The Corporate Raider
by Denise Mayes
Disclaimer: All characters are the sole property of Denise Mayes( D. Virtue). Any resemblance to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental. Copyright: July 1998 by Denise Mayes.
This is not an Uber Xena story. These characters are all mine!
Love/Sex Warning: If the premise of two women involved in a loving/sexual relationship offends you, then this story is not for you. This story is not explicit. It would get a PG-13 rating.
Sexual Violence Warning: There is an attempted rape in this story. I believe it was handled in an understanding and mature way. It is by no means graphic, but if this kind of thing upsets you, you may want to skip that part.
That being said, I hope you enjoy my first attempt at a novel. Please let me know what you think!
I would like to thank many people for their encouragement of me in writing this story, but there are two main people to whom I must truly thank for their wonderful, and valuable assistance in turning out this story. Thanks to their input, and critiques, I was able to finish this story. Thank you to
Jennifer Mamula, for her editing and valuable feedback, for which I believe, if I did not have her in my corner, I don't believe this story would have turned out as well as it has. She is also listed on Lunacy's site as an expert, because of her profession. I would also like to thank Agatha Tutko,
for her feedback, and honest observations. This story has come together beautifully, as a result of that input. Please enjoy our hard work. :)
"Salina what are you doing?" An amused sounding voice asked of the young woman bending over her desk, towards her, acting as though she was just reaching for a pen, when in fact, she was providing a view down her blouse if the person was interested.
"Excuse me ma'am?" The young woman asked innocently.
"Nothing, finish what you're doing and get me the reports for my meeting today." The amused woman's hand reaching to pick up her teacup and take a sip of the herbal flavored drink.
"Yes Ma'am." The younger woman said grinning at her perceived success at seduction. Alex thought the young woman was just being obvious. She knew Salina wanted to get a recommendation from her to get into the Junior Executive Program, which would pay for her education. The young woman didn't seem to realize she first had to have at least one degree.
Salina had come to work for Alexandra Madison about 2 years ago after Alex had reprimanded and demoted the previous Administrative Assistant, for misplacing an important acquisition report. This mistake led to Alex having to forgo a takeover, which allowed one of the rival companies to get their hands on it. She had lost millions as a result of that. The ex-Admin, couldn't find any of the backup files, and Alex blew her top at the incompetence. The Ex-Admin had sworn she had the files stored in her computer, but when she went in to locate them, she could not find any trace. That's when Alex had lost her temper. That was the sixth Admin that the CEO had gone through in one year. It was at that time that Salina was referred to her by one of the senior V.P.s. Alex had her suspicions as to how the girl had made it up to an admin assistant so fast, but she didn't realize that Salina had no scruples when it came to getting exactly what she wanted.
Salina had done many things to let the woman know that she was willing to do whatever was necessary to achieve her goal. She didn't care what that entailed. Alex, however, had no interest in the young woman. She found it amusing, and the clients found it entertaining. This was a good distraction for some of the businessmen and women she dealt with, especially if they happen to belong to a company Alex was thinking about taking over. Alex also saw how territorial the young woman was when it came to others catching her eye. It didn't matter to Salina whether they were male or female. She would do whatever was necessary to ensure that whoever it was did not last long around Alexandra. The younger woman assumed that Alex did not know about some of those she had sabotage, but there was one incident, Alex didn't know about, which had led to a man being reprimanded so degradingly that he broke down. He signed himself into a mental institution, where he eventually hung himself. That was the first time someone had killed themselves, and it was as a result of that incident, that everyone was even more intimidated by her, especially in meetings.
"So, Mr. Dosman, what do you want to do? You can either be put out of the company like the rest of your fellow executives, or you can stay and keep your position in MY new company?"
"I...." The man started to answer as he looked around at the other 15 executives who were now out of a job, due to the takeover by Alex's powerful conglomerate. "I'd like to stay on?"
"Very good, you made the right choice. Ladies, gentlemen, this meeting is now over. I wish you all well in whatever your new endeavors are, but be warned... I'm always looking, so if any of you decide to start your own company, well... just know I'll come to the party, and I'll bring the Locust. Mr. Dosman, you will remain, the rest of you.... get out!" Alex ordered taking a sip of her water, while waiting for all of the others to leave.
After they all left the room, she turned her attention to the man at the other end of the long table.
"Charles.... a superb job as always. Here's to my secret weapon." Alex purred, as she raised her glass in toast to the man.
"Well, with what you pay me, I have no problems with going through a little surgery to achieve such prize acquisitions. I mean LOOK AT THIS??!! You are now the CEO of one of the premier Fortune Five Hundred company's that deal in international trade and development. Do you realize all the companies that have tried and failed, to acquire this company. Bravo... Alex!" The man saluted back, with a raise of his own glass.
"So, how goes it with the others? When can we close on them?"
"There's 70 more of the 500 top companies, that have your weapons either in place or will be within the next two years. As far as those that are already in place, I think you should continue what you've been doing. Let them get settled in their positions comfortably enough to learn the company's inter workings thoroughly. Then, do what you do so well?"
" Alright, I'll wait for a while, but not too long, you know I have no patience, anyway you take your usual vacation after you get our executives up to speed on MY new company?"
"Alright. And then I'll return to introduce the new me to you. Then I'll be off to start on the next job. What do you think this time? Thick brows, maybe dark, with matching hair color, fuller lips, slightly broader nose, Cheek implants? What?"
"Whatever you do, make sure it compliments you. Remember, what company your hired into will affect how effective you are with the CEO.
"I hear you Alex, I hear you."
"Good, well I hear the others coming, so I will leave you to fill them in on everything about the company, and then I'll see you in a few years. Here's your bonus. Take care of yourself Dosman." Alex said laying a manila envelope on the table where she was sitting.
"Thank you Alex, I will."
Alexandra then stood and strode out the door just as her senior executives arrived to be brought up to speed on the new acquisition. Dosman had rose and went and picked up the envelope and walked back to where he had been sitting. Alex gave a slight nod to one of the supposed executives. Her name was Kiara and she was actually a detective, who had a small practice of other detectives working for her. Under Alex's directions. Alex used this department to watch the resurfing agents, after they had completed their particular job with the taken over companies. She didn't trust anyone when it came to anything having to do with her companies.
"Yesss...Maurice, it was a prize acquisition, but you know me, I plan on having all of the national, as well as international companies under MY thumb. Dinner, at Travia's 8pm, don't be late."
click!!
Alex was used to ordering people, she had no time or patience to ask. "I want those requisitions on my desk in ten minutes Torrence! Or you can watch how quickly you fall down this ladder! Do I make myself clear?!" The Sapphires flashed along with the slightly bared white teeth.
"Ye..ye...yes Ma'am, right away." The man stammered and jumped out of his chair in the stoic yet elegantly decorated boardroom. He ran out the door to his office to get the requested information. He knew he had to hurry if he wanted to maintain his position, if he had not already lost it, as one of the senior V.P's in the most powerful firm anywhere.
