CHAPTER FIVE

My eyes widened in surprise. Mr Drey. I hadn't seem him all week and now that I was, I was on all fours on the floor.

Realising I wasn't in the best position my employer should find me, I quickly scrambled to my feet, dusting myself. 

"I uhm... I was looking for uhm...a flash drive fell."

"That doesn't explain why you're on my floor." Oh, that floor. Wait, was I not supposed to be on this floor?

"I had no idea I wasn't supposed to be here. I was told you requested a progress report." His face scrunched up in confusion.

"I did?" 

"Yeah. Jeni said - oh." Realisation dawning on me. "Nevermind." The she-devil. She had sent me on a fool's errand. 

"I'll be on my way now." My body itching to increase the distance between us. I hated him with every fibre of my being but I still feared him as my boss regardless. I turned around.

"Is this what you were looking for?"

He held the flashdrive in his hands.

"Yes." I replied going to get it from him but he raised his hands out of my reach. 

The movement causing me to be too close to him so, I stepped back.

"I guess you're as clumsy as you are on the dance floor"

My jaw slackened in shock. I never expected that he'd ever bring it up or that he'd even remember but he did and he did. 

How dare he make fun of me? I bristled, my ears turning red out of embarrassment. I snatched the drive out of his hands, ignoring the goosebumps that coated my flesh on contact. 

He chuckled lightly as I briskly walked away, my ears burning from the sound.

Later that day, Jeni was called to his office. Apparently, newbies and team members were not allowed on the CEO's floor. Only Team leads and very important guests. 

She came back red in the face and I took the brunt of it.

I had asked for work earlier and she gave me butt loads of it

She dumped every design file she could find on my desk asking me to redesign the MOD file starting from the wire frame to the final design.

It took the entire team months to do it and she only gave me less than a week to do it.

If only I learned to keep my big mouth shut. 

The next design meeting with Mr Drey was on Friday, a week from now. I looked at my calendar and cleared everything I had previously planned with Thea.

I rolled up my sleeves and tied up my hair, starting with the app idea directly from the CEO. As I read on, I realised Mr Drey wasn't just a figure head. He was quite intelligent and passion driven. I still hated him but now I respected him and I decided. I wouldn't make light of his efforts and sacrifices. So, I worked hard throughout the weekend and the week after.

Thea had checked in on me a couple of times,  especially during the weekend.

"Won't you at least shower? Or eat?"

She pinched her nose, swaying her hands around.

"I'm pretty sure I don't smell that bad." I took a sniff of my pits and I almost knocked myself out cold.

I had so much to do and everything else just seemed like a waste of time. This was an opportunity to prove myself and I would give it my best but right now, I was the walking dead. My hair was a bird's nest and my clothes needed changing.

I took a much needed shower and ate some food. Feeling much refreshed, I got back to work.

By Thursday, I had huge bags under my eyes. My dark circles were already covered, much thanks to Thea but nothing could hide the bags. Thea had also given up on styling me since the first week so, I almost looked homeless in a grey t-shirt and slightly baggy jeans.

"Look what the cat dragged in." Jeni had been taunting me for days and I took it all in because I was going to wipe that smirk off her face when I submitted my work.

I searched my bag and brought out the presentation file for the project and the flash drive for the actual designs. There was a momentary shock on her face she couldn't mask when she saw what was in my hands and I revelled in it.

She collected it from my hands so rudely I thought the papers were going to tear off. She didn't check either. Instead, she kept it in her desk and locked it up.

"Won't you read it?"

"Won't you get out of my face?"

I squeezed my hands in anger. All my work, my sleepless nights. My palms itched to mark her face. I wasn't the violent type but Jeni brought out the worst in me.

I turned and walked back to my desk. There had to be a way to report her without me getting in much trouble and I'd find it. I wasn't the only one she treated as such but it was way worse with me.

There was a scowl etched on my face throughout the day. I only got through it thinking of the weekend. I promised myself the best sleep of my life.

***

Friday had everyone running around in circles. We all dreaded this meeting. Mr Drey was already pissed from the morning. Some deal had fallen through with one of his investors. Apparently, one of his competitors had bought the investor over causing Mr Drey to lose some money and he wasn't happy about it. That was putting it lightly. He had already fired someone on the 28th floor and it was likely someone else was next.

"I'll come for your heads if you fail me today." Alfred said pointing to no one in particular and everyone at the same time.

We all walked to the elevator in trepidation. Jeni had already run us through most of it as she'd be the one doing the presentation. All we had to do was agree with her. 

Mr Drey was already in the conference room by the time we got there. This only elevated the tension in the air. We were twice as quick in setting everything up. He only grew more impatient as Jeni tried her hardest best to impress him. Even flashing her pretty smile every once in a while. Too once in a while if you asked me.

Mr Drey's fingers tapped the table like a time bomb waiting to explode.

"So, this is something I personally worked on throughout the week and weekend, losing a lot of sleep sir" She giggled. Was she about to do what I thought she was about to do?

Oh no, this fudging bridge didn't.

The screen changed to my design and I screamed internally.