Under My Skin(Ongoing...)

Chapter Five

Nalla's P.O.V

I run up the stairs to the building with such speed I fear my heels will break. I'm extremely late for the meeting, something I've never done in my life. All thanks to that arrogant dickhead who parked at my space. I had to find a public parking which I had to pay for, damn him!

Inside the building, a slender girl with russet hair in French plait hanging on her right shoulder anxiously stares at the entrance and taps the polished tiled floor nervously. She wears a pair of dark framed designer glasses and a pink coat that covers her silk white shirt,complete with a name tag dangling around her neck and a pair of denim skinny jeans and pink converse shoes. At my arrival, she dashes to my direction with a coffee cup on one hand and a tablet on the other.

"Jesus, Nalla! Where have you been? " She hands me the Starbucks Coffee cup, "You're more than ten minutes late for the meeting! Eric is so furious! " her brown restless eyes behind the lenses shift from side to side and she clenches her full pink lips.

I pant as I wipe off any trace of precipitation forming at my forehead with a sweep of my fingers, "I know!" I lament in a breathy voice, "My Monday's started awful! Some haggard has created all this mess I'm in! " I take a sip of the coffee and my face furrows, "Yuck! This is not a latte Hailey! " Hailey Chandler is my personal assistant, a sweet young graduate from the University easily mistaken for a teenage girl because of her petite body and well.... Dressing.

Hailey sighs devastatingly," It is Nalla, " she holds my wrist and pulls me, "Now come on."

As we walk, I half walking and half running, Hailey softly clears her throat, "It's been an awful weekend," she pauses to see me, "and Monday too, Huh? "

"Tell me about it! " I exasperate, " I thought helping myself by signing up to an online dating site and going to an actual date would be good but no. It was the worst!"

We stop at the elevator and Hailey blinks in surprise as she presses the up button. "The guy was so full of himself, " I continue, "fuller than I was of his stories." We enter the empty elevator and the doors automatically shut in front of us. " It was all about his new car, his expensive watch, his collection of designers and oh, 'Did I mention about my trip to Beijing? ' It was more of a story telling than an actual date. "

"Didn't you speak at the table? "

"It was only, 'No,' 'Yes', 'Really', 'What' and 'How nice',"  my shoulders hunch involuntarily, " I don't think I'm cut out for this. " I drink my latte and let it flow like a latte stream in my throat.

Hailey adjusts her glasses and rubs my back. She might be twenty three years old, but she acted like a mature lady, sometimes better than me. Hailey and I acted as age mates, for she was my close friend and is always there for me. "Hey, it was just another failure and a step to success. Don't give up so soon. " The elevator doors open on the seventh floor and they got out as a man and woman also got in. I breathe in deeply and nod at Hailey's advice.

We walk towards the meeting room and Hailey's Bluetooth earpiece lights up. She presses it's button and receives the call. "Yes Mr Hughes?... Yes, she's here... Yes, she's on our way to the room... " she pats my back urging me to walk ahead, "Okay,  I'll do that, " and she presses the button again, "You go ahead Nalla and prepare to meet up with furious Eric. I have to go and direct the stakeholder representative to the meeting room. " I agree and we both depart to our whereabouts.

I throw my not so empty coffee cup in the trash can before I enter the occupied meeting room. Through the glass wall I see everyone has arrived, all nine people and my seat is empty. A white haired man is pacing around the room, his lips moving but I can't make out what he's saying.