A week later,
As Varisha makes her way from the restroom, Max, her supervisor, falls into line with her. Max, being her supervisor, is a five feet eleven inches tall male. He is wearing a long sleeve, navy blue sweater on a white shirt and trousers. He’s keeping an extremely low haircut and a full beard just like the one Keenan keeps only his own, making him look even more terrifying than she wants him to be.
Vary didn’t need to be slapped twice in the face to know that Max didn’t like her and she wishes she could change that. She thought the male was a little friendly, but here he is making her life a living hell and not feeling bad about it and she wonders why everyone referred to female supervisors as hard and bitchy when she has the bitchiest one of them all.
‘Oh, kill me now?!’ She groans inwardly and her eyes flutter close for a minute.
“Be careful what you wish for young lady.” Comes Max's witty response and Vary almost glares at him... Almost.
Sighing deeply from the frustration yet trying to be polite, Vary asks, “What do I owe your presence? It’s not every time I get so lucky to have you talking to me.”
He scoffs and rolls his eyes, “Keep your smart mouth to yourself, the boss wants this reviewed and brought to him tomorrow morning,” he says, handing her documents and with the weight of it, she knows it’s a fifty paged work.
“There’s no way I’ll be able to read all this today alone, much more review it!” She exclaims helplessly.
“Just one week in and you’re already cramping? If it’s too much work for you, then better resign!”
He’ll love that, wouldn’t he?
Rumours were that he had recommended a few for my job a week ago and none of them got picked, only Vary was and so he’s angry and taking that anger on her. He’s hoping to make her life a living hell so she’ll throw in the towel and she’ll be damned if she gives him that satisfaction!
“All I’m saying is there are other analysts that are less busy and you can assign this review to them instead of pushing it down my throat. I only hand two hands.” She explains.
He doesn’t listen to her reasonable explanation, “If the founding fathers had started with whining, complaining and procrastinating, this great nation would not exist today!” He snaps back.
“The boss likes you last I heard, so he would expect that you make him proud!” He mocked and walks away from her.
She grits her teeth and her hands ball into a tight fist before marching into her small office.
Once in her office, she drops the files in her hand down on her desk and takes her seat. She groans and slams her fist on the desk in anger.
If anyone had said her life would be a living hell a week ago when she got this job she wouldn’t believe it and if someone had told her the person who would give her hell wouldn’t be her employer, she would probably have looked at that person crazily. But here she is going through hell with someone who wasn’t her boss!
Well, he’s kinda your boss since his position is higher than yours and he’s also your supervisor.
That means the boss.
“Well, I wish that two-faced smug wasn’t my supervisor!” she cusses aloud.
“First week in and you’re already cussing?” Comes Keenan's startled voice makes Varisha turn around so quick she almost loses her balance on my feet.
Her heart best doubles as she realises Keenan was in her office and also that she had cussed and complained about my supervisor and he heard me. All this thought going through her head is already giving her panic attacks.
She drags in a couple of breaths and slowly calms her nerves. Keenan, all the while not bothered to turn and look at her.
He is wearing a grey three-piece suit and black shoes. His hair parted at the side and the rest combed to the other side. There is no further definition of a muscular man than the one that is standing in her office, tall, well built and his voice goes a long way and makes him a pant cramping specimen of a man and he’s not even looking at her yet.
He appears invested in the art of drawing on the wall. Those were some things she did in her leisure time as a kid, but as she grew, she dedicated to it and when she came into this country; it became a livelihood for her and throughout college; she used it to fend for herself and get extra cash. In her final year, however, she sold a few to the art gallery in the city centre and when Alian’s father was seeking her permanent residence, this was one thing he used to attain that.
She feels that her art is part of her history and wherever she went; she likes to take them with her. Although it was only two painting, Max immediately told her the first day she brought them in that they were unwelcome, stating how it was a company office and not a museum, but Susan a fellow employee told her it didn’t matter so following her opinion, she put them up.
