Multitasking

"Emir Aslan is not the man I expected him to be.", I told Georgiana on the phone while colour coding the dresses on Corel-Draw. It was not an easy task but in the past hour, I had gotten the hang of it. Hopefully, I would be done by midnight. Hopefully was the operative word here.

"What did you expect?", she asked.

"Someone less handsome. Honestly, I hate it when beautiful people have ugly insides. Why can't he be nicer? I am sure his employees would appreciate it.", I said frustrated.

She laughed.

"Leave it you to ogle your new boss.", she teased.

" I might be taken but I'm not blind.", I retorted.

"Speaking of...", she asked, her voice suddenly soft. I knew what she was going to ask. I just wasn't prepared for it. " Any news of Ethan?"

"He hasn't called. Not yet. But I'm not worried. He can take care of himself.", I lied.

"Bullshit! You haven't even thought about it, have you? You are pretending he will home the next evening.", she said cutting through my fragile illusion.

I didn't speak. What was there to say? That I was bleeding like a fresh wound? That I was pretending to smile and laugh and be normal? That my son was suffering?

"Not a moment goes by when I don't remember him. I remember him every time I breathe. He is my air, my life force. But, if I kept grieving, I would never get any work done. So, I am just trying to survive the day, minute by minute.", I confessed.

Now, she fell silent. I reached onto the fiftieth dress in neon green and started searching for the perfect colour match on the wheel.

"What's happening at the office?", I asked tentatively.

" Meeting of the board of directors. Jules is bringing in new investors. Everybody is spooked. Things are shaky here. She has to win them over again. It's a hurdle that she has created for herself.", she reported.

"Who's with Josh today?", she asked.

" Tom's wife, Beth. She is gonna be here as long as I need her."

"How's Jules doing?", I asked, unwillingly. She was still my sister. No matter how much we fought and betrayed, some habits died hard.

"Not too good, I think. She had a major fight with Caldron at the office yesterday. I think that ship is drowning.", she said softly.

"It's awful, this war. I hate to think what else will be ruined by it."

"She started it but you will be the last one standing.", she said surely.

I wasn't so sure. Jules was my sister, my sister of choice. She was the only one capable of fighting me.

"By the way, I wasn't actually calling to mope about my relationship problems or my broody Mr. Darcy boss. I need your help to contact Chior models and get their representative on the phone for me."

"Will do. Give me ten.", she informed me.

"Gracias, Georgiana.", I thanked her.

"De nada, jefa.", she said signing off.

_________

" So, how's first day going so far?", Lola asked as I walked out of my assigned cubicle.

"Like mierda. Your boss is as sweet as a daisy.", I chirped.

She laughed.

"So, I see you have encountered his fangs.", she said wryly.

"Yes, I can assure you he drinks the blood of his employees. Bloody vampire. Pun intended."

"Lovely. Just lovely.", she murmured.

" Your boss is rude and snobby and a dictator and very good-looking. Did I mention good-looking?"

"I think you did."

"I don't think he means badly. He's just out of touch with civilized society.", she said sarcastically.

"Yes, he lives in a vampire's cryogenic chamber. If his room is any colder, he will freeze to death in there. I got a frost bite from his chilly behaviour.", I said shuddering.

" I think you are the perfect inferno to melt that ice.", she said suddenly solemn as if she knew something I didn't.

"I won't be here long enough to do it.", I muttered. " Anyway, my bladder is bursting. Ciao. "

I dashed towards the washroom.

____________

The tap was open. Deliberately. I wasn't using the toilet. I was here to do something else. To read Ethan's letter in complete privacy.

"Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered,it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails"

The Corinthians verse was written across the page in red, broken letters. I had a sinking suspicion what it was. I brought it to my nose and sniffed it.

It had that slightly salty tang clinging to it.

Blood.

Ethan had written the verse to ne in blood.

A marriage vow.

He had let his life force flow because of me. Ethan, the man who didn't believe in God had written a love letter for me in eternal words. It wasn't poetry, simply a truth. A powerful truth about what love should be. And easy it was not.

On the back of the page, there was a short message in black ink.

"You are my home, Sana. Before you I was adrift in the sea of life, you gave me a moment's peace. I will always come back to you."

The tears came hard. Ugly, ugly sobs that washed away the pain. It was wrenching to know how much we wanted to be together but couldn't be because love with all it's poetic beauty was iron daggers that clawed through your skin, a cancer that ate away at the soul. Nobody ever spike about its ugly side.

The rushing water muffled my sobs.

