The next morning, I resumed work at my desk early, very optimistic about my day. I was the happy researcher my colleagues had never witnessed before. They were amazed and the boldest ones walked up to me to ask what was the secret to my changed attitude. I just threw them a warm smile.
At about 9 AM, I decided to go have some friendly chat with my colleagues, a way of telling them more I was no longer the gloomy Lucy they knew. A very handsome young man, supposed to be in his late twenties or mid, stood by the counter, a platform on the transparent wall of our office. He looked so angelic, so muscular, so charming. I couldn't find the right words to describe him for his beauty was not of this world, among other men, he would be a shiny huge star among the darker, small ones in the night's sky. He was dressed in a black and gray sweatshirt which enhanced his muscular features. I didn't believe I could see this casually dressed good-looking guy around our office. He had seductive blue eyes and a cute oval face.
By his appearance, he looked like the casual manual workers on the first floor, he'd fall into the stationery suppliers, gardeners, dispatch riders or so. These people dressed casually as he did. Suggestions about him staying behind after coming to deliver some message or supplies on the fiftieth floor flowed into my mind.
"Why the hell would this manual worker stare at me this way?" I got puzzled, to me it was highly irritating to have someone, especially a guy, stare at me so long and steady, I felt it was due to some lustful desires.
I went over to my colleagues, chatted with them, joked and laughed as it was our free period. On Tuesdays, the timespan 9 AM to 10 AM was known as a work free hour, no one was expected to do any work unlike Monday which was all hectic. I finished chatting with Emma and other colleagues of mine, then decided to walk back to my seat. I looked around hoping the casual man staring so long at me would disappear, I believed him to have gone away by now, yet to my uttermost surprise he still stood there. Like some desperate man, dying for my attention, he stood there.
I ignored him and walked pass to my seat rolling my eyes with disgust when they met him. I didn't want to give him a face that would motivate him to come near me. Though I had given up my gloomy attitude, I didn't let go of my bossy and spinsterhood lifestyle. The last thing on my mind was a relationship or hook-up with some nice guy as he was.
I stared focused on my desktop screen pretending to be into some serious business just to discourage him. The next moment I sensed someone coming towards me, I raised my head up only to find the man I detested the most walking towards me. "What gives him the audacity to patrol freely in this office?" I smirked.
"Because he's handsome, no one thinks of confronting him." I thought to myself, with clear disgust on my face. He was supposed to see this and back out but he still kept coming which made me all the more irritated.
"Hello Belle," he came over my desk and sat at the edge of my desk smiling. I pretended to be serious about my work on my system but after a while I couldn't hold my anger.
"Get up from here," I retorted. He seemed not bothered with my statement but still looked at me hoping that I would change and become friendly with him.
"Out!" I shouted the more, this drew the attention of some of my colleagues who strained their heads above their desktops to see what was happening but no one dared come closer. I was the most superior on the fiftieth floor, the only person who was permitted to walk into my space was Emma. Talking of my subordinates, she was the only junior of mine in the office that could walk up to me because she was an assistant of mine.
"Please don't send me out, I really want to talk to you," his face now looked desperate for my attention. "I like you."
"You asshole, out! What gives you the audacity to come into my office and harass me with love?" I was pissed off to the depth, I hated being wooed. I felt that this handsome guy was flirting and not in any way serious. A charming young man like this must be a flirt, I suppose.
In anger I stormed out of my office to go get the security personnel to come and get him out.
When I returned with them a minute later, what happened greatly surprised me. I was amazed. As they set their eyes on him, they stepped back and out of the staff office in horror. "What could be wrong?" I asked myself. I marveled at this action of theirs, I stared wide at them puzzled.
Two minutes later, Albert stepped out of the elevator and rushed to the scene looking more disturbed than I had ever seen him. He must have been alerted that commotion was going on the fiftieth floor. He walked over to this man and I was disappointed, I felt if the security personnel could not handle him because of something, Albert should have. He was the Acting CEO and the highest ranking officer in Illuminex since Edmund the real owner wasn't yet in his place.
"This' your CEO, why should you insult him that way." My spirit stooped low with every word that emanated from Albert's mouth, I wondered what to do at this moment. Should I kneel and beg him? No, that would be outrageous! I had never done that before nor did I fancy myself ever doing that.
"This' Edmund Louis. Why should you judge on one's appearance, Lucy?" I didn't know what to do but just stood there shaking my head in fear. This was the greatest moment of fear, confusion and frustration. No one could perfectly describe how I felt at that moment. For the next ten minutes I wasn't myself, I stood there like a zombie, unconscious of my environment.
When I realized myself, I saw that Edmund and Albert were no longer there. They were gone. At once, terror greater than ever seized me, I remembered the personality of Edmund and the cruel man I was told he was. Something told me 'You're in big trouble. The only thing you have to do is to ESCAPE." The escape fell on my ears like bomb.
Turning around, all eyes were on me. Emma's eyes were struck with grief, she felt pity for me. With the speed of lightning I rushed out of the office and into the elevator. It was just me and the dress I wore, I didn't pick anything, not even my phone. Shock could make you do the unthinkable.
As I came out of the ground floor of the tall glass building, I met Olivia. She was emerging from outside. "What's wrong Lucy?" She asked with worried eyes, she was puzzled at seeing me in such a subconscious state. At that moment, I was no longer myself but just an unconscious girl in motion. I didn't stop, neither did I look at her.
In seconds, I was out of Illuminex, for life! Nothing could make me come back, I would be in a very serious problem which I wasn't present to face.
But where was I going? I didn't even care about that. I just needed to move away.