Saving Brownstone

ONE

I opened my eyes to be greeted by the amazing ray of sunlight penetrating through my window and evading my room. I was late again, and my head ached terribly,I tried to remember what happened but my memories of last night was still foggy,I got up and headed to the bathroom.
        I looked at myself in the mirror rubbing my eyes until my vision was clear enough to see well. I washed my face and brushed my teeth and had a quick bath. Always late as usual,now I will have to cook up another reasonable excuse to my boss,"this is so not my day..."
        I put on a Dark blue floral shirt with a black pencil skirt and wore 3-inched stilettos then I packed my hair in a ponytail and fixed my face with a light makeup. I walked into the kitchen to quickly prepare a cup of coffee before I went out to work.
     
I walked into the building and went straight to my office, I have a lot of work to do today so I quickly picked up the stack of portfolios on my desk and hurried down the hall...I always have a lot of work to do each day, it's not easy to head the creative designs department.
When I got into the elevator I met "Him".
       
David Brownstone was a man of age sixty-five with hard blue eyes,and strong masculine features. He was physically built, something in my mind told me he usually worked out during his glorious days,we his staffs knows very little about him,some said he was the son of a rich merchant who died leaving all his properties to him, some said he was the adopted child of a rich merchant. I don't know if he heard any of this but he sure doesn't give a damn, despite his age,my boss knows how to instill fear in his workers,it's either you get the job done or you are fired,and today I guess my lucky charm ran out.
        I wasn't expecting to meet him in the elevator, I haven't thought of an excuse yet.
      "Good morning boss" I greeted and he gave me the death stare and I knew this was the end.
     "Miss parker can you explain why you came to work late today....again?" He said in a harsh tone.
       I just stood rooted to one spot,"this is it...my whole career will soon end in about thirty minutes from now.."It was now I remembered my father's popular saying "Punctuality is the sole of a business." but damn am not a kid anymore..
        "Well miss don't you have an answer to that simple question?" 'he asked
      "Well...uhm, sir I was sick last night...was feeling pains in my stomach...uhm I think it was something I ate, I barely slept sir"I said while my hands fumbled with the stack of portfolios I was carrying.
     I know he could tell that I was lying,right from childhood I suck at lying,and for the first time I prayed it worked.
     He looked at me from my head to toe like he was trying to figure out something,i could feel his intense gaze sapping life out of me gradually,"Miss parker,next time you should try the truth.."
        Disappointed that my lies went down the drain for the umpteenth time I replied "yes sir". I stood still and watched as he walked into the conference room, after taking deep breaths I finally got into the conference room and put the portfolios on the table as I sat down.
       I wouldn't say I got everything that was said in the meeting,my mind was 12 miles away from the conference meeting,"Miss parker,show them the analysis you prepared ", I was jolted back to reality by that statement,I hadn't done them,gosh...today is really a bad day for me,first lateness now laziness,dad won't be proud of his baby girl, it really isn't my fault i had a lot of work to do that i probably forgot about the analysis.
      
    Still thinking of what to say, I straightened my pencil skirt as I stood up and tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear,'here goes nothing'....I started blabbing about everything I could remember about the report.
      
  "The analysis report Miss parker?,I don't need you reminding us what we already know"
      I brought out my portfolio, opened it,not ready to go down in shame I blabbered out"I don't have the analysis report here with me sir,I think I left it at home.." ,for a fraction of second I couldn't read the expression on my boss's face,his face went placid,please let it work I prayed.
      "Do you have something you'd like to share with us john?'Mr David asked looking in the direction of the new intern
     He nods no and looks down...
     "Okay, I believe this meeting will be rescheduled?"He said more like a question as he walks out of the room.
 
  I let out a huge sigh of relief, I stood up and was about to pick up the stacked portfolios on the desk when I heard his voice "miss parker see me in my office...now!"
      This is it I'm gonna get fired, I walked straight to his office and knocked at his door,"come in" he said in a low spiteful tone,I breathed in all the oxygen I needed because once I am in there,there would not be any second for me to breathe,inside I saw my boss and someone else sitting by his desk.