She wonders why Keenan invested in them and wonders what he’s seeing in the painting on the wall. Different people see different things and most times the picture in her head before she paints isn’t the picture that those who observe it get, but still it’s fascinating that although painting is silent, it speaks loudly to people’s soul.
She realises that this is the first time since her employment that she’s seeing Keenan and wonders what he is looking for.
“I’m sorry I didn’t know you were going to be in my office.”
“The woman here is running away with her heart and children!” He blurts out, his voice overwhelmed with awe.
Now she’s left in shock because this single piece has been with her for a very long time, but none has ever gotten the picture currently, none until now.
“Yeah, she is.” She replies, unable to hide her astonishment, “how did you figure it out?” She asks.
He smiles at her confusion. “My sister paints as well. I watched her while growing up and she tells me a few of the secrets of painting.” He replies, and he turns around and his blue eyes settle on her.
She has to hold her breath because he looks even more handsome than the last time she saw him and she doesn’t want to let her mind wander, but she can’t help it.
Those eyes are weakening and his deep hoarse voice doesn’t help matters either and the authority and command he seems to have made her wonder know how much more possessive he will be behind closed doors.
Damn it Vary, you have a boyfriend, remember?! Her mind yells at her.
“She must be a talented artist then.” She finally brings herself to say, drawing my mind out of its carnal thought, which is easier said than done.
He smiles a little and her heart skips a beat and she smiles back weakly, “She alright, gave up her passion because she got married. Used to look forward to her painting every week back then.” As he said the last part, the brightness in his eyes fades away.
Her face drops, “Oh, that’s sad to hear.”
“Yeah, well, you’re here and your heritage is unique, don’t lose it.” He advises and the earlier smile returns and butterflies erupt in her stomach.
“Yes, sir, I won’t, thanks.”
His eyes locked on mine before moving away to the document littered on my desk.
If I knew he would come into my office today, I would have arranged my desk. “You’re welcome. So what’s it that makes you want to have a different supervisor?”
“It’s nothing,” I causally dismissed and walk over to my seat, “just usual rants of employees, you shouldn't hear that.”
“Usually when your boss asks you a question, you don’t shrug it off, you reply,” he says, his voice going from extremely cool to hard all in the space of a second.
His change in mood threw Varisha off guard, and her mouth almost hit the floor in shock. “I don’t want to get into trouble.”
He glares at her and steps towards her desk, and even though the desk serving as a barrier between them, she steps back. “I own this company! The trouble you will get into is not answering my question” He grounds out, and it’s so slow that she can almost spell it. He wants to remind her of his authority because she seems to have forgotten.
Varisha swallows hardly, she had never really taken into context what everyone meant when they said he was the Italian devil because he has been anything but mean, but the last thirty seconds has shown him to be a hard, authoritative person she doesn’t want to mess around with.
Thinking about it, he is scary. Standing around six feet three inches, he embodies a masculine appeal and his beards, eyes and ginger hair make it even more obvious.
He looks so terrifying that she’s about to crap her pant.
“I think Max hates me. He deliberately overburdens me with assignments even though other analysts have lesser work than I do. I just got this and when I tried to complain and he suggested I resign and how this nation is not the greatest nation on earth by whining and complaining.” Once she opened her mouth, there was no going back. “He believes I am not qualified and only got the job because you were being sympathetic to the fact that I’m a pretty black woman.”
She presses her lips into a thin line and she watches as his face gets flooded with different emotions for the first few moments that pass by after she finished speaking.
“Like I said before, I don’t want to get into any trouble. I love my job and just want to do it in peace.”
Keenan says nothing. Instead, he steps towards my desk and picks up the documents Max had handed to me earlier.
“We are going out to have lunch.” He announces and walks to the door, but pauses when he realises Varisha still paused in her position. “Are you coming or do I need to ask twice?”