Alex held these board meetings every week. Which meant that all of the members were terrified at least once a week, due to meetings. They never knew what to expect, and that's the way the CEO liked it. She found that she was able to run a tight ship, and everyone wanted to get in good with her, or stay in good with her. Those whom she was pleased with received wonderful bonuses in their checks, those who displeased her, received demotions and drastic cuts in their checks. The worse part, was that no one could just up and quit. They had signed contracts that they were bonded by, to see through. Several had tried to use legal action to break the contract , but found they were upheld by the courts due to the nature of the company they worked for, and in.
The contracts, in essence, said that any employee with over three years continuous employment could not, upon leaving the company, go to work for any competitor. Due to the magnitude of Alex's holdings, this basically covered every known industry. This left the former executives with few options except blue collar type jobs, and that didn't appeal to any of them, especially, after years of training, and numerous degrees, the thought of being reduced to this, kept most of the employees in line. The people had to stay for at least 10 years before they could leave, unless the CEO said it was okay, which was rare. The CEO was a no nonsense corporate raider and she knew the business inside and out, like the back of her hands.
"Jonson, go!" She commanded of the next man who was head of one of the medical divisions, in one of her many holdings.
"Yes Ma'am. Well, the research that my division has done has come up with some excellent prospects for possible research, development, and improvement for those that we have already developed and marketed that I'm sure you will be very impressed with." Jonson boasted.
"Is that right, Mr. Jonson, I'm going to be impressed? How about a little wager Jonson?" The woman said predatorily
"What sort of wager ma'am?"
"If your idea is...impressive? I believe was the word you used?"
"Yes."
"Well if it is, you Jonson will receive a BIG bonus."
"Thank you ma'am!" Jonson said all to quickly.
"Then your willing to wager me, I take?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Aww...Jonson??? " Came the groans from his peers, as they knew Alex loved to challenge people.Especially those she thought were too cocky. She was good at making them think they were about to get rewarded, when it was a simple matter of her not tolerating anyone making assumptions as to what she would like or dislike, and this was her way of making that point. Jonson looked around at the shaking heads and then back at the predatory glint in Alexandra's eyes.
"Wh....what happens if it's not ma'am?" Jonson finally thought to ask.
"Then you dear man, will take a pay cut of half your salary."
"Ma'am?! But I have a mortgage, kids, how will I pay my bills?!" Jonson whined.
Alex flashed a bright smile that did not reach her eyes, and said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Impress me, it's that simple. Go." Came the words that now had the man shaking as he looked around at his peers. They were trying to remain as invisible as possible until it was their turn.
"Well...." Jonson started in again, and when he finished he left the boardroom a broken man.
The meeting went on for what seemed like forever, with one after the other being taken down a notch or two. When the meeting finally ended, Alex strode out of the boardroom and headed to her office. Along the way, she was greeted by the workers, although no one dared to look her in the eyes.There was something about those eyes that made them capable of cutting a person down just by the intensity of them. Not to mention that the woman was considered by P.R. Jet, one of the premier magazines in the country, as one of the "Most Beautiful People in the World." She had been on every magazine that was known, nationally and internationally, except those that dealt in the business for the purpose of titillating people. She was firm in that way, despite her having a beautiful body, she did not show it unless it was for her purpose, and having been in one relationship that she thought serious of, with a man name D.Angelo, who owned his own companies as well, but no where near as forceful as she was, and even in that relationship, she controlled the limits of their intimate relationship. Her focus was for power, so it was the reason she did not show her body. She was a very passionate woman in many ways, and in many things. She knew how to keep people guessing despite her face appearing everywhere. People had to respect her savvyness, despite her ferocious appetite to have it all.
Alex did not speak to anyone,as she walked down the carpeted hallways, walls decorated with paintings from all over the world, she just looked straight ahead as she went to her next destination. It was another meeting with one of her vice presidents in charge of acquisitions. He was a bear in his own way, but a pussycat compared to Alex. He had only been with the company three years, but during that time he had proven himself many times over. He was an extremely competent executive....at least he seemed so to Alex. What she didn't realize was that he was getting his ideas from someone else.
This person was a friend of his who had originally told him of the job opportunity at the company. The person was not one to want to be in the spotlight, but she loved helping her friend succeed in the company. She didn't mind him taking the credit as she had no desire to be anywhere near the CEO of the company, in spite of her almost insatiable interest and fasination in the CEO. The young woman was happy with her position in the company as an Admin Assist to one of her friend's subordinates. She was a nice boss who liked to teach the younger woman about the business. The young woman would allow her to explain things to her, although she was very intelligent and well versed in the way the company was run, as well as in business.
She spent many hours reading anything and everything that Alex had written. She spent long hours in the company library, after others had gone home, researching more about the woman and how she did business. The younger woman had a knack for understanding the dynamics of the business world. She had gone to college and graduated with an Associates degree in business, but her knowledge base was that of someone who had been in the business world for at least a decade. The young woman went from one company to the next trying to find one that she could learn from without being obvious, or having things given to her because she happened to be a friend of the owner. This had been the case with her first job out of school. A friend of her's owned her own company and it was a relatively successful company. It dealt in fashion, and was know to be one of the places to go if you wanted to get the best, made by the best.
Her friend offered her a vice presidency on her first day at the company. She of course turned it down, and was somewhat offended by the offer. She knew her skills didn't warrant such a position, at that time, and she thought it was unfair of her friend to offer it to her just because they were friends. The young woman knew there were others who had been loyal to the company, long before she arrived, and who were probably hoping for the position for themselves. It was because of this that she turned down the position, and told her friend she couldn't work for her. The woman was shocked because she didn't understand why, even if she couldn't accept the one position, she could just work in any position she wanted within the company. The young girl explained that if she were to take any position in the company now, she would always feel that any raise or promotion she got was a result of their friendship and not necessarily because of knowledge or skills.
That was the start of many moves, until she found the company she now worked for "Madison Inc". This was the company that she had told another of her friends about when he graduated with his masters in International and National business Management. She had been working at the company for almost three years when she first told him about the position she saw an opening as a result of one of the senior management having committed suicide. This was due to a wager that left him demoted to that of middle management. The lost of income and status was too much for the man to bear, so he took his own life. It was that day that the young woman decided she didn't want to ever meet this "Raider" as they called her. She had never seen the woman in person in all the years she'd been with the company. She knew exactly what the woman looked like from magazines at the grocery store, those in the library, and of course on the covers of the books that were written by Alex herself. The woman scared her as much as she scared everyone else. One day while the young
woman was typing a letter for her boss she heard a commotion outside of the door, which sounded like people running.
"What's going on out there?" She wondered as she went to tell her boss of the commotion. Just in case it was an emergency, they could both get out if necessary.
"What is it?" the older woman asked of her admin assistant.
