As I made my way through the bustling streets of New York City on my supposed day off, the cool weather did little to alleviate the suffocating feeling that enveloped me.
Each step I took seemed to be met with a sea of faces, all rushing past me with a sense of urgency that grated on my nerves. The demands for my presence at work, rather than polite requests, only added to my annoyance.
Why couldn't they see that everyone deserved a day to themselves, away from the chaos of the city? Despite the cool breeze that nipped at my skin, I couldn't shake the feeling of being suffocated by the expectations of others.
Finally the tall towering hotel started coming into sight. I sighed heavily slumping slightly.
'This isn't supposed to be happening, am supposed to be in my room reading my new book!'
I mentally snapped as I finally reached the building. Inhaling sharply, I stepped inside the hotel and made my way down the hallway towards the staff room when I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning around, I saw Gibbs with his usual expressionless face.
I turned around swiftly to see Gibbs. He had his usual boring, blank but tense face on. No sign of emotion crossing over his face, just a dark void.
'Man, can you smile?'
"Morning," I said mastering a fake grin.
He looked at me blankly for a moment, scanning my face in a way I had to admit wasn't comfortable. After blankly staring at me, Gibbs forced a big, ugly smile and greeted me with a sarcastic "Good morning, Miss Leroy." He then coldly stated, "You are late."
"Well, considering today was my supposedly day off, I don't think I was supposed to be here any earlier," I said with quite implacable confidence.
Annoyed at being called in on my day off, I glared at Gibbs and expressed my lack of mood for the situation. He narrowed his eyes at me and I only smiled a bit more. They couldn't do something as simple as asking me nicely to come.
“Go fill in the paperwork for covering for Miss Kingsley,” he said and I scrunched my brows in confusion.
"Since when do I fill in the paperwork for filling in for someone?” I asked rather curiously.
“Since Le Délice got a new boss," he said in a duh tone before turning in the other direction. “Just fill the damn paperwork, Leroy. Today was supposed to be my day free from you as well,” he said with annoyance visible in his tone.
I rolled my eyes, folding my arms over my chest. "Well, maybe we both could have been in a better position if you hadn't chosen me to fill in for Carly,” I said in a uniform tone as his.
"Ha,” he chuckled and went on, "you wish, you're lucky I didn't have a choice to choose. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been you,” he said, and just like that, he was gone. Frustrated, I complied with his request and muttered about our forced interaction
'Great, that leaves one person in the whole universe who has me filling in for Carly.'
I sighed in discontent as I reflected on the situation that if it weren't Gibbs demanding my presence, it was none other than the new so-called boss. “Ugh! Can my life get any more exciting?" I said ironically before striding towards the stairs.
As I trudged through the hallways on my supposedly precious day off, annoyance bubbled within me like a persistent itch. The cool weather outside did little to soothe my frustration as I was met with the suffocating atmosphere of demands.
There was never a formal process for filling in for someone through paperwork signing. Now all of a sudden, he had changed everything.
As I approached the office door, I couldn't help but find it amusing how nervous I felt being called to this particular office while Mr. Griswold was or wasn't present. It reminded me of being summoned to the principal's office back in high school.
With hesitation, I raised my hand and knocked softly. No one responded, and I could feel my anxiety increasing. I knocked once more, but still no answer.
'Is this just one of his usual antics or he's totally enjoying troubleshooting me so early in the morning?….Well not today'
Taking a deep breath, I gathered my courage and trudged into the office.
Upon taking a look around, I noticed that the office was empty. There was only an empty chair and a stack of files on the desk, none of which were opened.
I had passed by the office a few times but not meeting Griswold himself but his P.A instead, but it always had me jumping being close to the door.
I marvelled at the great spacious room. Different from every single room of the hotel. I guess he has taken the designing of his office to heart.
It was a complete multi millionaire's office, a spacious and luxurious room, with a high ceiling and large window offering a stunning view of the city skyline. The walls were lined with expensive artwork, and the floor was a black shiny glass like marble tile.
The centerpiece of the office was a sleek, black modern desk made of rich mahogany wood, with a black high-backed leather chair tucked neatly behind it. The desk was cluttered with expensive gadgets and high-tech devices, including a state-of-the-art computer, multiple monitors, and a top-of-the-line smartphone.
Bookshelves filled with leather-bound books line one wall, showcasing the impressive collection of rare and valuable literary works. A well-stocked bar cart sat in one corner, with a selection of top-shelf liquors and crystal glassware.
In another corner of the office, was cozy seating area presumably set up for meetings with clients and business associates, featuring a black plush sofa and a couple of black leather armchairs arranged around a sleek glass coffee table. The office was just black themed.
I looked around the office and for sure it was empty. I walked closer to his desk steadily, as my block heels clinked against the black marble floor.
