I was just looking forward a ride without him, and this happens, Kayla thought huffily to herself, as she sat huddled up at the back seat. The night suddenly seemed very cold, and she doesn’t even have a jacket to cover herself.
Jesse sent Benny home first, as his house was nearer from Victoria’s apartment building. He got out talking to Benny, leaving Kayla sitting alone in the car. How come they’re like best friends? She thought to herself. When they were in front of others, Jesse would be yelling his head off at Benny, but when they’re on their own, they could talk for hours.
“’Kay, Muffin,” Benny said, as he opened the front door, while Jesse stood outside, “I’m going. Why don’t you come and sit at the front. I don’t want our Jesse here to be looking like a driver, now would we?”
Kayla quickly got out of the car, and almost tripped in her haste. She stood up straight, looking at Jesse who was looking the other way. She breathed a sigh of relief, as she got in the passenger’s side and sat quietly in there.
“See you tomorrow, Jesse,” Benny said, as he shook hands with Jesse, who was smiling, “Don’t eat the girl – she looks like she’s going to cry anytime.”
“Don’t worry, Benny,” Jesse said, as they waved goodbye. I have no time to eat small girls like her.
He got into the car, wiping off any traces of smile in his face, as he drove towards her apartment. He stole a glance at her and saw her shivering – is it that cold? He thought and turned down his air-conditioning. She must not be used to cold weather – probably never had air-conditioning in her life.
“Err, Mr. McCartney,” Kayla said softly as he looked at her side-ways. What now? He thought to himself, “I’m sorry about today.”
He turned to look at her in puzzlement. She looked at him, her face devoid of fear, but replaced with regret.
“I mean about telling about your schedule to Ms. Grayson,” she explained as he raised his eyebrow at her. He stared at her, I’ve already forgotten about that, he thought, “I didn’t know that you didn’t want to hang out there, and because I said you have no plans, you had to be there.”
“Who said I didn’t want to be there?” he asked her, as he looked straight onto the road in front of him.
“Err,” she stammered, “I thought that…I don’t know.”
“Don’t make your own assumptions, Ms…” he said but faltered. He didn’t know her last name.
“Hutchins,” Kayla provided, “But you can just call me Kayla.”
“Kayla,” he said, enunciating each syllable of her name, “I did not say that I don’t want to be with Ms. Grayson, but I don’t want you to tell her my schedules ever again, get it?”
“Yes sir,” Kayla said, nodding her head.
“If I say I’ve got some other plans to her, I want you to agree with whatever I said,” Jesse said firmly, looking at her, as he pulled up in front of her apartment.
“I got that,” Kayla said, as he looked at her, his expression softening.
“We’re here,” he said, looking out the window, “I hope you co-operate with me, Kayla, because if people go against me, I won’t give them chances.”
Kayla looked at him, wondering how she ever thought of him as her role model. He was nothing like the person she had looked up all through her teenage years. She could finally feel the feelings she had for him vanish with the look he gave her.
“Don’t worry, sir,” she said solemnly, “I’m working for you, and as long as I am, I will be a loyal staff. Thank you for dropping me at my house.”
She got out of the car before he could say a word, and headed inside the apartment building. Well, she finally let go of her teenage crush, and she was going to move forward and not going to be obsessed with him as she always was. She nodded her head as she confirmed her resolve.
Jesse drove home, lost in thoughts. He doesn’t understand Kayla. She seemed different from anyone he’s ever met. At first he thought she looked scared and probably crushing on him, but by tonight she seemed unperturbed by him. What could be going on in her mind?
He smiled as he remembered the way she almost tripped while getting out the car in front of Benny’s apartment – but he made as if he didn’t see her. What kind of girl could be that clumsy? He’s never seen Victoria slip or fall anywhere. She seemed too graceful.
He thought about Kayla as he took his shower, remembering how scared she was when she rammed into him the first time he saw her. He thought she was one of his fans, and he was surprised to know that she’ll be working for him.
As he lay on bed, getting ready to go to sleep, he chuckled at the clothes she wore. Who wore jeans to a five-star restaurant? He thought she was still in high-school when he saw what she wore. She really has no clue!
“Why am I thinking of that girl?” he told to himself as he shook his head, “Who is she? A nobody – a plain girl with no sense of fashion, and I’m wasting my time thinking about her!”
He turned to turn off the table lamp and his eyes got caught on the small photo frame on his bed-stand. His smile stopped when he saw the face of the person who had actually once upon a time stolen his heart and broke it. He thought he was over her, but every time he looked at her picture, he felt bitter. He turned off the light and went to sleep.
