8. The master's dog

Oliver

“Kid?” I felt a gentle push on my shoulder and my eyes sprung apart, the sharp light refracting from the waxed floor hitting my eyes. I winced as I adjusted, careful not to wake Ruby who was sleeping on my lap.

My eyes caught a white coat before they latched on to the doctor's face, “How is she?” My voice was a bit gruffy, even to me. My throat felt sore and rough like it had been sandpapered with grief and sorrow.

“She is stable now, but we have to keep her overnight to ensure nothing happens again,” he looked more tired than I was and it made me wonder how many people who had been catered into this place with the same condition as my mom had made it out alive.

I sniffled, wiping the grime off my face.

“You need to go home and get some rest, you can come back tomorrow,” the doctor turned and left.

 I didn't want to leave but I had to go to work tomorrow…my eyes darted toward the large clock on the wall by the entrance/exit, it read 1:21 am…I had work today.

“Shit,” I sighed and shook Ruby. She yawned and pushed herself off my lap before she stood up.

“Is she going to be okay?” She clutched my hand as we moved toward the exit.

“Yes…I pray so,” I muttered the last part to myself. We had managed to find a cab—the driver who wasn't as generous as the first—that took us home.

~~~

The light snuck through the blinds and warmed my face, the heat making me stir in my half-state of sleep. My hands trembled along the sheets, searching for my phone. I grabbed it and pulled it to my face, pressing the sides rapidly, but the screen remained dead.

“Ugh,” I sighed once more, I had forgotten to plug it in after I came home. I plugged it in, grumbled my way out of bed, slugging toward the bathroom to take a brief shower, alternating with brushing my teeth to save water. The house was relatively quiet and I assumed Ruby was still fast asleep.

My body ached from the award position I had slept in the hospital. My screen brightened and I crossed the room to check the time: 10:21 am!

 My mouth fell slack and my heart sank to the base of my chest, I was two hours late.

“Fuck!” I scampered across the room, pulling on items haphazardly. I jogged across the room, leaping as I tried to stuff my foot into the last good pair of shoes I had. Let it not rain today, please.

“Ruby!?” I banged on her door and I was met with silence. I ran toward the kitchen and I found a note on the counter: “I’m off to school. Made some toast, but ate it. Bye,” then a heart emoji was scrawled at the base.

I ran out of the house, threw myself into a cab some other person had stopped, and slammed the door shut ignoring his bellows.

“EmpireStark,” I struggled to wear my tie as he breezed through traffic.

~~~

“Stop!” I yelled and the car screeched, I paid the driver and bustled into a coffee shop to order something to get my day started.

I struggled to balance the coffee and fix my shirt at the same time, inadvertently obscuring my view of where I was headed before I bumped into something sturdy — something too soft to be a wall…

“What the fuck are those things perched on your face for? To fucking see that's what!” Benjamin's rich baritone was like scalding coffee…ironic.

“I'm so sorry, sir, I didn't see you,” I flung the empty cup into the bin nearby and tried to wipe off the excess stains from his tight-fitted suit.

“Get the fuck off me,” he shoved my hands to the side and patted himself, then his intense gaze fell on me, the scorn visible through his eyes.

I choked on air, I was so sure I was getting fired right now, “I’m so—”

“Save it. It's your first day and you're what—” he flicked his wrist, “fucking two hours late?” He scoffed, “You're just begging to be fired.”

“I'm sorry, sir, my mom was sick and—” he brushed past me toward his car. He didn't even let me explain, it wasn't his fault, I would be mad too if someone poured coffee over my expensive suit. I sighed and moved toward the entrance.

“Where the fuck do you think you're going?” His voice held me to the ground like some anchor.

“I need someone to take notes, now come like the good dog you are.”

Why was he being unnecessarily condescending? I have apologized already. I exhaled and moved toward the door before he slammed it in my face and jutted his thumb toward the cab behind him.

~~~

We were already halfway through the meeting when my stomach chose the most awful time to groan. My face reddened as all pairs of eyes darted in my direction.

“Someone's hungry,” a man sitting opposite me spoke. I snapped in his direction, my face coloring more, the man had his hair gelled to perfection with a sharp slit by the side. His eyes from his distance looked green, almost bluish and he sounded Italian.

“I'm sorry,” I apologized quickly.

“Incompetent,” I heard Benjamin mutter under his breath and I wanted to fizzle out till there was nothing left of me.

“Well, we can just go for lunch break now,” the presenter spoke and everyone sighed: in annoyance or happiness, I didn't dare look up and check. I slowly pushed my seat and made my way toward the back of the room, waiting till everyone was done with the buffet lined by the other end when I felt a towering figure by my side.

“I thought you were hungry?” I turned and it was the Italian man from earlier.

I sighed, “Sorry about that, I'll just wait it out.”

“Why?” He smirked. My eyes flickered toward the buffet that was crowded with top shots dressed in clothes I wouldn't be able to buy in years to come.

“Come on,” he grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the buffet. I struggled against his grip, but he was firm. He worked so smoothly as he stacked my plate with more than a sizable portion of food which I was grateful for, and gave me a can of soda before he ushered me to a seat beside him.

I started eating when he spoke again, “My name's, Sebastian, but you can call me yours.”

I choked.