Spider Man

Lylah rubbed her temples, trying to massage away the tension. The fluorescent lights overhead seemed to hum in sync with the thrumming of her headache. She glanced around the office, taking in the familiar sights of cubicles and water cooler chatter.

At her desk, a stack of files threatened to topple over, and her computer screen glowed with the enormous list of incomplete articles and news stories. Lylah sighed, feeling the weight of the day ahead.

Just then, her phone buzzed with an incoming text from her best friend, Luna. She tapped on it, and a picture popped up. There he sat at the mall, a different lady perched right next to him. Lylah sucked in a breath.

People were already constantly sending her pictures and videos of who he spent his time with, and she didn't need Luna doing that as well.

She turned and Luna seated by her own desk, shared a knowing look.

As she typed out a response, her boss, Mark, emerged from his office, a stern expression etched on his face. "Lylah, can I see you for a minute?" he asked, his voice low and serious.

Lylah's heart sank. What had she done now? She followed him to his office, her eyes scanning the room for any signs of what was to come. Mark's demeanor alone told her how serious the situation was.

He pointed to the chair before him, and Lylah sat down, her eyes looking everywhere but at her boss. Mark leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers together.

"Lylah, you've been working with us for a while now. And we've seen your dedication to the firm. You're not just hardworking, you're intelligent, your skills are hardly seen these days, and I wouldn't want to lose you to something so unprofessional," Mark breathed.

"Distraction is something PROSE AND CO does not tolerate. Your distraction affects my firm, as every minute dollars are being lost. We all have issues, Lylah, but we can't let them bleed into our work."

Lylah shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Sir, I know what you're arriving at, but I can assure you I'm not distracted at all—"

"Lylah, I am no stranger to the activities of my firm. Every work I've assigned to you and your team, always come in incomplete. You're team leader for Christ's sake-

"Sir, I'm not responsible for any of that, Raj was supposed to fully draft the letter of intent, plus the contract bureau meant for the Liason representatives", Lylah interrupted as she defended herself.

Mark's expression darkened. He popped an eyebrow up as he shook his head.

"What are you saying, you're team leader, shouldn't you see to the final work before it reaches my desk?"

Lylah balled her hands into fists as it rested on her laps. The one thing she was trying to avoid is exactly what she was encountering.

"Oh wait, don't tell me you can't check Raj because he's your boyfriend!"

"Wait sir, that's not it", Lylah tried to explain.

"Look, your work has been slipping, and I've had to reassign tasks to other team members. I understand that personal issues can be overwhelming, but I expect my employees to maintain a level of professionalism."

Lylah felt a lump form in her throat. She knew she had been struggling to keep up with her work, but she had no idea it was this bad.

How did she let a man have so much access that he could even affect her work?

"What do you want me to do, sir?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Mark leaned forward, his eyes boring into hers.

"I want you to get your priorities straight, Lylah. I want you to focus on your work and leave your personal issues at the door. Can you do that for me?"

Lylah nodded, feeling a sense of determination wash over her.

"Yes, sir. I can do that."

Mark nodded, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Good. I expect to see an improvement in your work starting immediately."

Lylah stood up, feeling a sense of relief wash over her.

As she walked back to her desk, Lylah couldn't shake off the feeling that she was in over her head. She had no idea how she was going to balance her work and her personal life, but she was determined to try.

And then, there was the text from Luna. Lylah's mind wandered back to the picture of him with another woman.

Surprisingly, all she felt towards him was anger. On top of that she had to see him every single day.

How would she heal if she saw him everyday and it wasn't like they separated on the best of terms. The breakup was just so bad.

Just as she sat down, Luna rushed to her desk, eager to know what transpired between her friend and the boss.

"What did he say, what was his issue?", Luna mumbled.

Lylah ignored her friend for the first time as she rushed for the intercom.

"Attention everyone, Liam, Jorge, Martha, Francheska, every single person assigned to the Liason project with me, we meet in the conference room in 5. Thank you", she spoke into the intercom.

Luna just stared at her friend, not sure who she was seeing.

"What?", Lylah asked.

"Is there a problem?", Luna asked this time around.

"He is the problem", Lylah mumbled, her eyes directing Luna to the source of her problem.

"Not him still on with the spiderman duties", Luna snickered.

She faked a stoic face as soon as Lylah's gaze lingered on her.

Raj passed Lylah's desk, one hand holding Eva's bag and another hand holding hers.

"Thanks Raj, you're such a gentleman", Eva laughed sneakily.

"Pretty girls like you need to be worshipped by gentlemen like me", Raj grinned.

Luna rolled her eyes at the scene that unfolded before her eyes. She wondered if this wasn't the same guy that swept Lylah off her feet.

He seemed so real before and now suddenly he wasn't.

Lylah grabbed her tablet and notepad as she trotted away. Luna didn't miss Raj's stare at her friend.

She smirked, then whispered, " I thought as much".

She went to her desk, then grabbed her phone and notepad.

"Raj, you're needed by the boss, conference room now", Luna shot him a glare as she made her way to the conference room.