The team dinner that April had literally forced me to attend was nothing but a nightmare. Being 8 weeks gone, my belly bump hadn’t started showing yet, but the symptoms I was feeling were a little to hard to ignore and although I did my best to hide it, there were times when it was all just a little too much.
Like now, the burger place had an aroma that settled right with me, but the barbecue place we went for the dinner was a whole different story. The smell of the place nauseated me to no end and since I didn’t want to leave at the risk of seeming rude and ungrateful, I decided to stick out for a little while longer. “You look like you would rather be anywhere else than here.” Jason said from beside me, earning him a kind smile. “You have no idea.” I told him truthfully. “You know you really didn’t have to do this if you didn’t want to right? They just really needed an excuse for a good time and free food. Trust me, they do it all the time.” “Tell me about it.” I muttered, just as my brain started to process another thing he had said. “Wait did you say free food? How come?” “You mean they didn’t tell you?” Jason asked, searching my face for answers. “Tell me what?” I replied, starting to get a little worried. “Oh my God.” he groaned, burying his face in his palms when he realized I had no idea what he was talking about. “Jason, talk to me.” I pressed.”What did they not tell me?” “Please tell me you have at least a few couple bucks to spare.” He asked. “The newbie has to pay for everyone don’t they.” I stated as realization slowly began to dawn on me. “Yup.”He replied, feeling sorry for me. “And they are not going to be kind in their orders are they?” I asked, watching as my beloved colleagues ordered round after round of grilled beef and beer.They kept stuffing their faces full of the food, and drowning themselves in the beer. It was a Wednesday night, I wasn’t even sure how they were drinking so much. Surely, they would have a nasty hangover come morning, But who was I to judge? April on the other hand swore that she was on some kind of diet and would only have a salad, but every now and then, I caught her stealing a piece of meat and shoving it in her mouth before anyone could notice. I almost laughed at the hypocrisy of it all. “Nope.” He replied, Joining me to watch our colleagues as they made a dent after dent in my purse with every bite they took. “They are not.”m He replied, and now, it was my turn to feel sorry for myself. “So, Elisa right?” Another guy, Carter started suddenly causing all eyes to whip in his direction. Why aren’t you eating or drinking?” He asked, and all eyes turned to me, waiting for an answer. “Well…” I trailed of, not sure where to go from there because I was most definitely not about to say, “Oh, well, I’m two months pregnant, for a man who doesn’t love my by the way, and since I’m pregnant, the smell of your food is making me really want to throw up, and I don’t think I’m allowed to have any alcohol in my condition, but I really would like nothing more than to have at least one bottle, even though I know I’ll need much more than that in order to be able to deal with you lot.” But instead, I said, “I’m just really not a fan of meat or beer.” "So you're Vegan?" Carter asked again, and i really just wanted to punch him in his stupid face. "No, i'm not vegan Carter, i just don't feel like eating. " "Okay." He replied with a shrug. "Just know that you refusing to eat isn't going to give you a free pass from paying." He started, then paused thoughtfully before adding. "You do know that you're meant to pay or all these right?" "No carter. I didn't know." I shot back, trying but failing to hide the venom in my voice. "But maybe, if someone, anyone at all had bothered to tell me, then maybe i might have not been so clueless." I said that last bit with my eyes trained directly on April who effectively avoided my gaze. Of course she avoided it becsuse she knew what she had done and how messed up it was. I knew they all wanted to rope me into paying for food i didn't eat, but the least they could do was tell me beforehand so that i could come prepared. Thankfully, i had some money on my purse, but that was money i was saving to pay rent wbich was due in about a week. It was anything but complete yet i had to take out of it in order to fund a stupid team dinner. To say i was angry was putting it very lightly. Still, there was nothing i could do about it so i simply swallowed my tongue and continued stewing. "Sorry, forgot." Carter offered in a pathetic attempt at an apology which i simply ignored. Just then, a pretty brunnette, Amy, whose desk was opposite mine at the office began. "So Elisa, we were wondering where you went to college." "Yeah, tell us." The others murmured and i couldn't help but wonder how that i formation was any of their business. "NNT only recruits the best of the best, usually those who went to the best colleges."She continued. "Jason over there went to havard, while Carter, April and i have....as our alma matter. So where did you go?" "I went to a community college on..." i replied simply, earning a shocked look from three pairs of eyes. Even Jason seemed a little shocked at my revelation but he didn't dwell on it for too long. The others however could barely contain their shock. "You're kidding right?" April asked. "I wish i was" i replied earning myself some more surprised gasps. "Then how...?" April pondered, still finding it hard to believe the words she had just heard. "Maybe my talent came out to play during the interview and i got the job because i wowed the pannel with my knowledge and skill." "Yeah right." Carter snickered. "Or maybe you bribed your way into the hearts of the panel." "Carter, be nice." Amy scolded even though i could tell that she was