Laura
I woke up to the sound of my phone buzzing incessantly on my nightstand. Groaning, I reached for it, squinting at the screen. My heart immediately dropped. Ten missed calls and six unread messages from Jake.
"Where the hell are you?"
"I've been here over an hour and still no sign of you!"
"Would you like to be fired?!"
"Be at the office in twenty minutes. Meeting is in thirty. The file is with you, and if I lose this contract because of you, best believe what's coming for you will be hard'"
Oh no… oh no… oh no!!!
I exclaimed as I quickly shot up from bed, my eyes widening in horror as I read the next few messages.
"Laura, if you're not here before I leave, you're fired."
"Don't test me. This is your last warning."
Panic surged through me as I read each word. It sounded exactly in his husky harsh tone and if I know him well which I think I do, then I was in for a long thing.
It was only thirty minutes to nine, I should have been at the office since eight in the morning, over an hour ago. I had completely overslept.
The meeting. The file. Jake. And now I had less than twenty minutes to get to the office. The office, which was at least a 40-minute commute. I cursed under my breath, stumbling out of bed and rushing into the bathroom.
I felt a wave of weakness surge through me as I took each step. It was the alcohol from last night. I was having a hangover. I had no idea what happening after I accepted the dance with that strange guy.
"Damn you Arlene." I muttered under my breath. I wouldn't be in this mess if she hadn't forced me to the club. Well, I did enjoy the party, but at what cost? My job?
There was no time for a proper shower. I splashed water on my face, and barely could wait to scrub off the dirt on my body. I rushed out, threw on the first outfit I could grab, a blouse that probably needed ironing and some black pants, and fumbled to gather my things.
"I can't believe this is happening," I muttered to myself, brushing my hair as fast as I could.
I glanced at the time. Fifteen minutes left. I was going to have to run. There was no way I could make it if I took the bus. I ran out the door, my shoes clacking loudly on the pavement as I hurried toward the bus stop. But halfway there, I realized I was out of time.
No bus. No way. Desperation hit me like a punch to the gut.
Jake is going to fire me.
I could already see his face, cold, impassive, the way he looked at me whenever I made a mistake. His disapproval always felt like a weight on my chest, suffocating me. I couldn't let him fire me. Not when I needed this job so badly. I'd used my last two salaries to pay Arlene for the rent. She didn't want to take it but I insisted and I could see the excitement in her face as she pulled me in for a warm embrace. She was impressed and proud of me.
I ran faster, but my legs weren't fast enough. I was panting when I reached the crosswalk near the next bus statio, drenched in sweat. And that's when a miracle happened. A car pulled up beside me, and I recognized the driver, it was one of the workers from the office, probably heading in early like everyone else.
He rolled down the window. "Laura? Do you need a ride?"
I didn't even hesitate. "Yes, please! Thank you!" I jumped in, grateful beyond words.
The ride to the office was short, but it felt like an eternity. My mind was racing.
How am I going to explain this to Jake? I needed an excuse. something believable. Maybe I could say I wasn't feeling well? I could say I took medication and it made me oversleep. He may be harsh and strict, but not wicked to the point of not acknowledging sickness - I thought to myself.
We pulled up to the office just as I saw Jake getting into his car, ready to leave. My heart sank immediately.
No, no, no - he can't leave yet!
I practically leaped out of the car and sprinted toward him.
"Jake! Mr. Robbins!! Sir! Sir!!! Wait!"
He glanced at me, his expression hard as stone, but he didn't say a word. I rushed toward the car, breathless and sweating, clutching the file in my hands like a lifeline. Without saying a word, he watched as I opened the door, and climbed in. The silence in the car was suffocating. I could feel the tension rolling off him in waves.
I swallowed hard and tried to catch my breath.
Okay, just apologize. He'll understand… right? You already have a tight excuse. He will understand.
"Sir, I…" I began, but he cut me off before I could even finish the sentence.
"Save it, Laura. I don't want to hear your excuses," he said coldly, his eyes fixed on the road ahead as he pulled out of the parking lot.
I froze, my stomach twisting with dread. He hadn't even looked at me. Not once. This was bad. I could feel it.
"I'm really sorry, I…" I tried again, but the words felt weak. Pathetic, even. The excuse made sense in my head when he wasn't in sight, but sitting beside him now was another scenario entirely. It felt like he would swallow me whole if I dared say utter such excuse.
"You want to apologize?" he said, his voice icy.
"For which part exactly? Oversleeping and almost missing the meeting? Or for getting drunk at a club last night, where I had to save you from being harassed?"
I blinked, completely thrown off. "Wait… what? What are you talking about?"
He glanced at me for the first time, his jaw tight.
"You don't remember, do you? Last night, at the club. You were drunk. Some guy was all over you, trying to harass you and I had to step in to make sure nothing happened. I'm not your babysitter, Laura."
His words hit me like a ton of bricks.
Oh my God. The club.
It all came rushing back. The drinks, the guy who had been dancing too close, the fear when he tried to pull me away - and Jake. Jake had been there. He'd stepped in. He'd saved me.
I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but the words wouldn't come out. My mind was reeling, trying to piece it all together. I didn't even remember seeing him at the club. How had I forgotten? How had I let myself get so out of control?
"You're lucky I was there," Jake continued, his voice laced with annoyance.
"But let me make one thing clear, Laura. If your personal life ever interferes with your job again, you're done. This is your last warning."
I stared at him, my face burning with shame and embarrassment. He was right. I'd been reckless. I'd let my personal issues, my stupid feelings, get in the way of my job. And now he was giving me one last chance. If I screwed up again, it would be over.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice barely audible.
He didn't respond. He didn't even acknowledge my apology. We drove in silence for the rest of the ride, and every minute felt heavier than the last. I couldn't shake the feeling of humiliation that settled in the pit of my stomach. I had been so foolish, thinking I could keep up with this job, thinking I could handle Jake's intensity.
The tension between us was palpable, and I could feel him shutting me out, brick by brick.
This is what I wanted, isn't it? To keep things professional? To keep my distance? But now, sitting next to him in that stony silence, all I felt was regret.
We pulled up to the meeting location, and without another word, Jake got out of the car. I followed him, clutching the file in my hands as if it could somehow fix everything that had just happened. But deep down, I knew things had changed between us. And it wasn't just because of the job. It was because of me. Because I couldn't stop letting him get under my skin.
As I followed him into the building, I made a silent promise to myself.
No more screw-ups. No more personal drama. I need this job, and I can't afford to let Jake fire me.
But even as I told myself that, I couldn't help but wonder if it was already too late. Throughout the meeting, my mind drifted closely back into the events of last night. All the memories started flowing back, I remembered going out in anger to get a ride home. The man from the club appeared suddenly and finally… I remembered someone showed up.
Jake!
He really was the one who saved me…