Percy POV
I was late to work. Since it was the morning, there were huge lines in front of the elevators. I was already forty minutes late because of Tyson's chemo session. I had to drive him home afterward, and (of course) there was traffic.
I was running up the stairs. My heart hammered in my chest as I pounded up the stairs. May I remind everyone that Annabeth's office is on the top floor.
My breaths were ragged as I walked through the maze of cubicles. Silena grabbed my arm and asked if I was okay. I didn't have time to answer.
I simply broke free of her grasp and ran into Ms. Chase's office.
I don't know why I was so scared. This was the first time that I was late. I knew that there would be consequences, but she wasn't going to fire me. Right?
Annabeth Chase was waiting for me.
Her gaze washed over me as I froze in front of her desk. I was heavily inhaling and exhaling through my nose while she crossed her leg. She looked as beautiful and professional as ever. Her hair was in a ponytail like usual.
"YOU'RE LATE," my boss snapped.
I winced while thinking of an excuse. However, my mind was empty. Under her intimidating gaze, I could barely think.
"Um, there was traffic and family problems," I stammered.
"I don't tolerate incompetence and tardies," Annabeth affirmed coldly. "You haven't messaged me either. I missed a meeting because of you."
"I'm so sorry, boss. It won't happen again."
"Damn straight. It will never happen again." Annabeth's voice rose several notches. She stood up and eyed me down. I was taller than her, yet she felt way more powerful.
That's the thing about my boss. With just one look, she makes me feel lesser. I already feel stupid in front of her genius. Honestly, I wasn't sure what special qualities I could bring to this company.
Not to mention, I kept doing something that would make her angry. Then, she'd yell at me or give me more work to do.
I braced myself for getting fired.
However, suddenly, the door opened behind me. I followed Annabeth's gaze to the person that came into the office without permission. Argus came in with a bucket and a bag. He set the bucket of water and bag of sponges and soap on the floor.
"Ms. Chase, I brought what you asked for."
"Thank you, Argus. At least one of my employees is following directions and being on time. That's better than most," Annabeth said firmly.
Even though she was talking to Argus, her comments were aimed at me. They hit me square in the chest.
Argus left promptly, and Annabeth walked towards me. I swallowed the lump in my throat while gazing at Annabeth. She was fairly tall, and her heels added a few more inches. Right now, she was only two or three inches shorter than me.
"The bucket and sponges are for you."
"What do you mean?" I asked nervously. I was confused now.
"Since you came late, I am giving you a job." She pulled out some car keys. "Go and clean my car. I want it to be sparkly clean when I check later."
"OH MY GOD. Are you kidding?" I blurted out. Washing someone's car wasn't in the job description of a personal assistant. "That's not fair."
"You do as I say. I'm the boss of you," Annabeth Chase ordered.
Her stormy gray eyes locked onto my sea-green ones. Determination and fire sparked within her, and I can see it in her eyes. She was being completely serious.
"Right. You're the boss of me," I whispered angrily.
I snatched the keys from her hands. My muscles were straining with tension, and I kept the anger inside. I wanted to explode. Gods, she's horrible.
I grabbed the bucket and sponges before walking outside. Several employees stared at me while I walked towards the elevator. It was somewhat humiliating, especially since I was dressed for work (not a car wash). Furthermore, Annabeth Chase was watching me from the doorway of her office.
My hands clenched into fists around the bucket handle and keys.
Once I was in the comfort of the empty elevator, I cursed and shouted. It was so pissed off, and it was the perfect place to vent.
Annabeth Chase owns a white Tesla. It was only one of several cars that I've seen her come to work with. Usually, Argus drives her places. Regardless, here I was, washing the outside of her car with soap and water.
A part of me wanted to steal the car, take it far away, and drive it off a cliff. That's how mad I was at her.
This isn't my job, yet here I was.
I took off my shirt so that I wouldn't ruin a good dress shirt. I don't own a lot of expensive clothes, so I wasn't going to ruin them. I was wearing a gray undershirt as I got to work. The soap and water created foam on the car.
The foam spread around me as I scrubbed the car. Annabeth Chase is a monster, I thought while washing her car.
Gods, was this even work the job?
My undershirt got soaked, so I took that off as well. The khakis I was wearing were not made for a car wash situation. However, I couldn't take those off in a public setting.
I was in the middle of scrubbing the windows when Ms. Chase came into the parking garage. She stood a few feet away and simply watched me.
Her arms were crossed over her chest.
"ARE YOU HAPPY?" I snapped. My anger was boiling, and I couldn't hold it in anymore. She was just staring at me, and it was infuriating.
