She's the Boss

Part One {edited}

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Precipitously, Tessa tapped her heels against the marvel flooring. Great. Just. Great. Not only was her date almost an entire hour late, but the 6-inch stilettos her personal stylist chose to pair along with a lengthy strapless gown were proceeding to hurt. Why were these "extravaganzas" always so luxurious? Haven't they ever heard of a casual T-shirt and jeans? She contemplated taking the death contraptions that people called shoes off and going barefooted for the rest of the night. The notion seemed tempting enough, but the amount of chastising she would receive after thoroughly ruined it.

Checking her watch for the 5th time since her arrival at the venue, she released a tired sigh. This must of been a sight to witness for other arriving guests. As predicted by the pitiful glances they'd occasionally send her way, No doubt she's already the talk of the night. The paparazzi must have been halfway through an article with snapshots of her idiocy simply standing here by this very moment. As the only daughter of Daniel Morgan, The infamous owner of Morgan Enterprises and Investments, Her reputation practically consisted of being "little miss perfect" in the public's eye. Additionally, Cameras were constantly shoved into her face and the pictures they snapped were nonetheless atrocious. Not to mention the many magazine articles that were written about her. Tessa lived a life a luxury but it wasn't as lavish as those articles made it out to be.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed from inside the pouch she had clenched in her hands. Her stylist also dismissed the use of a regular purse, saying it would ruin the aesthetic of the outfit. Quickly she unzipped it, rummaging for her phone. However, displayed on the screen was not a message from the person she had been waiting 45 minutes in an entranceway for but from her best friend Elise. Elise is a fellow secretary for Morgan's Enterprises. She and Tessa soon became acquaintances after an unexpected elevator accident, resulting in them being trapped for 3 hours. Their story wasn't very sensational as others, but Elise remained special nonetheless. She's genuine in her friendship with Tessa. Unlike a few others, who Tessa would much rather not be named, that only associated themselves with her because they believed it would earn them a higher position within the company. It took a duration for Tessa to accumulate enough trust towards Elise but eventually, she sorta just grew on her.

🥰 Elise: Hey babe, are you here yet? The events starting soon and your dad has his signature scowl on his face lol.

Tessa's smile faltered at the mention of her father. The last thing she wanted to accomplish right now was to irate him of all people. Already, the thin line she possessed not being born a "charismatic yet intelligent male" had begun diminishing years ago. Tessa's father wanted a son and he's never hidden his resentment for it either. Tessa cherished her mother, for she was the sole reason Tessa was alive, but she couldn't help the spite she felt every time her mother would pathetically take him back. The man cheated a handful of times and according to the arguments she overheard between the two, it was on purpose.

😜 Tess: I'm here Elle. Just waiting on Matt .-.

🥰 Elise: Again? I'm beating his ass the moment I see him😤

Tessa giggled as their banter continued vigorously over text. Though, she doubted Elise would be able to do anything of that sort. The poor girl is only 4'11. Regardless, it lifted her mood to the point she almost forgot where she was presently standing until a deep voice resonated from over her shoulder. In defense, she instantly proceeded to swat the individual with her pouch.

Tessa was not known for being particularly strong, years of embarrassing P.E classes showed that drastically, but when startled, some say she became the equivalent to the hulk. Okay, maybe not the hulk but whoever had to be on the receiving side of those blows definitely held some damage. Tessa used all the might her small frame could muster. It wasn't until a hand firmly grasped her wrist and the supposed stranger chuckled that she stopped, eyes widening in horror. The man burst into laughter.

"Woah Tess, You really don't seem to hold back I see."

His hazel eyes gleamed with mischief but Tessa definitely didn't miss the way he winced when his hand came into contact with the crown of his head. She did several double-takes. Well, this is certainly embarrassing. This was no stranger at all, but a dear friend of hers. If only the floor could cave in and swallow her, maybe then the embarrassment she felt would cease.

"I'm so sorry Joseph, I thought you were some creep trying to get one over on me."

Tessa groaned, crouching against the brick wall. The night couldn't get any worse. She hadn't stepped foot in the event, yet here she is making a complete fool out of herself. Joseph's smile dropped. He appeared confused for a second until his gaze narrowed. Although their relationship wasn't as close as Tessa and Elise, they still wielded a close alliance. He was her apprentice when she first began working at the facility. Essentially he was like an older brother, an overly protective one at that.

"I'm assuming that bastard Pat hasn't arrived yet."

"Matt. His name is Matt, Joseph."

She was attentive to Joseph's not so subtle disapproval of her fiancé, but Tessa loved Matt. He wasn't like this averagely. Yes, there were days where Tessa hardly saw him. He would go MIA for weeks without a single text or call, but he was a hard-working man after all. Just at the age of 24, he was already an endorser of Morgan's Enterprises' largest compartment. There was no way she would allow his name to be slandered especially when he wasn't present. The two men simply didn't get along, and it confused the hell out of Tessa. Joseph could be overbearing at times but he was mainly kind to everyone. As far as Tessa knew, Matt had never given him any inkling that he was a bad guy.

Joseph remained silent for a minute, before sighing and grabbing Tessa's hand. He leads the way towards the event, a confused Tessa trailing behind him.

"Wait- slow down these heels hurt!"

The room was booming with hundreds of guests by the time Joseph and Tessa entered. Several pictures were taken but Joseph didn't seem to mind. Instead, he kept his head up briefly smiling in the paparazzi's direction. Tessa hastily shook his hand off, a nervous smile formed on her lips. She avoided Joseph's querying eyes, striding towards a table where her best friend was currently stuffing her face with appetizers. Elise's eyes brighten with joy. She quickly set her food down, practically sprinting towards Tessa to engulf her in a tight hug.

"I thought you ditched me for a second. This party sucks ass. If it wasn't for the free food, I would have left."

Tessa chuckled.

The duo shifted their reunion towards the table. eventually, Joseph emerged to join them, pulling a seat beside Tessa. It was difficult for her to ignore the judgmental stares from other tables. All because of her father's bachelor ways, people probably assumed his child wouldn't be any different. It was a tough shadow to inhabit. Flinching slightly, she felt a hand gently squeeze her own. He didn't speak rather, he focused on Elise as she rambled about how delicious the food was.

"Oh, I completely forgot. Your father was looking for you."

Tessa braced herself for whatever would come out of Elise's mouth next. However, there was no need. All three of them paused, turning their heads to the new visitor at their table.