trying her hardest not to giggle. "Or maybe slept her way through..." April supplied under her breath but i had heard her loud and clear. "Come on guys, you know Elisa is good at what she does just like the rest of us. What does it matter if she went to a prestigous school or to community college, provided she can get the job fone in records time?" Jason chimmed in, causing everyone to fall silent. Apparently, Jason's word held a lot og weight around here and the others seemed to respect him a lot. I appreciated him trying to stick his head out for me but i really didnt need him fyou doing that. The last thing i needed was to seem weak towards these people. These people were vultures and they would swoop down and devour you if they sensed the littles hint of weakness, and that's exactly how i was going to seem to them if i let Jason defend me everytime someone said mean things to me. When Amy asked about my college, i wanted to lie and tell them that i had gone to a prestigious school as well, but i figured that if they found out later, it would be more embarrasing and ridiculing then so i just decided to tell them the truth and deal with the consequences. Now look how that had backfired. "I need to go." I said suddenly to everyone and no one in particular. O ce i had had enough. "Don't forget the bill." Carter slurred drunkenly. I scoffed at him in disbelief as i pulled out a few hundred dollars and placed them roughly on the table. "Thanks." He slurred some more just before his head fell heavily on the table with a loud thud. "Wait don't go yet." April said as though she had just remembered her manners. "Yeah Lisa." Amy concurred. "Stay." "I'm done." I replied, not even sparing the pretentious bitches a second glance as i got up and started to leave. "Let me walk you." Jason offered from beside me and although i insisted that he didn't have to, he was adamant and so i just let him tag along. As soon as the cold air hit my skin, i was suddenly reminded that i had forgotten my coat back inside in my haste to get away from those people. Jason seemed to have noticed it as well because he immidiately offered to go back in and get it for me like the gentle man tnat he was. "Wait right here. I'll be right back.'' He ordered before dashing back in to grab my coat. As i waited outside for Jason to return, a blue bentley suddenly pulled up beside me and stopped. I was just about question what was going on when the windows rolled down to reveal an angry looking Russell. "Hi?" I offered lamely because not only was i surprised to see him here, i was also quite glad to see him, not that i would ever tell him that of course but ever since the whole drama with Charlie, Russell was the only reliable presence in my life apart from my family, but instead of answering my greeting, he simply uttered two simple words that held more weight than any other two wprds i had ever heard in my life. "Get in." Whenever Russell spoke, his voice always carried a sense of authority that left no room for argument. He had a way of making you want to obey, to do as he wished, but this time, i found the courage to ask, "Excuse me?" "I don't like to repeat myself Elisa." He replied. "Do it, now!" At his command, i pulled open the door to the passebger seat and slid in carefully, casting one last glance at the door through which Jason had dissapeared through, while offering him a silent apology for ditching him. As we drove out of the parking space and unto thd highway, i couldn't help but wonder what trouble i had managed to get myself into because Russell didn't seem pleased at all, and that in itself was a very scary thought.“Where are we going?” I asked a pissed off looking Russell who hadn’t taken his eyes from the road for even one second ever since he started driving.He was gripping the steering wheel so tightly that I feared he might crack, or worse break it. Also, with the way his knuckles were turning white from the lack of blood flow, I desperately wanted to reach out and ease them back to normal, but given his current mood, I didn’t think he would appreciate the gesture very much.More so, I wanted to make him feel better, but for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why he was so damn pissed off.“How did you know I was here?” I asked, trying a different question since he had refused to answer my first one.“I followed you from the office.” He replied nonchalant as if that was a normal behaviour that usually occurred between staff and their employers. For a full one minute after his reply, I sat there in silence, waiting for him to elaborate because surely there had to be some sort of explanat
The doctor cleared me for discharge that same day but Russell didn’t seem to agree with the doctor’s decision. Apparently, he seemed to think that he knew more than the professional when it came to matters of health.‘”Are you sure she doesn’t need to spend at least a night? She clearly needs to rest some more and if it’s about the money, you know I have that all under control.”“Well, I suppose she could spend the night if you want.” the doctor replied. “It would be helpful, but its not essential. You just need to make sure that she is constantly hydrated and well rested, and everything should be back to normal.”“What? I can’t do that.” I argued stubbornly. “I need to go to work tomorrow. I can’t spend the night here. I have to go home.”“If you think I’m going to let you go to work tomorrow after everything you’ve been through today, then maybe you need to be admitted for a couple more days.”“But I…”“No buts Lisa.” Russell stated firmly.”Rest well today and tomorrow, and maybe th