He doesn’t need to look at her. His words came with a hard glare on their own, and she races to meet up with him.
They both step outside of her office and the other employees lurking outside stare at them with many questions in their eyes, but Keenan bluntly ignores them and Varisha tries her best to avoid them.
Keenan spot Max at the off the hallway laughing with some other members of staffs, but as soon as they see him walking towards them, the smile they had on their face vanishes and the rest dismiss themselves to their various office leaving Max who looks terrified to death all alone.
“Did you say to Ms Klean that the only reason I employed her was that she was a pretty black woman?” Demands Keenan quietly but severely.
He looks at me, and his eyes linger on me. “Look at me!” Snaps Keenan angrily and although even Varisha jumps for fear.
“I said she only got lucky because you were sympathetic to her because she is a pretty black and a woman.” He replies word for word about what he had told Varisha two days ago.
Keenan's brows rise at the audacity of the man before him to question his decision. “So you’re saying I have a biased judgement and you know better than me.”
“I’m sorry, never meant to do that.”
Keenan glares at him all the while gritting his teeth, trying to control his anger words, “But you did. Next time you want to talk about this great country, bear in black that I am an Italian. If you don’t enjoy working with foreigners, I’d advise you to quit now because your boss is one.”
“I’m sorry, sir.” He apologizes again, his eyes down remorsefully.
“And as for these,” he says, and she watches as he roughly hands the documents in his hands over to Max, just like Max had done to her earlier. “She’s not doing it cause she’s going out to lunch with me and if you don’t like that, you can quit now.” Keenan storms off after he says that, and she falls in line with him.
Whoever came up with the phrase Italian devil for Keenan Hilton was so right, and this devil was intimidating.
Four years later. ‘Today is going to be just another day’ was what Varisha thought as she dresses up for work this morning. Upon her arrival, and hearing her co-workers’ side talk about boss Keenan’s return, she knows it will would be just another day. It wasn’t some cliche story where a super rich boss and a simple girl fall madly in love and that wasn’t her case. At least she would not let it be her story. Keenan Hilton was her boss, and they both had each other’s company and had lunch a few times and that was all it was and although it drew the attention of some of her colleagues at work, they didn’t dare ask her question for fear of falling into Keenan’s hands. Keenan wasn’t bothered by how it looked, and neither was she. Well, so it was until Keenan left four years ago, two weeks after he stood up for her with Max. She expected nothing from him because their relationship was always a formal one and though it came with a few lunch breaks, and that didn’t change it, well, that w
She frowns in confusion. What did she do now? “You mean now?” she asks. “Now!” he thunders and makes his way past her. Her stomach growls aloud from emptiness, but she knows one need is higher than hers and Keenan, her boss’ need is more than her stomach’s. So much for her lunch break. Murmuring her complaints to herself, she follows him behind. Just like every time he came into her office and took her to lunch four years, the eyes of other colleagues trail and longer on them, especially on her. She tightens her hand on her pause and silently follows behind him like a sheep to the slaughter. He enters his office and leaves the door open for her and Vary slows down in her walk, debating why he is choosing to treat her this way. She has done nothing wrong yet and the heavy pounding of her heart shouted that something bad was about to happen. Many thought rushes to the surface in an instant. Is he tired of h
KEENAN chose a restaurant with less crowd so he could have some food with no one sneaking up on him and taking pictures of him. One curse of being a Hilton was the fact that he couldn’t have a normal social life without being tailed and followed by cameras and though he’s less wild now compared to when he was a teenager, he still does not appreciate the unnecessary attention he gets sometimes. If there was a way, he could change and live a normal life, he’ll gladly do it so that he could have a bit of privacy. But he will not be a hypocrite because being born as a Hilton has given him many privileges and the ability to change and help many people who needed it, but there are things many people don’t know though. One of them is the fact that money doesn’t bring peace it brings chaos because everyone thinks you’re supposed to be okay. After all, you’re rich, and it brings uncertainty because you don’t know who is around you only because o
