3. COSTLY MISTAKE

Tom Holland left the office on Friday evening and was driving home when he got a call from Dave Lin the famous designer who owns the biggest cloth brand in Paris. He had been trying to sign a partnership deal with him for close to two years but it never worked.

The manager of Dave Lin called him and told him that he should come over to the club to sign off the agreement if he still wants it because will be flying out of Chicago very early the next morning. He quickly turned the car around and zoomed off to the place he was called to where he met Dave Lin.

Dave immediately explained, “Oh Mr. Tom! I am sorry that you didn’t get a positive response from me all these while. It is due to my extremely busy schedule and also I wanted to see you in person. The owner of Shellhouse mall in Chicago is extremely popular so I didn’t want to waste the chance” as soon as he saw him and he exchanged handshakes with him

Tom wanted to counter him that he could have just told him so instead of keeping him waiting all these while but he decided to brush it off and just sign the contract which was his own cup of tea. Since he was always prepared to sign with him anytime, the contract was right there with him in his car.

He brought out the envelope containing the contract and was about opening it when Dave held his hand.

“Stop! Just stop!! Do you not understand what fun means? Why are you rushing to sign the contract when we can take our time, talk over drinks and enjoy the view” Dave winked and pointed to the stage where the strippers were getting ready to dance.

Since Dave was not a fan of the club, he wasn’t that pleased with the proposal but he just had to endure since it will birth something positive for his company. He dropped the envelope, folded his hand and was looking at whatever they were about to do on stage when someone familiar mounted the stage in a hot red full body bikini.

At first, he thought he was dreaming when he saw his secretary he left at the office few minutes ago climbing the stage and taking her position beside the pole. He blinked twice to confirm and there she was, it was indeed Amber.

“They are really beautiful and sexy, don’t you think so?” Dave said with a chuckle and he just nodded to go with the flow

Every other person there was not his business anymore, he just fixed his gaze on Amber who was happily doing her dance until she locked eyes with him. He quickly diverted his gaze and pretended as if he was not interested so as not to make her feel uncomfortable because it was her private life after all until he saw her being molested by one of the men.

The real reason why she agreed to come in the first place was because of Dave Lin, she had tried calling her boss when she heard that he was there but his phone was on silent because he was already there and was busy talking to Dave at that time. When she could not get a hold of him, she decided to go, then find a way to talk to him when she has the chance since she’s the secretary of the company that is trying to get a contract with him.

Since he already knew that she saw him and how she ran outside after the show, he decided to text her that he had gotten the contract with Dave just as she was going out of the club and before she could react, Emily walked up to her.

Although he tried his best not to think about the scene through the weekend, he couldn’t get it out of his head completely. Amber was not the type to dress slutty or behave dirty at work, she’s always strict with her work and doesn’t have much friend so she doesn’t join the office gossips.

She’s always punctual and professional with everything she does so as long as she keeps her attitude up, they wouldn’t have any problem.

****

She woke up on Sunday morning and started working on her report that will be due by 2pm the next day. She finished her work and got to other things, drank some water from the jug on the table and proceeded to catch up on her drama series to pass time. After having dinner, she packed her bag for work and took the USB flash containing the files to the table where her bag for work was to put it there alongside other things.

She woke up late the following morning and rushed into the bathroom to get ready, the alarm she set didn’t wake her up because her phone was on vibration as she was trying to block any disturbance.

“I am my biggest enemy” she muttered to herself as she struggled to put on her shoes and ran out to grab a taxi.

Thankfully, she got to the office before her boss, Tom who walked in five minutes after her entry.

“Good morning, Mr. Tom” she greeted as he entered the office

“Good morning, Miss Amber” he replied and went straight into his office which was not strange because he never talked unless it was needed.

Her mind went to the stripping incident but she decided to push it off since he didn’t even behave like he saw anything.

“Let’s be professional” she muttered to herself and puffed out some air as she got ready to work for the day.

Time flew by and it was quarter to two in the afternoon when her boss called in and told her to bring in the report he told her to submit that day.

“I will be right there sir” she said and stood up gracefully to reach for her bag so she could retrieve the USB drive containing the file but she couldn’t find it.

“What is happening?” she bellowed and turned her bag inside out but nothing was coming out of the bag

“I definitely put it here so where is it?” she said to herself as fear came over her

She was searching all over her table when she finally remembered that she dropped it on the table the previous night instead of putting it inside her bag when her phone rang. Eddy had called in at that time so she dropped it and went to pick his call, it was one of the reasons she placed her phone on vibrations too when she dropped the call.

“Damn it!” she bit her lips and glanced at the time, it was ten minutes to two

There was no how she could run home and come back in the next ten minutes and when she called Emily to see if she could help her send it over through her mail, she was not around.

“What is this mess?” she mumbled and the telephone rang once again. “I will be right there sir” she said as soon as she picked the call

She walked to his office with a tensed shoulder and stood in front of him waiting for him to raise his head.

