Typing on her laptop as she flipped through the invoice sheet on her desk. How could she have made so many mistakes?
"Urgh, I'm so hungry." she slouches against her chair. She couldn't eat much last night as she was swamped with work, and she was unable to grab anything on her way to work this morning to avoid traffic. Her stomach growled.
"Do me a favor and wait till lunch time please." she tapped her stomach.
Sitting up straight, she continued with her work. She was probably already on the bad side of Mr Quinn so she'd rather not add any more and finish this thing up once and for all.
Her attention moves when she hears her phone vibrating besides her laptop. The calling ID— 'HoneyPop' displayed on the screen.
Smiling, she swiped on her screen to pick up before the call would end.
"Hi Daddy." She chimed warmly into the earpods she had on.
"Pumpkin, you sound tired. Are things not going alright at work?" His voice sounds from the other line
She shook her head over the phone with a small laugh. "There's nothing wrong with my voice Dad and you know it. Just tryna pull me from my work again aren't you?"
"I'm just worried about you princess. You never have time to come home, who even knows if you eat well because of work?"
For Christ sake.
"I do eat well dad, you don't have to worry."
Talking about food, she felt her stomach growl again.
With his tone, she could tell her father was looking for the slightest thing to use as an excuse why she should quit her job and come home as he never wanted her working solo to begin with.
"I hear you Okay. Just want to know you're fine."
"Really?" She asked. "Well if I haven't been your daughter for 24 years, I would have bought that story dad. You called for a reason didn't you?"
There was a brief moment of silence
"Alright, spill it old man."
"Fine. Nothing goes past you, just like your mother. I would love it if you'd visit home today after work. I have some things to discuss with you." His voice turns cool and slightly serious. He only talked like that whenever the matter at hand was really big.
"Is everything alright?"
"Yeah it is. So do you think you can do that for me pumpkin? I'd ask Tania to make your favorite soup and rice."
At the sound of that, Cecelia's ears tingled. He just had to hit the spot with that. Her call is interrupted the moment the office phone begins to ring.
"Dad, just gimme a sec." She removes one ear and picks up the phone, " Yes sir?"
"We have a meeting in the next hour. Get your things ready. Along with the file to the Charis Group and prepare the driver." The instructions came out without a pause. It's like this man was born to dish out instructions.
"Yes s.." the call drops.
Rude.
"Um daddy, I'm gonna have to go now. I'd see what I can do about the visit." She stood up from her chair.
"But pumpkin I…"
"Alright dad, talk to you later. Love you." She hung up. Immediately she began arranging her bag. She wasn't going to have him come out and meet her still here. Picking up her things and the file he asked for, she leaves her desk.
"Oh before I forget.." She moved back to change her shoes to a pair of emergency sandals she always kept inside her desk. For situations like this.
After changing, she kept the sneakers underneath her seat before rushing out of there.
She had already informed his driver who had the car waiting while we waited for him. Her baby blue eyes glanced at her reflection in the clear car window, checking if she looked okay. Her dim blonde hair was still packed down in a low ponytail. She noticed a line of sweat on her already oily face and her pale pink colored lips seemed dry. Before he would come out, Cecelia ransacked her bag and pulled out a kerchief and a light shade of lipstick.
She wiped her face as fast as she could before applying her gloss on the lips.
"Sir" her heart flew as the gloss rubs her face out of shock as she turned around to find Vince coming out. He was surrounded by some of his design team while she just stood there and stared. She didn't know when her eyes began to take in his features. She had been working for him for about a year now and she still couldn't get used to how he looked.
She watched how his nude colored lips moved as he spoke to one of the men, her eyes tracing his face as it takes in his light caramel colored eyes trapped in those almond shaped eyes of his. His defined and neatly shaved jawline which still had traces of beards on them as it softly moved along his chocolate brown curls which he always has styled down in a neat professional manner, with few loose curls falling to his forehead.
Vincent Quinn. As much as the man was cruel and cold, there was no denying the masculine hotness that wafted off him. It's like you could pour him cold water and it would turn into steam. His looks were that big of a deal.
He walked forehead while her eyes are stuck to his body in the suit he has on. Those glorious pairs of…
"Are you even here?"
That emotionless voice slapped her back to reality and she noticed him standing in front of her. His team had disappeared.
"Apologies sir."
"Hmm. If you were to look like this, I'd advise you to come bare faced. Let's go." With that, he walked to the other side where the driver pulled open the door for him. Once he's inside the car, the driver looked at Cecelia and signifies something being on her face. That was when she remembered the lip gloss incident and immediately looked at herself from the window.
Shit. There was a long smudge of pink gloss on her face. She pulled the door to the front seat and got in first before cleaning it up.
"Did you get the document?" He asked from the backseat.
"Yes sir." The car began and total silence filled up the vehicle in a swift wave as the vehicle drove off.
Finally they reached where they were having the meeting….
"You forgot it?"
She felt like she was going to die. They were currently at the place where they were waiting for the client and she realized she had taken the wrong document he had asked her to bring. She could feel the invisible anger sipping through Mr Quinn.
"Sir I'd…" he threw the document on the floor towards her.
"Go back to the office and get it." He told her and she blinked at him.
"Sir?"
"Is that going to be a problem?" His tone was suffocating her even from where she stood.
"No sir." She hung her head low.
He let out a quiet sigh as he picked up his tablet, turning his gaze away from her. "30 minutes. If you're not back by then, don't bother coming back." His warning was stern that she could feel her palms sweating.
"Yes sir. I'd just tell the driver to…" he cuts her off
"Since when has taxi's gone scarce?" He didn't even look up but his instructions were clearly passed on.
"I'd be off now sir." She rushed out of the place without thinking twice.
There was no way she was going to get back on time before the client arrived. She was most definitely fired this time.
She returned an hour later with the documents in her hand. She didn't know exactly why she had come back, but she just hoped the meeting was still on.
Finally reaching where the meeting was supposed to be held, she saw no one and she felt her breath caught in her throat. Almost immediately, her phone begins to ring with Vince's ID on the screen.
She picked immediately. " Sir, I'm so…"
"Don't bother apologizing, that's all you do." He cut her off sharply. "Where are you?"
"I'm..at the restaurant sir." Her voice was low.
"Good." His words caught her by surprise. "You can always get a job there after now, don't return back to the office." With that, the call dropped.
Did she just get fired?