"There's something going on out in the hallway, I think we should check it out, just in case?"
"You're right, let's go."
The two of them headed to the door and just as the older lady went to open it, a group of people ran inside and slammed the door shut.
"What's going on?!"
"It's Karlsen, he's lost his mind, he has a knife and he's heading up to the top floor to go and TALK with Ms. Madison." A woman shouted as she peeked out the door along with everyone else.
"Okay, so why are you all running? It's only a knife, it's not like he has a gun?" The older woman stated perplexed by all of the people.
"Well we didn't know, and we didn't want to take a chance."
"Well someone has to warn Ms. Madison of what's happening." The young woman said as she went to go and call the admin assistant to the CEO.
"Why?! " Came many voices from behind her.
"What do you mean why, he has a knife and he's going to try to use it against her?" She said as an obvious and accepted reason.
"No! We won't let you, if he takes that bitch out, then so be it, she deserves it, she is as cold as ice. The no heart witch! Let her get what's coming to her, she's been sticking it to everyone else, so now let her feel what it is like to have it stuck to her!" One man shouted as the group raised their voices in unison.
"Well you're not the one making the phone call, I am, so if you don't mind?!" The young woman said as she tried to remove his hand from her phone.
"Fine, I'll just go use another phone." She then turned to go use the phone in her boss's office, only to have the group split up and block her path.
"You're not going to warn her." The man said as he crossed his arms over his broad chest and sat on the edge of the desk.
"You people can't be serious about this? You're talking about someone committing murder and your not going to do anything about it, and you prevent anyone else from doing what is right? You know this is wrong?"
"Wrong or not, I won't lose a minutes sleep over it." Another woman said as the rest followed with their own affirmations of comfort in what they were doing. The young girl looked at the people in amazement, then she turned concerned eyes to her boss.
"I agree with you, this is wrong, but what can we do?"
"Well I don't know about the rest of you, but I will not allow my soul to be marked because of something that I know in my heart to be wrong. Two wrongs do not make a right and this is wrong, and I will not be a part of it, I'm leaving, I'm going home." The younger girl said as tears came to her light brown eyes.
The group allowed her to walk out the door of the office and they watched her get on the elevator and saw it go down. The young girl wiped her eyes of her crocodile tears and with a wry grin she jumped off the elevator and ran to tell the guards what was happening. She then turned and ran up the stairwell, past the floor she had just left and pushed the button to take the elevator to the top floor, unbeknownst to those down below. The guards in the lobby had called the police who were on their way, along with an ambulance just in case. The young girl thought it was a prudent thing to do. She arrived on the top floor to see the same chaos, only this time she heard it as well.
"You're a wicked cruel bitch who doesn't deserve to breathe the same air as the rest of us!" The angry, 250 plus pound man shouted at the strangely calm woman.
"Is that right Evans? It seems to me, that your mad because I outsmarted you. You didn't seem to have a problem with me when I did others the way I did you. In fact you laughed at them when they left the meeting, and when it was only you and a few others left in the room with me. You even said how right I had been when I showed them their error, so why is it any different now? Just because it's you, Karlsen Evans? Did you think you were special to me or something? Is that it Evans?" The woman taunted, knowing she had the truth on her side.
Evans was still flushed from his anger and embarrassment. Now his peers were looking at him as if he had the plague or something, especially those who had been in the meetings with him. "You're Lying! Your just trying to turn everyone's attention off of you." The Irate man screamed at the woman, who had not moved from the edge of her desk as she rested her hands on her lap just watching the man brandish the large knife.
"Am I? Jackson! Am I lying?" The Raider asked of one of the men, who had heard Evans's comments, without ever taking her eyes off of the man, standing just a little ways from her in front of her.
Jackson looked at the Raider, and then at the man, and then said to Evans's chagrin. "No your not Raider, it's true, Evans did agree with what you were doing in those meetings when others had been outwitted. Sorry man, but it's true." Jackson offered as he then shook his head when he saw the satisfied gaze flash across the Raiders face.
Evans lost his bravado at that moment, and the group that had gather had now starting shaking their heads in disgust at the man. Just as everyone was about to turn away and head back to what they were doing, including the Raider, who Evans figured had stop worrying about him and his knife, he charged her and lunged.
"DIE BITCH!!" Evans screamed as he charged at the woman, Knife raised, ready to impale his target. But to his and everyone's surprise, the woman turned and caught hold of the man's descending arm, and with a vice grip, she twisted it behind his back. She plucked the knife from his hand, and threw him towards one of the wood paneled walls in her office. The man hit hard, and was dazed, but he eventually got back to his feet and once again went to charge the woman. Again she caught him unexpectedly, this time with a solid punch to his jaw. The man fell boneless like to the floor. He didn't move and there was a trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. The Raider then turned, picked up the knife, and threw it down to where it landed right next to the man's head, embedded in the floor on it's point. The crowd was awestruck by what they had just witnessed. The Raider had taken one of the biggest men in the company down as if he weighted only a few pounds, versus his massive size and weight of at least 250.
The police arrived and asked where the trouble was and the young girl, who happened to still be flushed with excitement at what she had just witnessed, directed them into the office.
"There, in there." The young girl pointed out, and one of the officers went to check things out, while the other stayed and began collecting information. Finally he arrived at questioning the young girl, who now was standing in the middle of the room with The Raider. The other officer and the paramedics had just taken the unconscious man down to the ambulance.
"So, do you work on this floor, and can you tell me what you saw?"
"I work on the 3rd floor, I....I heard a commotion in the hallway on my floor, and then when my boss and I went to go and check it out, these people ran into our office to hide from Mr. Evans. They said he had a knife and didn't know if he had a gun or not, but they didn't want to be around if he did."
"What then?"
"We were told that he was on his way up here to kill The Raider. I mean The CEO... her." The young girl said pointing towards the Tall woman.
"And? what did you do?"
"I told them we had to warn her."
"And did you?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because they wouldn't let me, they said she deserved to die and that they would not lose any sleep over her death. She's not very well liked, although everyone respects her abilities in running all of her companies." The young girl stated as an aside.
"So how is it that you ended up here?"
"I pretended that I was overwhelmed and scared and I told them that I was going home, but instead I went to the main lobby and told the guards to call you guys. Then I took the stairs to the fourth floor and caught the elevator up to this one, where I heard and saw Mr. Evans yelling at her."
"What was she doing all this time?"
"Sitting on the edge of her desk with her hands in her lap listening to him rant and rave about how unfair she had been with him."
"Did she say anything to him?"
"Yes, she asked him why was anything different just because he was now on the receiving end of a quick thinking mind? She pointed out to him that he didn't think it was so bad when it was happening to others. Then she went on to remind him of how he had laughed at some of the others who had been on the other end."
"Was it true?"
"Yes."
"How do you know?"
"Another employee said it was true."
"Then what happened?"
