Chapter 2
Mandy:
I grunt as the overwhelming pain in my head throbbed me awake. I turned to my side and felt something warm and soft, my hand then glided up then down on what to me felt like skin, probably I fell asleep with Adelaide again. It would make sense after last night's fiasco.
"Ade… what time is it?" I yawn while stretching.
"I believe it's six-seventeen in the morning." A raspy male voice answers making me spring awake and glare at who laid next to me. Mr. Stay here laid on his back with his head on his crossed arms, he stared at the ceiling but I could tell he wore a grin.
"Excuse me?" I say getting up from his bed. His bed? What the hell am I doing here? Where's Adelaide? What? When? Who? And why?
"Where-"
"My house." He answered.
"Why am-"
"You fainted last night and misplaced your handbag that had your car keys enabling your friend from taking you home. Since my house is close I offered to bring you to tend to your hand." He says sitting up, his dark brown hair is long, it looks like it reaches his upper back. "How are you feeling?" He finally turns to face me, he's quite the looker. Such muscular body structure, narrow chin but his face is boldly structured. He wore a tight white long sleeve.
"I need to get home." I snap. "Where's Adelaide?"
"She's with my brother," He says getting up from his bed and heading to a door where I presume is his restroom. "Edward will keep her safe, I swear." He spoke in a bit of an accent.
"I need to go home," I said once more. "I have a very important meeting in just two hours and I need to clean all of this." I gesture down at myself.
He looks at me from the corner of his eyes then veers away, " I'd say six?"
"What?" I ask.
"You're dress size, is it a six?"
I scoff. "A tad rude to be assuming a woman's dress size don't you think?"
He chuckles. "I'm only asking to accommodate you properly."
"You're just saying a whole lot of wrong," I say looking for my shoes, once I found them I picked them up, fixed my dress as much as I could, and made my way to the door to exit his room. All he did was stare with his arms crossed in amusement at everything I was doing.
"Thank you for beating up that asshole last night, for stitching up my hand and caring for me. But I must say goodbye." I held my chin high and walked out of his room with confidence.
I was startled by a man who wore a tux who simply bowed to my presence, I didn't know what to do so I awkwardly bowed back and wished him a good morning and asked for a way to the exit. He kindly led me to the entrance of this amazing looking contemporary designed house and gave me my house keys, my phone, and handed me some car keys that I have no knowledge of. He instructed me that his master told him that I was to use one of his master's cars until they were able to find mine. I kindly rejected his offer and ordered myself an Uber and left. I have been texting Adelaide all morning but no reply, I am debating if I should go to the police at this point. What if Mr. Stay here did something to me while I slept? The thought only invoked rage and fear causing me to cry in the damn Uber on my way home.
I opened my door and lightly closed it behind me, there I pushed myself against the door and dropped to the floor. As I sat wallowing in my thoughts I heard a soft moan coming from the direction of the rooms. I got up and went to the kitchen as quietly as I could and picked up a knife and made my way to the dark hallway trying to listen for another noise. Once I pinpointed the moaning to be coming from Adelaide' a room I charged inside, knife held up, and screamed for it was my cry for war.
"Mandy!" Adelaide and the man covered their naked selves with her bedsheets as she held her hand out to me in fear. As fast I held the knife high ready to pierce the supposed attacker, I lowered the knife quicker than I thought I could move in my life and stood there awkwardly.
"I'm sorry!" I yelled as I waddled out slamming the door behind me and running to the living room to be as far away from that room.
Once they were dressed they came out of the room, the guy shyly shoots me a short wave. "Sorry for the intrusion… I'm glad you're alright." He spoke lightly.
I avoided looking at his face but kindly waved him goodbye as he left my apartment. I glare at Adelaide who only gave me a childish grin for her cheeks are red, she's sweaty and still panting from her activity.
"I'm thinking you're dead and here you are having sex?" I scowl at her.
"I asked to be brought here to get you some clothes… I got distracted." She says apologetically as she tries to hug me. I playfully slap her away but eventually let her hug me.
"Get off me! I need to get ready," I say, pushing her away from me.
"Andy, where's your necklace?" Adelaide asks.
I touch myself to feel it all bare my eyes widen in fear I have lost it. "It must have fallen when I fainted… or…" I blush at the thought of laying in Mr. Stay here bed.
"Or?"
"Nevermind, once I get out of work I'll drive to the club and see if anyone turned It in or something," I say while walking to my bedroom.
I head to the meeting room with coffee in one hand, and my work case in the other. I need to nail this presentation if I want to qualify for the promotion of sales representative. I took in a deep breath trying to kick out my outside life from thought and welcome the Andylizer.
"Good morning Andy." Carlos appears next to me with a wide friendly smile.
I kiss his cheek, "Good morning, are you ready to see who's the new CEO? I mean, let's be honest, I feel quite honored that Mr. Dragomir would do such an important moment in Dragon Inventions history here in our tower."
Carlos nods, "Only you would find joy and honor," he then opens the meeting door and leads me to the back of the room. "I only find it much more stressful, what if they decide to reside in this tower?"
I scoff while placing my stuff neatly. I noted there were other people in the room so I made sure to lower my voice and watch what I say. "I only wish to be promoted and to my job well Carlos, the rest has nothing to do with me."
"I wish I could be like you, so work-oriented."
I laugh and lightly pat his back but wince since I forgot I had it stitched up. Carlos's eyes widened once he took a good look at my bandaged hand.
"What happened?" He asks quietly but concerned.
"My cat knocked over something and while I picked it up I got cut, nothing big." I nervously giggle.
"Be careful, your cat could be doing that on purpose, such traitorous pussies." He and I both laugh for different reasons: you see, he laughs because he thinks he just landed a joke, and me, well I don't own a cat. we quickly got our work faces on once Mr. Fox entered the room and made his presence known.
