Chapter 2: Chapter 2

The next morning, Olivia woke to the disturbing ringtone of her phone. She had intended to change her fast and alarming ringtone for what felt like almost a year, but that task had been neglected like so many others.

When she saw what time it was on her phone, all exhaustion disappeared. Nearly half an hour late for work. Then she saw who was phoning her. Her heart raced and her stomach turned. Tyler Brown. Stay calm, Olivia. Stay calm. She repeated these words in her mind over and over again.

Just before the ringtone came to an end, she answered without even thinking what she would say. For this call, she wished she was prepared. When your emotions get involved, all fake tones disappear and your true self comes to life.

“Tyler, umm, I mean, Mr Brown,” she said.

“Ms Acker, you are almost an hour late. Tina was starting to turn the whole office upside down looking for you.”

“An hour? Let’s not exaggerate. Tell Tina I overslept, and I will be there in five minutes,” she replied, pulling her blouse and skirt on.

“Don’t forget who you are talking to, Ms Acker,” he replied. He seemed to be strict with Olivia.

“Olivia. I prefer to be called Olivia,” she replied, clenching her teeth with irritation.

“Alright, Olivia, get us some coffee at Rose’s. I’m sure you’ll pick the best type of coffee, considering you and Kate always go out to get some,” he said. This time he was much kinder.

“Right, Mr Brown. I’m coming.”

She hung up and smiled. He knows that Kate and I take coffee breaks? What else does he know about me? Then came the most disturbing question: Does he know that I watch him every night through my window?

Before the uncertainty made her even more nervous, she walked out of her apartment wearing the same clothes as the day before. She went to Rose’s and expected the shop’s owner, Diane, to greet her with the usual smile. That day, however, Diane simply stared in bewilderment at Olivia. Olivia tried to ignore this and ordered two cappuccinos.

As she walked to the office, she tried to forget all the comments that she would receive, putting away the thought of what Kate would think.

Tina, the receptionist, was first to greet her. Only she did not say anything; she just lifted a stack of papers and files from behind her desk and handed them to Olivia.

“Good morning to you too, Tina. What a great way to start the day,” Olivia said sarcastically.

“Mr Brown is waiting for you in his office,” Tina replied in her usual tone.

“Oh no, is it bad?”

“I don’t know; haven’t seen him much this morning. Only when he asked for you. So, I can’t predict anything.”

“Thank you, anyway.”

Olivia walked over to the elevator and stepped inside. He was looking for me? Tyler Brown was looking for me? Come on, Olivia. You’re his assistant, of course he would look for you to schedule more meetings. The voices in her head confused her even more. Just then the elevator opened on the top floor to Brown’s office.

Brown looked at his computer, while talking to a client over the phone. When he saw Olivia, he quickly demonstrated to her to sit and get out her notepad. Olivia did as she was asked and sat in her usual leather chair across form his desk. A calmness filled her when he didn’t make a comment about her recycled outfit.

“Meeting at one o’clock, Green Room, Mr Smith,” he whispered to her to note down, before continuing his conversation over the phone.

She cautiously listened to his instructions, while writing in her notepad. Just as she was about to write one o’clock, anger struck. He really would go the extra mile to completely ruin my day, she thought and closed her notepad.

She slipped out her phone from her pocket under the table and quickly texted Kate, before Brown could end his call.

- No coffee break soorryyy, Tyler scheduled meeting! Coffee at my place, 6pm after work? -

“Great,” she whispered as she put her phone away. Could my day get any worse? I mean, how can I sit through a meeting where they talk about things I couldn’t be less interested in without falling asleep. I haven’t even had breakfast, she thought, naming all the negatives in her mind.

“Something wrong,” he asked when his call had ended.

“Nothing important.”

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep the anger in check.

“Well, you should probably look in the mirror before entering any meetings today,” he said, typing on his phone.

“I will see you at the meeting, sir,” she said in her professional tone, ignoring his comment.

She carelessly closed the door to his office behind her just to show him how angry she was in case he hadn’t noticed. That day she seemed more irritated than usual. She usually closed the doors with such care to prevent any noise or drawing too much attention to herself. She just didn’t seem to care anymore about what Tyler Brown or anyone else thought about her.

She had walked to the restrooms many times before, but had never before drawn so much attention. Everyone stared at her over their computer screens. She usually avoided such attention, blushing much too quickly when attracting the slightest bit of attention. Previously she would have ducked and covered her face with a tissue, saying she was sick when she was about to talk to a group of people. That seemed to change. What a good change, she thought.

Walking into the lady’s restroom, she noticed the usual marble sinks, crystal cut mirrors and a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Just what you would expect from a company worth billions. She walked over to the mirror and was horrified at her own reflection. The person staring back at her in the mirror had smudged makeup, a few loose buttons on her blouse, crumpled clothes and hair that clearly missed a daily brush.

“My day is over here,” she said to herself.

Before she could look in the mirror a second time, she walked out and texted Brown.

- Mr Brown, I’m sorry for the inconvenience, I can’t make it to the meeting. Family emergency. -

Family emergency.

That’s a new one.

Send.