I need coffee. Black, no sugar. Thank you.
His buffalo voice keeps replaying in my head. Who the hell does he think he is? Fine, he's the boss of my boss, which means he's my boss too, but still, he has no right to be disrespectful to me or to treat me like shit. Maybe I should show him real shit.
After rummaging through the pantry cupboard, I pull out a white cup with the Remington logo on it since I have no idea which one is his. Not that I give a damn. I could have just grabbed the dirty one from the sink if there was none left in the cupboard for all I care. It's true that I used to be an executive assistant several years back, and sometimes, my ex-boss asked me nicely to make him coffee when the tea ladies had left work, and I did it gladly because I didn't see it as an issue. My only problem now is his face.
Despite the organizational hierarchy, everyone should treat each other with respect. A toxic work environment is a big red flag, to begin with. Maybe behind the big name of the Remington Group, this job isn't worth it after all.
While waiting for the coffee machine to brew, I fish my phone out of my pocket and dial my sister's number. "Hey, Soph," I greet with a relieved sigh after hearing a familiar voice from the other side. "I'm going to be late tonight. I don't think I will make it there before dinner."
"Don't worry about it. You guys can always eat dinner with us. Chloe is in Diana's room now, having girl time, and I'm not allowed to join them." Sophie chuckles.
"At least some of us are having fun."
"Yeah." I hear a shuffling sound in the background. Knowing her, she must be preparing dinner right now. "How's work?"
"The work is fine. Still need to learn more before they let me handle my own accounts."
"Okay...but do I hear a 'but' here?"
I put my hand behind my neck and massage it softly. "My big boss is a capital A." Realizing that someone might hear me, I scoot to the pantry door and stick my head out to check the hallway. Luckily, it's as dead as when I came in. "I have to stay back because I'm making his damn coffee right now."
"Huh? Did you apply for the wrong position?"
"Of course not. I'll tell you the whole story later. I need to plan for revenge now then I'll be on my way to your place."
"Char, what are you going to do?" she asks, her tone reminding me of the day I decided to move out with Chloe from our parents' house.
I shrug and tell her the truth. "I don't know yet."
"Don't do anything stupid. People would kill to be in your position now."
And they will be literally killed after they get in. "Yeah okay. No one will get killed tonight, don't worry," I reply in a dismissive tone.
"Why am I not convinced?"
"The coffee is almost ready. I'll see you in an hour or so. Bye," I hang up before my sister can mutter any more words.
I slip my phone back into my pocket and chuckle softly, thinking about how different Sophie and I are. She has always been the considerate and sensible big sister, while I'm the impulsive and immature one. I remember how our parents used to compare us and wished I would've been more like her to spare them a headache. But hey, who can choose their personality? I'm just glad that they finally see that I'm not Sophie, and that they know damn well how hard I've tried to be what they want.
The coffee machine spits a gurgling sound, pulling me back to my current state of mind. Coffee. Black. No sugar. Asshole.
Waiting for the noise to stop completely, my eyes roam over the pantry shelves, casually scanning what the tea ladies store for the executive floor. Salt, sugar, pepper, ketchup, mustard– My eyes stumble upon the small bottle with red liquid in it.
Nice observation skills.
Damn right.
I'm knocking on his door this time. Once his voice tells me to enter his room, I open the door and walk in with the most stunning smile I can muster.
His room is huge and neat. The wall is painted dark blue with a large window displaying the city view. A yellow sofa, a coffee table, and a blue reading chair are situated on one side of the room, and a big mahogany desk on the other side. A gigantic bookshelf stands intimidatingly against the wall behind his managerial desk. Mr. Knight stands up when he sees me walking in his direction. He slips his hands into his pockets, plops down on the corner of his table, and crosses his leg over the other while his eyes are on me.
I keep my cool as I prepare myself for another round of insults he is probably going to throw at my face. "Your coffee, sir." I put the cup carefully on his desk, next to his other empty cup. I'm just hoping he doesn't catch my slightly trembling hand; the hand that is convicted of a misdeed.
"Ms. Garnett," he says gently.
"Sir?"
He sighs. "I was being too harsh earlier. That was not very professional of me. I apologize for that."
I stand rooted to my spot, not believing my ears. Did he just...?
"And I didn't mean to insult your skills. Max and I were through your profile and agreed that you have the qualities that we're looking for," he adds. "I hope what happened today doesn't give you the wrong idea. You know that things can be stressful and put a lot of strain on us, but most of the time, we are a solid team and we support each other."
