Chapter 5.

HE HAS NO FILTER TOO.

“I am so sorry sir.” I apologized profusely for the umpteenth time. After apologizing a dozen on the phone, I hurried over to the drycleaners and picked up his suit. I was currently at the office where he was at his desk peering over some files before he'll shower and head out to his private jet.

“I say this once again. You seem to say everything you have in your head.” He muttered to my hearing and stood up from the desk, and went into the bathroom. I stood there lost on if to drop the suit on the coat rack and leave or if I wasn't yet dismissed? So for that reason I stood there rooted to the spot, until minutes after I heard the shower running. I felt a blush creep up my cheeks at the thought that just a door separating me from where he stood naked. I shook my head, as if to shake off my nasty thoughts. I never used to be this person that found anyone sexually attractive or desired to get romantically involved with anyone. My stint with Connor, yes I will call it stint rather than relationship because I got together with him for a number of reasons, but one thing was for certain, I was never attracted to him. The thought of his naked body didn't make me shiver in delight or his fingertips that trailed on my exposed arms didn't make my lady bits clench like those Harlequinn novels I sometimes read when I was bored. But every glance at my boss, regardless of how much I despised his guts sometimes, made me feel a flurry of emotions. It was the first time I met him at the bar that I found myself enthralled to someone for the first time, enough to be curious to want to know their name.

“You're still here?” He came out of the bathroom, water dripping at his feet and a white towel tied around his waist. He wasn't fazed by my presence in the room. His body was toned like I imagined it and he had a lean torso. His abs looked rock hard that for a crazy moment I seeked to reach out and poke it just to test my theory.

“Oh,” I said and paused, “You didn't tell me if I could leave.” 

“Didn't know I needed to dismiss you for you to leave. Well, since you love formality, I would have you know that you can leave now except you would want to stay and watch me get dressed. The only problem though is I only know how to be a CEO and not a p**n star.” He said it with such a straight face that if I had water in my mouth, this was the moment I would spit it out in shock. For someone who claimed I had no filter, I couldn't really say he was better at having a mouth guard on his lips.

I couldn't detect if this was his attempt at humour or sarcasm. I, however, felt a blush creep up my cheeks as I scurried over to the coat hanger and hung the suit while muttering a ‘Have a safe flight Sir.’

With that, I went out of the office. When I got out, I checked the time on my Samsung Z fold and noticed that it was few minutes past Five. I knew that desiring to get more sleep was out of the plans as despite the fact that Ryan wasn't going to be on seat today, I needed to clock in early and set up things I wasn't able to do yesterday. Plus, who knew what other tasks Ryan might have for me.

I waited fifteen minutes for the bus at the station, the bus finally came and I got on. It was a quiet ride back home with just five people plus the driver in the bus. We the occupants of the bus sat at different parts of the bus. From the lights of the bus I saw we were three ladies and two guys. The lady at the front had her eyes blocked with her airpods and because it was NY City I assumed she was listening to a podcast about her ‘Chasing her dreams’ or ‘Seizing the day.’ The other lady sitting a seat away from where I was seated was crying silently. I gave her a once-over and saw she was in a skimpy black gown and I assumed she just came from a party where she caught her boyfriend cheating or they just broke up. As her mascara streamed down her cheeks, the thought that came to my head is ‘Invest in a water-proof mascara next time honey.’ For her sake, I was grateful that it was not a white gown she had on because the black mascara stains will be a hassle to get out on wash day. The other guy at the first seat was sleeping, his posture seemed rigid however, like he couldn't let himself go even during sleep. So, I pegged him as a medical personnel, most likely a doctor, who was used to always being at alert. The other guy was nodding his head, possibly to some music as I noticed a thin strap of wire dangling from his ear. I pegged him an artiste–wannabe. I loved doing this sometimes, studying people and trying to peg what I think they lived their lives as. I wondered if people in this bus looked at me, could they possibly detect that I just delivered a suit to my boss by some minutes past four and I was a P.A who disliked her boss with the equal fervour of being attracted to him? It was too crazy, so I doubted the possibility.

“You stepped out?” Rainie asked immediately I stepped into the apartment. She was preparing her makeup box as she had an out of state job where the client had seen her job on I*******m and decided that she was going to fly in Rainie to do her makeup for her wedding. I was proud of how many out of state jobs Rainie had done and how I could casually mention her name and there are a number of people who love her work and can't wait for her to finally have a studio. I'm glad we were all pursuing our dreams, even if, mine seemed the slowest to achieve. But I didn't enter the art world without the knowledge that a success break was not easy to come by.

“Yeah. The Boss required I deliver his suit from the drycleaners as he had a morning flight.” I explained to her as I fell on the couch in fatigue. If things continued this way for a month, I would develop dark circles from not having a proper night rest and make Rainie cry regarding me ruining the glass skin she worked hard to achieve for me.

“By what time did you step out?” She looked at me now, leaving the box of products she was arranging.