The room goes quiet, and she walks back towards the door when she sees Keenan walks out of the opened door with a bottle of wine in his right hand. His hair is looking shabby, and his eyes are red and dull and his steps wobbly and staggering. He’s drunk and, from what she sees, he’s probably been crying. Her heart squeezes in her chest as she imagines the torture he must go through. His eyes go dim when they see the blurry image lurking around and his lips pause as he curiously stares at her. “Taylor?” he slur, staggering towards her and missing a step and almost falling. “No, it’s Vary.” she replies, still moving back and her heartbeat increasing with every passing second, “Why haven’t you gone home?” Once he hears her name, he pauses and steps backwards, “Oh Varishaa.... Hey...” he hiccups and he pouts his mouth and blinks quickly. He walks back to the chair in front of the desk, takes a sit and majestically crosses his legs. What is
Vary’s POV My stomach curls up in a panic and I look around the massive room looking for clues why I’m here and why am naked, but I see none and I see no trace of my clothes in sight. Daring myself to do the last thing left on my mind, I slowly lift the bedsheets and realise my panties are also gone. My head is hurting as the fear of the unknown settles in. Fear, pain and grief grip me to the core and I clench on the bedsheets and sob into it. How could I have gone so out of control last night? How could I have let things get out of hands last night? And how could I have given myself easily to someone who wouldn’t give me a second glance?! How could I have thrown away the rules I’ve lived by all my life in one night?! How could I have given up my virtue to someone who wasn’t my soulmate? Someone who wouldn’t even consider it valuable? “What’s wrong?” comes Keenan’s deep and confused voice from beside me a
My heart skips a beat as I watch him show me the certificate and I walk over to him to look at the paper certificate in his hand, which holds my name and my signature and Keenan's name and his signature on it. My ears are still ringing from the married he said a few minutes and my eyes are now painful from staring at the paper too long, hoping that it would finally become blank. How on earth did we get married? There was nothing that happened yesterday that even pointed to married so this makes no sense. My mind is rising with different thoughts, from how this is going to affect my work and career and my relationship. Nothing from now is the same. No one is going to believe this just happened without us wanting it to. How can so much happen in so little space gap? I look up at him, not knowing what to do next and needing to hear from him. “What do we do?” The look on his face just like he’s had since we saw each other this morni
Before I can understand what he said and get the reply, Keenan takes the phone away from my grasps. “Did you do this, Dad?” he asks through gritted teeth and I feel he’s angry even though his expression shows anything but that. “Calm down, son and come open the door for me, I’m outside.” the man on the other side of the phone says with a calm voice. Not bothered to answer his son’s question. Keenan tosses the phone and hastily walks to the door and when he opens it Patrick who is around his early mid-sixties with ginger and grey colour of hair walks in. His blue eyes, which are a striking resemblance to Keenan’s, meet mine and he gives me a warm-hearted smile. It is a genuine smile, but I do not smile back because a part of me feels like he’s the reason we are in this mess, to begin with. He must have read my thoughts because the smile on his face disappears and he walks further into the room. He’s wearing a three pieces black s
Flashback to two years ago.It was approximately six months since my breakup with Drew, after walking in on him with another girl, when I paid him a surprise visit at his law firm. It was supposed to be a surprise visit, and I was going to take us out after because I had gotten promoted to supervisor at the Hilton’s hotel and I couldn’t wait to tell him, but what I met at his office took that from my mouth.As it so happened, he told the lady that he was single and from what I heard; he had been dating the lady named Lilian for a few weeks before I discovered them together. The man I thought I knew was as fake as the word is, and I didn’t know him at all. I felt hurt and betrayed. Alian was right. He was no good and I should have seen him for what he was, but I didn’t because I loved him.I couldn’t let that stopped me from working or slow me down. This big promotion came from my good work and my boss Bethany was wai