"Miss Sinclair..." Diana's voice was gentle, a tentative attempt to breach the silence that had enveloped the office.
"Miss Sinclair?" she tried again, a note of concern threading through her tone.
"Miss Sinclair, are you alright?" The question came more insistently this time, as Diana observed Margo staring into the void, her gaze fixed on the computer screen but clearly seeing beyond it.
Without diverting her gaze, Margo finally responded, her voice steady but distant, "Prepare the contracts, Diana. I'll sign them today." She leaned back in her chair, cradling a mug of steaming coffee between her hands, the warmth seemingly failing to reach her eyes.
"It will be done, Miss Sinclair. I'll attend to it immediately," Diana assured her, ready to leave but pausing as Margo spoke again.
"Oh? Diana, may I ask you something?" The sudden shift in Margo's tone, from dismissive to inquisitively vulnerable, made Diana stop in her tracks. Margo set down her pen, her posture relaxing slightly, signaling a rare moment of openness.
"What is it, Miss Sinclair?" Diana asked, her curiosity piqued as she lingered by the door, sensing the importance of the moment.
"How do normal people apologize?" The question hung in the air, uncharacteristic of Margo, who usually exuded control and decisiveness. Now, she appeared almost lost, her arms crossed not in defiance but in a self-protective gesture as she leaned into the back of her chair.
Diana's brow furrowed, not just in wonder but in a soft empathy for the powerful woman before her. "It's easier to ask for forgiveness as long as you're sincere," she replied, her voice laced with warmth. "Genuineness in your words and actions... that's what truly matters."
"That's it? Is that all you can say?" Margo pressed, her eyebrow arching, a mix of skepticism and hope coloring her tone.
"Yes, Miss Sinclair," Diana affirmed, her smile gentle and encouraging. "Sincerity speaks volumes, far louder than any grand gesture."
"I'll go ahead now, Miss Sinclair," Diana added after a brief pause, offering Margo a moment to digest the advice, her departure slow and thoughtful.
Margo responded with a wry smile, a silent acknowledgment of Diana's words. As the door closed softly behind Diana, Margo sat alone with her thoughts.
++++
"Miss Sinclair...reporters are waiting in the lobby. Would you prefer to use the back exit? I can inform security," Diana offered, her voice tinged with concern.
"It's fine, Diana; I'll meet them in the lobby," Margo responded, her voice imbued with determination.
"Please proceed with your tasks at your convenience," Margo instructed, dismissing the staff who had been accompanying her through the corridor. She advanced toward the elevator bank, noting that two elevators were temporarily out of service, a minor inconvenience soon to be remedied by the Maintenance Department. As she waited alone, the elevator dinged its arrival. Inside, employees instantly recognized their formidable CEO. They began to shuffle out, deferentially making way, but Margo halted them with a serene command, "Don't get off." Her authority undisputed, she stepped inside.
As Margo entered inside the elevator, the crowd spontaneously parted, reminiscent of Moses parting the Red Sea, a path clearing before her. Among the faces, one turned notably pale at the sight of the CEO—Aveline. Margo navigated through the crowd, positioning herself deliberately at the rear, mere steps behind Aveline. The group of people, though dense, instinctively kept a respectful distance from Margo. Aveline, attempting to mask her discomfort, stiffened, but an inadvertent push from a bystander as the elevator began its descent forced her directly against Margo, their proximity unexpectedly intimate.
A tumult of emotions surged through Aveline, her nerves firing in disarray at Margo's nearness. Meanwhile, Margo, with a barely perceptible smirk, subtly leaned forward. She hovered close enough to Aveline to discreetly inhale the scent of her hair, her actions concealed within the confines of the crowded elevator.
Aveline dared not move. She managed to keep her breathing steady, standing frozen like an iceberg in front of Margo, quietly trying to hush the loud pounding of her heart. Biting her bottom lip, she sought to calm herself amidst the relentless butterflies in her stomach and the whirlwind of possibilities clouding her mind. She made a plan: as soon as the doors opened, she would exit immediately.
