HIS PLAYFUL SIDE

KAREN'S POV

“Oh, I'm sorry…I hadn't seen you coming this way…” I apologized hastily.

He looked at me, his forehead crinkling with displeasure.

Before he went back on his word and fired me again just for the fact that I mistakenly bumped into him, I took to my heels. He could be that crazy.

“Miss Karen,” He called and I halted.

“I let you work here but I never said you were allowed to show your face before me. Don't let me see your face in this house until you leave.”

What was I supposed to do? Cut off my face? Disappear magically at the sight of him? Or maybe develop some extraordinary sense of smell so that when I sniff him around, I would vanish.

Did he think I would willingly wish to bump into him?

He was a nightmare!

Damn him!

“And, are you just getting to work now?”

“Uh, I… I'm sorry. It's just…”

He started towards me.

“Are you sure you still want this job? Where is the zeal you employed to plead to get this job back?”

“It won't happen again.”

He stopped a few inches from me. I didn't look at him but I felt his hard stare linger on me for a few seconds.

Then he turned and walked away.

My fingers curled beside me as his footsteps trailed into distant.

I forced myself to breathe.

A sensitive arrogant boss was a danger to any worker.

I already had a rough night, he just had to make it worse. Sending in job applications to many companies was perhaps the least of my sleepless night but the fact that If I had been a tad late yesterday to the hospital, just a tad late and I would have met my Father late bothered me.

The flashes of it still scared me to my bones even hours after it was all sorted.

“Karen, your father is sorry. Forgive me for being a foolish father. All I ever wanted is to support you as your father. To support you and Lily. To be a father to you both. But all I have ever done is be a burden to you. I am ashamed of myself….I am so…ashamed of myself.”

Father shedded tears. It must have been very hard on him being constrained in a wheelchair.

He wanted to be of help to the family but his condition wouldn't help. It must have gotten him deeply frustrated that he tried getting to his feet all on his own. Even when he crashed to the floor a number of times, he didn't stop.

What would have happened if I hadn't met him on time.

I shook my head pushing away the scary imaginations that popped up in my head.

Luckily the doctors found nothing unusually wrong or new with him after the tests and scans. They gave him some medicine to take and told him to take it easy with his rehabilitation.

I had just finished my morning duties at the Adams when I received a call from one of the companies I had applied to come for the interview.

“What company schedules an interview suddenly and out of nowhere? Damn!”

Yes, I was desperate and had no choice but to rush down there.

There were a few others that had come for the interview. We all sat on a bench provided across from the door where the interviewing was going on.

I wondered what questions they were going to ask me… If I could answer them. What if I couldn't and I get barked at and sent out? What if…

“Oh no… don't think anything, Karen. You got this!”

I scanned around me. It had to be only me that looked a nerve wreck. Because everyone else fiddled nonchalantly with their cell phones.

I almost thought I was at the wrong place when a woman with a pair of glasses I presumed to be medicated walked up to us.

“Miss Karen?”

I lept to my feet.

“Yes, I am Karen Anderson!”

I must have startled her. She gave me a quizzical look.

“Well, you must be flowing with a lot of energy…” she murmured, still looking at me somehow.

“Well, Miss Karen Anderson you are up next. Watch when someone, a man precisely walks out that door then you know you have to go in. Understood?”

“Yes ma'am!”

She casted another odd look at me before she walked away.

I returned to my sitting position but then I felt my legs shaking. I looked around to see the others holding back their snicker.

Who cares. All I needed was the job. They might as well cackle as much as they wanted.

Moments later the door opened and a suited man emerged. His face hung low and he looked deeply crestfallen with a hint of disappointment etched upon it. And his shoulders slumped defeatedly.

It was at that moment my nervousness transgredded.

I sprung up from my seat all the while mumbling to myself that I could do it as I dragged my nervous body towards the interviewing room.

It was two men and a woman conducting the interview.

“You are Miss Karen Anderson?” One of the interviewers asked.

“Yes, I am the one.”

“Have a seat, Miss Karen and let's get down to business.”

They were scanning through my file.

“Hmmm,” the woman amongst them hummed. She looked up from the file before her and browsed my face.

“I can see you graduated from one of these universities offering evening courses?”

Okay, it was at that point I felt my heart sank.

“Yes ma'am,” I muttered quietly.

She looked at the other two interviewers. They shook their heads and closed up my file.

“I'm sorry Miss Karen but we need someone with a proper university education and background.”

“You didn't even ask me any questions… you didn't test my knowledge. I mean…”

“I'm sorry but this is company's policy.”

Before I could protest further, she hit the bell beside her. “Send in the next applicant.”

Tired, I stood up and started out.

I should have known. I had gotten excited for nothing.

At this rate, I might never get to be employed in a company and I might never get a real job. And when I finally lose my Job at the Adams, I was bound to be done for.

How heavy my sighs sounded when I recalled I had left my belongings at the Adams and had to return there to pick it up before heading for home.

“Uncle!”

I heard a shriek and stopped.

Mr Adams was playing with a kid. Mrs Caro's grandson. She had brought him over to the house a few times in a bid to help her daughter watch the little boy. But he was super hyperactive one, the little boy.

“Don't run too fast! You will hurt your leg?” Mr Adams yelled, ran and quickly held the boy from falling.

The little boy giggled, broke free from his hold and took off again.

I watched them momentarily forgetting the heaviness of my heart. Actually it was cute to watch. I never could have imagined seeing Mr Adams that playful. He always had this tough and cold exterior. And difficult to approach. Well, kids probably thought differently.

The little boy took out a packet of biscuit from his pocket. Mr Adams helped him open it. He took one, had a bite and offered Mr Adams.

I recall Mrs Caro mentioning that Mr Adams was allergic to peanuts and I remembered correctly that biscuit had peanut as one of its ingredients.

If that was so… then…

I panicked.

With every speed and strength I had, I rushed to them and knocked off the biscuit from his hand.

Mr Adams was shocked at first at my guts. Then his eyes turned dark.

Oh shit. I had forgotten I was dealing with a heartless jerk. “I'm sorry I was only…”

“Who said you could appear before me?”

“I truly apologize. I was running and sort of missed my step. I will be careful in my steps next time,” I lied.

What a fool. I should have just carried my stuff and left. What the heck was I doing trying to play good and kind girl. So much for trying to save his arrogant sensitive… damnit!

I burned inside of me as I stormed into the servants quarters to pick up my stuff. Came out minutes later to see Mr Adams standing in front of the quarter.

To say I was surprised had to be an understatement.

But that wasn't all, he started towards me. I froze in my steps and in the spur of that moment I pondered on running back inside.

“Miss Karen, a word please,” he must have read my intended next move.

“If it's about what happened earlier I apologize again. I really shouldn't have…”

“No, I'm the one that should be apologizing.”

“What?” I thought I misheard.

“I'm sorry for yelling at you in the morning and back now. You weren't running and you didn't slip.”

“Well, Mrs Caro mentioned about you reacting to some ingredients and the biscuit contained an ingredient I believe you are allergic to. I'm sorry if I acted on impulse.”

“It's okay. And, thank you… for that.”

I nodded, unsure what next I was supposed to say. He didn't say anything else either nor did he move.

Okay it got a little nervy. I tried not to look at him but failed woefully as I was tempted to catch a glimpse of his face up close.

He caught me.

Freaked out, I made to turn around him and walk away but only walked into his body, my forehead knocking against his chest. Apparently he had taken a step towards the same direction at the same time that I did.

“Sorry…” I mumbled, paused and forced a swallow down my throat before I took the other side and swiftly hurried away with the realization that my heart had been racing the entire time.