Chapter 5 - Are You Fucking Zaynab

I sat on my desk and took a little breather. Right at this moment my mind was all over the place, why was she hear early? She was supposed to be here in the next coming three weeks but she came early? Why? Did something happen that needed her here so suddenly?

I didn't know any answer to the questions that were building up in my head, but still I asked them over and over again as if I was having a conversation with her.

"Thalia.. Lucy and Amora... Join us in the meeting. Tawny needs to talk to you guys.." Abigail said and then she disappeared.

I sighed and got up. I felt hands on my shoulders and Thalia smiled. "relax. You didn't do anything wrong. Word is that she came here early because someone messed up.."

I furrowed my brows in confusion, "someone messes up? How? And who?"

"you didn't hear that from me and that's all you're getting.."

I laughed, "Thalia... Are you fucking Abigail and is she telling you work staff after sex.."

The girl just smiled and pretended to be zipping her mouth making me to laugh even more. She was an idiot.

We got inside the boardroom and I found Zaynab already sitting down. Usually I go sit next to her and we both judge people during each meeting, but today was different and since Thalia said that I decided to sit two chairs away from Zaynab. I couldn't mess up and be chased away.

Zaynab gave me a questioning look and I shook my head then looked forward.

"hello guys.." Abigail greeted us once more and the guys mumbled "heys"

"So... Some of you know and some don't.. Tawny is here.."

They started screaming in excitment making me to internally roll my eyes. Like what the fuck...couldn't they act like adults for a while and not fan over Tee..?

Tee showed up looking good as ever. Seeing her made me miss Olivia a bit. I smiled at how she always was at Tawny's without anyone's permission.

Tawny's eyes roamed around the room till they found mine. She smiled, "hey guys... I couldn't wait for this moment.. So here I am. How are you? All of you."

"good.."

"great.."

"amazing"

They responded and I just smiled a bit and nodded my head.

"well I am so glad that you're all doing amazing.. That's great.. So I heard a lot of whispers as to why I'm here earlier than I said I would be.."

I internally screamed a huge, 'yes tell us why you're here early'

She smiled and looked around us then her eyes stopped on Zaynab, "I heard that some of you guys aren't doing as well as I expected.. Some are doing great, sweating their butts off while others are doing nothing all day... And we talked about this. Right."

We all started looking at each other and I for one even started thinking about my work progress.. as if I actually was not working all this while. Of course I was working. I didn't lack at all lately, in fact my performance grew... But still I didn't know if that's what she wanted.

Tawny cleared her throat," listen guys I get it that you are far from home and you miss the people that are that side. You are allowed to call them once in a while and check on them.. But what we won't tolerate is you coming here every single day to use the WiFi and the airtime to call your boyfriends or girlfriends all day and not work."

I sighed in relief, she was totally not talking to me. I wasn't doing those things. I looked at Zaynab and gave her a brow wanting to know if she does that and she shook her head. She did mention that the only family she had back in the UK was very few and they texted on her phone. So they definitely weren't using work staff to communicate and Zaynab worked her ass off every single day.

She smiled and pouted her lips as if to kiss me and I blushed then looked back at Tee to find her staring right at me.

My heart skipped a bit. God couldn't she look at me some other time?

She smiled and said, "I am going to do this in front of you guys, so that you will know that I mean business and I do not want to be taken for a fool or be disrespected.. I gave you all this opportunity because we saw something special in you. Then you go and throw that on our faces? By misusing our work resources. It doesn't work like that.."

Fuck she seemed pissed a bit.

She turned and looked at this other girl from USA, girl was really loud but reserved. She was like me when I arrived here.

"unfortunately, Gwen you have to leave us.. We noticed that your relationship with your boyfriend is much more important than this opportunity. So I'm letting you go.."

Her eyes shot wide open in shock and everyone else was also shocked. That did not just happen.

Tawny turned to Priscilla," from today onwards you will no longer carry that bottle... Unless you want us to take you to an AA meeting.."

Shit!

It went totally quiet in the meeting. Tawny smiled, "right.  Now that all that is out of the way. I want you guys to sit with your departments.. Because you're each about to receive a task.."

Thalia was already sitting next to me. She leaned over me and whispered, "I thought she was going to fire you or Zaynab. She's been looking at you guys a whole lot."

Fuck she noticed too. Of course she noticed. She was Thalia.

I smiled a bit, "yeah that also scared me a bit.."

Lucy got up from where she was sitting and came to us. And every department arranged themselves also.

Tawny walked around us placing a file in each and every department. When she arrived to mine she stood behind me and touched my shoulder lightly before giving Thalia the file.