___________

Fixing my makeup was the hardest thing to do. My eyes we're swollen and puffy and no amount of concealer would conceal a broken heart. I didn't want to be the object of pity on my first day. So, I pulled a page out of Anna Wintour's book. I put on my cat eyed Prada shades. It was incredibly chic and at a fashion house nobody was liable to question the fact that I was wearing sunglasses even though there was no sun. It would simply be considered a style statement.

I did damage control as best I could but beyond that I had to make do. Rushing downstairs, I grabbed some much needed caffeine and started working.

By lunch, I was done. Emir Aslan wouldn't know what hit him. I triple checked every design for mistakes and after corrections, I went to the printer and took hard copies to pin them on the board.

I emailed the soft copy to Emir and assembled the looks in a file. Time to hand them over to the boss and have some fun watching his sour face.

___________

As I re-entered Vlad The Impaler's chamber, I saw him berating Lola probably for some microscopic mistake. I felt terrible for the girl. Mistreatment of employees to simply to show who had the power, irked me.

Lola looked like she was on the verge of crying and I couldn't take it any more. I barged in knowing I was in deep shit.

"Ms. Bianchi", he said lazily arching an eyebrow. " What a.....pleasure to see you again."

Pleasure! My foot.

"I have your designs ready. I have e-mailed you the soft copy, these are the printouts.", I said handing them over.

Lola breathed in a sigh of relief and squeezed my hand silently while Emir leafed through the file.

He looked intently waiting to find a mistake. But, I knew he wouldn't find it. I wasn't CEO for anything. I didn't deliver faulty work.

"Very good, Ms. Bianchi. It seems you are fit to work here.", he said, his mouth twisted in displeasure.

It gave me such satisfaction, I swore I could have done a break dance on the spot.

"Ms.Mendoza, perhaps you can learn something from her.", he said snidely.

Lola flushed and stuttered a 'yes sir' in embarrassment.

I clenched my fists in anger. This guy was unbelievable. But you wouldn't believe what he did next.

He took my file and tossed it straight into the bin. Then he looked at me.

"Shocked, Ms. Bianchi?", he asked slowly.

Shocked wasn't the right word. Murderous was. For the past five hours, I had been working on color-coding and arranging every dress and he just threw it away!

But, I didn't respond to his provocations. I merely stared at him.

"It's your file. You know best what to do with it.", I said.

I dug my nails into my palm for fear of slapping him.

"Well, you see, I couldn't depend on you to deliver. This was a test. You passed. You are capable of following some orders. Now, go and order the fabrics from the supplier. Lola will help you. I want to finalize the collection in two weeks."

Lola turned her back and walked away. I stood there watching him. Trying to figure this guy out. Why had Jamal sent me to work for this guy?

More, importantly why did he associate with a man like him?

"If are not bright enough to understand it, then I will say it clearly, 'You are dismissed'", he said without looking up from the file.

"I am just trying to figure out what satisfaction you gain from acting like an asshole.", I said quietly.

His head whipped up and his eyes blazed with anger.

"If you speak to me that way-", he started but I cut him off.

" You will fire me. Go on, fire me. All the better, I will resign. You want to show me who is boss, then this is a poor way to do it. Your employees don't respect you. They fear you. That is no substitute for respect. I am not afraid of you. I will never be afraid of bullies. But, that girl Lola is. She isn't in a position to speak to you the way I do. So, I will say what she was too afraid to, 'Take your intimidation tactics and shove it up yours ass' and be sure that tomorrow, you will have a lawsuit against you for unnecessary harrasment."

My voice was cold, detached. His eyes we're blazing with a anger.

"It was a real pleasure to see you, Mr. Aslan. Have a nice day.", I said and stormed out.

___________

"Hey, we still going out on that date?", I asked the lovely receptionist.

Lola grinned.

"Thanks for saving me up there.", she said squeezing my hand.

"Nobody berates a beautiful girl like you for nothing. Don't worry, I fed him a slice of his own pie. He won't harass anyone.", I reassured her.

"So, we going man hunting?", she said raising her eyebrows suggestively.

"I can't actually. I have work to do. Let's go to my apartment and have a drink. I am sorry, I can't give you time today.", I told her.

" First date and you are trying to get me into your apartment. What are your intentions, Miss?", she said waggling her eyebrows.

I laughed.

"Very pure intentions, I tell you."

"Give me a minute, I will be there.", she said.

So, we both went home, hand in hand like a couple. It felt good to have companionship. Lola was great. I was starting to consider that I might be bisexual because of that girl.

People stared across the streets as two sixties starlets walked down, looking like they were in love.

For once, the pain lessened, my throat wasn't choked anymore.

___________