"That's when they....the other employees all started to turn and leave, and I noticed he became even more enraged. The moment she turned her back to go and sit in her chair behind her desk, he charged her, with the knife raised to stab her in the back."
"What happened then?"
"It was incredible, I have never seen anything like it! She caught his hand in mid-descent, and stopped him in his tracks. Then she whipped his arm behind his back, plucked the knife from his hands as if he had just handed it to her, and then THREW him up against that wall, and still she was calm. He finally made it back to his feet after a moment, and once again she had her back to him when he charged. This time her fist shot out like a flash of light and caught him square in the jaw and he just FELL...Hard. Wham! He hit the floor. Man what a sight, she was awesome. I don't think many men could do what she did, and not get a scratch on them?"The young girl said somewhat flushed with both excitement and the adrenalin that caused it. The police officers looked at each other and then at the young girl who was now showing some embarrassment at her gushing. Little did she realize she had an attentive ear locked on her every word and it's inflections. Despite appearing to show no obvious attention. The young girl was told she could leave and she turned to go while sparing a quick glance at the woman who was now talking to one of her senior management personnel about the next meeting.
"Wow." Was the final comment from the young girl as she walked out of the now nearly empty waiting area and went to catch the elevator to go back to the third floor.
The Raider heard the exclamation and a predatory smile came to her face. She found herself intrigued by the young girl who risked acceptance by her peers to come and warn her of the danger. "Ms. Lacy! Call detective Kiara and transfer the call in here, and close the door!" The Raider ordered.
"Yes Ma'am, right away." The Administrative assistant called back as she located and dialed the number. When connected, she transferred it into the Raiders office and then went and closed the door as she had been told. "Detective Kiara, I want you to get over here NOW. Be here in 15 minutes!" The Raider commanded and then hung up the phone. Fourteen minutes later the detective arrived at the office and was sent in immediately.
"You barely made it. Now, sit down, I have a job for you. There is a young girl who works here, that I want you to find out everything about. I want to know absolutely everything, including her medical history, and dental history. I want to know about her professional life as well as personal, with emphasis on her personal. I want information about any relationships she may be in, and with who. I want to know who her friends are, and who her enemies are if there are any, which I don't believe she has any, but you never know. Have I made myself clear?"
"Yes Ma'am, but can you tell me why you want the information? I mean is it because she has done something?"
"That's my business, yours is just to get the information to me. You have one month, thirty days from today to do so. If you fail, well you know what that means right?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Good, now go." The Raider said dismissing the detective without another word or glance.
"Ms. Lacy, get in here!"
The Admin' Assistant, and the detective crossed in passing and both rolled their eyes.
"What's her problem?" The detective asked.
"Never mind what my problem is, just go and do your job! Ms. Lacy NOW!"
"Yes Ma'am." They both replied and hurried to carry out their orders.
"So...what happened" Yasmeia Sains, the immediate supervisor of the young girl,asked when the girl returned.
"It was awesome! The Raider took Evans down with a shot to the jaw, he fell like a sack of potatoes, it was amazing, she was amazing, did anyone know she could do that?"
"She took HIM down?! Wow, that must have been something to see?!"
"Yasmeia it was. He charged at her and before any of us knew it, he was lying unconscious on the floor with blood coming out of his mouth along with the loss of a few of his teeth, man she was incredible!" The young girl once again gushed.
"Okay, okay, I think you need to calm down." The woman chuckled and then led the younger girl to her desk and sat her down. Yasmeia handed her a few documents so that she would have something to focus all her excessive energy on.
"Yes your right, it was just so exciting."
"I know, I can see that....but you have to calm down, your as flushed as a school girl."
"Hmmm....I guess I am. Okay, I'll get to work on these right now."
"Alright." Yasmeia then started to turn and head into her office, but something crossed her mind making her stop in the doorway and turn back around.
"Oh, you know that you will probably come to the Raider's attention now?" Yasmeia said reflectively as she then looked at the girl with both concern and amusement.
"What?! Really? You think she noticed me?" The young girl now asked as she came to her feet to stand in front of her boss. She was unnerved by the very idea.
"I don't know about whether she noticed you or not, but you realize word will get back to her by rumor that you were trying to warn her?"
"Then I have to make myself as invisible as possible. I would just die if she called me to her office." The young girl said now flustered by the thought. Taylor Young, being normally very shy, 24 years old, who dressed very conservative, and wore her hair in the fashion of a tight bun, positioned in the back of her head. Her usual matter was reserve and quiet, shying away from any and all spotlight, but with all of the events of the day, she was behaving quite differently from her normal behavior, it was for this reason that Yasmeia was concerned.
"Well if you want you can work from home for awhile, we can talk via conference calls, or I can fax the things I need for you to work on, or send a messager to your house to bring you what I need, and send back anything that you have finished?"
"Yes, I think that's a great idea, that's what I will do, I'll work from home for a while."
"Well I didn't mean today, it's going to take sometime for the rumors to make it up there....maybe."
"See, I was just about to agree with you until you said maybe. I think I will like to start working from home tomorrow."
"Okay, in that case let me get some things together that I want you to start working on, then you can call me or e-mail me and let me know how things are going?"
"Alright, I'll get to work on these things right now, and then I'll take lunch, away from the building." The younger girl emphasized.
"Hahahaha, Okay." Yasmeia chuckled in amusement as she turned and this time she did go into her moderate sized, light colored office, which allowed the light that came through the windows, to make the office appear brighter than it already was.She closed the door and made a few phone calls.
Meanwhile, the phone on the young girl's desk began to ring, and she jumped as a result of having been startled. "He...hello, Ms. Sains office, Ms. Young speaking, may I help you?"
"Yes, this is Salina Lacy, the admin assistant to the CEO....Hello? Hello?" The assistant called due to having heard a sharp intake of breath and not knowing if something had happened to the person on the other end. " H.e.l.l.o...?" The assistant called now exasperated.
"Hello? Hello? I'm sorry, I....anyway, what can I do for you?"
"The CEO would like to see....Hello? Hello?! Goodness." Again the sharp intake of air and silence.
"What's the problem?!" The Raider snapped, due to hearing the admin repeatly calling to the person on the other end.
"Oh, It's just that the assistant keeps gasping, or something."
"Really? Well hurry up." The Raider ordered although her eyes showed some amused interest at the fact that she was the cause of the other assistant's lost of composure.
"Yes ma'am. Hello? Hello?"
"Yes, Yes, I'm here, I'm sorry, I thought you were about to tell me that the CEO wanted to see someone from this office?" The young girl said completely rattled.
"If I answer you, you won't pass out will you?"
"No, no, I'm fine." The young girl said as the phone shook like a leaf in her hands.
"Okay, the CEO wants to see....you okay?"
"Yes, yes, I'm fine, go on."
"Alright, she wants to see the reports from your department." The Admin said in a rush, only to hear not only the gasping sound again, but the woman on the other end of the phone was now screaming.