Russell's pov. "What do you mean the date of the shareholder's meeting has been moved up by three weeks?" "It means exactly that son" My dad replied on the phone, sounding totally calm and unaffected by this new development even though that was the exact opposite ofbeverything i was feeling. "But that doesn't make any sense? I argued. "What's the rush?" "The chairman of the board just got booked for a kidney transplant earlier than ecpected so he has to travel to be with his family in order to prepare for his surgery." "But that's not fair." I lamented. Two months were barely enough for me to get married and now i barely even had one? "Why can't the meeting be postponed until after his surgery. I can be acting CEO until he returns." I suggested selfishly, knowing fully well that i would be left with more time to go wife hunting. "It's already been decided son. We all took votes and this was the outcome, which means that there is nothing you, me or anyone can do about it. So i
Russell's pov. I sat in my office, staring at my phone for a good thirty minutes while trying to compose the perfect text to send to Elisa, and everytime i came up with something, i somehow managed to find it unworthy and promptly deleted it. After that day when i rushed her to the hospital, i had ensured that she saved my number on her phone, and even though she was still adamant about not giving me a call, i had to make sure that she would at least pick up when i called since apparently, she wasn't in the habit of taking calls from unknown numbers. My plan was simple. invite her to my office, tell her about my proposal, give her the contract and make her sign it. The only problem was that the more i thoght about my plan, the more unreasonable it sounded. First of all, there was no way i could simply summon her to my office without raising questioning eyebrows, and that was exactly the kind of attention that she didn't need, not if she wanted to remain valued and relevant at h
“Elisa, prepare the financial statement for this company.”“Elisa, analyze and interpret these financial records.”“Elisa, track the cash flow and accounts of so and so companies.”“Elisa, ensure that these financial statements are being recorded properly.”“Elisa, Elisa, Elisa…”Ever since I resumed work fully under the dreaded Ms. Jenny, I had completed more tasks than I had managed to complete during my entire year of internship.At first, it was just a suspicion or more like a hunch really, but after being worked like a camel for one week straight, I was certain without any reasonable doubt that my boss hated me.I mean, I knew that she had it out for me from the very first time she laid eyes on me, she hadn’t been very subtle about that fact, but I didn’t think she loathed me this much. I was the only one to whom she allocated the toughest tasks, I was the only one who she made to work extra hours, and I was the only one she made to come in even on the weekends.It was as if she
My mother was a very perceptive woman. She had a way of telling if something was wrong even from a thousand miles away and it was often always hard to lie to her. It’s like she had an inbuilt detector or something. I knew this, and so did all my other siblings, and that was why I hadn’t spoken to her for more than thirty seconds ever since I found out I was pregnant.I always found a way to end the call early claiming either that my phone had died or that I was busy with something or basically any excuse I could find. The only reason why i had even told her that i had gotten a job was because if I hadn’t she was going to tell me to come back home, and i would have no choice than to do it. After all, i was done with college and had no other reason to remain here.I know that she would have preferred it if i returned home to help her and dad with the ministry, but I already told her that that was not what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, and I hadn’t changed my mind.Today howeve
The fear of flights.Statistics show that the fear of flights is probably one of the most common phobias that humans have.Okay, I don’t know if any statistics show that, but what I do know is that I wouldn’t doubt it for a second if I found out that it was true, because I hated flying just as much as I thought every normal person should. I mean, how can you put me in a cylindrical container, suspended several thousand feet above the ground and expect me to act as everything was normal. Deep down, I believed that every one who flew planes was low key afraid but they were either too dumb, or too proud to show it. As for me, I was neither, and apologetically so.“You’re shaking.” Russell commented from beside me, placing his massive hands over mine reassuringly.“I’m not.” I lied, and he simply laughed at my denial.The plane had taken off from Russell’s private port a few minutes ago, and I wonder why I thought that simply because the plane was privately owned, it would be less scary
I could tell that Russell was pleasantly shocked at my sudden change of heart, but i could also tell that he was not willing to question it. If anything, he was rather relieved, because not only had he almost lost his position because of my stubborness, he had also almost lost it to somone who would tear the company down and ruin it to nothing without even batting an eye, and that was even worse. I felt a little bad that i had put him through so much shit only to come around and accept the very offer which i had been acting so stubborn about. Still, after considering all the variables, this was the only solution i had. I knew Timothy from church. I mean how could i not? My mum had been trying to set us up for years and i had shut down her attempts every single time. Now don't get me wrong, he wasn't a bad person, he was simply too much like my parents for me to consider him a life partner. They shared the same views and opinions about the world and that was probably why they want