whole weekend cleaning and arranging every corner of the apartment. It helped me get my mind off things.

It is a 2 bedrooms apartment with a large opened spaced living room and kitchen. The living room has a wall of glass where I put the green plants on an iron shelving and on the floor so they would get some light and air. Every room have their own bathroom, the larger one, with both a bathtub and a shower being in the master bedroom.

It's already 11 p.m., but, given the fact that tomorrow is a Saturday, we are already at our second glass of wine.

We sit on the couch looking out the glass wall in the living room, the night light onn in London.

"He's right, though. You're the most discipline and diligent person I know. Anyone would want to associate with you. I still can't believe that that scumbag Brad would even think to do something so despicable to someone like you." She gasps as soon as she finishes. "I-I'm sorry! That's not a topic we talk. Stupid Veronica!", she slaps her forehead in annoyance.

When I left the penthouse the first thing I did was to call Veronica. She immediately came at my apartment and we spent the whole night talking s**t about him and I finally let myself cry in the safety of her embrace. At the end of the night we made a pact: to not speak about him until I find someone else. 'That's when we'll fully know I was over him completely'; her words, not mine.

It's already been three months and I know I'm over him. I've been over him for some time now. I think all the weird behaviour - or should I say the moments I saw his true colours? - made me realise that he wasn't it for me anymore. Sometimes, the diamond ring on my finger used to feel like the entire world was pressing on my shoulders. I dreaded the day he would want to talk the date of the wedding.

"Don't worry. I'm over it. I think I've been over it for some time, but, in a way, I wanted to save something that wasn't there. He showed his true colours these two months we were engaged", I tell her my thoughts while looking at the last sip of wine in my glass swirling around. I look at her with determination. "Let's raise this glass for heald wounds!", I toast holding up the glass.

"Hell, yeah! That's my girl!", she shouts in agreement.

I think I'm a little tipsy by now. After three other glasses we're more than a little tipsy and at some point Veronica began to talk about her exes. Right now she's talking about her fourth and last boyfriend, with whom she broke up a few months ago. She tells me his reaction when she caught him kissing another girl and she told him that it's over.

"And ten", she laughs, "he wash like...", she pauses her slurring to make a devastated look which is so funny I burst out laughing, "you should've sheen him."

I laugh so hard, my tummy hurts. I don't even know why I'm laughing. Normally I would feel sorry for her to go through cheating idiots like me, but I can't help it. I guess I'm really drunk.

"I mish him...", I realize that her laugher turned into silent crying and now tears are rolling down her cheeks. She hastily wipes them off and straightens determined. " No! No, I don't. He'sh an i***t!"

She lies down on the couch and puts her head in my lap. My hand goes to her hair and I start slowly playing with it.

She sighs in contentment and says, "Good night, Aly!", she uses the nickname she gave me when we were little and she couldn't pronounce my name properly.

"Good night, Roni!", I sigh and get as comfortable as I can in a seating position on the couch and close my eyes and let darkness engulf me.