"What's going on?!" The Raider asked as she strided over to take the phone from her assistant, who held it away from her ear due to the screaming.
"She's screaming." The assistant said as the phone was yanked from her hand.
"Screaming about what?!"
"I don't know."
The Raider put the phone to her ear and listened. "Thank you GOD! Thank You God! She doesn't want me! God I can hardly stand it!"
"What's going on?!" Yasmeia asked as she rushed out of her office at the sound of the screams.
"Yasmeia, she doesn't want me! Goodness! Thank you Lord! Thank you Lord! Thank you Lord!"
"Who doesn't want you?!"
"The RAIDER!! She doesn't want me, she only wants the reports from the department! Yes! Yes! Yes! Whew!! I'm still anonymous at the moment, and soon I'll be at home working, man!" The young girl finally gasped as she sat heavily in the chair, having completely forgotten the phone which was now hanging down the side of the desk, and she almost out of breath.
"Excuse me, but is there someone still on the phone?!" Yasmeia asked as she glanced down at the phone, to make her point.
"Oh my God, I completely forgot about it. You think she's still there?"
"I don't know, but I think you should check, don't you?"
"Yes, of course, I'm a professional. I'm just so relieved she doesn't know I'm alive." The young girl sighed as she reached down and picked up the phone. "He....hello? Hello?"
"Hello. It's about time you picked up the phone." Came a smooth voice from the other end, that was different sounding than the previous voice that the girl had been speaking with.
"Excuse me, but who am I speaking with?"
"The Raider." Came the simple, yet sarcastic answer.
"Haa....Ohhhh....My....God.....Excuse me, I'm going to be sick!" The young girl said gagging as she handed the phone to Yasmeia, and covered her mouth, at the same time as she ran out the office down the hall to the restroom where she proceeded to get sick.
Meanwhile, Yasmeia brought the phone to her ear, and with a smile and look of both amusement and concern, once again lighting her face, she spoke to the person on the other end. "Hello, this is Yasmeia Sains, who am I speaking with?"
"The Raider, Yasmeia. Who is that young girl, and where did she learn her phone matters?"
"Oh, ma'am , I didn't realize it was you."
"Obviously. Is your assistant always so unprofessional?"
"Oh, ma'am please don't judge her by her actions at this moment? My assistant is actually a very professional person, she's just a little shaken at the moment. She's been my right hand in this department, and she's very smart. I just think you shook her up with being on the phone and possibly overhearing her a moment ago?"
"Really, she didn't sound very smart ."
"Oh, but she is."
"How smart is she Yasmeia?"
"Well...for instance, she did these particular reports, with no help from me, and she doesn't know that I know this, but V.P Shearer in acquisitions comes to her for all kinds of advise because she knows the business, she's just a very shy person. Please ma'am don't punish her for this one loss of composure? She's really a very sweet young girl, and an excellent employee. Besides, I'm sure you'll hear about it sooner or later, but she risked herself to come and warn you about Evans? By the way, Bravo on laying him out with one punch. She couldn't stop talking about that."
"Is that right?" The Raider now asked intrigued by the girls reaction to her.
"Yes Ma'am."
"How old is she?" The woman asked, and at the same moment her own Admin's ears perked up, and she begun to listen to the rest of the conversation discreetly.
"Twenty four."
"Are you and her close?"
"I'd like to think so ma'am, why?"
"Never mind why. I'll let it go this time, but I expect for you to tell her to get her act together, and I mean asap! Also, have those reports sent to my office within the next ten minutes."
"Yes Ma'am."
"Oh, and two more things, she is not to work from home, and I want HER to personally deliver the reports to me. In fact, from now on I expect for her to deliver any and all correspondence from your office, directly to my hands personally."
"But Ma'am....?"
click!!
The phone hung up, and Yasmeia stood listening to the dial tone for a few moments, while feeling like she had just been shell shocked. Just then the young girl walked into the office wiping her mouth with a paper towel, and then stopping by the water dispenser, she poured herself a cupful and drunk it down, and then filled her cup again and this time she carried it towards her desk.
"I can't believe I dropped that phone on her, she had to be pissed? Are you still talking to her?"
"Oh, no, she hung up." Yasmeia answered now remembering that she was still holding the phone. She placed it back on the holder and then turned to look back at Taylor.
"So what's my punishment? I've been demoted? Docked? Written up? Suspended...I hope." The young girl added. Yasmeia had not answered any of the young girls questions as of yet, and finally after a few minutes the girl noticed. "Yasmeia? What is it? Oh....she fired me?!! Oh my god, out of all people to drop the phone on, gods, I can be so...."
"No, No she didn't fire you, or anything like that, in fact she's not even punishing you for it, although she did say for you to get your act together,she added asap, which was her exact words." The woman informed the young panicked girl, hoping it would calm her.
"Oh, thank goodness, I have to go to church and give thanks. Whew! So....why are you looking at me like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like you have something to say, but your not sure as to how to say it?"
"Oh, I was just thinking about a movie I saw?"
"Oh, what?"
" Oh, it was about some prisoner taking her last walk before being executed, or something like that." Yasmeia added as a result of seeing the perplexed look in the young girl's eyes.
"Oh, I didn't see that one, but I heard about it, it sounded like a good movie, but what does that have to do with anything?"
"Just a moment, I have to get something." Yasmeia then turned and went to her desk and pulled out the reports that the Raider had asked for. "Here."
"What? Oh, you want me to send for the runner to take them to the Raider? Okay, no problem, I'm just relieved it's not me. Man, I don't envy anyone who has to go to her office for any reason, raise or otherwise."
"No, don't call a runner. She wants you to deliver them to her within the next..." Yasmeia looked down at her wristwatch and saw how much time was left, and then she continued. "Four minutes, to her hands, and she also wants you to deliver any and all correspondence from this office to hers, to her hands personally, not to her admin. Dead Woman walking." Yasmeia finished and then she flinched at the reaction she thought she was going to get from the young girl, but instead the girl had a blank expression on her face and her mouth agape.
Yasmeia turned the young girl, who had not said a word, and she guided her to the elevator where she pushed the up button, and then once it had arrived she put the young girl in the elevator and turned her around, then pushed the express button to the top floor, and she jumped off and watched the girl, as she started to come out of her shock just when the doors were closing. The next sound Yasmeia heard were those of the young girl screaming to be let out, and that she couldn't go there, and for Yasmeia to help her. The girl begun pushing all of the buttons in the elevator hoping to stop the ascent to the top, but once the express button was pressed, it overrode all of the others, therefore the girl was on her way to the top whether she wanted to be or not.
"It'll be alright, just take her the reports and leave!" Yasmeia called up to the young girl.
