The Encounter

★Sarah★★

My alarm clock must have rang for the third time that morning and that was when I stood up from the bed. My eyes felt like a million needles were pricking it at the same time and I would give anything in this world just to go back to bed.

I had to stay up late last night to complete a document for a meeting this morning and I had no idea that it would take this long. At three am, when my body couldn't take it anymore, I just had to go to bed.

Breezing into my bathroom, I took the quickest and coldest shower possible and now had to stand in front of my wardrobe to pick out what to wear. This was the wrong time to start looking for the perfect outfit so I just picked out some suit pants and a blouse to match.

It just had to be today of all days that all the taxis in the city would evade me. I still had at least forty five minutes before I was considered late and. I didn't want to give that leech the privilige to tag me late.

As soon as I looked up, I saw one and grabbed it as quickly as I could. That was when my heart beat reduced and I was finally able to breathe properly. I rested my head against the window and my phone pinged.

It was a message from him and it read “Get me coffee. Black." Everything in me wanted to call him and curse him out but I knew I couldn't.

He irritated me to no ends. I asked the taxi to drop me at the coffee shop that Stephen liked coming to and there was already a long line there.

Great, I would never make it early enough to avoid his nagging but oh well, he was the one that made me wait in line for his coffee. I was sure that he won't make a bug deal out of it.

As I stood in line waiting, I looked at the email from the hospital. It was a reminder to pay my brother's hospital bills and also telling me that I have an appointment with the doctor today.

I thought back to what the doctor has told me about my brother and my heart broke all over again. If something wasn't done fast, then I didn't even want to to think of the consequences. My brother was all I had left and I couldn't lose him.

My turn to buy coffee finally came and I placed my order. For some reason, the waiter decided that today was the day he wanted to act careless and I watched him make the coffee at his own pace.

After standing for minutes, he finally slid the coffee to me and I put the money on the table and walked outside. Luckily, it wasn't hard for me to find another cab this time around.

I literally ran into the company with his coffee in my hand but not before the elevator door closed on me. I decided to take the stairs and unluckily for me, his office was on the tenth floor.

By the time I made it to his office, I was sweating more than a marathon runner, a little bit of his coffee had spilt and I was one minute late.

“Good morning, sir" I said, walking into his office “Sorry I'm late. There was a long line at the-"

“Do you think you can do what you want?" He said without looking up from his laptop.

I froze, with my hand stretched out to drop the coffee on his table.

“I don't understand you, sir."

He sighed and removed his glasses, looking up at me with a disgusted expression. He looked down at the coffee and carried it from the holder, taking a sip and spitting out a whole lot more than just the coffee.

”I know you hate me but I didn't think you'd want me dead." He shouted.

I still stared at him with the blankest look ever because I honestly didn't know what he was talking about. He noticed this and picked up the cup, and came over to me.

With his face just centimeters from mine, he stared right into my eyes.

“This coffee has milk in it. I am lactose intolerant. I know you're thick headed but I didn't think you'd mess up a simple coffee order."

He opened the coffee and he was right. That darned waiter... he had messed up my order and I was in a hurry that I forgot to check it.

“I'm sorry, sir. I had no idea-"

“Get out." He walked back to his seat “I don't want to hear nothing you have to say. Not only did you mess my order up and risk killing me, you were late to work. Trust me, all that is coming out of your paycheck. "

My heart sank and tears gathered at the corner of my eyes.

“Sir, I'm really sorry. It wasn't my fault. The waiter messed up my order and I got here late because there was a long line at the cafe and-"

He placed his head in his hands.

“I want to believe you weren't deaf when I said get out. I don't want to hear anything. Go home. I'm better off doing things on my own than having you around me."

My entire resolve fell and my body felt very weak. One of the tears slipped and I quickly whisked it away.

“Please sir-”

“Don't let me get security, Miss Willing. Leave my office and my company."

I decided to just do as he said before things got more ugly. The last thing I needed today was another embarrassing moment.

As I reached for the door knob, I heard his voice behind me.

“Oh, and Miss Willing" I turned around to face him “ Your day off is coming out of your paycheck. You can also trust me on that."

I hated my life.