Going the Distance - Chapter Four
Just plain boredom.
I was seated there for 4 hours up until my break. 4 hours! All I did was mostly fidget and compose myself cups of tea. I did my job, of course, but slowly. I had only written a couple of envelopes for letters before 10am. When it was my break, 12pm, I arose and paced to the entrance. I strolled down the street to Starbucks and ordered a latte and drank it on the way back.
I delivered the empty cup into a bin then entered back into the building. My break was half an hour. I said hello to the secretary and then hiked back to my room. I had to walk through quite a few corridors to get to my room and on the second one, I bumped into somebody. I gazed up and was met by piercing, indigo eyes, again.
He peered back at me with a surprised emotion on his face. Not too sure whether it was a pleasantly surprised emotion. I had walked into this guy two times in one day! I blushed when I realised how awkward this was.
"I'm sorry." I remarked.
"Again." He replied, chuckling slightly. He focused on my face for a few seconds. I smiled.
"Benedict!" A woman was calling to him from the other side of the corridor.
"I'm sorry I have to go. Hopefully, we bump into each other again." He grinned. He glanced at my face, one more time, then turned and walked away.
"Bye." I said, he turned his head and beamed at me again before proceeding to walk, his long coat swaying behind him. I scrutinised him until he stepped through the doors. There was something about him that intrigued me.
What did that Woman say his name was? Benedict? Hmm.
I shook him out of my mind and walked to my room.
"What time do you call this?" Mr Farley was standing, leaning against my desk. I glanced at the clock. It was 12:35; I was only 5 minutes late.
"I'm only five minutes late, Mr Farley." I responded, immediately regretting it.
"Excuse me! Who do you think you are talking to?! Tell me this," He moved closer to me, his face alarmingly close to mine. "If everybody was late to work, how much work would be done?"
"Well, sir, I was actually in work at the time. I haven't only just walked into work now." I stuttered.
"There is no difference! No difference at all! You are still late! And you haven't even apologised!" He was so paranoid. Somebody should have told him to relax, but unfortunately nobody was in the room.
"I am sorry. It was my mistake," I observed the floor. I was made to feel guilty for being 5 minutes late!
"Well, I am deeplysorry to tell you that I think you should leave. Right now! Leave and think about what you did. And then come back tomorrow, and actually act like you care about your job and your future! Understood?!" He shouted, his face becoming redder and redder. I hesitated.
"Yes." I silently mumbled as I walked over to my desk, grabbing my blazer and my bag, and exited out of the room and down the corridors. Tears started to fall swiftly onto my cheeks. Was I sure that I wanted to work here? He thought that he could just rule me. He made me feel so small. I got to the doors and extended my arm to push them, quickly noticing who was standing by the office entrance. Him.
Benedict. He was talking to somebody and quickly noticed me speed-walk past him. I wiped under my eyes but I already knew that my make-up had smudged. I opened the door, forcefully, and walked down the steps. I sat on the bottom one and realised that there was no point trying not to cry if my make-up had already been ruined, anyway. So I wept into my hands with my knees folded to my chest.
"Excuse me, Miss. Are you okay?" I heard his deep voice and heard him perch down alongside me.