Laura's Pov:
"She literally cut in line, and somehow it was my fault? She was yelling and making such a scene- so I know, I told her that-"
Silence took over, and, by the time I noticed, Gema was already staring at me- furrowed brows and all.
"Yes?" I cleaned my throat, blinking "Continue"
"No" she pointed at me "You're in a whole different world right now. Come down"
"I am down" I raised my eyebrows, making Camille snort a laugh.
She was sipping on the starbucks Gema had brought- we'd made our orders to her since she was the only one home, and she'd went and got them, but not without getting in an argument while she was there.
At least, that's what I thought she mentioned.. right, anyway: nothing new for her. She always had little stories to tell- it was like chaos followed her around.
"Don't mind her Gema" Camille spoke up, after biting into a brioche "She's been off this whole day. I still don't know what all that fluster was about at lunch"
Oh uh.
"Fluster?" Gema raised an eyebrow.
"Yep. She came running in, pink as tomatoes, and the whole entire time we were talking she kept messing up her words" Camille laughed, then looked back at me "She's so fucking off"
"I wasn't off. I'm not off right now. I'm actually quite literally listening to both of you discuss like I'm not here and it's annoying" I scurnched my nose at the two in front of me.
I'd rather be hung, than admit why exactly I came rushing into lunch, or whose eyes I'd been thinking of the entire time, or why I kept having flashbacks to what he did and feeling uncomfortable, yet.. oh god.
I'd been discussing whether or not that was deemed acceptable in my head all day, not only in the work environment, but If I'd stand for it. Surely, it was not appropriate to speak to me like that, but my brain refused to admit it- it wanted so badly to believe that it was nothing.
I liked this position- I didn't want anything to mess it up, but I was certain he was trying to mess it up- mess me up. He wanted to chatch me stumbling, playing dirty. Perhaps it was his plan all along.
It was pathetic, but as unprepared as I was, I'd definitely thrown me off completely.
Who does that?
Why.. why was he so.. close..
"No I think what is annoying is that something happened before you came to lunch because certainly that's not who you are, okay? You don't stumble on your every word lady- if you did, you wouldn't be the manager of one of the biggest branches of a homeware company right now" she rolled her eyes.
And I knew I was fucked, beacuse these people did truly know me like that. What Camille was saying checked out completely, but, again, I'd rather get eaten by lions, then speak on what happened.
One, because I wasn't sure what the hell that was myself- I didn't know his intentions. Actually, I wasn't certain there was any to begin with- maybe I was overreacting?
Two, if I wasn't overreacting, they surely would.
"I'm only half-managing, currently" I corrected, looking down at my nails.
Maybe I need a manicure.
"Right, and what's with the other half? How was first day of work with Brooding Businessman?" I heard Nick speak up as he walked by us, looking back at me.
He looked rather stunning. I loved his colorful style- but it was a no-no in the office, and honestly, work was all I had.
Work was my entire life.
Eric was on his tail, and when he saw the three of us on the couch he weaved "What's up?"
We all weaved back and when, Nick came back, he stood in front of me, as if waiting for something. I sighted.
"We're not getting rid of the nickname, no?"
"Sadly" he winked.
Annoyed, I looked back at Camille- aka the one responsible that it existed in the first place.
I wasn't annoyed because I found the nickname offensive- quite the opposite, it made him sound like this big ego sexy man, and I'd love a nickname that reassured me of the opposite, as I was trying to gaslight myself into believing he wasn't all that, in order to be able to work with him.
I just needed to remember his personality, and his offensive actions.
It was rather annoying how difficult that was.
"Ah.. well" I looked away, not knowing how to put what I was feeling into words "Uh, fine, I guess? I mean, he sucks"
He immediately looked disgusted at my excuse of a description, and Eric chuckled at his face "Who's Brooding Businessman?"
"Really Nick? You haven't updated Eric on our lives?" Camille spoke up, crossing her arms.
"You're talking like you live on reality tv" Eric laughted, falling back on the couch next to her.
"I might as well with 5 roommates" she rolled her eyes.
"Babes you don't live here anymore" Gema pressed her lips, resting her hand on Camille's shoulder.
"I'm here more than all of you combined" she slapped Gema's hand off, making her whine dramatically.
