~[CHAPTER SIX]~
I waddled into the large room acting as a conference hall, eyes taking in the number of figures scattered around the area.There they all were, forms surrounding the black, oval table centered in the space, and with voices pouring out, breaking the calm of the room, each one went engaging in a discussion with another.I had been here for at least enough time to get acquainted, yet a stranger, I felt.Perhaps, I was.No one bothered sparing my incoming form a glance. For all they cared, I was the company's new marketer."Oh, come on people. It's just a minor issue" A voice called from beside the chair I had sank into, with the profile of a middle-aged lady coming into view."Perhaps it is to address the new arrivals" Her gaze spun to me at once, a smile lighting up her red-stained lips."Can you believe there's a new employee?" She pushed even closer, eyes intent in mine."Some wretch, I'm informed of" Believe me, I heard those words just fine. "Lord knows our pay would be cut down now, and all attention fixed our way, all because a wimp decided to make her arrival here""Why do they think we need an addition to the team?" The lady beside her let out, soon snatching the attention of the people around. "Incompetent, they think of us? How boggling!" She followed."Perhaps, cause it's lacking" I spoke for the first time since I made my arrival, and believe me, it was much discomforting than being sat lone in the company of nobody.I caught those eyes which had now found rest on me, and with puzzled gazes, scrunched brows, I could tell just what lingered with each one of them."And who are you?" This time, it was the guy across the table.If I was to guess, he was no more than twenty-two, which only meant he was just as new in the job, yet, he dare parade me with those looks."I'm Jane Parker" I believed it was time ridding the puzzle, and believe me, at the break of those words, I watched those gazes shift from disgusted, to confused, and finally settling on apologetic.I watched the lady right beside me shift in her seat, eyes anywhere but my way.She turned here to there, lips pulling open, then shutting after a while. And perhaps deeming it just wise to say something after realizing we would be in this room for as long as the minute lasted, her words came pouring."I never knew she had arrived" She chuckled emptily, eyes managing to meet my blank ones."Well, here she is" Followed my words."It's a delight to have you, Jane" That voice came from the other side, and at once, I turned to the redhead who had on a grin growing cheek to cheek.That strong whiff which blew past my face overpowered every comporting I thought to have, for the instant that breath poured out, face went scrunched up, with nostrils taking a pause at the pungent smell."Oh, it's Chinese" She smiled. "They have one of the best food in the area""You should have lunch with me sometime" She flashed a smile, revealing a set of food-perched teeth, with gum holding onto stains here and there."I'll try" Followed my voice, the same minute a figure had proceeded into the room, managing to seize every ruckus there was.The sound of his steps drew even nearer, coming over to my seat, and in a second, he had walked right past, going up front to take the mounted platform."I called this meeting for urgent reasons" That husky voice bounced into my ears, his figure stood away, staring back at every single person present in the room."There has been a huge drop of sales"That utterance got me shifting in my seat, eyes refusing to meet the scrutinizing ones of his."And it seems this recent days have brought about relaxation in every department""Need I remind you, the company chases after something. It has a mission, goals. And if such goals aren't met, it only forces us into taking drastic actions""Which is why I will be presenting a new employee into the team" That utterance got me snapping my gaze up to the girl who had now taken to her feet, soft eyes found beaming on at everyone before her."I introduce you all to Susy Clark" He called."And she will be joining the marketing department, assist to Miss Parker"For a long moment, the silence prevailed, my eyes left gaping at that figure away, and then came the break of my utterance."I don't need an assist!" I blurted."Well I happen to think otherwise, Miss Parker" Followed his voice. "She will assist you with all you need. Pitching in ideas on how you can do better as a marketer, cause apparently you're failing" His words poured out flat, blunt to my ears."I've only been here for what? Five days. And you deem it fair to berate me?""It's not the duration that foretells, Miss Parker. It's the output""I refuse that, Mr Holden" My