"Yes. I am very happy watching you scrub. This is what happens when you show up late for work," she expressed confidently.
It was humiliating. Plus, I felt like a servant.
Finally, I dropped the sponges in the bucket and walked over to her. She didn't waver; she didn't even flinch as I came in front of her. Annabeth looked at my face as I glared at her. I knew that she was my boss, but I didn't feel like respecting her at the moment.
"You're horrible," I acknowledged. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"I'm teaching you a lesson," she said firmly.
I rubbed the soap off my abdomen. My upper body was completely exposed to her, and she looked up and down my body before settling on my face again. I knew that I had a good physique, but Annabeth Chase didn't deserve it.
I grabbed my undershirt and put it back on. I started talking as I did so.
"You know what I think. I think that you have or had some screwed-up personal life, and you can't do anything about it. So, you treat everyone at work horribly to make yourself feel better. That's why I think you're a terrible boss," I said honestly.
I felt that she deserved to hear the truth.
Annabeth glared at me as I rebuttoned my shirt. I glared right back at her. At the moment, I didn't care that she was my boss.
"Your car is clean," I expressed. "Boss."
I placed the keys in her hand. My fingers lingered on her skin (she has surprisingly soft skin) before I turned away from her. I angrily walked back to the office. I still have work to do today. If she's not going to fire me, then I'll go back to work.
Whatever impact I had on Annabeth Chase, it was worth it. She didn't bother me for the rest of the day.
***
I was still angry about work. That's why I took a leave on Friday, the day after I (sort of) yelled at Annabeth. Instead, I spent the day looking into publishers that could potentially publish my novel: Say Hello to the Stars.
I decided to give the Hunters Publishing Group a try.
Based on their company infrastructure, I liked the Hunters. They were set up in a house-type building. It emphasized that they were a group. A family.
It was a three-story mansion with many rooms. The bedrooms upstairs acted as office rooms for the executives. The common employees stayed on the middle floor. The receptionists explained that the basement was converted into file storage. Since they publish all sorts of work, they keep a copy downstairs.
I was waiting in the living room, which acted as a waiting area.
There was one snag about this company. I was female-run, and they preferred to publish pieces done by female authors. It was obvious. There were zero male employees in the group.
The receptionist was sitting across from me on the couch. Even though they were a legitimate publishing company, I liked their style of working. It was casual.
Finally, the receptionist received a phone call.
"All right, Mr. Jackson. Our executive and CEO can see you now. Please follow me to the conference room," she said. Based on her tone, she prefers females over males.
The conference room was on the third floor. Normally, it would be the master bedroom of the mansion. However, they set up a board table in the brightly lit room. The company logo (a crescent moon) was painted on the right wall.
Several ladies were waiting for me to arrive.
I greeted everyone with a handshake before taking my seat at the table. Their eyes studied me curiously and suspiciously.
"So, Mr. Jackson, you have a novel that you want to publish." Artemis came straight to the point.
"Yes. Absolutely," I expressed excitedly.
I pulled out a binder from my backpack. Say Hello to the Stars was inked on the front. My novel was printed on plain paper inside the binder. It wasn't in the format of an actual novel yet, but the content is what's important for initial review.
I handed the binder to the group. They looked at it briefly before handing it to a woman my age, sitting next to Artemis.
"My name is Zoe Nightshade," she introduced herself. "Tell us about your novel. What is it about? We'll decide after reviewing it if we'd like to publish."
"Yes. Of course."
I explained the premise of my book and gave a quick summary of the plot. I explained the inspiration for the book. One day, I was taking Estelle to ice cream. A little boy with a serious facial abnormality came into the shop. Estelle started crying after seeing him. She wasn't being rude; she was just being a kid.
The incident got me thinking about all the kids who are different. I decided to write a book about a little boy (named Bob) with a facial abnormality. He's going to start middle school with other kids, and that's where the story will begin. The book will also garner the perspectives of Bob's family and friends.
"I have faith in my book. It's going to be great," I expressed softly.
"Zoe is our senior editor at The Hunters," Artemis explained. "I like the concept of your book. I can't wait to read it, Percy. Zoe will be in touch with you next week. I hope that your story is as good as the premise and plot."
"Trust me, Ms. Artemis. You won't be disappointed," I answered.
The group of ladies nodded. I took my binder back and handed them a flash drive with my book. I couldn't believe that they were giving me a chance.
I liked that they didn't exclude me because I'm a college dropout. I wasn't a normal author, but they were still taking a shot of me.
Say Hello to the Stars will not disappoint them.