The boss

Chapter 1

The boss

Allyson

My eyes are barely open, feeling heavy with sleepiness. I check the clock, and it's only 4 pm. I'm out of here at 5 pm. I really wish time would speed up, but it just drags on. I glance into Peter Fletcher's glass-walled office, and there he is, on the phone, dealing agreements and chatting with clients, doing his usual thing. I daydream about being in his shoes, but my life is all over the place.

Ever since my father got himself into debt at the shop, I've had to find additional work just to make ends meet every month. It's just the two of us, and taking care of his diabetes is a costly affair, with special meals and expensive medications. I can't afford to be choosy about the jobs I take. That's why I'm constantly on the verge of falling asleep at work. The Venus club drains my energy during the day, even if I don't stay out late. It's the only solution I've found to pay all the household bills.I look at that agreement on my computer screen again and as soon as I get home late at night, I still have college work to do.

 I thank God that my father's savings have been enough for my college education so far. I'm in my final year and I know I'll be able to finish. There's no other choice for me. I need to finish this course and, who knows, maybe one day I'll become someone like Peter Fletcher. I look at him again. That man is my inspiration in every way. As soon as he gets close to me, I start to sigh. He's an excellent lawyer. The best in Connecticut. And the richest. And the most handsome.

I stop daydreaming and turn my eyes back to the screen. I need to stay awake, even though I'm dead tired and sleepy. I don't know how long I can keep up this pace, but there's no way out. At least until I finish law school in the middle of next year.

I bring my fingers to the keyboard and start typing in the agreement for one of Mr. Fletcher's clients. But then, at a certain point, I feel a hand touch my arm and I realize I've dozed off for a moment as my head hangs down in front of the monitor in front of me. I lift my head suddenly and see Peter Fletcher sitting on my desk, one leg resting on the floor, holding a mug of coffee. It smells good.

"Listen, Miss Mitchell... " he starts to speak and my day starts to get worse "The night's partying must have been good, but here we have rules about working and delivering documents on time.”

I look away from his beautiful eyes.

" Yes, sir. Excuse me, sir.”

He extends the coffee mug, its delightful aroma wafting through the air, much like his cologne. My boss dons a black suit that complements his dark hair and a sky-blue tie that harmonizes with his eyes. How can he be this good-looking?

"I hope it doesn't happen again."

I take the mug from his hand, obviously shaking a little. The panic of being fired has taken hold of me, but it's no greater than the sensations it causes me. He walks away and returns to his office, as imposing and important as ever. I stop sighing to take a generous sip of hot coffee, trying to understand how I could have fallen asleep sitting down. Isn't that for old people? I'm only 26! How could I? I must be really tired.

Suddenly I see Lisa drag her chair aside and look at me. Her computer sits with its back to mine on the desk opposite.

"He came here... " she says "Just to wake you up and he didn't fire you.” 

"Stop it, Lisa.”

"I think you're going to be promoted, Allyson!" she starts laughing "Promoted to cleaner!

I frown at her.

"Just kidding, girl. We have to keep an eye on him, he can see everything from that room. You don't mess around, Allyson.”

" I know, Lisa, stop bothering me, I need to finish the agreement.”

She drags her chair back into position and I glance discreetly into Fletcher's office. He moves his head quickly, as if he's looking at me. How strange... He really takes care of everything... I need to focus on my work or I could be out of another job!

I look at the time on the computer. 17 : 14h. Everyone has left, but I haven't finished writing that agreement. That's when I'll be late for the Venus club. But there's still one person in the office and that's Fletcher, talking on the phone. He's tireless in his work. I move my head again and see that there are two paragraphs to go. Just two paragraphs to go. Just then, I hear my boss's office door close and see him approaching out of the corner of my eye. This is it. I'll be fired.

"What's up, sleepyhead?" he jokes. "Have you finished the agreement I need?”

I press my lips together and frown.

"One paragraph to go, sir.”

" Okay, I'll wait here.”

He takes his cell phone from his pocket and begins texting someone. His nearness is a major distraction. I struggle to focus amid the intoxicating fragrance and his overpowering presence. I attempt to push his face out of my thoughts, but his striking features, the contour of his full lips, and his neatly trimmed beard continue to invade my imagination. I shut my eyes and make a conscious effort to clear my mind, all in a bid to regain my concentration.