While the elevator was going up, the young girl paced inside and then she leaned heavily against the wall of the elevator and covering her face with her hands she tried to sooth herself. "It's okay, I can do this, I can do this, all I have to do is just walk out of this elevator, into the office, hand the reports to the Admin and turn around and leave. Yes, I can do that, okay, okay just breath.The girl thought to herself.
By the time the elevator made it to the top floor, the girl was a bit more calm. She took a few quick breaths, and tried to calm herself more. She knew her face was flushed,but she hoped her skin tone would not allow it to show, but she couldn't do anything about it if it did, but she could at least straighten herself up. Little did she know she was being watched the whole time. With every push of the express button, a camera activated inside, so that The Raider could see who was coming to the top floor. That was how she knew about Evans, before he arrived. No one knew about the camera except for the installers who put it in when the building was initially being built. All of The Raiders companies had that feature, and only she and the builders knew about it.
The Raider watched the young girl the whole time she was in the elevator, hysterical at having to come and see her in person, especially when all the young girl wanted was to remain invisible to the Raider. Now the Raider was killing any hope of the girl remaining anonymous.
The Raider watched the young girl straighten her clothes, and then her hair, which was pulled back into the bun, which did nothing for the young girl. The doors finally opened, and the girl clasped the reports to her and went rigid, waiting for the door to open fully before she moved.
"Okay, you can do this, SHOOT! I have no choice!" The young girl argued with herself, as she came out of the elevator and walked the long track to the outer office door, which was open, and then walked to the desk of the Raiders admins.
The admin saw her coming, and just waited for her, and the Raider saw her coming, although it wasn't obvious, considering the Raider was reprimanding one of her vice presidents from her Projects development department. The young girl made it to the desk, her eyes locked on the office behind the admin, and everything that was going on in there. The Raider pounded her fist on the desk and the man startled and the young girl watching flinched. The Raider now was pointing an angry finger at the man, as she sat sideways in her large chair, looking sideways at the flushed man, who was now gripping his own chair hard, as he vigorously nodded his head, obviously in
expressing his understanding of what he had just been told. At least that's what she reasoned was going on until Salina's voice cut through her line of thought.
"May I help you?" The woman asked irritated, obviously she had been calling the young girl,for a few moments, but because she was so intrigued with what was going on in the office, she did not hear her.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm from Ms. Sains office, I came to bring the CEO these reports."
"Ohhh.......you're that one? Hahahahaha, well, you certainly made an impression on The Raider. " The woman said dubiously. "Have a seat, I will let her know your here. Have you read those reports?"
"Yes."
"Oh, well good, she sometimes gives impromptu test." The admin said somewhat disappointed that the young girl had read the reports, she was hoping she hadn't and therefore if the woman gave one of her impromptu test then the girl would be reprimanded.
" Tests?"
"Yes, but not like school or anything, her's has a way of making even the most practical person breakdown and cry."
"I thought all I was here to do was bring these to her and leave them with you to give to her? I thought the presentations were done by the department heads, not the Admins?"
"They're done by whomever she chooses for them to be done by. And she specifically wants you to hand them to her. Have a seat and I'll let her know you're here."
The young girl gave a slight nod of her head, again in shock. She then went and sat in one of the many leather chairs that lined aloong the outer office wall around the room. Her nerves were now raw, as she thought about what would happen to her when she went into that office to give the supposedly benign reports. "Why did I come up here in the first place?!" The young girl scolded herself for exposing herself. But she knew the answer to that question, she knew she would probably....no definitely do it again, to her all life was precious even a tough as nails person as The Raider. "My luck, I have to have morals." She finally said in disgust.
"Hey?!"
"Yes?! Yes?! I'm sorry." The young girl said as she jumped to her feet.
"Do you always daydream?"
"No. I mean, not normally, I'm just very nervous right now."
"Hmm...well you better pay attention in there, otherwise she'll eat you alive and spit your bones out and use them as toothpicks."
"I will."
"GET IN HERE!! I DON'T HAVE ALL DAY!!" The Raider shouted out to the young girl.
"GODS She sounds pissed?"
"She is, but it's not when she yells that you should be worried, but when her voice lowers, and it takes on that calm tone that belies her true feelings, but she'll only get worse if you don't get in there right now."
"Oh, yes, okay, I'm going." The young girl said now flushed in her cheeks once again from the fear racing through her.
"Good luck." Salina said as she closed the door behind the young girl, and a conspiratory glint lit her eyes.
"Well?" The Raider asked as she held out her hand. The young girl's brows knitted as she tried to break the hypnotic trance the woman seemed to have captured her with. The Raider's eyes glanced down at the package in the young girls hands, that were being crushed against her breast, while at the same time her fingers were blanching, due to the grip she had on it.
"OH! God Yes, the reports, here you go ma'am." The young girl said snapping out of the trance, and quickly handing the reports to the outstretched hand, that now receded back, along with the reports. The young girl stood where she was shifting nervously from foot to foot as if she was too restless to stand still. The Raider pulled out the reports and read over all of them, taking her time, as if she were alone in the office.
"Maybe I...."
The Raider looked over her brows at the young girl and then raising one she cocked her head and said in an unnerving tone of voice. "Did I ask you a question?"
"Nn...nnn....no ma'am." The young girl stammered out.
"I didn't think so." The Raider said as she narrowed her gaze and then went back to reading the reports. The young girl now stood shaking and her hands were nervously playing with the material of her dress. "Stop doing that!" The Raider chided, annoyed by the fidgeting.
The young girls hands instantly stopped all movement, although she was now shaking like a leaf. The girl felt like crying, but then she thought she would only make herself look foolish, considering The Raider had not done anything to her, except to call her on her matters and tell her to stop doing something she had been trying to break herself of for a while now anyway. But she was also feeling nauseated. "Who wrote these?"
"I....I did ma'am." The girl answered all to quick, but then realizing that she had now given herself away.
"Do you always stutter?"
"Nn...no, I mean not usually, except for when I'm really nervous."
"What are you nervous about?" The Raider asked although she knew exactly why the young girl was so nervous. Everyone who walked in to her office was nervous, and most of them were regulars. That's what made it worse for the young girl. She hadn't wanted to come to the Raiders attention, and here she was, standing before the very person she was whooping it up about not having to be the one that was called for earlier.
"I....I...." The young girl tried, but once again the Raider had her gaze leveled on her.
The Raiders eyes narrowed when she saw the moisture coming to the girls eyes, despite her valiant efforts. "Sit down."
"Oh thank you." The young girl gasped as she immediately sat down on her hands to prevent them from annoying The Raider. The gesture didn't go unnoticed by The Raider.
"Well that's one way." She said with less sternness in her voice.
"So...how is it that someone on the third floor, working as an admin, can write such a thorough report by herself?"
"Oh, I had lots and lots of help, matter of fact I pretty much just wrote what others had suggested. I barely had anything to do with that." The young girl blurted hoping that she could convince the Raider that she was not worth a second thought.