I grinned, barely keeping a laugh in.
"Oh you think that's funny? Miss Keeping Secrets?" Nick stuck his tounge out at me, then sat next to Eric, to wrap his arm around him.
"There's no secrets to keep" they were annoying me now "He's exactly that, brooding, cold, man. We haven't talked a lot- when we do, we argue. Working with him is going to be a fucking mess. I don't know what he's thinking most of the time"
With that, I rested my head back, and rubbed my eyes with my hands.
Blinking away the white dots in my eyesight, I stared up at the ceiling.
'Tesoro Mio'
And I almost smiled again- what the fuck was wrong with me?
He used my own language to almost weaken me. I recognized that, yet I could still feel the shivers down my spine.
Get it together woman- he's bad bad news. You don't need this, not after what happened last time. Not after knowing he probably said the same shit to any other girl.
Because I bet that's what I was to him... just a girl.
"You say that and then your face goes through six different emotions" Gema spoke up, laughing at me.
I wish I was made of stone.
Kinda like him.
Huh.
"We'll see how this goes" I whispered, almost to myself, before sitting up to leave.
On my way to my room, I saw Nadia walk past me, and didn't pay much attention to that, as I walked in to open up my closet.
It was show time.
He better not make anymore surprise appearances tonight as well.
I didn't think I could handle-
That thought was shortly interrupted, as I heard my phone ring.
Pulling it out of my pocket, I noticed it was my mom.
A smile made it's way to my face, and quickly, I swiped to answer.
"Laura!"
She sounded so excited, it made my smile widen just a bit more. Her Italian accent evident as ever on my name.
"Mamma!" I matched her enthusiasm, making her laugh.
"Ciao amore mio" she greeted "We haven't talked in a week. Do you care of a little talk?"
"I'd love a little talk" I giggled like I was five, looking at all the dresses I had available "I have a bit of time before I'm up at Louie's"
"Good, good. I miss you so much" her voice was sugar sweet.
"I miss you too" I confessed "And nonna and pops"
My smile faltered a bit at the reminder of those sweet faces. I hadn't seen my mom in more than two years, and I haven't seen my grandparents in at least five.
They needed help around the house- they couldn't do it all on their own anymore, which was why my mom moved from New York to Rome, to take care of them, years ago.
I had the choice to go, but I didn't. I was grown at that point- I had a couple of friends and a life here. A job in the line, as well.
The decision was hard, but I did it, and it still affected me every day. It affected all of us.
Flights were expensive, and we were both so busy with work - we did our best, but sometimes, our best just wasn't enough.
I missed her dearly.
Her, and the rest of the family as well. We used to be quite close.
"I know you do. Hey, maybe we celebrate New Year's together this year huh?" she offered.
"You say that every year" I rolled my eyes, chuckling a bit, but feeling bitter about the whole thing.
"And I've kept my word two of those six times, okay?" she stated, making me laugh again "I better not hear you upset again. Now why don't you tell me of the week? What happened with that manager position you were getting at your job?"
I made a face at the mention, then huffed "Well, you can sit down"
,,,
"What's going on here?"
Ross looked up from the desk immediately, eyes piercing through me as I stood on the other side.
The staff in between us, all sat in chairs, had their eyes on me as well, but I was only looking at him.
Him, because he was supposed to be in the office.
The employees? They were supposed to be on their seats, doing their jobs, not in the conference room.
I'd walked in early morning, to an empty office, and workplace, overall. Obviously confused, I'd called up Camille as to where they were.
She'd sent me straight here, confused as to why I wasn't here too. The one day, we didn't drive to work together.
"A meeting" Ross replied casually- like i was asking a dumb question.
"I don't remember us discussing about this meeting. What themes are we discussing? Fill me on the purpose?" I questioned, crossing my arms.
I was trying my best to keep my frowny face from forming, but it was difficult, and I knew I'd completely failed when Jenette, from the accounting section, whispered to Leila "I don't think they like each other very much"
It was loud enough that we both heard it, yet it went completely ignored.
"I went over a few files last night" he cleared his throat, then raised a brow "The purpose is to introduce and cover any future changes"
Ah, yes, that's why he hadn't showed up at Louie's.
