You know the weirdest feeling when you are so scared of something that you almost don't do it but somehow you end up facing your fear and it turns out the thing you fear the most is a hoax?
Yeah, that is what I am feeling right now.
Now, don't get me wrong. Aiden Salvatore did try to make my life hell this past month.
Well, he tried.
But it was almost so juvenile that I was like that's all you got dude?
I mean, sure, had it been any other normal person who hasn't done some crazy things in her past to protect the people she loves, well I will bite it, this past month would have been frustrating and maddening as hell.
But I am me. Siona Crystalline. Experiences maketh a man. Or in my case a woman.
Richie Bitch is in for a rude shock if he thinks this was my pain threshold.
And well I am going to give credit where it's due. Sure, I was irritated out of my mind. Sure, I was annoyed as if there was a stubborn fly buzzing near my head. Sure, I did want to hit him sometimes for his stupid childish revenge.
But this was not hell. Na-uh. Not at all.
You see, he underestimated me.
You don't get to be the person I am by being impulsive. Sure my natural instinct was and is to be impulsive, but life has a funny was of teaching people to be patient.
How do you think I managed to survive all the crap life dealt me with without patience?
Oh, I waited. Waited until it was the perfect moment to strike. Waited until I knew it was a guaranteed win. Waited in the shadows till I had a clear perfect shot.
Okay I lied. I am still waiting. I am still waiting for that perfect opportunity but believe me when I say ho ho ho it is going to be awes-
"Hey! Stupid Jackass lady! Get the hell out of my way."
"Jeez Louise man. Get a hold of your horses, dumdum,"
"Ain't nobody got time for your dawdling! Move!"
"Ugghh-wait-wait-wait. I am going. Didn't your mother teach you patience, ape?"
"What the hell did you just say to me, little lady?"
"I said didn't your mother teach y--- HEY! Why the hell did you shove me, you oaf!"
"We got places to go, lazy cow .Unlike you. Stop hogging the line. Either get on the damn bus or move the hell away."
"Hey mate. Let it go.", said one of his friends who looked most definitely the crazier version of Elvis Presley.
"Yeah Pete! Let it go.", the crazier version of Siona Crystalline retorted.
"The bus is leaving Mam. Do you wanna get on it?", asked the bus driver.
"Yeah Yeah, I do wanna get on.", I said as I entered the bus where the rude man who shoved me stood with his hands against the rail.
"Crazy woman."
What the hell was his problem? I can see where Aiden gets his attitude from. Everyone here in LA is rude, insensitive and totally cuckoo.
"Hey shove it, Loony Pete. Okay? Nobody here wants to see your crap. ", I burst.
"Yeah mate, let it go. Don't go picking fights with pregnant strangers."
And that! That was definitely a fake Australian accent. Who the hell does he think he is, loonier version of Chris Hemsworth? Everybody in LA is just pretty but their attitud-
Okay, hold my balls.
What?
Pregnant?
Holy Poo on a shtick. I have had enough of this city already.
"Do I look like a pregnant lady, Son of a monkey! You daft condescending id-" , I started just as the bus rolled to the next stop and the crazy sons of guns hopped out.
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Henry, the security guard on the 57th floor gazed at me impassively as I approached the elevators. But anyone who had an eye for this thing could see how excited he was to see me. Evil man.
"Sorry mam. The elevators are still out of order. You will have to take the stairs."
"Not again mannnnnnnnnn", I whined loudly.
"I am afraid Mam it is out of my control."
"Look, I will bring you donuts on my lunch break. I swear. I am already having a bad day dude. No one has to ever know. Come on." I said as I tried to bribe him into letting me use the elevator.
"Orders are orders, Mam.", he shrugged as if apologizing but I recognized the evil gleeful glint in his eyes.
"Come on mannn. I am sorry, okay? I didn't know your toupee was so prone to fire. Okay? It is not as if it was entirely my fault, right?"
The intercom buzzed , interrupting my attempt to persuade Henry. I crossed my arms and waited for him to finish his conversation, tapping my feet impatiently.
Yes, you deduced it correctly.
Aiden's version of hell was making me climb more than 30 floors using stairs and I would be lying if I said that I hadn't reached my breaking point.
Every now and then, his arrogant high and mightiness decides the elevators are out of order for me and mamma mia, it's cardio time for Siona Crystalline.
What is more frustrating is the fact that he didn't even try to hide his concocted scheme to make me miserable.
Oh no, not he!
His plan was so obvious, so blatant, so transparent, that it was almost a disguised insult to me. Everyone with eyes could see it. So now, everyone in the office knew that Aiden had some sort of grudge against me and most of my coworkers avoided me like I was the plague and being in my presence would make them incur wrath of the Richie Dick.
One day, Aiden arrived at the same time as me and I watched helplessly, fuming inside ,as he stepped onto the elevator without even sparing me a glance, the same elevator Henry vehemently denied as being perfectly in order. It was such a thinly veiled insult that I had to exercise all of my will power to stop myself from barging in and smashing his office into bits after I made the harrowing trek up 30 floors.
"Miss Crystalline, Sir asked me to tell you to stop lingering and bring him the files on Raider Industries."