The Raider put the reports down on the desk and turning her chair she came to her feet as gracefully as a cat. She walked around the large polished cherry wood desk and sat on the edge of it crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at the young girl. The girl swallowed hard as her heart nearly beat out of her chest. She lowered her eyes as she slightly rocked forward and back on her hands, trying to steady herself against the rising apprehension that was rising rapidly within her.
"Look at me." The voice said calmly.
The girls eyes lifted up to meet those of The Raiders, and once again the sapphires held her captive, until The Raider decided to release her. "The one thing that I will not tolerate is a liar, I can handle a cheater and a thief, but I have absolutely NO patiences for a liar. Get out of my office." The Raider commanded. The Raider's gaze broke, and the young girl felt as though she had been stabbed in the heart.
"I...."
"Did I say anything else to you?"
"Nn...no ma'am!"
"Then I suggest you get out. NOW!"
"Yes Ma'am." The young girl startled, as she jumped out of the chair and practically ran for the door. She stopped just as she was about to open it, she didn't want the Raider to think of her as a liar, that was worse than being recognized unwillingly, she wanted to apologize. She started to turn around, but when her eyes fell on the disgusted look on the woman's face, she swallowed hard and begun to chew her lips, she turned back around and ran out the door and out the area of the office. She pushed the down button and impatiently stood counting the numbers as she tried to stay her tears from falling, but it was taking to long and it was unnerving to her, especially considering that The Raider watched her while still sitting on her desk.
The girl nervously shifted from foot to foot, and then not being able to take it any longer, she decided to take the stairs back to her floor. She turned and ran for the stairwell and then ran down them. She ran all the way until she was back on her floor. She flew out the stairwell door, and ran breathlessly back to her own office area, and straight to her own desk where she fell into her seat and buried her head in her arms and cried.
Yasmeia, her boss was on the phone and was just hanging up, when she saw the young girl come back into the office. She walked out to the desk and for a moment she just stood debating whether to tell the young girl what the Raider had just told her.
"I'm sorry, it must have been awful for you, especially considering how you had tried to help her. But I have to tell you this, she just called down and told me that you were to report to the mail room for your new job, she said that she's going to let you keep the pay you earn from this position, but from now on you will report to work in the mail room starting tomorrow. I tried to talk her out of it, but she was very angry, she said she has NO patiences for a liar. What happened?" Yasmeia asked as she caressed the sobbing woman's hair. Confused by how her admin and friend was being labeled a liar.
The young girl raised her head slightly and let her mind go back to that moment as she told her friend what happened. "She asked me if I wrote the reports, and I told her I did."
"Okay, that wasn't a lie, you did write them, all by yourself." The woman said sure that there was no liar to be found within that statement.
"That's just it, I told her I had lots of help on it and I barely did anything. That's when she told me to get out of her office, I saw the disgust in her eyes at me, she thinks I'm a liar, that's worse than trying to stay obscure." The girl lamented.
"Well look at it this way, at least you can slide back into obscurity from her gaze?" The woman said trying to find a positive.
"It's not the same, now she knows me, and she knows me as a liar, how can I ever live this down. My Boss sees me as a liar. I can't stay here, it's too much, my desire to remain unseen, now has me shining as brightly as a neon light on a darken street. It's just blinking Liar, Liar, Liar, Gods!"
The young girl exclaimed and then buried her head in her arms once again.
"You don't have to leave, you can get past this?"
"No, if it were anyone else, then yes I would try, but how can I get past this, She's The boss! I blew this, all I wanted to do was just work and grow quietly within the company, now I'll be known as the liar of the company. I'm going to lunch and then after this day is over with I'm putting in my resignation."
"You don't have to do that, besides who will help me with things, and what about Shearer, what is he going to do?"
"I know your trying to make me feel better, but I just want to go and sit somewhere where I can think about why I did what I did. Besides, it's not like I'm leaving your lives, I'm just going to leave the company, we're still friends. I'll see you in a little while."
"Alright, you want me to go with you?"
"No, I'll be fine." The young girl then stood up and hugged her friend and boss and then walked out the office and went to the elevator to go down to the restaurant to eat, or rather see if she could eat something. While she was waiting for the elevator she thought about what she was going to do after she quit the job. The elevator came and there were a few people on from some of the above floors, but she stepped in and didn't speak to any of them.
"Aren't you the woman who was talking to the police about your intentions to warn The Raider?"
The girl simply nodded her head, but before the questioner could ask her another question the elevator doors open, and she quickly walked out and down the corridor and went into the restaurant. It was quite a restaurant, it was made for entertaining clients as well as for the employees. It was a top notch restaurant. The Raider had master chefs working in the kitchen, so the food was always the best. The young girl was lead to a table and a waitress came over within moments with a glass of water and asked if she could take the girl's order. The girl gave her order, and then the waitress asked her if there were anything else, just to make sure, the girl answered her no, and the waitress turned and left. After the waitress was gone, the young girl picked up her glass of water and sipped from it.
She sat just looking blankly out towards the center of the restaurant, feeling down over what had happened just because of her desire to remain in the shadows. Her food soon arrived, it was just a cesaer salad, but it wasn't even a guarantee that that would be eaten. She picked at it for a few minutes and then went back to thinking, how one little mistake had changed her life. She was sitting just thinking when a group of people's voices caught her attention.
"I think that if we can accumulate enough of Akiro's stocks, we have a chance to take it over. What do you think ma'am?"
"Do it!" Came the commanding, yet smooth voice of The Raider herself. Heading in the direction of the young girl.
"No, no this can not be happening, I can't seem to get away from her. Man!" The girl cursed to herself.
Just then the group stopped and then they went on, all except one of them. The young girl looked up and to her utter chagrin, it was the Raider standing at her table looking down at her with one brow raised. The young girl lowered her eyes and shook her head slightly from side to side in disbelief, at her unfortunate luck to once again be face to face with the woman. The Raider pulled out a chair and sat down, the girl was now flushed with embarrassment, and she couldn't bring herself to look at the woman, and once again she felt on the verge of tears. The Raider knew the girl was intimidated, and that's exactly what she wanted her to feel, that way she would learn not to ever lie to her again.
"May I get you anything Ma'am?" The same waitress asked.
"Yes, tea. Decaf."
"Yes ma'am."
The Raider then cut her eyes over at the young girl who was still trying to avoid eye contact with her. "So....I'm told that your quitting?" The Raider said with a raised brow at the young girl.
"Gods! She called YOU?!! Man I can't win for losing."
"Is it true?"
"Yes."
"Hmmm....typical." The Raider said with disgust in her voice.
"Excuse me?" The young girl managed to gasp out.
"I said typical, your not only a liar, but your a quitter. What? What is it? Are you too good to work in the mail room after working as an admin? Or is it just that you don't think it's worth the effort to regain my respect?"