“By Thirty minutes to Four. When I decided to apply for this job, I never knew it was going to be this demanding." I grunted adjusting myself on the couch to a more convenient position.

“You can just quit though and rest up your pretty feet. Annie and I could cover the rent without worrying about it. We desire our friend to be at her best form, rather than being stressed unnecessarily.” She grinned at me before going back to arranging the products.

I shook my head in disagreement, “I could never do that to you guys. Then, I would just be a freeloader or a parasite.”

She gasped, “Don't say that! You could never be a parasite to me. We are soul sisters and we don't count things like this. Anyway, if it'll make you feel better, we get to say we invested in your dream so when you blow up and become rich, we can be like ‘That my best friend!’ and shake our asses on a yatch too.”

I chuckled despite my fatigue. Rainie made me laugh every single time that I look at her and just think ‘I won the friendship lottery.’

“The pay of this job is really good. Plus, I have crazy health insurance because as unbearable as my CEO is, he is passionate about his workers.”

“Oh my goodness! It escaped my mind because you came in late yesterday. Someone came over to drop a car for you from your company. Said it was company car, and I was doubtful. I almost told the person to go back thinking it was a prank until he showed me a signature of your Boss authenticating it.”

“Yeah, on the way to visiting one of our subsidiaries, he told me he was going to do that. Although, I wasn't aware that he would work so quick and request for it to be delivered before I got home.”

“He gave you a Bugatti Chiron Super Sport. I looked it up. It cost $3.9 million! ! A freaking Bugatti!” She looked at me like it boggled her mind. It actually did boggle my mind because when he told me he was going to give me a car, I thought it would be a Camry or something small. But this was crazy.

“I'll ask him though. I didn't expect it would be something this extravagant.”

She narrowed her eyes at me, “A Bugatti? Him telling you to bring his suit to the office? All these are signs pointing to a blooming love story.” She wriggled her brows at me and started making kissy sounds. I was grateful that Annie was asleep, else she would have fanned the embers of Rainie's weird shipping.

“They are signs pointing to your delusion. I'm going to grab a quick shut eye. Do wake me up by 7:00a.m.” I turned and faced the couch. I sunk into a dreamless sleep almost immediately. If Rainie said something before I slept, I didn't hear it because I literally did the ‘And she fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow’ concept.

It was soon 7:00a.m and Rainie woke me up. Annie was awake by this time, we said our hellos as I hurried about the apartment in preparation. Soon after I was on my way to the office with a Coffee travel mug in my hand which I decided to make when I realized dropping by a coffee shop would waste my time more than quickly brewing one at home.

“Good morning.” I greeted the Lobby receptionist.

“Good morning. Did I tell you that you are my favorite P.A ever?” She grinned at me.

I burst into a short laughter, “Only about ten times, although I still think it's too early to tell.”

She snorted, “There is nothing like that. When you know, you know. So, Day two of working here. How are you finding it?” Her kind eyes almost had me spilling everything to her, but I restrained myself.

“Well, it's okay. Can't complain.” I smiled at her, hoping it didn't present itself as a wince.

“Good morning. Please I am...” Someone came by the desk and started conversing with her.

I took this as my cue to leave and left the desk area. I walked to the elevator, got in and punched in the floor number.

On the trip up, a couple of people stopped on other floors and some got in. By the time I reached the twenty-fifth floor, I was the only one going to that floor. When I got there, our floor receptionist wasn't at work yet and I did a fist pump. Yes! I can get to work early too. Take that bossy Ryan who hates tardiness.

I worked at my desk for some minutes just setting up things, looking through the employee booklet and setting up my desk. After that, I contacted the IT department and told them I would be on seat today and they could come set up my employee profile.

“Good morning Emerald.” I greeted the floor receptionist immediately she came on the floor. She didn't respond my greeting with a smile, she replied with a frown.

“Where have you been?” She asked.

I frowned at her question as my brows scrunched, “I have been at my desk for,” I took a glance at my wristwatch, “An hour now.”

“Ryan just called me now that he has been calling you on your phone and you have not been picking up. He also tried sending you a message on your company profile but he saw you haven't been set up yet.”

I hastily picked up my phone off the desk and noticed that it was on silence mode, plus I set it on do not vibrate. So all these while I was flipping through the handbook, my Boss had called me a total of eight times.

“Thank you. I'll call him back.” I said my voice shaking a bit and my phone slid a bit in my now clammy palms. I knew that I was nervous about looking bad.

“Please do. He said it was urgent you get back soon.”

I began dialling Ryan's number, with each ring, I felt my heart thump in fear and anxiety. Then he picked up.

“Why are you so incompetent Violet?” Were the first words that came out of his lips.

For some odd reason, I felt like an arrow was shot to my heart. I didn't know how to reconcile the person that bought me flat shoes when my feet were hurting to this person that just called me incompetent without missing a beat.

Tears prickled my eyes and I turned my head away from Emerald's curious gaze.

I confirmed it now. I certainly hated him.

I didn't like that he, a stranger, had so much control over my emotions.