The weekend was over in flash, Monday was here again, and I was on my way to work. I was nervous on how I was going to face Mr Pierce after what happened. One good thing is that the police hadn't come to get either me or Maya, so guessed she didn't press charges. As I walked into office, I felt everyone's eyes fall on me, the awkwardness that filled the room was much larger than the people present there. "The boss wants to see you," the receptionist said. She had this daring look in her eye like I've done something to piss her off. I gently walked to the elevator, my head facing down to avoid all the dreadful stares that could pull life out of a person. "Just look at her, causing problems for all of us, when the boss isn't in a good mood, the whole company suffers for it." a man said to the group of people he was with as I passed by them. "I heard she almost killed the boss's wife over the weekend, maybe she's trying to get in on the boss because he's rich," a woman from that group said. "I mean she did put Mabel in the hospital to steal her job, what's to say she wouldn't do it to get a man too." Another woman added. I froze where I was, my legs couldn't take any more steps, the humiliation was killing me. These comments pierced my soul, and they kept coming, each one sharper than the last. I was on the verge of breaking down when I heard a voice coming from the front of me. It was Mr Pierce. "Enough, everyone back to work." His voice was firm, and it echoed in my ears. For once, I was glad to see him, other times I was either scared or nervous. Everyone in groups broke out immediately, scattering around the first floor. "And you, my office now." I heard his voice again. I walked briskly into the elevator and straight to his office. I saw Mrs Powells the door of his office, she smiled as she walked passed me, she didn't say a word which was very unlike her. I followed him into his office and shut the door behind me. "I want you to get me my coffee and send me my schedule for the week." He said as he sat down. He was oddly calm; I was expecting him to crash out on me and probably fire me. I didn't wait to hear him say I'm fired; I hurriedly left to get him his coffee.
I met the receptionist at the coffee room, her face was grumpy as usual, she looked at me like I was an alien just wandering around a foreign land. "The boss seems to have a soft spot for you." She took a sip out of her coffee and looked at him. "I don't understand." I stuttered as I spoke. "Normally, the boss would have fired anyone that brought shame to his name, but you are still here." She squinted her eyes while looking at me as if she was trying to see through me. "Are you sleeping with him?" she asked sharply taking a step closer to me. "No, I'm not that kind of person." I took a step back to give some distance between the two of us. "Oh really?" she asked sarcastically, "I wonder what kind of person you are." She kept coming closer as I kept walking backwards. My back was already against the wall; I raised my hand a bit to defend myself in case she tried to hit me. She grabbed my arm firmly and looked me in the eyes, "You better know your place around here missy, and keep your eyes off Xavier." Mrs Powells walked in while she was still holding my hand, "what's going on here?" she looked at the receptionist. The receptionist let go off my hand and walked out, brushing past Mrs Powells. Their shoulders collided, causing Mrs Powells to nearly fall. I rushed to hold her so she wouldn't fall, "Thank you Lilian." She said holding me, "you shouldn't mind these people, most of them are just jealous that Xavier has a soft spot for you." She smiled I lifted her up. "What do you mean?" I was confused, why did everyone keep saying he has a soft spot for me. "You see, Xavier isn't really a soft type of guy, he hates failure and humiliation and also everything that causes him that. He cuts off everything that causes that. And I have to say, if you're still here today it means he likes you." She smiled mischievously. "I hardly doubt that." left her to go pour out his coffee into the cup. "You're in denial," she laughed, "I've seen the look on your face on so many of different people, even mine." she rested her back on the counter and watched me prepare his coffee. "Listen Mrs Powells, I don't really know what you all are making up in your head but there's nothing going on between me and Mr Pierce." I went to take a napkin to wipe off the little coffee I spilled on the cabinet. "I never said there is anything going on between the two of you Lilian, I just said he has a soft spot for you." She chuckled. "I guess I'm just lucky that he didn't fire me. So please, stop making assumptions." I picked up the tray which I placed the coffee cup on and left. "Denial is a sweet remedy Lilian, but has a painful after effect," she said as I left the coffee room. I kept thinking about everything on my way back, trying to put two and two together but it just didn't make sense. I decided not to think much about it and focus on my work rather than create room in my head for their silly theories and assumptions. I got to Mr Pierce's office and place the coffee on his table. "Thank you, Lilian." His eyes were still on the documents he was reading. I was about leaving when I stopped to ask, "Why didn't you fire me?" without moving his head, he raised his eyes to look at me, "do you want to get fired?" he asked back. "Well no but, everyone keeps saying you hate failures and that you fire people that humiliates you." My voice was a bit high pitched because I was nervous. He sat up on his chair and looked at me for a while, "I don't consider you a failure Miss Reed, so that's why I didn't fire you." He went back to the documents on his table.
"Thank you, sir," I left his office and went to my desk. "Maybe he does have a soft spot for me." I thought to myself.