tone was firm, eyes squaring his."I refuse your order of having her as my assist"I could hear the murmurs which broke around me, the figures present in the room, only watching the sight before them."You've been heading the company for years now, and in one way or the other, the company stumbles, yet no one has brought it up as an issue to you" My eyes all the while remained centered on just one figure. And while of that gaze of his remained blank on my form, mine so happened to be pensive in his, all of me found agitating."You don't see anyone imposing on you"He only watched in silence, eyes gnawing at my form."Why then should you bite at me? Not even sparing a chance for me to prove myself" my voice broke out even louder this time, causing a break of silence into the room.I had only realized how intense my sudden outburst had been when the beep of the dispenser machine seemed to be the only sound to be heard in the space.And there those eyes settled on my figure, each one staring at the comic I was."Are you done, Miss Parker?" His voice was low.I felt empty, left with nothing but the questioning gazes of everyone in the room, staring blankly at my profile."Very well, then" He cleared his throat" Miss Clark will commence work in your office tomorrow""Good day"With that, he was proceeding out the area, and all the while those figures remained staring at his departing form, here I stood, left in utter shame, living in my own regrets.~[CHAPTER SEVEN]~I lost every containment in me, as I came barging into this area, figure intruding on such quietude which made up the space. There he sat, the only figure I yearned to see ever since the meeting at the conference hall.Right away, was that form on the rewinding chair, back turned to the entrance, he had soon spun around at my entry, profile beholding mine. At the hold of that gaze, my chest burned, scrutiny fixed onwards, while those eyes came scanning my figure. "To what do I owe this, Miss Parker?" He appeared not a bit concerned about the occurrence in the previous meeting, instead, sat on his face, was that irksome expression he bore effortlessly."I think your decisions are unfair" I let out in a tone that was pushed by rounds of frustration, anger, exasperation and adamancy. "I thought we had all that banter settled in the meeting, Miss Parker" Came his voice, with the bastard deeming it much interesting turning to the glass of wine sat on his desk. "You
~[CHAPTER EIGHT]~"I'm Susy" The voice of the girl before me was filled with much cheer, and I tell you, in as much as the sweetness she was sure to be found with seemed most charming, it pissed me to the bone. "I know" My own voice poured low, eyes fixed on the files scattered over my desk. All those files which needed sorting—All of it one thing to be attended to, and I tell you, I was finding it hard doing just that when some prat went moving around telling me I wasn't living up to the certifications of my résumé. "The introductions were made earlier" Broke my voice, with me soon bringing my attention on the girl. "Oh" She pushed even closer, laying down the brown paper box held in her hands, figure soon sinking into the seat next to mine. I could feel that scrutiny parade my form, and I didn't need to turn around to tell the smile which was sure to take her face. The girl could be fired and you were sure to find her with a grin. Whatever was most pleasing about the day? Bel
~[CHAPTER NINE]~Knock! Knock! I turned to meet the questioning eyes of Tara, that gaze of hers keen on me for the past minute since the door had been threatened to be stormed down by whoever was out there.We rarely had visitors, none we expected. The only people you would find coming around, were the random flings she brought back for the night ever since— Knock! Knock! Knock! There followed that intrusive sound yet again. "A burglar" I scrunched up my face at the utterance, eyes narrowed at her form. "Have you been drinking?" I could affirm that New York was a wild place, but rarely on this corner, did we ever encounter burglaries. The security was pretty tight, and I could swear that was only our push for still having this apartment in our hold. "Don't look at me like that" Followed the voice of Tara, hands at once grabbing onto the dish plate laid on the table. "Haven't you heard the rumors going around?" "Ol' Kathleen was robbed on her way back from a charity event last
