A MORE SUITABLE PLACE

Sienna Lockhart sat at the edge of the chair she had been allotted. It was located at the far end of the room, just behind a door that kept her obscured from view.

Most people would complain if they are given such a location to work but not Sienna. She was relieved to get that position. She wasn’t visible to most of the employees in the office and that seemed like a blessing in disguise for her.

The room itself was quite large with sections separated with wooden frameworks. The ventilation was good and the cooling system of the room was in perfect order. About a hundred employees sat in their respective cubicles; each engrossed in their own work.

Sienna straightened the edge of her new shirt for the umpteenth time as she craned her neck to catch a glimpse of the large glass door that led to the manager’s cabin.

It was such a long time since Jamie had directed her to sit on this chair. The bright screen of the computer glared at her but she sat there tapping her legs non-stop. The heels of the new shoes clicked on the floor faintly as she did so.

She took out the broken watch discretely from her pocket and looked at the time, more out of habit than anything else. It was already One o’clock in the afternoon yet Sir had not come to give her instructions.

Jamie had taken her straight to the supermarket and bought new clothes and shoes for her. She had wanted to refuse seeing his furious expression, she couldn’t bring herself to speak a word.

Then, he led her to the corner, instructed her to sit, and just vanished through the large glass door. She wondered if she should go and knock at the cabin’s door.

She got up, took a few steps and then sat back again. She kept doing this continuously but she never dared to walk more than a few feet.

She sat down on the chair for the hundredth time when a tall girl dressed in an expensive suit walked towards her. 

She stopped right in front of the lady who was seated exactly opposite Sienna. She craned her neck to peek inside the cubicle and said,“Hey, Ana! Come let us go to the canteen. It is lunchtime.”

“Just a moment, Ruby… I will just save my work and lock up my computer.”

“Hmm… sure… we ought to lock our computers each time we leave our place. Remember Mrs. Jones….”

“Hmmm…. Her story is really sad. She kept begging that she was innocent but Jamie Sir didn’t give her a chance to prove her innocence…”

“I have heard that she works as a waiter now…”

“It is really hard to get a job anywhere else if you are blacklisted by AE…”

“True… wait what is that smell… yuck…” Ruby said pinching her nose.

She looked around and her eyes fell on Sienna. Her face contorted in disgust as she said, “Who is this?”

“I have no idea. She came here with Jamie Sir and she has been sitting here since morning, just doing nothing. I was just trying to ignore her as even looking at her gives me a headache.” Ana said in an irritated voice.

Sienna clenched her fists together and got to her feet but she stumbled as her legs were shaking. Her hands gripped the table and the papers that were kept on the table went flying.

“Holy Shit! Look what you have done! I mean what are you doing here if you can’t even stand up.” Ruby’s sharp voice sliced through Sienna like a sharp knife.

“I… I am… the new data entry operator…” Sienna stuttered, gripping the table to straighten her posture.

“Du…uh… and I am the owner of AE enterprises,” Ruby said rolling her eyes.

“Come, Ruby… we are wasting our precious time. I have ordered the chef to prepare pasta penne for us…”

“You are awesome, hun… let us go…” Ruby replied and sauntered towards the door on the right-hand corner of the large room.

When she had almost reached the door, she called out loudly, “Ass-head! Pick up all the papers before Jamie Sir sees you else he would roast you alive.”

Several heads snapped in her direction. They snickered and gossiped while Sienna tried to arrange the papers again. She couldn’t tolerate the giggles and rude remarks that were being hurled at her.

Her hands shook and as a result all the papers she had collected dropped from her hands again.

This is how Jamie found her when he stepped out of the cabin to get some coffee for his boss. His blood boiled and he cursed himself a hundred times for appointing this dim-witted girl.

He had deliberately not assigned her any work, hoping to keep her out of controversies but this fool had become the talk of the office without doing anything.

He massaged his temples as he looked at Sienna, trying to recollect papers. If his boss ever saw this, he would fire Jamie for incompetence.

He had to keep her out of Alaric’s line of sight for a week and then he was good to go.

“Roger!” Jamie called out to an assistant who was passing by him.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Do you know any discrete place in this office with a computer where just one employee can work?”

Roger scratched his head and then replied, “There is only one place like that, Sir… but it is kind of unsuitable for anyone to sit and work…”

“Why?”

“It has not been cleaned in ages… it is quite dusty…”

“I see… but there is a computer right…”

“Yes, sir…”

“Sienna!” Jamie called out in a loud voice.

He stood there gnashing his teeth as he waited for her to arrive.

Sienna grappled with the papers and somehow managed to stack them on the table. She fumbled as she picked up her bag and the shopping bag that contained another set of clothes.

She stumbled a few more times before she finally managed to reach in front of Jamie.

“Where did you find this joker from, Sir.” A muscular man said howling with laughter,

“Don’t ask me, David. It is a long story… I will tell you if I can get out of this soup alive…” Jamie said in an irritated voice.

“Girl! Just go with him. He will take you to a place which is suitable for you to work.” Jamie barked before stomping towards the canteen.

Tears streamed down Sienna’s eyes as she looked at Roger.

Roger looked away and said, “Please come.”

Then he walked quietly to the door at the rear end of the room. Sienna bit her lower lips and trudged behind him, resigned to her fate.