I lay awake in bed, still slightly hung over from the night before. After spending the night wooing business associates of my father, the kind of perverse older men that enjoy hitting on much younger women, I needed a drink to forget the slimy feel of hands lingering where they shouldn’t. My best friend Kenzie was more than happy to oblige and now here I am, splitting headache and all. Just as I am about to doze off again the shrill ringtone I have assigned to my father wakes me.
“Ah Victoria, as always the men enjoyed your company last night. They offered me an extra two percent on the price of our fuel!” My fathers excited voice trills down the line.
Internally groaning, I respond “That’s great Dad, but I’m a little busy at the moment. Can I call you back in a few hours?”
“Now Victoria we both know that you have yet to leave your bed this morning. But I guess I can leave you to it. I have another meeting in ten minutes anyway.”
“Bye Dad” I doubt he even heard that as the line goes dead.
Sighing, I reluctantly roll out of bed. The fact he knew I was still here grates on my nerves. It either means I have become predictable or it means he is somehow keeping track of me. For my sanity I choose to believe it is the former. I stand and stretch my arms up over my head. For once I wish Dad would actually let me do something meaningful for the company. I do have a business degree after all.
Shaking my head, I brush my long, blonde hair out of my face. Feeling the grease built up in it I decide upon having a shower. Hopefully it will make me feel human.
Before heading to the bathroom I stop off in my slightly less than modern kitchen and grab some OJ out of my not so quiet fridge to get rid of the cotton mouth I'm suddenly feeling.
Once more on my way to the bathroom, I quickly grab a towel out of the dryer and continue on my way.
Stripping down, I take a quick glance in my mirror to see the extent of the damage done by the alcohol last night. Mascara and eyeliner are smeared around my eyes giving me an appearance similar to a panda. However, the dark colours smudged around my eyes makes the blue really pop. Reaching into the shower cubicle, I turn the water on as hot as it can possibly go. The building I live in is rather old so it becomes hit and miss whether or not the hot water will actually work on any given day. As steam fills the small room, I let out a breath in relief. Steam is always the best sign. Placing my towel on the counter top I step under the running water and my shoulders instantly drop as the water relaxes all my tense muscles. I swear every conversation with my father puts me on edge. I think he only ever sees me as a means to an end. Not as someone worthy of the last name Stratos.
My father had never hidden the fact that he always wished he had had a son. Instead he was stuck with me, a lowly daughter. My father had an overall low opinion of women. How my mother stood him for the ten years they were married will always astound me. But since her death three years ago things have definitely gotten worse. For starters, he stopped funding my creative writing diploma and instead forced me to go to business school. This followed a strict food and exercise regime, of which alcohol was most definitely discouraged. Finally I am now made to attend those demeaning dinners with his business associates and flirt my fathers way into a better deal. But until I turn 25 in just over a year's time there is not a lot I can do. Once that happens my mother's trust and shares in the company fall to me and I will be able to do as I wish. Until then I have to grin and bear it as my father controls the purse strings, and as per the terms of the trust - if he finds me incapable or unworthy in any way, everything will go to him and I can’t let that happen.
As these thoughts run through my mind, I lather shampoo through my hair.Suddenly the water turns cold and I squeal with the shock of it. Quickly rinsing the suds off, I turn off the now frigid water and step out, wrapping the towel around my body.
I really need to find a new place, before this one becomes the death of me.
But this won’t happen until Dad sees my worth. It is the whole reason I still try with him.
Once again the shrill ringtones cries out from my phone. Grimacing, I again answer my fathers call.“Hi Dad. What do you need?”“I need you to come down to the office. Something has come up and I need you.”To be honest, I am a little disgusted at myself when my heart nearly leaps out of my chest with excitement. This is it! He finally needs me!“I can be there in about thirty minutes if that’s okay?”“The sooner the better” He snaps and then hangs up.For him to be behaving like that it has to be important. I go to my closet and throw on any remotely business-like clothes I
“As you know, lately the business has been struggling.” He begins. “With the world crying about global warming and climate change it's no wonder we are beginning to get hammered by the media. Nobody wants to deal in fossil fuels anymore, nevermind that there is currently no viable alternative. Anyway, to make matters worse, I am being undercut at every turn, not to mention having long time customers tell me no. Me! Can you believe it?” He asks, blatantly hoping I will blindly agree with him.“Well, with the growing shift towards eco-friendly maybe we could branch out, throw some money in research and development and maybe get ahead of the …”“No. No. No. we aren’t doing that. I have one way to help with this and that's to make a deal with the devil that is killing my business.”
