Andrew

 

My life has been turned completely upside down this week. I came to the office on Monday expecting to do one thing and ended up doing the complete opposite all because of one woman, Roberta.

She has a way of making my life a living hell, just by breathing the same air I breathe. It’s as if it’s her life mission to punish me, by trying to sabotage my business and clients. I'm dying to get out of here, after a very long and eventful week, no thanks to Roberta.

“Mr. White, don’t forget to give the agency a reference,” Joanne reminds me as I’m about to walk out. I’ve been here nearly until ten every single night and it’s Friday and I sure as hell am not doing that tonight.

“Remember, the temp. The one that was working here, while I was recovering from the surgery on my ankle.”

I point. “The same ankle that you’re applying ice to right now?”

She asks, “How do you know?”

I shake my head thinking that Joanne may be the oldest and best secretary that I’ve ever had, but at times she seems to have a habit of thinking that the obvious is far from obvious.

“Never mind.” I throw my head back as I remember one of the things that I was supposed to do and I never got around to doing. Getting Olivia a job.

“Great, so if they want a reference. That means they’ve found her something?”

She turns and puts her glasses back on as she reads the screen. She has a way of squinting her eyes, which always makes me feel as if there’s no point in her wearing her glasses. Joanne’s good at her job, but I would never expect her to do anything in a hurry, which is why I was surprised when she said that she injured her ankle running. I couldn’t imagine her running for anything and she’s been working for me for over seven years.

“I don’t think so. They wanted a reference, so that they can put us on their advertising campaigns. You know how it is. Hey, we worked with this client and that client said that we were fantastic.”

“Oh, one of those things. So, has she found something?”

She takes off her glasses and glares at me. “Did you like my replacement?”

I shake my head and think that I need to get younger staff. All my current staff put my mom to shame. They act as if they have to take care of me.

Not good.

But then there’s a reason for that. I didn’t want to be one of those bosses that fell into temptation with their staff. I wanted to be surrounded by people who I respected and had the maturity level to deal with certain situations.

“Joanne, see you on Monday.”

She waves. “Yes, and if you like, I can give you her number?”

I wouldn’t even think about falling for that trick. That part’s been playing on my mind. There’s a good thirteen years between Olivia and I. And not only that but I really know nothing about her. That was what I wanted to ask her on Monday before she left, but I never had the chance, because before I knew it, work was crazy.

Roberta’s out to get me and it doesn’t help we’re in the same field and she’s going out of her way to bring me down. Old rivals and all the competitive tricks in the books. She agitates me and part of me feels as if I’ve sold myself to the devil just by allowing her into my life. Like a bad smell, that no amount of air freshener gets rid off.

As I head down in the elevator, the only thing on my mind is what I can do to get rid of Roberta? I thought maybe just making her think I’m with Olivia would have done it. But that just made her out to get me.

Fuck.

I’ve never had a thorn in my side until now and I fucking don’t know how to get it out. As soon as I get to the car and take off my tie there’s only one thing on my mind.

“Roger?”

“Yes, sir?” he asks as he takes off his hat. I wonder if he knows what’s on my mind.

“Do you remember where you took Olivia when you dropped her off the other day?”

He smiles as he opens the door. “I thought you’d never ask.”

I glance at him as he takes my briefcase and then puts it in the trunk, which I find a bit weird. Anyway, I let him take the lead, because it’s clear that he has something on his mind.

As he starts to drive I take off my jacket and pour myself a bourbon. I don’t know how I’m going to get rid off all the rumors and heat that Roberta’s put on me at the moment. She fucking does my head in. I don’t know what to do anymore as far as she’s concerned and I feel like crap that since Monday I haven’t even been in touch with Olivia. She must think I took her to bed, stole her virginity and then moved on.

Fuck.

Maybe hanging around with the older generation isn’t such a good idea. I’m getting pretty sentimental in my old age. Fuck, it’s like we’ve gone from uptown to the crappy part of Harlem in a matter of seconds. I watch through the window as I drink my bourbon thinking that maybe Roger’s confused. Why would Olivia live here? Besides if she did, then how the hell was she getting into the office so fucking early in the morning?

“Roger, are you sure?”

He doesn’t need me to prompt him as he says, “As clear as night and day.”

“Fuck,” I blurt out as he parks and I see the building which looks as if it’s the fucking Annie orphanage. Nothing about this place looks right. From the dozens of people moving in and out of it, to the fact that Olivia acted as if she was living somewhere decent. Not here. Not in the bottom of the pits.

Shit, sometimes I’m so fucking blind. This is why she didn’t want to go home and was looking at the price tags of the dresses. Not because I was buying them, but because she was accustomed to checking the price of everything.

“Roger, how will I know which one she’s in?”

He buzzes back/ “Floor eight. Room eight-sixty.”

Fuck there’s a room eight hundred and sixty. I decide to fill another glass of bourbon and then head up there. As I shut the limo door, I wonder if I should have brought some safety measures with me. Like the gun that I keep in the trunk.

How does Olivia survive?

I decide against it as I start to head up the stairs. When I reach the front door there’s an eviction notice, or a condemned notice. I don’t settle my eyes on it long enough as I open it and step through.

The smell of mold and wet dogs filters through my nose, and I almost want to run back around.

Elevator out of service. I laugh at the irony of it; the whole fucking building looks as if it’s out of service, but people still live here. Guilt washes inside me at the realization that I didn’t even bother checking on Olivia. I feel like a jerk. But I know that from this moment onwards, I intend to make everything right.