I hear the sound of his cell phone notifications and it distracts me. I finish the last few lines and add his digital signature at the end to finally save the document.

"Finished, sir.”

" Perfect. Send it to my email."

I press the keys on the keyboard, saving the file and sending it to Mr. Fletcher's email address. And I hope I've sent it correctly, my lack of concentration is enormous. I put my things in my bag and finish working on the computer, but I suddenly feel his hand on my shoulder again.

"Good work, Mitchell. " he says approvingly.

I tilt my head upward, meeting his gaze. He's looking right at me. A subtle smile graces his lips, devoid of any display of teeth, as if he's feeling a bit uneasy, and then he departs. I continue gathering my belongings. He slowly recedes into the distance, and I redirect my attention to my work materials. When my eyes inadvertently fall on him once more, I notice the hint of muscular definition beneath his custom-fitted suit. Naturally, he wears a custom-fitted suit; he's wealthy. He probably has his own tailor.

Let go of that look, Allyson... I think to myself.

I'm going to be late for this tortoise-like way I'm going about things. Peter has already gone down the elevator. I'd love to go with him, to smell his perfume one more time. Hearing one last goodnight from him would be comforting. To have someone to care about at least a little. I press the elevator button and wait for him, but inside my bag, I hear my cell phone ring. I quickly find it in the mess and answer it. It was Margot, my colleague at Venus.

"Hey, girl, where are you?" She didn't even bid good night. "You're still coming, right?"

"Yeah, I'm on my way," I reply with a tired yawn.

 "Careful now, don't doze off on this bus."

We hang up the phone as I reach the first floor. I really don't want to miss the bus or my stop. I run looking at the ground and my heels. At the door I see Peter Fletcher getting into his car. And he sees me too. With a final wave, he bids me farewell and I won't see this man again until tomorrow. I can only shake my head and with a stupid Princess of England wave, I end our formality. What an idiot I am. He must think I'm some kind of clown, sleeping in his office and waving awkwardly at him. He speeds off in his car and I lose sight of him in the traffic. In the distance, my bus cuts the corner and comes to the stop, I pick up my pace again and run to the stop, signaling.

"Good evening. " I say to the driver.

"Good evening, miss. " He replies, as I climb into the heavy vehicle.

I sit down on the last empty seat on the bus and reach into my bag for my study materials. The next few weeks will be exams and I don't want to, and can't, get bad marks. On the way to Venus, reading an article would help refresh my memory of the subject. The coffee earlier really woke me up. Or it was being alone in the office with such a handsome man and that aura of power. I feel nervous just being in the same office, and to make matters worse, he makes a point of showing that he controls everything and everyone. A bit irritating. Irritatingly charming. I smile to myself.

"Get down, driver! " I hear someone shout next to me.

I glance up from my reading and notice one of the passengers. There are only two stops left before I reach my destination. It's 5:55 PM, and I was supposed to be on the Venus by 5:50 PM. I nervously bite my lip, wondering if I'm risking another job dismissal. I hurriedly press the small yellow button to signal my intention to disembark, and the driver promptly stops at the designated point.

"Thank you! " I shout back to him.

He honks his horn twice and continues on his way, leading other lives, other stories. Mine would continue there at that moment, inside the Venus Club. I run across the street and into Birghtan Alley. The dark blue neon sign out front glows and illuminates the dark street. It's already 6 PM. sharp and the sun is almost out of the sky. On the small street, a car catches my eye. I know the car, I just can't remember where. I shake my head, forcing myself to forget the thought, and walk through a side door into an even smaller alleyway. I enter through the back door, panting and nervous. Margot is tapping her feet inside.

"What's wrong?" I lower my head. I'm expecting a scolding.

"6:01, Allyson... " She scolds me.

"Just ten minutes."

"Eleven minutes, Allyson. That's the third time this week. "She pushes me quickly to change. "Lucky for you, you're the prettiest one in the Club.”

Inside the little broom room, where we girls call the Suite, I start to change. I take the clothes out of my closet and dress in character. Very sexy and daring. The lingerie is pink, which matches my costume tonight. It's going to be a long night and I hope it will make me money. Oh, and of course, I hope no creeps come and ask for my phone number. But I guess in this business I can't complain too much about that. But the car I saw... It looks a lot like my boss's car