"you guys are doing amazing. Keep it up okay." she looked at me and I at her. God she smelled so good. I hated it. Still the same. It gave me a tiny flash of the previous year and I cleared my throat, "thank you. We won't disappoint you."

She smiled and patted my back a few times, "that I know. All the best" then she went to another department.

Thalia was giving me this look I couldn't read. Lucy opened the file.

"great.. Really? We have to sell these.."

I looked at what she was holding and it was a picture of fragrance and also sneakers. We needed to create an advertisement for that and be as creative as we can be to get them to sell..

I smiled and so did Thalia,"piece of cake.. "

Lucy laughed, "am I not glad I'm in your department guys.." 

"that will be all for now thank you.  If you have a question. Come right to me or Tawny in my office."

We mumbled thank yous and they left.

Thalia gave Lucy the file, "take this to our department we are coming."

This girl knew when not to question Thalia so she did as she was asked and left. I was about to leave when Thalia held my hand to stop me.

"what?"

"what's up with you and Tawny?"

"what's up with us how?" I played dumb.

She laughed, "the looks she's been giving you. And how you acted towards each other right now. What's up with that?"

I furrowed my brows and continued to play dumb, "what are you talking about..?"

"there's this thing between you guys. Your eyes speak more to each other than your mouths are. So tell me what's up?"

I laughed a bit nervously, "so besides the fact that Tawny was engaged to my sister and walked out at church and also the fact that she was my boss. I was under her at her company. And she was my friend before all that... You still wanna know why our eyes are dancing to each other?"

God why did I say I was under her?

She laughed hyterically, "what a way to put it baby girl...okay I get it now. By the way why weren't you at the wedding? You were rumoured to be absent at your sister's wedding"

I shook my head and pointed at our place, "the media sometimes lie.  Go there I have to go to the bathroom.."

She laughed, "fine.. But we are so not done with this conversation.."

I rolled my eyes and walked away. I knew we were not done. She'd never let something like this just go. She was an ass. I needed to come up with a reason.. One that would be believable as to why I didn't attend my sister's wedding. I mean I was there.. But I left during the ceremony..  Maybe I could say that I was not feeling well.. I ate something and it was giving me trouble.. Or I could say my place was flooding. Yeah that sounded a bit better.

I got inside the stall and did my business then got out. I went to look at myself in the mirror and another stall opened revealing the one and only Tawny..

I swallowed hard and started on washing my hands.

"oh hey Mimi.."

"umh.. Hey Tee..."

"how are you doing?"

"good thanks and you?"

"good... How are you? How's Thailand..?"

I had no idea how to go about this, but then I opted for the truth and just being honest.

I sighed after wiping my hands and turned to look at her, "weird at first.  I was having home withdrawals.. And I felt like I didn't fit in. So the first 3 months were not nice at all. They felt more like torture to me.. But I don't know.. Things changed I guess, I finally gave in and decided to not hold on to home and just live here.. So they have been better since then."

She nodded her head with the biggest smile on her face,"Oh yeah? And I have to agree that things did change.. As you can see I'm up to date with everyone's doings here at work. So I know what's up.. The first three months you were just an avarage worker.. And the past two months you have been killing it.. I'm really proud that you finally decided to give Thailand a chance. I know it must not have been easy.. Abigail is really proud of you.."

Felt happy to hear her say that, I know I was giving Abigail a hard time when I was closed off, knowing that my supervisor was satisfied with my performance made me happy, " yeah it wasn't as easy.. I mean I didn't know anyone here.. So I just felt out of place. Maybe also because I was holding on to people that were not here and home. But the moment I decided to loosen up then I met pretty good people.."

She smiled and finished washing her hands. I didn't know if I should leave or whatever.. I mean we weren't talking anymore..

Without even thinking I asked," how are you doing...? How have you been and how's everyone at home?"

"good... Everyone is all good at home and I've been great.. I just hate what I did today. Sending a person home is not easy but it needed to be done."

I laughed a bit, "yeah being boss and grown up means making the toughest decisions right."

She sighed and looked at her reflection in the mirror, "I guess so.."

She turned to me and I smiled a bit. She slowly walked towards me and I furrowed my brows in confusion. She was looking straight at me and not saying anything. I looked behind me and it was just the wall. So she was looking at me.

She walked closer until she had cornered me to the wall that was behind me and I had no way out. My breathing hicked as I had no idea what was going on or what was about to happen.

What was she doing?

She looked at me from my head to my toes and back to my head again.

"So... You're fucking Zaynab..?" she whispered and I just looked at her without denying it or agreeing to it. One thing I was not going to do was to lie. So my eyes and my head definitely gave it to her.

She waited probably wanting to hear me say it. I swallowed and nodded my head a bit,

"yes Tawny I am."