~[CHAPTER TEN]~Figures came strolling past my jumbled form, each one bearing a red envelope in their hands. The hubbub which befell the area, had my eyes shifting from here to there, hoping to understand what to make of the rabbles. At every corner one turned to, you were sure to find a jumbled form, all to influence the ruckus which had now pulled about. "Have you gotten one?" Face bearing a crooked grin, the figure of a man hurried past mine, eyes lingering on my disoriented gaze. "What is that?" My voice called after that departing figure, yet, there followed no answer from the fellow who appeared to have something much more interesting to tend to. "It's an invitation" I didn't need to turn around to tell who that voice belonged to—That damning calm voice of his, which emitted past my shoulders. And perhaps that was some charm of his, demanding attention, that is. Cause in a second, the once-growing hubbub had died, with the people returning to their positions. I found my
~[CHAPTER ELEVEN]~THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW.Kristoffer barely found interest in all that went on around him, excluding the discussions about Holden Inc. the young man probably might have made leave hours ago, but that would only be dishonoring the lot of people before him. The ones so kind to have invited him for such a fine gathering as this. A low sigh escaped his lips the moment the seat next to him was snatched, and next came the form of Diego, sinking into the hold of that chair."You could have just stayed back" Kristoffer let out. "Oh, be grateful and make merry that I even decided to show up" Followed the voice, with Diego soon reaching for the single glass before him. "Gatherings like this are no concern of mine, Kris" "Especially if it doesn't- His words got held in, as those eyes he bore had now found interest on a silhouette under the chandelier lights. Gaze peering on, the young man itched for every knowledge of who that figure was. "Hold that thought" His lips
~[CHAPTER TWELVE]~My gaze beheld the girl in the mirror—A wreck she was. An utter mess. Eyes weary, they only yearned for a long night's rest. One uninterrupted, but how impossible that was, as I was forced to remain on the grounds of this building, all in sakes of an event I barely found an interest in. How funny, only an hour ago, it was the only thing I spoke of, and now, I only wished to be far from here. Only now did the joy of home hit me. Oh, how lucky Tara was. With no composure to put up, and no gentleman to force a smile at, it sure was the happiest place to be in at the hour. Even from here, I still could hear the orchestra playing. Those group of people who had been hired to bless the evening with such tunes I only found soothing. Their hands had been busy at the instruments from the moment I walked in here, and up till this moment, they haven't bothered taking a rest, not even a glass of water had they halted their session for. The roof could come down, and they
~[CHAPTER THIRTEEN]~Jane Parker. Those pair of eyes settled on my figure had managed to have me snapped back to reverie, with the voice of the announcer calling for me, ushering me onto the awaiting stage. My presence on that platform for whatever reason had those prying gazes onlooking my withered form. The silence which came about had claimed most of the room, and with all attention fixed my way, I was spared a few seconds to have a rethink of why I agreed to this. Adalynn. It was that persistent figure who had pushed me into this, stating that if I in fact was to live up to all what I claimed to be, then I must in fact give a speech at the annual ‘Corporates Innovative conference’ which was a safe space for all of the big names I had come to know, and now here I was, being awaited by a hundred, all anticipating what the representative of Holden Inc. had to spew. I approached the mic, feet hesitant, eyes paused on the sea of heads below. Among those figures, I was quick to re
~[CHAPTER FOURTEEN]~I sauntered into the living room only to find a grinning Tara waddling around the area, hands holding onto a ginormous box, with a red string as a bow attached to it. "Look who decided to return home after all" That utterance of Tara was laced with such enthusiasm I never had witnessed from my friend before, and while those eyes of hers went beaming on, I found her already making her way to me. "The courier said it was for a Jane Parker...Now I believe you're the only Jane Parker in this room now....Isn't it. So sweetie, start speaking. Who's the Mister?" Came that utterance at once, demanding of me. At once, she had dumped the box into my hands, and with that face holding onto a grin which only foretold all of the nagging she was bound to put me through, those eyes of hers questioned my movements. "What Mister?" Believe me I was just as lost in whatever it was she was on about, for I ached to know what such amusement was for."Have a peek at that" Implored