I shift my gaze to him and am met with a pair of emerald green irises that are staring back at me. From the glints in his eyes, he seems to be sincerely remorseful but at the same time, his civil yet guarded attitude is back, exactly the same Mr. Knight I saw in the meeting room this morning.
"That's fine. I understand that perfectly, Mr. Knight," I reply, forcing a smile at him. "And I'm looking forward to contributing to our team."
Mr. Knight smiles back at me, making my traitorous heart leap. He then nods and props himself up. "Excellent. I'll see you tomorrow then." With that, he turns on his heels and heads back to his chair.
That is my cue to leave but my feet are glued to the floor as a realization dawns on me. I emptied one-third of the ghost chili sauce into his coffee because I wanted him to pay for the nasty attitude he gave me earlier. I was so pissed at him that I didn't think further about the consequences. I didn't care if I would get fired or if I had to find another job tomorrow because in my five years of working experience, I've never been treated like trash. My former boss wasn't an easy man, but he treated his subordinates kindly, and that was the reason I stayed in his company for so long without a clear career path.
Learning about what kind of person my current CEO is, I don't hold my breath about having long-term employment here. Still, what I'm doing now is a little bit too far and immature. He is my big boss for god sake. Despite his overbearing attitude and sharp words, he has the guts to apologize to his staff, which I truly appreciate, and it makes me feel even guiltier for spicing up his coffee.
What do I do now?
My breath hitches in my throat when his hand stretches out to reach for the deadly cup on his desk. Out of reflex, I grab the other side of its saucer, preventing it from moving closer to him. He frowns and pulls the saucer harder but my fingers clutch the other side of it for dear life.
"Ms. Garnett."
"Yes, sir?"
"I think you're grabbing the wrong cup," he says. "This is not the empty one."
"Oh. My bad." Yet I refuse to let it go.
Annoyance begins to sneak on his face. He knits his eyebrows before his full glare is directed at me. "What–"
"Am I interrupting something?" A feminine voice from behind me prompts us to stop the pulling competition and turn our heads to the source of the distraction.
A gorgeous woman in a red dress is standing at the doorway. Her wavy blonde hair cascades over her shoulders, glowing under the sconce of golden light that is hanging next to the door frame. She wears red lipstick, contrasting her pale complexion and she looks dazzling. The only thing that's missing is a fan to blow her hair as she's making her entrance.
I can feel Mr. Knight's grip loosen on the saucer. "What are you doing here?" he asks in his buffalo voice, almost growling.
The woman raises her eyebrows as she saunters in our direction. "Is that how you greet your sister after months of not making time to see her? Where have all your manners gone, my little brother?" The woman turns her head to me. "And she must be your new assistant. I didn't know you'd changed your mind about having a female assistant."
"It's none of your goddamn business," Mr. Knight says curtly before shifting his gaze to me. "You may leave, Ms. Garnett."
"Yes, sir," I answer while attempting to take the cup with me once again.
"Ms. Garnett! Leave my cup on the table, please." If a glare could kill, I would be six feet under right now.
"Oh, yeah, sorry." I grab his empty cup instead and trudge to the door, defeated.
It's happening again. My impulsiveness has taken over my rational mind and now I have to deal with the consequences that I'm going to regret. I do need to start calling around tomorrow and send my resume to all the job openings I can find on the internet.
After placing the empty cup into the sink, I make my way to the elevator, with my head down and shoulders slumping. Had I never touched that criminal sauce and just swallowed my pride, things would have been so much different. All I can do now is hope that he doesn't taste the spiciness in his coffee, which is highly unlikely. He will notice it right away, and tomorrow will be my last day working for this company.
I wonder if he will spurt the coffee out of his mouth once he sips it or if he will just gulp it before the burning sensation starts to smolder his throat. Wait, what if he is spicy food intolerant?
Shit! What have I done?
The elevator doors slide open but I pivot on my heels and run back to Mr. Knight's room. I have to get that cup back for whatever reason. I will risk getting fired right here right now than living with the guilt of murdering my boss.
As I come closer to his room, I hear a heated argument between the two siblings. Mr. Knight's sister is half yelling in her high-pitched voice, matching her brother's guttural voice. They sound almost like a baboon and a buffalo dueting in a serene jungle. I stop at the doorway, thinking about what I'm going to do next when Mr. Knight's sister grabs the cup on his desk and throws the contents at her brother's face.
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