However, fate seemed to have other ideas. "Aveline, I'll be getting off on the 20th floor. Mrs. Poulain mentioned you need to collect the menu from the second floor; she'll be waiting for you there," her co-worker blurted out, eyes fixed on the list in hand. Aveline rubbed her temple in frustration. If it were at all reasonable to drag her colleague aside and gag her, she would have done it without a second thought.
The sound of the elevator arriving at the floor cut through her thoughts.
Aveline silently prayed that no one would exit, but her hopes were dashed. Only three remained: Aveline, her co-worker, and Margo.
The agony for Aveline had already begun. She inhaled deeply and attempted to move forward, but it felt as though her feet were shackled; her legs seemed too heavy to proceed. A part of her felt like it was dissolving as she distanced herself from Margo, her gaze fixed on the elevator numbers with a look of misery, a poignant reminder of the escape she was far from grasping.
"The menu is ready. Have you seen the uniform? It's awesome. You'll get the first look on the second floor," her co-worker interjected, breaking the heavy silence once again, completely oblivious to the tension suffusing the elevator and Aveline's inner torment.
TING!
The doors opened once again.
Her co-worker exited, and Aveline found herself momentarily relieved as new passengers stepped in, and the elevator came to a brief halt. An elderly woman and a young boy entered. Across the cramped space, Margo crossed her arms and settled into silence.
"We're going to visit your mom. What happened? Why does your teacher want to see me? Have you been misbehaving?" the old woman scolded the child, her attention entirely on him, oblivious to the other passengers.
"I didn't do anything wrong. I'm a good boy, grandma," the child protested with a high-pitched voice, his eyes widening in curiosity as he surveyed the elevator's panel and then impulsively pressed the buttons.
"Oh my goodness! What have you done?" the grandmother exclaimed in dismay. "Why can't you behave?" She quickly grasped the boy's hand to stop him from causing further mischief.
Aveline massaged her forehead in frustration, her situation deteriorating as all the buttons lit up. The elevator was now destined to stop on every floor, unnecessarily prolonging her time trapped within. Escape seemed even more unattainable.
With the damage irreparable, the old lady offered a sheepish, apologetic smile to the two remaining passengers. Aveline managed a forced smile in return, while Margo maintained her impassive demeanor.
TING!
The elderly woman and the boy exited. "Don't run in the hallway! Get back here!" her voice strained with anxiety. As the doors began to close, her admonition echoed down the corridor, "Don't run!"
TING!
The doors opened once again, revealing employees outside. Aveline silently prayed they would enter. Yet, the presence of Margo seemed to wield a charm stronger than her silent pleas. Upon recognizing the CEO inside, the employees hesitated and then, one by one, vanished from view as the doors slid shut.
Aveline swallowed hard, her nervousness palpable.
TING!
This time, Aveline didn't even bother to hope. The employees' reactions were the same: no one dared to enter the elevator with the CEO present, as if she and Margo were afflicted with an infectious disease, prompting everyone to steer clear. The overhead speaker began to play a song, exacerbating Aveline's ache of longing.
"🎶Well, I wish that you would call me right now. So that I could get through to you somehow. But I guess it's safe to say that I'm officially missing you🎶"
In that moment, Margo shifted closer to Aveline.
TING!
The sound made Aveline's body tense with anxiety, feeling as though her soul had leaped from her body. The elevator halted yet again at another floor. For reasons she couldn't fathom, Margo appeared concerned.
The doors opened once more.
Margo subtly moved to the side, and their hands accidentally brushed against each other.
TING!
A cold sweat broke out on Aveline's forehead. Clutching the fabric of her blouse tightly at her side, she fiddled with it by pinching the cloth. The only sensation she was fully conscious of was her heart pounding vehemently against her chest. Closing her eyes and pursing her lips, a bead of sweat traced a path down the edge of her cheek.