Not that I'd been looking out, anyway.
"And you didn't care to inform me, Mister Lynch?" I chewed out his last name like rotten food.
I was pissed.
He licked his lips, and I stared down at the table full of employees- Camille's eyes were a little widen.
I turned then, and went over to the other side of the table, approaching Ross.
He stared at my every movement, and when I stood in front of him, I leaned back on the desk, turning my back to the employees "So, inform us on the changes, will you?"
"Miss-"
"Listening" I interrupted, tapping my fingertips to my arm, clearly impatient.
If he wanted a meeting, we could do one- I was very interested in what he had to tell the staff, without me here.
He stared down at me, and once again, I couldn't read him.
I saw his mouth move, then he looked away, before looking back at me again, as if not believing what he'd just heard me say.
"Find a seat that isn't the desk" he commanded, staring at me with his dark eyes, making my glare deepen.
I wasn't even sitting on it- just leaning against it.
"I prefer standing up" I pushed myself off the table, smoothly spinning around on my heel, so I stood next to him, staring at everyone.
"Alright" he left out a deep sigh "I guess the farewell party for Miss Marano will have to be not so big of a surprise"
My eyebrows narrowed at that, and I looked up at him as gasps filled the room.
He was grinning down at me- that smile that was worth a billion dollars, a pure contrast to his previous stare "Worth the reaction"
"You have an unfunny sense of humour"
Fuck, I was barely holding myself together. He knew it. I knew he did.
I was imagining performing some special type of martial arts on his body, and I didn't even do martial arts.
"You're awfully serious" he commented back.
Well that was hypocritical.
"Let us proceed" I cleared my throat, gesturing to the people that were basically staring back and forth between us.
"Alright" he looked back at the employees as well "First line in order, thank you for your presence. It's quite early, so we're going to be quick so you can start your work day in time"
For the next few minutes, all he did was read everyone's names, and discuss their position in the company with them, figuring out the details.
It was smart, informative conversation, sure, but it wasn't benefiting anyone but him. I already knew everything he was discussing with them.
But what was even more annoying, was the fact that he was getting ahead. Getting to know these people, meant he wasn't far behind me. I didn't want that.
After he finished talking to Camille, I couldn't stand there and watch it happen for longer "You already have your information. Let's get to the purpose of the meeting. We're losing valuable working time"
Camille smiled at me, as everyone exchanged stares. Ross turned around, looking down at me once again "Are you insinuating that getting to know your employees is a waste of your valuable time Miss Marano?"
What an interesting twist to the words I'd just said Mister Lynch.
"I'm insinuating, you already have all the resumes stacked- I left them in the office last night for you to look through them. If you did a bit more reading on everyone instead of asking them to repeat themselves, we'd finish here a lot quicker" I smiled "The NY branch has exactly 301 employees- are you taking it floor by floor?"
I could tell I was pissing him off, and very well, now we were both mad.
It was only eight thirty am, and this man looked like he could murder me.
Haha.. oh god.
He looked back at the employees "Miss Marano and I, will be taking five"
His voice sounded deathly serious- so much so worry grew at the pit of my stomach.
The worried faces I was getting weren't easing me out either.
He looked back at me, then gestured to the door.
I hesitated, but walked in the direction of it anyway- having him closely behind.
I was in trouble.
He didn't speak a word until we walked in the office, and as he closed the door behind him, his hand lingered on the handle.
My heart was beating out of my chest.
"What.. are you trying to prove?" he questioned, looking at me.
"I'm not trying t-"
"Laura" he called my name, and my heart did a jump.
"You're playing dirty" he narrowed his eyes at me.
"That's funny" I commented, taking a step toward him "Aren't you doing the same?"
He didn't reply, and I spoke up again.
"You don't like being tried Ross, is that it?" I tilted my head slightly.
"I don't know why you choose to be so difficult" he hissed, taking another step toward me "You don't fucking speak to me like that in front of the employees. It's unprofessional, and makes us both look like fools. Have some respect"
"Earn it" I took another step closer- glaring up at him.
He hesitated, looking down at my face before meeting my eyes.
Did he..