The next morning, Jesse woke up with a headache. He couldn’t sleep at all thinking about the girl in the photo-frame on his bed stand. He wonders if he would ever find someone who will make him completely forget about her.
“Argh,” he said, getting off from bed, “This is all crap! I don’t need any more girls in my life!”
He decided to go and see Benny in his office, as he didn’t have anything scheduled for the day. He whistled a happy tune as he went up the elevator. The people around there barely noticed him as they were accustomed to see celebrities in their midst.
He walked in the reception area of Wyatt Agency, and saw that Will wasn’t around, so he let himself in Benny’s office. He looked in and saw that the office was empty. Where could Benny be?
He was about to turn and leave when he heard a loud crash and a small scream. Panicked, he ran into Benny’s office, looking for the source of the sound. He found Kayla sitting on the ground, a bunch of files open all around her, the papers flying.
“What happened?” he asked, staring at her dumbfounded. She was sitting in a shock that was revived when she saw him.
“I was just trying to clean this shelf when it gave way and all the files dropped on me,” she said, rubbing her sore head. Jesse almost chuckled, but he held it in, and went beside her, helping her up. She got up and started picking up all the files and placing it on a nearby table, Jesse helping her.
“Oh, Mr. Benny is going to kill me!” she said, her hands covering the side of her face in dread, “I don’t know where these papers are supposed to go into.”
“Where is Benny anyway?” Jesse asked her, picking up the papers on the ground.
“He said he was going out,” she explained, as she knelt down and examined the broken shelf, “he got a phone call and he left.”
“Leave it,” Jesse said as she turned to stare at him with wide eyes, “Leave the shelf, and let someone check on it.”
“Mr. Benny would be furious if he saw everything like this,” Kayla said, “I have to do something!”
“Unless you’re an undercover carpenter, you won’t be able to do much,” Jesse said, feeling annoyed, “Why don’t you stop being so stubborn and let it go?”
She turned to look at him, her eyes filled with tears.
“Mr. McCartney,” she said as a-matter-of-factly, “There are people in this world who actually care about what others think, and try not to be a horrible person.”
“Hey!” Jesse said, raising his voice, as she winced back from him, “Is that supposed to mean something?”
“No, no,” Kayla said, quickly, thinking, why don’t he just leave, instead of standing here and criticizing me?, “I’m just saying that I feel responsible for what happened and I would appreciate if you would leave me to settle my job.”
“What are you?” Jesse asked her, “I’ve never met someone as stubborn and hard-headed as you.”
“I’ve never met someone as arrogant and rude as you!” Kayla said, too fast and closed her mouth, her eyes wide. Jesse rounded his eyes and stared at her.
“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” he demanded as she shook her head, regretfully.
“I didn’t mean…” she said, shaking her head, “I’m sorry.”
“Save your sorry,” Jesse spat out, “You are now number one on my list!”
“What list?” she asked, dreading the answer.
“The list of people whose life I’m going to make miserable!” Jesse said, as he turned and left. Kayla slumped to the ground, regretting her temper and the way words fly out of her mouth before she even thinks.
“Why the hell did you say things like that, Kay?” she asked herself, hitting herself on her head, “Stupid, ignorant idiot. Now look what you’ve done! You started war with your own boss!”
“Kayla?” Will’s voice came from the door. Kayla stood up to look at him, raising her eyebrow.
“Is everything okay?” he asked her, as she looked at him, on the verge of tears.
“I don’t know, Will,” she said, as a tear slid down her cheek, “I think I may have made Mr. McCartney hate me.”
“What could you have possibly done?” Will said, walking into the office, as she told him everything that happened.
“Oh dear, dear,” Will said, shaking his head, “Mr. McCartney is known for his bad-temper and now that you’re on his list, I fear for you.”
“What do you think he will do?” Kayla asked Will, her eyes growing wide in fear.
“I don’t know,” Will said, shrugging his slim shoulders, “Did he say that he wants to fire you?”
“I don’t think so,” Kayla said recalling the incident. Did he say he wants to fire me?, “no, I don’t think he said that.”
“Well, just pray he doesn’t do anything horrible,” Will said, crossing his fingers, “Let me call a technician to fix that shelf.”
Until Benny got back, Kayla sat precariously on her seat, fearing what Jesse would do to her. Every phone call made her jump in surprise and every time she heard the ding of the elevator, she strained her ears to hear Jesse’s voice, but nothing happened. Even when Benny came back in the evening, he never showed any signs of knowing anything happening.
I guess he’s forgotten about me, Kayla thought with a relieved sigh as she went home that day in a jolly mood.