Once outside my fathers office I quickly google the location of the closest subway station. Kenzie lives at the other end of the city, I would rather not spend over one hundred dollars on a cab if I can help it. Three blocks away I am descending into the subway station, swiping my metro card I pass through the turnstile and look up at the boards displaying the routes that were available. Locating the one which would lead me to Kenzie’s I move through the crowd to the platform to wait.The subway slides into the station and with a hiss the doors open. People pass through the doors, emptying the carriage in front of me. Unfortunately, instead of being patient an overly enthused teenage boy attempts to push through the crowd knocking down a young woman.Pushing my way gently through the crowd, I helped her to gather her things that she ha
Moaning as I wake, I roll over and clutch my head. Just how much did we drink last night?Glancing to my left I spy the two empty tequila bottles laying haphazardly on the coffee table. I must have passed out on the couch. Going through my memories of last night and remembering that Kenzie had sent that text, I quickly scramble around the living room in search of my phone. Upon finding it I sigh. Flat! Damn it all! I really need to check what she actually sent!“Kenzie! Wake up! I need your phone charger!” I yell, not overly fussed if I woke her up.“Quit your yelling I’m right here” she says walking out of
I walk into my fathers office building after the complete makeover by Anna and it feels as if everybody is staring at me. I don’t look that different do I? I start to think that maybe I may need to change my style. Standing, waiting for the elevator I cannot help but pull at the hem of my dress.“Stop that” Anna says, smacking my hand away. “And put your shoulders back. Slouching is unattractive. Plus it makes it harder to walk in those heels.”I make an effort to do as she says, lowering my shoulders and pushing them back. As I do so I can’t help but notice that it makes my chest both look bigger and perkier.“Anna?” I ask as we step into the elevator. “Have you ever met this
Charles and I sit in silence for a moment before I pipe up “So, how much of all of this is legal?”The man blushes red before replying “I am mainly here as a witness, your father has said not to discuss anything more with you.”I knew it! This can’t be legal! To be perfectly honest though, even if it was completely within the realms of legality I would probably still do it, just to get out from under my fathers thumb. I decide to take a seat behind my fathers desk. It can’t hurt to be seated in the place of power before Mr Aves even enters the room.The door swings open without warning and in walks Austin Aves, his black hair shining under the harsh fluorescent lights. He
Returning to my tiny apartment, I sigh. I head to my closet and grab my duffle bag I know I keep in there. I just need to pack a few things to take with me. Before I can even get started though there is a knock on the door. I head over to the front door and peer through the peephole. To my surprise there are two men standing there in coveralls.“Hi there, um can I help you?” I say opening the door just a crack and keeping the safety chain on.“Yes, are you Miss Victoria Stratos?” The man closest to the door asks.“Yes, that's me. How can I help?”“We have been sent by Mr Aves to help you move your belongings into storage. Is now a good time?&rd
One awkward car ride later and we arrive at a very tall skyscraper. Before I can open my door, the driver has made his way over and opened it for me. The kind man extends his hand to assist me out of the vehicle and I take it. Austin steps out after me and begins to walk into the building, his confidence evident in his swagger. As we head into the building I am astonished by all the stares, surely there are other things more interesting than Austin Aves stepping out of a vehicle with a woman. As a camera clicks, my face blushes.“Why are they all staring?” I ask him quietly.“I am guessing it is because it is not often I am seen with a woman on my arm, so much so that there were rumours that I wasn’t exactly straight.”“Well, are you? Straight I mean.”