"You little-"
"What you're about to say is considered highly unprofessional, don't you think?" I questioned, interrupting what I knew was about to be an offensive word, breathless "And you know what else is unprofessional? Not discussing this meeting with me beforehand - or notifying me in the least"
He was the most hypocritical man I'd ever met.
And I couldn't understand why exactly i was losing my breath- like I'd just ran a marathon.
"I'm the reason you're here" he bit back, leaning his face towards me "So stay silent"
All of a sudden, I'd noticed just how much distance was missing between us. We were almost chest to chest, and his face stood inches away from mine.
Recognizing that, lit a fire inside me- and I felt all that heat rush to my face.
"Fire me then" I did my best to stay serious, before heading for the door.
I'd done this before, I wasn't afraid to walk out again.
Before I could slam it shut- he grabbed my wrist, stopping me in place.
I turned, and he placed his other hand against the doorframe- trapping me.
My mouth fell open.
"We're gotta attend that little meeting right now, and I don't want to hear another word about this" he whispered "We solved this peacefully"
He didn't move a muscle, until I replied "Okay"
Then, his hand fell off the doorframe, and he turned around to walk away.
A hand flew to my heart, feeling it going absolutely wild, and I let out a deep breath, before following behind him.
Okay, alright.. relax. Everyone else here doesn't need to think anything is even slightly off.
But I knew that was too much to ask for, as Ross and I walked out, and saw the last few people run back into the conference room.
He let out an annoyed sigh, followed by a silent "Fuck" and I pressed my lips, following after him as we walked through the doors.
I couldn't help but think about as to why he didn't even reply to the words 'fire me'. I knew he was capable of doing it- one pretty word of his to John and it was done, but he didn't even seem to see it as an option, which confused me further.
I wasn't sure what to think, and when we walked back into the conference room, he stood confidently in front of the desk again, while I stayed further away from him now, more so on the side.
The blinds were open- a few of them had seen it. They hadn't heard a thing, but I was willing to bet they were watching.
Of course, anything in this office was hot gossip. I'd been in the middle of it before.
"And we're back. Now, we won't be doing anymore introductions or discussing positions. Moving on to the things changing in this branch apart from the fact of having two temporary managers" he cleared his throat "Sales have dropped since last month, and we're going to need to fix that. A large part of why, as I came to figure out, was the marketing department"
It was a bit astonishing to see how easily he transitioned from one situation to another- but then I guess, what he did back there was perhaps not as big of a deal for him as for me. My body was still tense, and I needed a glass of water for my suddenly dry mouth.
"Who's in the marketing department?" he questioned, and a hand raised.
"Rachel" he pointed at her "Right?"
"Yes" she nodded, looking nervous as ever.
"And the others?" he was quick with his words.
"There's no others, boss" her eyebrows narrowed.
"Your marketing department is made out of one teenage girl?" he questioned, whipping to look at me- like I was the one that made that decision in the first place.
"John didn't put importance into.. uh, marketing" I crossed my arms, as I felt everyone's eyes on me.
I'd have to get used to the attention, but it would take time. You'd think I'd already have been used to it because of my time at Louie's, but no, speaking business and singing were two completely different worlds.
"We're gonna have some work to do then" he sighted, looking away from me and back at the desk.
And just like that, I knew what he meant- we were gonna need to hire more people, and use more of our budget into marketing, so we could discuss a marketing strategy and organize marketing campaigns.
"Do we have a white board?" he questioned, and I wasn't sure why he directed every question at me.
I guess, I was his 'partner' on this.
"Yes" I replied, walking behind him to wheel out the whiteboard from the corner.
Once I placed it in the middle of us, he nodded "Alright, we're gonna have to do some calculations"
Just like that, what was supposed to be a small early meeting, turned almost two hours long.
And weirdly, I didn't mind, because listening to him talk business was highly interesting to me.
Maybe he was an asshole, but he was smart. I guess that's how he climbed up that success ladder.
Our employees, however, didn't seem to share the same thoughts- I could read their faces.
They wanted this to be over and done with, and it was only slightly funny.
⋆˚☽｡⋆.
Hey there :)
Sorry for updating so late!! I've been living life- lots going on. So many distractions.
But what's going on with you? How are you all?
I hope you liked this chapter!! What do you think of these two so far? Does someone have a plan, or is it simply heat of the moment? ;)
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