How to love

four: No roses

"At all?"

He shakes his head. "Nothing but her chances have ran out now. Jason's calling her later to let her go."

My stomach growls in hunger, making me gasp and slap a hand of embarrassment over my abdomen. Tilting his head and furrowing his brows, David gave me a concerned look and I try not to meet his puzzled gaze.

"Did you not eat much for lunch?"

"She hasn't had it yet." Jenny interrupts, smiling sweetly as she walks by with clipboard in hand. "She's been too busy trying to tidy up the mess that new kid made."

"Jenny!" I hiss, narrowing my eyes in a hope to fear her. But instead, she smiles looking between me and David.

"Honestly?" He questions and I give a timid and barely noticeable nod. "Jesus Frankie, you need to eat something! Leave these stupid things, I'll get Gerard to come down and grab them. Go and get something before you pass out."

"I'm almost done."

"I don't care - go and get your lunch."

As my boss, I should feel slightly fear stricken. But with David, I couldn't help but feel that slight annoyance like how a younger sister would feel when her big brother bosses her about. David was awfully laid back, unlike Jason. He interacted with every employee on every floor, he liked to be addressed by his first name and he had a easy going attitude that made all nerves subside.

Jason however, was never seen unless something was wrong. He hibernated in his office upstairs, he never mingled with anyone and I believe some employees' started to think Hayes' was his real name.

"Can I see you in my office a second?" Jenny asks David and he nods. Warning me once more before he wanders behind her. I sigh and return to the final leg of the paperwork, reconnecting my sore fingers to the ballpoint pen.

The crunch of the final staple that dented the slightly creased paper made the weight lift from my chest and I grinned widely. My tensed body relaxes back and I couldn't help but push a joyous spin in my chair. Finally, after three and a half long and gruelling hours, I was done.

Now I had to do my own work. I whine as my eyes land on the the number eighteen that lights up on the corner of the email window. My vision was blurry after studying too hard at the papers microscopic size numbers in the corner of the page. Slight exaggeration but how hard would it be just to increase the size by a few numbers?

"You know, I can deal with the odd zone out but blatantly overlooking a bosses command? Now that is really considered ignorant."

The hairs tickled the back of my neck, shooting a shiver down my spine. Overlooking a bosses command?

"I'm sorry?"

He bites back a smirk and snaps the head of a dead rose that still rested in the vase of discoloured water. I hid the flustered colour rushing to my cheeks, cursing myself for not discarding the wilted flowers sooner.

"Did I miss something, Sir?"

"Where you not told to go and get your lunch-" He paused to check his watch while my face flares. "-thirty minutes ago?"

"I-I-" I trip over my own words with wide eyes and a dried mouth. As if on queue, and to help land me in what sounded like more trouble than I was, my stomach grumbled with intensive hunger. I tightened my lips. "I was busy, Sir."

It seemed like my professional reference didn't wash with him, the curl in his lips proving my theory. He eyes the pile of paperwork, his expression unreadable. I smooth out my skirt as I stand, clearing my throat to grab his attention again.