"It's neither, it's just that...." The young girl said trying to keep herself from tearing up, but she was failing, but she knew this was probably going to be her only chance to make it right with The Raider, so she let the tears roll as they pleased but she was still going to tell her how sorry she was. "it's just that I can't handle being looked upon as a liar by anyone, but especially by you."
"Then you shouldn't have lied to me."
"You're right! Your absolutely right, and I was so...wrong. I am so very sorry. But please? I promise you, if you give me another chance, I will never lie to you again....about anything?!" The young girl said in a contrite voice.
"Why should your apology mean anything to me? I mean you are quitting. So quit!" The Raider said as she started to stand-up and leave. The young girl caught the woman's hand, and held her midway between the Raider standing and leaning. "What?!" The Raider sneered, as she looked down at her hand that was covered by the young girls hands.
"I won't quit, I'll work in the mail room or anywhere else you say, but please give me a chance? I do want to earn your respect, it means more to me than you realize?" The young girl said as her vision blurred due to the tears that were filling her eyes.
The Raider moved her hand slightly, and the young girl quickly removed her hand from over top of hers. "Sorry." The girl apologized.
The Raider stood to her full height as she regarded the young girl who was staring up at her with pleading eyes. "Okay." The Raider started, but paused for a moment when she heard the
breath that the young girl let out suddenly.
The Raider crossed her arms and with an assessing gaze she found herself thinking how pretty the girl actually was, despite the harsh bun and the simple clothes. "Alright, I'll give you a chance to earn my respect. You work in the mail room part-time, and the other part you continue assisting Ms. Sains in her department, until I say differently. Your duties in the mail room will be for you to handle any and all of MY mail, you will deliver my mail directly to my hands, no one elses, you will clear my outbox of all mail to be sent out, I will leave notes for you on each item as to how it is to be sent. If you handle this without messing up, then I will return you to full time duty as Ms. Sains admin. If I catch you in one lie, of any sort, then I will not only fire your little ass, but I will blackball you in this and every town from here to Japan, and the only job you'll ever have will be as a fisherman's assistant. Do I make Myself PERFECTLY CLEAR?"
"Yes! I won't disappoint you. I promise."
"For some reason, I believe you. Tell me one more thing."
"Anything."
The Raider smiled at the thought that flashed through her mind, and then shook herself out of it.
"Are you the one who's writing Shearer's reports for him?"
"Yes." The young girl answered without hesitation from fear that to hesitate would cause the Raider to doubt her. The young girl did not realize that the Raider used the eyes to tell her if someone was lying to her, not necessarily their words.
"Hmmm....interesting, a little genius, hiding in the shadows." The young girl smiled a small shy smile at the dubious compliment. "Enjoy your meal." The Raider said as she started to leave, but then she stopped and turned back, causing the girl to sit up straight once again.
"Yes?"
"One other thing, I don't like the way you look, change it. Here...go and see this lady, she'll take care of you, I'll call her and tell her what I expect."
"But I....." The young girl started to protest, but then stopped due to the look she was receiving from the Raider. "Okay."
"Good girl." The Raider then turned and strided out the door without a second glance. The young girl in the meantime sat at the table now unsure about why The Raider had any concern about her looks, then she put it off to being that the raider just wanted her to look more professional. Although she thought she did already. The young girl returned to the office and Yasmeia was waiting for her, and called her into the office.
"I'm sorry, but I didn't want you to quit, your so good at what you do, it would be a complete waste. I hope I didn't make things worst for you?"
"It's okay Yasmeia, we worked it out."
"Really, so you don't have to go to the mail room to work?"
"No, I still have to work there, but I will only be there part-time, the other part I will be here working with you."
"That's good right?"
"It was the best offer. Besides, all I will be doing in the mail room will be delivering incoming and picking up outgoing mail only from her office, her desk. I'm to handle all of HER mail. She also asked me about Shearer, I hope he doesn't get in trouble with her?"
"I hope not either. Anyway, is that all she wants you to do?"
"No."
"What else?"
"Let me ask you something, what do you think of the way I dress?"
"Um...well..." Yasmeia tried to answer, but only managed to stumbled over her words, due to her not wanting to hurt her friends feelings.
"Oh, I see. Well it's okay, I know I dress a little conservatively...."
"Like librarians of old." Yasmeia added, before she even knew the words were out of her mouth.
"Yasmeia! I don't think I look that antiquated. Do I?"
Yasmeia circled around the girl giving the young girl a once over, and then came back to stand in front of her. "Yes....but...but it fits you, I mean your just so....."
"Okay, I get it, I have to do something about the way I dress."
"You're not mad are you?"
"No. Besides, your not the only one who thinks I look dowdy."
"Really?"
"Like it's a surprise? She didn't like the way I dress either.
"hahahahaha, okay, well I'll leave that alone, let's get back to work, okay?"
"Well that's fine, but I was sort of hoping I could leave a little early today so that I could go and check out the mail room and see what I will need to do come tomorrow. I like to be ahead on things, that way I'm not stumbling through my first day, but instead look like a professional, especially going up there."
"Okay, I think that is a wonderful idea. Well then, I will see you sometime next week?"
"Well I'm not sure, but I'll let you know. In the meantime you might want to call personnel and have them send a temporary assistant for a few days. Just until I get used to the mail room thing?"
"That's a great idea. So are you going to start work today?"
"No, I don't dare show up in her office before tomorrow!"
Taylor exclaimed. "Okay, you're right, she may not appreciate it."
"You're telling me! You know she had me begging her to give me another chance? I would never have thought to do that with anyone, but for some reason I couldn't let her think of me as a liar or a quitter. Thanks for looking out for me."
"Your welcome, you're my friend as well as my employee you know."
"And you're my friend. Well I'm going to head out, I'll see you later Yasmeia."
"Alright, take care." Taylor hugged Yasmeia and went out the door of the office. She got on the elevator and went down to the basement where the mail center was located. She went inside the uncommonly quiet and clean room and looked around to locate someone who could help her.
"Excuse me?"
"Oh yes ma'am, may I help you?" The man asked assuming she was from one of the management personnel.
"Hi, I'm here to get oriented to the mail room and my new duties."
"Oh, your the girl who was demoted. Well it's alright, we've all felt the icy hand of our supreme leader on our backs, but just do your job and you won't have any problems."
"Alright, just show me what to do and how to do it and I will."
"Okay, but you don't have to orient until tomorrow, you know that right?"
"Yes, but by tomorrow, I plan on being a consummate professional when I make my first delivery and pickup." Taylor said with conviction.
"Well, if anyone can, it'll be you." The man said assessing the woman's style of dress.
She sighed and then said, "Okay, let's get on with it." By the end of the work day, the young girl had perfected handling the mail, without getting cut by the paper. The supervisor was impressed with her aptitude for picking things up so quickly. He let her handle Alex's mail that was to be sent to Italy to one of her companies over there. She quickly located the correct country code, placed the two day air express label on it, and then called for the driver to get it on it's way.