TING!
The elevator door has spoken again. Margo breathed deeply. She was ready to apologize and had mustered all the courage she needed. She took another deep breath, closed her eyes, clenched her hands into fists, and calmed herself as she tried to control her anxiety.
TING! The elevator chimed.
Fate opened the doors again. The same moment the doors were closed, Margo faced Aveline. Their eyes met, and they stared at each other for a minute. In an odd way, their beating hearts began to beat in a perfect rhythm. With all her confidence, the eternal Queen, her majesty, finally spoke, "A-Aveline, I'm----"
Margo could barely finish the sentence when Aveline, with her chocolate eyes, slammed her lips against the eternal Queen's. Hardly having a moment to react, Margo then pressed her tongue to the seam of Aveline's lips. It was a passionate kiss with the scent of mint being exchanged between their billowing breaths. Aveline held her face and kissed her over and over again.
TING!
Aveline quickly stepped back as the elevator door opened, the soft glow of the hallway illuminating her features — still facing Margo, her gaze locked into Margo's bewildering green eyes that shimmered like emeralds under the fluorescent lights. Moments later, as the doors slid shut with a silent whisper, she lunged forward, her lips finding Margo's with a fierce urgency. She kissed Margo as if it were the last opportunity she'd ever have, pouring every unsaid word into the intensity of her embrace. No words were exchanged, just sweet, fervent kisses that spoke volumes.
The swirls of emotion Margo saw in Aveline's deep brown eyes, dark and inviting as a moonless night, were enough to make her silently gasp, a sound lost in their shared breaths. But before she could get lost in the depths of Aveline's gaze, Aveline yanked Margo closer, her fingers tangling in Margo's hair, and covered her mouth with a kiss so hungry it devoured all thoughts. As their lips melded together, it felt like they were transcending the confines of the steel box that enclosed them, floating in a realm where only their heartbeats existed. The warmth of Aveline's mouth, the gentle yet insistent caress of her lips, was more intoxicating than the finest wine, prompting Margo to respond with a low moan that vibrated through their entwined forms. Their kisses slowed, morphing into soft, lingering contacts that were sweet and slow, evoking the comforting warmth of hot chocolate on a stormy evening and the mesmerizing beauty of a garden in spring bloom.
In that infinite moment, Aveline's lips stole not just the words but the very breath from the great Queen, leaving her profoundly confused. As the elevator doors opened, Aveline bolted outside, running away after the kiss. Once again, the elevator doors closed, and finally, it opened at the ground floor.
"Miss Margo Sinclair!" echoed around her as she stepped out, the multitude of voices clamoring for her attention.
The reporters gathered in front of the elevator, their cameras flickering in a frenzy in front of the CEO. Margo stood there, rooted to the spot, her mind a whirlwind of confusion, longing, and disarray. Still dazed, she was caught in the aftershock of the stormy kisses that had just passed.
The great Margo Sinclair, the eternal Queen, was utterly speechless.
++++
The night displayed glorious darkness; stars glowed brightly, shimmering at the large windows of a vast office. Margo stood in front of the window, watching the city glitter in the clean air.
Her phone rang. She pressed the button and answered the call.
"Hello," Margo answered, her gaze still fixed on the window.
"Miss Sinclair?"
"Yes..." Margo replied, her attention unwavering from the view.
"Ma'am Sinclair...she went home safely," the caller informed her.
The corners of her lips quirked up in a slight smile. "Good job."
"That will be all. Just wait for my call." Margo concluded the conversation and gently put down the phone, her head then tilting back to take in the vast, black sky. The moonlight streamed down upon her beautiful face, casting a soft glow that highlighted her thoughtful expression. As she gazed at the moon, her lips mirrored its crescent shape in a subtle smile.
The eternal Queen was prepared to apologize again, willing to humble herself for that special girl with the beautiful brown eyes.
++++