The rest of the meeting went by very quickly. Nadia could hardly understand anything people were saying. She had just been rude to her boss, the company's new owner, a man everyone seemed to fear and admire equally.
Ambrose Romero.
She didn't dare look at him again. But every time he spoke, the low sound of his voice made her feel uneasy. She could sense he was there, like a shadow covering the room.
After the meeting ended, she grabbed her papers, her hands still shaking, hoping she could leave without anyone noticing her. She grabbed the door handle when a calm but authoritative voice stopped her.
"Miss Cruz. my office. Right now."
She gasped softly.
The elevator trip to the top floor felt like it took forever. Nadia tried to calm herself, quietly telling herself everything would be fine, but nothing helped. What could she even say to him? Sorry I spilled coffee all over your suit and yelled at you before realizing you were my boss?
When she got to his office, the doors looked so big front of her. The secretary told her she could go in now.
"Mr Romero is ready for you."
Nadia took a deep breath to calm herself, and walked inside.
The room was huge, with simple furniture, a smell of leather and something like smoke. Ambrose was sitting at a large desk, signing a form. He didn't look up immediately, which made her more nervous.
"You requested to see me, sir?" she said in a low tone.
He looked up then, and the mood between them seemed to change. He looked at her steadily, with an expression she couldn't read.
"Yes, Miss Cruz," he said, his voice soft and even. "Please, have a seat."
She did what he said, sitting on the edge of the chair like someone waiting for a punishment.
He leaned back, staring at her for a moment. "You were at the meeting this morning, right?"
"Yes, sir."
"That's good." He put his hands together. "Tell me, what did you think about it?"
The question surprised her. "I, well, I thought it was… helpful. Maybe too much information, but…"
He raised an eyebrow in doubt. "Is it too much?"
She stuttered. "N-no, I mean, only because it was my first time hearing you speak directly, Mr. Romero. I'll get used to it, of course."
He smiled slightly, a vaguely readable body language. "Of course."
He didn't say anything for a few seconds after that, just watched her silently. It wasn't the kind of look that simply saw someone; it was the kind that went right through them. Nadia moved uncomfortably in her seat, aware of every nervous breath she took.
Then, he said, "You know, Miss Cruz, there's something else I want to talk about."
Her heart started beating faster. "Yes, sir?"
"There's something about the coffee."
She stopped moving.
He gently tapped his finger on the table. "You do recall, right? You poured the drink on me earlier. And if I remember right, you also scolded me."
Her face turned red. "I ,I'm so sorry about what happened. I didn't know who you were. I was in a hurry and…."
He stopped her in a nice way. "Is it normal for you to shout at people you don't know?"
She was confused, wondering if he was joking or serious. "No, sir. That will not happen again."
He made a soft, funny sound ,like a small laugh and a sigh. He moved closer, with his arms on the table. "Relax, Miss Cruz. I won't fire you…. Not yet, anyway."
Her body relaxed a little, but not completely.
He looked at her quietly again, and this time he seemed a bit curious. His demeanor relaxed, something real and almost hesitant.
For the first time, Ambrose saw her for who she was ,not just as an employee.
Her face was pretty, with pieces of brown hair around it that shone in the light. Her eyes, big and honest, showed a quiet strength that made him interested before he realized it.
He didn't want to pay attention. He really didn't want to feel anything. But something about her being there bothered him, like a memory he couldn't quite remember.
Nadia, still upset, tried to keep her eyes steady. But when they looked at each other, the air felt heavy between them.
Neither of them said anything.
Then Ambrose spoke, breaking the silence with a soft laugh. "You really are something else, Miss Cruz."
She looked confused. "I do not understand."
"Most people are scared when they see me," he said, leaning back in his chair. "You just get red and say sorry."
"I'm not sure which is worse," she said before she could stop herself.
He smiled again, slowly and on purpose. "Neither. It's… nice to see."
The kindness in his voice surprised her. She didn't know what to say, so she said nothing, just looking at the folder on his desk.
Ambrose picked up some papers, looking through them without much thought. "Since you really want to show what you can do, I'll give you something helpful to work on."
He pushed the papers toward her. "These are reports from the last three months. Look at them, organize the information, and have a summary ready by Monday."
Her eyes got big. "All of these? By Monday?"
"Is there a problem with that?"
"No, sir," she quickly said, even though she felt sad.
"Good." He stood up, letting her go with a simple nod. "We're done here."
She picked up the papers carefully, saying sorry again as she stood up. But as she turned, he halted her again.
"Oh, and Miss Cruz, before I forget," he said.
She looked back at him.
"Next time you run into someone," he continued, with a small smile on his face, "at least look at them first. You never know who they could be."
Nadia suddenly stopped breathing. His words were light and funny, but there was also something else, something that made her heart beat fast before she knew what was happening.
"Okay, sir," she replied quietly, then she turned around and quickly left.
The elevator doors shut, and she leaned back against the wall, breathing in a shaky way. She was obviously still scared.
"What just happened?" she said.
She couldn't figure it out. He had told her off, given her too much to do, but she still felt a strange and new ache in her chest.
A risky game.
Slightly shaking her head.
"No," "He is only my boss."
She couldn't stop thinking about how his eyes stayed on hers or how it had felt like the beginning of something she didn't want to think about.