Ian got to Tristan's room and knocked for a pretty long time, but no one opened it. He walked round the building. Everywhere was still quieter than usual, so it was easy to spot a person. But he didn't see Tristan. He checked the game room, the bar, the Cinema, and all other places. When he couldn't find Tristan, he walked to the receptionist.
"Excuse me," she looked up in such a way he decided to change tactics instantly. Putting on his billion dollar smile, he revealed perfect set of teeth. That drove girls crazy and the rude receptionist wasn't an exception. "Good morning."
She blinked a bit as if she couldn't believe he was real. "G-Good morning," she smiled now. "How may I help you?" He might be interested in me, she thought.
"Well, I'm looking for a friend, Tristan..." The smile disappeared. Though, she looked a lot more polite than before.
She didn't seem in a mood for conversation and she couldn't easily forget the name of a handsome man that checked out some minutes ago. Her mood was doused, she interrupted him curtly, "he checked out." Her focus went back to the Mail she was sorting.
Ian's smile disappeared as he straightened. "When?"
She brought her face up, her mouth in a thin line, then she brought it down to check her watch and never looked up.
"Seven minutes ago."
He muttered a thank you to her and walked away from the counter.
No doubt what he said to Tristan was wrong, he had just been a bit nervous and words flew out just to divert attention. Now things were going not as planned.
He put a call through but the call was rejected, on the 3rd attempt, it was switched off.
Since there was nothing else to do; Tristan had been involved in most of his plans, he simply packed his bags, boarded a plane to Larza Amontz and checked out.
*****
"Briana," she turned hearing her name. She didn't know the person. "The Boss wants to see you." When she said what she was told to, she walked away, leaving Briana with a frown and Abigail, an 'I-told-you' expression. Briana just ignored her and walked away quickly. She didn't want to keep the Boss Lady waiting.
On her way, she saw one of the colleagues she was never close to. As usual, she intended ignoring her, but she was surprised.
"Briana! Long time no see. I heard you...." But Briana didn't have much time.
"Yes. I saw you this Morning, but thanks. See you later." She hurried on without stopping.
When she got to the office, she gave a tender knock. She didn't want to disturb the quietness of the area. It was just too infectious.
"Come in." The voice was as usual. Cold. And it gave her The Creeps as she delicately opened the door.
Jasmine was standing there, with her hand in her pant's pocket, in a suit. Loose, sleeveless white crop top and white high-waist pants that clung to her slim figure. She looked heavenly. But when she turned to Briana, she changed her mind a bit about being heavenly. She looked like a devilish angel.
She stared at Briana for sometime, then spoke to her lazily. Her voice alluring and, as usual, cold.
"I need you to do something." She stared on at Briana, that she felt intimidated and finally looked down. "Come here." Briana wasn't sure she heard well. Her eyes found her way to Jasmine out of their own volition.
"Ma'am?" She asked to make sure she heard correctly.
Jasmine's voice had authority when she spoke. "You will be sorry if I repeat myself."
Briana, getting the answer to her question indirectly, slowly walked towards Jasmine, her heart starting to pick up speed. When she got to her, she simply lifted her face with a finger.
She had a lop-sided smirk as she spoke. "I thought the crawlers were the brave ones." Briana's eyes went wide. She tried to say a thing or two to clarify, but she just stammered and Jasmine wasn't so patient. She pinched her chin. "Next time you crawl to me, I won't have so much patience." Saying that, she let her go and Briana breathed a sigh of relief. Jasmine walked back to her chair, crossed her legs and started business. She looked like an ideal Queen to Briana.
She stood still for some minutes not knowing whether to go or stay. But she decided to stay since she wasn't told to leave and Jasmine had wanted to see her.
"Get out." Jasmine said needing some alone time.
"But you said..." Briana started a protest reminding her what she said, but she didn't know this Boss.
What did she need her for?!
She was still standing there, thinking Jasmine would still tell her what she wanted her to do, when she heard a knock. The door was wordlessly opened with a click and a group of ladies, dressed in elegant, crisp pantsuits walked in. They didn't glance at Briana. She felt like she was invisible when they walked past her.
After they settled down and started talking business, Briana thought it inappropriate to be there. So, she decided to seek permission to leave.
Usually, the permission was given, but when she automatically turned to go, she heard a cold,
"No."
She turned back, her face portraying complex emotions, but Jasmine didn't even look like she said a thing. She was just busy with her clients, giving replies only when necessary, so Briana turned fully and stood still.
From the amount of time she spent there, she realized these people were one of Jasmine's highest employees. Jasmine liked her privacy, so she preferred to keep her identity a secret. And it would seem stupid wearing a mask in her own office, so she decided to let her staff convey the message from them to her.
Briana could see she had spent three hours there from a glance at the Clock. Since the Boss hadn't told her to sit, she kept standing. Her legs were aching and she wasn't really sure which to lean on now.
She decided to try again, keeping the frustration from her voice and adding weakness to it. She thought maybe the Boss's heart might soften.
"Ma'am, can I please go now?"
As if on cue, the ladies just got up and packed their files, then waited for Jasmine to finish the one she was reading.
She didn't even behave like she heard her, she just languidly read the contents of the paper, then handed them to one of the ladies.
"The contract will be signed tomorrow."
They seemed to heave a sigh of relief when Jasmine said that. Their hearts had plummeted to their stomachs when they had stepped into the office. It was almost unbelievable that a fellow Female would make them feel so inferior, yet she did!
They thanked her and walked towards the door, stepping around Briana.
'As usual.' She thought, leaning on her left leg.
She stole a glance at Jasmine, pondering if this was the right time to talk. But she decided against it when she saw her swiping on her desk at a paper Gemma had sent her. Then she took a pen and signed. Briana never knew phones or whatever that was, could be in form of desks. She glanced at Jasmine again, marveling at how rich she was at such a young age. She sighed; some people were just so lucky. She was beautiful, she was rich, she heard she was smart too. What more could a person ask for?
She kept thinking about random things to keep her mind away from the pain in her legs. But at a point, she couldn't take it. She had been standing, still, for five hours, she felt like she was going to faint.
"Ma'am, please can I go now? Or can I sit? I can't take it anymore!" She burst out. She was sweating, she was hungry and she was tired. This was the worst punishment she had ever received. She swore she wouldn't object to anything Jasmine said, ever again. She had learnt her lesson, the hard way, and she was willing to sin no more.
Despite that, Jasmine got up, took her coat from the hanger and stepped to her elevator. But before the walls surrounded her, she told Briana without no expression,
"Move from that spot and..." She scoffed, leaving the sentence incomplete. When the walls came down, Briana didn't see her.
The worst was better left, unsaid.