“If you are here then hand it over” he said and stretched his hand to receive it but she only bit her lips

He looked up after waiting for some seconds and he didn’t receive anything, “What are you doing Miss Amber? Why are you not handing it over?” he questioned in his husky voice

“I forgot the USB drive at home sir. I left it on the table since I was in a rush” she managed to speak and he slowly retracted his hand

“You may leave” he said to her and she was confused about why that was his response

“I can go home to bring it immediately if you can spare me thirty minutes sir” she suggested but he ordered “Don’t worry about that, you can leave” and she bowed before leaving for her desk

“His voice is scary for some reasons” she murmured as she sat down with various thoughts running through her mind

She tried calling Emily again to see if she could help out but Emily told her that she was in school so she wouldn’t be able to help her out. She prayed for a miracle for the next five minutes before the meeting starts but nothing happened.

The meeting time finally came and they got to the meeting hall and found Chairman Holland, the owner of the Holland group in which Shellhouse is just a subsidiary sitting down there.

“You didn’t tell me that you will be here today” he said to his father as he took his seat

“Do I have to announce that I am coming to my own company? Start the meeting and do not mind me” Chairman Holland grunted.

All things needed were presented and the meeting was about to be drawn to a close when Chairman Holland suddenly requested for sales report.

“I forgot it at home and I couldn’t go back to retrieve it. If I get home, I will send it to you mail unfailingly sir” Amber quickly responded and bowed in apology

Chairman Holland slammed the table and thundered “Do you think I don’t know that you are covering up for his incompetent ass? He didn’t pay attention to something like this because of his nonchalant attitude! How can you not get the sales report ready by this time and make your secretary take the fall? If you cannot run the company properly then get out and let me hire a professional!”, making already tensed Amber shake to pieces.

She tried rushing to interrupt that she was the one at fault but Tom motioned for her to stop. He bowed “I am sorry father” but Chairman Holland slammed “Why are you calling me father? I am here as the Chairman!” and Tom bowed again with a soft “I am sorry Chairman Holland”

“I am giving you the last chance, don’t let me throw you out” Chairman Holland growled and left the meeting hall.

Amber was rushing to catch up with the footstep of her boss as they head back to the office. They entered the office and she rushed to follow him into his office so she could apologize once again

“I am really sorry for my silly mistake sir. I shouldn’t have made such a mistake” she pleaded and bowed

“You too know that it was a silly mistake right?” he shouted at her as he loosened his tie and she was taken aback. She quickly pleaded “I am sorry sir, this will never happen again” but he scoffed as he walked closer to her while fuming hard.

She kept walking back away from him but he didn’t stop walking closer till her back touched the wall. He placed his hand on the wall at the back to lean closer to her “It will not happen again? Yes it can never happen because as from tomorrow you are no longer an employee here anymore” he fired at her.

It took some seconds before what she heard him say to register in her head. She could not believe that she was getting fired just like that but come to think of it, the mistake didn’t seem to be a small one considering the way his father lashed at him back at the meeting room.

All her outstanding debts and fees flashed in her face in the split of a second and she knew that she was in a big trouble. She already quit at the club and was expecting a raise in few months’ time but now she’s being fired? How will she survive in Chicago?

She got down on her knees with immediate effect, letting go of all her pride as she rubbed her palms together in a pleading manner. She cried out “I am extremely sorry for everything that had happened. I made a silly mistake and made you go through such insults, I know there is nothing I can say to make you feel better but I am ready to do anything to calm your anger and make up for the incident” and he stopped to look at her

He crouched down to her level “You will do anything to calm my anger and make up for the incident?” he asked. The look in his eyes was scary to her, it was something she had never seen in her three years of working with him. It was as if he finally achieved his aim and that he was glad she was begging him like that but who cares? She wants her job back and that is all that matters.

She quickly replied with a sober tone “Yes sir! I will make sure to do everything so please tell me what you want” and he smirked before slowly raising his hand to stroke aside the stray hair on her face which made her dumfounded “You already gave your word, I hope it will not change so see you tomorrow Miss Amber” he said with a deep voice and rose to his feet.

She was still on her knees there looking at him as he went back to his desk because she could not understand what the statement, the smirk and the stroking of hair was all about.

“We need to step out in the next one hour so please prepare Miss Amber” he ordered from his desk and that jolted her back to reality

She quickly rose to her feet, cleaned her knees and straightened her skirt before bowing to him and walked out of the office. Different thoughts ran through her head as she sat down on her desk while trying to get other things done before he calls for their outing.

She was having a weird feeling but she couldn’t pinpoint what exactly it was. As she was getting her things done, her mind would wander around what exactly his requirement could be for a while but she tried her best to wave it away and focus on her job

“As long as I get to keep my job” she muttered as she started working away on her system.

They left the office, drove for close to thirty minutes and got to a building in one of the downtown houses. He parked the car somewhere and they both alighted from the car to walk down the sloppy road for up to five minutes.

He opened the gate to leading to the medium white house standing at the middle of the compound and they both walked in with him leading the way. He pressed in the passcode and the door opened to see a room so neat and well kept, every of the furniture there screamed money and his print was all over the house because everything there was well organized which was one of the things he loves.

He turned to her with a smirk and said “Welcome to another world Amber” which only made her nervous as her eyes landed on the same painting that was in his office hanging at the corner of the room.

Seeing how he called her by her name, she was not sure about what was going on anymore and the place was not even familiar to her. She gradually took some steps backward and tried to run out of the house but the door was locked by the time she got there. She turned back to see Tom dangling the key in his hands and he smiled.

“What have I gotten myself into?” she thought as her heart beat increased.