I reached the desk and on the desk was a document with my name on it, and I didn't waste time picking it up.
“You know you could have just waited," the familiar voice caught me by surprise from behind and the paper almost slipped out of my grasp. I didn't turn; I kept facing the same direction.
His shoes clicked against the marble as he approached me. Finally, he came into my view and walked around his table. Quickly, I lowered my head, acting as though I was going through the document.
“I'm sure Gibbs explained to you. Sign it," he said, an element of domination in his voice, and I cringed, my mind going over the text I received.
Slowly I raised my head to look at him, but he was now seated, his chair facing the huge glass window, looking over the city skyline. With a resigned sigh, I begrudgingly began filling out the papers, knowing that this task was not in my job description. How can I be dealing with filling out this paperwork that was usually and obviously not my responsibility? I just had to make it quick since he also had to sign and then I would be outta here.
“Done," I drawled as I slid the white sheet of paper towards him.
"What a pleasant day, don't you think?" he asked, finally turning to face me. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes.
"I'm not here to do weather forecasting, Griswold, sir. Can we just get this over with?" I said, feeling my already spiraling annoyance about to boil over.
I looked up finally focusing on him and I sucked a deep breath. There he was, Griswold's wild so-called son, now filling in as the temporary head honcho in his father's absence.
Dressed to the nines in a tailored suit that accentuated his well-built physique, he exuded a confidence that was hard to adjust to.
Despite the drool-worthy impressive appearance, I refused to be swayed. He was that same guy who ruined my favorite shirt with my coffee.
Most importantly, the reason for my annoyance remaining crystal clear was his audacity to demand my presence on my day off instead of simply asking for it.
Despite the cool weather that enveloped the office, I couldn't help but feel suffocated by his presence. But I refused to let myself be swayed by his charms. After all, just because he was filling in as boss didn't mean he could demand my presence like that.
He smirked, clearly enjoying getting under my skin. "Why don't we make this encounter a bit more exciting, shall we?" he smiled a hint mischief in his tone.
'Great...the all-mighty Blaze knows my name'
I rolled my eyes and didn't even hide it. “Like it could be any less," I said, sarcasm rolling off my tongue.
"Oh, come on now, where's that famous sense of humor of yours, Avy?" he teased, leaning back in his chair. I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to keep my cool.
"It disappeared the moment you walked in, sir," I shot back, unable to resist a small smirk, and he chuckled, clearly amused by our banter.
"I thought you loved a good challenge." I gritted my teeth, trying to keep my cool.
"I love challenges that are worth my time, not dealing with your antics, Griswold." He chuckled, rocking his chair.
"Ah, but where's the fun in that? Life would be so boring without a little excitement, don't you think?" I narrowed my eyes at him, knowing this was going to be a long day.
"I'll take boring over dealing with you any day, sir." The tension between us was palpable, each word we exchanged feeling like a battle of wits.
“Embrace the unpredictability of life! Besides, a little banter never hurt anyone."
I shot him a withering glare. "Speak for yourself. Your idea of banter is borderline torture."
He leaned forward in his chair, looking far too pleased with himself. "Oh, come on, you know you secretly love it. Admit it, Avery, I am bringing a little excitement to your otherwise mundane workday."
I scoffed. "Excitement? More like a headache waiting to happen. I am supposed to be in my bed."
He raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Well, lucky for you, I hear headaches are the topic of your expertise. Maybe you should write a book on how to deal with annoying bosses."
I couldn't help but smirk at his attempt at a jab. "Maybe I will, Griswold. And the first chapter will be on how to resist the urge to throttle the said annoying bosses."
"That sounds great to me, and while you are on that, you might just as well start writing it in here,” he said, pulling up a gleeful smile combined with a smirk.
I crossed my arms, determined not to let him rile me up. "I have more important things to do than entertain your whims, Mr. Griswold. Let's stick to business, shall we?" I shot back, my tone sharp.
He chuckled, unfazed by my sudden icy demeanor. "Touché. But fine, let's get down to business. I heard your fourth report is due by the end of the day. Don't keep me waiting," he said, a sudden coldness dimming his aura. “You're dismissed," he said in a monotonous tone and turned to face the glass window again.
'That was a quick shift'
I gritted my teeth, knowing that dealing with him was going to be the most frustrating thing I would do. It was going to be a long day or right to say months.
_______________________________
This chapter is dedicated to nikahdarling Thank you for your unwavering support, love yah💜💜
Hey guys, long time right?
So am making an effort to update when I can so please don't get mad when I can't. This year is hectic for me.
Anyways do continue reading and also check out my other stories.
Vote, comment and add to your public libraries guys and I will reciprocate.
Love you all
Stay weirdly awesome
😊💜