Uggh. Today was just not my lucky day.
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"Si, are you okay? You look like you just came out of a sauna. You are sweating like a pig, no offence.", asked the sweetest man in this office.
Liam Holt works with me on 91st floor, his office somewhere in the direction of mass jungle of cubicles on the other side of the wall that separates the CEO's office from others on this floor. Every time, I emerge from the stairwell on their side, I apparently step into his view. So, one day he approached me and the rest is history. We eat lunch everyday together during our break and became fast friends due to our shared love for Indian cuisine.
"Why did you have to be married! Why are all the good ones have to be taken! Why aren't you my boss!", I huffed and puffed from the exertion of climbing 30 levels when I hadn't even lifted on weight in my entire life.
"That was an interesting , albeit a little concerning, spectrum of complaints. Stop whining woman. You will be fine."
"Says you, you big teddy bear. You are like a giant squish ball who is so lazy it won't even bounce."
"Weight doesn't define health, Si", he chided.
"I totally agree with you. But cholesterol level does, you oily food lover."
"Don't hurt my feelings, Si. You love it just as much "
"I think you will be okay. And yes I do. So what? Huh."
"I think the boss is looking for you. Isn't it already past your daily briefing time?", spoke Liam, checking his watch," Good Lord Si! You are very late! You know Aiden hates waiting. Speaking of which, why are you so late? It's almost past one hour from your daily briefing time."
"Never mind, DAD. Just LA, the gift which keeps on giving. Let him wait. I need to catch my breath,re-hydrate myself and give myself time to cool off. I can't very well be expected to look professional after that. He can wait for a few more minutes after he just made me climb 30 godforsaken flights of stairs."
"Apparently he can't."
"What do you mean?", I asked puzzled.
Liam just shook his head and pointed behind me. I looked back, curious as to what the hell Liam was talking about and reared back almost immediately. There was Aiden, making his way towards me to where I stood frozen.
Uhh..what is happening? Everyone in this office was here and we were in plain sight. What the bubbles? Are we going to have a showdown before everyone?
In the entire one month, Aiden and I never actually fought , atleast before everyone. In the public eye, we had a strange truce. He avoids me and I avoid him. If we meet, we regard each other coolly as if we did not have a feud in between us. So, what the hell was he doing right now?
I stood there, looking at him frantically trying to make him understand that whatever he was on about was a terrible idea. He just narrowed his eyes at me as he continued walking, probably at the weird tics and twitches of my unspoken signal manifesting on my face.
I drew a sharp breath as he came to a standstill before me at a respectable distance. I waited, almost closing my eyes at the embarrassment that was sure to follow, after whatever words, that Aiden spilled from his mouth , was heard by everyone.
But Aiden surprised me when he said, " Miss Crystalline, I can excuse your tardiness today. Don't turn this into a habit though. Next time, appropriate action will be taken. Now please bring the files in my cabin. We are already running late."
Errr.....what again? Did I die? Did he just behave like the humane boss everyone so praised him about?
"Uhh...Yes..umm...Yes Sir. Right away Sir.", I said bewildered. With that Aiden turned back and headed straight for his office. Everyone released an audible breath together and I realized that everyone has been waiting with bated breaths.
"Si, you should go now.", nudged Liam as he gently put both his hands on my shoulders and shoved me forward to jolt me into action.
I snapped from my trance of bewilderment at this and hurried toward my desk where the files where. I skittered across the floor towards Aiden's office and knocked gently.
"Enter."
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"These are not the files I asked for.", bit Aiden as he threw the files across the floor.
"Sir, these are the annual report for Raider Industries that you asked for yesterday."
"No. I asked for the Ryder Industries files clearly. Why would I ask for Raider Industries reports?"
"Sir, I asked you yesterda-"
"Miss Crystalline. Do not waste my time today anymore. You have already squandered away a lot of it today. So go do your job and fetch the files I specifically asked for."
I knew it. I totally knew it. This jerk-
"Oh wait. While you go fetch the files from the 17th floor, why don't you run back to my car and tell my driver to bring my dry cleaning at 4 PM today from the cleaners."
"Why can't you just call?", I grumbled loudly enough that he heard. One of his eyebrows quirked at my impertinence and I now understood why my friends find it so annoying. But I shut my trap because I had made my bed when I had signed the contract and now I had to lie in it myself.
"Yes Sir."
"I want it done right away. And bring me back some pretzels and coffee too. And perhaps some-" ,I fumed as he continued rattling things he wanted done, things he wanted to eat, things he wanted changed.
I am not your maid. Why don't you shove your pretzels up your ar-
"and also a banana smoothie for my sister.Okay?"
"Yes sir. Right away Sir."
"You may leave now.", I inwardly seethed as his high handedness dismissed me. Aiden Salvatore was so high handed that his hand was shoved very high up his bloody ar-
Concentrate Siona Concentrate.
Ahh mummy! 30 flights of stairs again!
Balderdash!
William Shatner!
Fuck. Not again.
Author's Note:- I actually have a lot to say in the note but I am so sleepy I can't even keep my eyes open right now.
Not even proofread at all. So please forgive and hold on.
I will write the note next time.
Please comment. I need it more that you can imagine.Thank you.