"Good morning everyone, the meeting will commence momentarily therefore I ask everyone to take their seats and refrain from speaking. I just need Ms. Fletcher and Mr. Ramirez," his dark eyes scan around till he saw me. "Ms. Fletcher." He smiles and continues to search for Adrian.
"Mr. Ramirez, wh-" Mr. Fox smiles and gestures to Adrian to go to him.
Adrian walked in looking quite cool in his dark blue suit, his dark brown hair is slick and brushed to the back. He smiles and wishes everyone a good morning. Both Adrian nodded at each other but dared not to speak. All that could be heard were the chairs being moved and small whispers here and there. I for one felt my heart beating rapidly against my chest while my thoughts swam around how I will perform my presentation. I've done plenty, but it's the first time I am to do one in front of someone who is in a position to fire everyone in the building if they wish.
"Ms. Fletcher, I needn't express how important it is for you to succeed today?" Mr. Fox says low.
I lower my head avoiding eye contact with either of them. "I understand, I plan on nailing this… right, Adrian?"
"Yes," Adrian lightly pats my shoulder. "The Andylizer and Adrilizer got this!"
"As it may, make me proud I choose you two rather than anyone else." Mr. Fox dismisses us and we make our way to two empty chairs.
Adrian pulls my chair for me and waits for me to be close enough to whisper into my ear, "We go this, let's close this deal."
While Mr. Fox introduced himself to four men who sat at the end of the table. I noted that there was an empty chair between the older man and a lady who is clothed all in black. The older gentleman is the Ezekiel Dragomir, I had read an article in which stated he has some type of life-threatening condition, but as I sit here watching the man I honestly don't see anything that could give me an indication he is dying from such implied conditions. He looks healthy to me, but I am not here to judge this man, he is the founder of the company I have worked since young. I did an internship back at Washington State while I was still in High School, then I was asked to stay perpetually and have been climbing up to where I am now.
"Mr. Dragomir, it's an honor to be in your presence," Mr. Fox says as he gives a kind bow and smiles towards Ezekiel.
"I found it fitting to announce my successor at our most prolonged state." Ezekiel chuckles along with some others chuckle before clearing his throat. "As you may all know today is my last day at the CEO of Dragon Inventions for I am going into a fervorous retirement. That being said I am also declaring one of my sons as my successor and the New CEO." Ezekiel then motions with his chin to someone who I couldn't see for whoever it was is behind me.
"I ask you all to welcome my son Nicholia Dragomir." Ezekiel clapped as Nicholai casually strolls next to him.
I felt my stomach twist in a knot the moment I saw him from behind...There's no mistaking it, I recognize his dark brown hair even though it's in a neat bun, from what I could tell the suit he wore complimented his muscular body. I feel my walls close all around me as I gazed at him stroll right past me. He's the son of Ezekiel Dragomir? and… and… the new CEO of Dragon Inventions. I feel sick.
"Andy are you okay?" Carlos mouths from across the table looking entirely worried for me.
'Yea," I mouth back at him making sure to hide my disdain better as I process my situation.
"My last night being me!" His voice echoed in my mind as I comprehend what he meant by that.
"Thank you." Nicholia began, "From here on out, I ask that you all call me Nick, I tend to keep business as usual even though Dragon Inventions is under new management. I also ask that everything continues to be smooth sailing and that our company continues to grow with the help of you all." His emerald green eyes locked on me as he spoke but he masked his soft grin as if he did it to match his words. I for one knew, he was grinning right at me. "And lastly, I will like to make it known that since Florida is where we get the most sales Internationally I will make this tower my permanent headquarters, therefore, I will like to get to know each and every one of you since you're all in my management team. I'd like to know who I will be working with."
Ezekiel chuckles. "Right down to business, I'm proud."
Nick sits down at the empty chair between his father and the lady and places his manly hands on the table while his fingers are entwined. He gave a very superior aura as we all sat not knowing what to say after that. He looks at me once more. I tried to make off as if I wasn't looking at him.
"Miss," He began. "You, the one with a bandaged hand."
Everyone's attention was on me, I felt my face blush but I quickly composed myself and forced a fake smile. "Yes, Mr. Dragomir?"
"Call me Nick," He snapped politely. "You're name and position please."
"My name is Mandy Fletcher, I am the lead manager of the sales department in this tower and three other towers sir," I spoke calmly despite my sudden urge to hide under a rock or wake up from this horrid dream.
"Do You know your sale numbers for all four towers or do you only keep your marketing numbers strictly for this tower?"
"I know that Orlando's tower is up by 40% of last month compared to Tallahassee in which they only proceeded to raise about 15% of sales. This tower made 79% more than Miami's, surprisingly since Miami was the leading in proceeds in all of Florida from January to April of this year. Then that's when Rockingham's Tower, which is us, took the lead in all proceeds… Not only in all of Florida but the whole country... Including New York, California, and Texas." I felt less pressure as I spoke for even Ezekiel gave me an expression that said 'damn' in other words.
Nick gave me a pleased nod then gestured to Mr. Fox. "I was informed of a proposal that would take place in today's meeting, yet I feel it's complete overkill if we stay more than we have to. Who is presenting the Exports of…" He looks down while the lady places a paper right in his eyesight. "Ah, imports of new merchandise from Italy." His eyes swim around.
"Mr. Dragomir, it belonged to Mr. Ramirez and Ms. Fletcher's." Mr. Fox informed.
"Mr. Ramirez, I expect for your half to be emailed by lunch and Ms. Fletcher," He gave me a side smile. "Since you are the lead, I wish to have a one in one in my office at 2… Other than that everyone is dismissed."
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Hey everyone it's Anat706, hope you enjoyed the read <3 See you next chapter.