Conrad
It is Monday, which means I am back to work for me this morning. I have spent my time since the ball thinking about “Mia”. I can’t get her out of my head. I have tried everything I could think of to try and find out who she is but with no luck. I have one last option: ask my mom or Meredith, but I haven’t done that yet because I don’t want to get Mia into trouble. I have no idea who she is to Meredith, but they are obviously connected in some way for Meredith to use her to pretend to be Taylor.
I don’t know why she seems to be getting to me as much. I have met many beautiful women in my life, and yes, some have drawn me in, but not in the same way Mia did. There has barely been a second I haven’t thought of her. I even dreamt of her last night. It is all a little crazy to me. I can’t get her beautiful yet broken eyes out of my head. There is a story behind them. I sensed she has been through a lot, more than most. It is all unfortunate.
I wish she hadn’t run away from me, or I at least asked for her number. Though, she probably wouldn’t have given it to me. She refused to tell me her real name, so I would have been unable to get her number.
I sigh, pull myself out of my thoughts and get organised to head out before I am late. I need to stop by and see Meredith to pick up some reports from her. I would rather not see her. I don’t tend to deal with her personally, by choice, because she really is horrible. Today, I don’t have much of a choice because my mom is out of town, and she can’t pick them up like she usually does. So, I am stuck with Meredith. I will be in and out as quickly as possible. I am a patient man and get along with most people, but my tolerance for that horrible woman is limited. If it was for her being friends with my mother and working for our company, I could live life happily without ever knowing her.
I hop in my car and stop for coffee and a pastry. I need it before I need to deal with Meredith. I find a parking spot and head into the coffee shop; the line is long, which is expected at this time. As I wait in line, I find myself getting lost in thoughts again. I sigh loudly and run my fingers through my hair. I should probably try forgetting about Mia since I won’t see her again. It will be easier said than done.
“Um, excuse me, Sir, the line has moved up.” A woman’s timid voice says from behind me.
When I turned around, the woman’s eyes widened, and she suddenly became highly nervous. She stares at me like she knows me, but I have no idea who she is.
“Oh, sorry.” I chuckle and move up the line.
“It is okay. I am just in a rush to get my boss’s coffee, or I will get a lecture,” she whispers.
Her cheeks seem to be red now.
“Please, go in front of me. I am in no rush.” I smile.
“No, it is okay, Sir. Thank you, though.” She stammers.
Why does she seem to be freaking out around me?
“I insist,” I say and step aside to let her go in front of me.
The stranger smiles and pushes her glasses up her nose, “Thank you.”
The smile seems familiar, but I don’t know where it is from. She takes her place in front of me. She turns her back to me and doesn’t say another word; neither do I. We don’t need to; we are two strangers in a coffee line. Thankfully, the line seems to move quickly.
“Thank you again,” she says after getting her order and rushes off.
Her boss must be an ass if she was panicking about getting the order for them. There is no need for bosses to be assholes. I am a boss, but I treat my employees with respect and appreciation. Yes, I am strict when I need to be, but I don’t overstep and use my power to belittle everyone else. I make sure my employees have everything they need. They also know they can come to me with anything; that is how it should be. It makes people want to work their hardest and enjoy what they do rather than dread coming in every morning. I was raised to treat people how I wanted to be treated. My entire family are the same when it comes to staff; there is mutual respect all around.
I received my order and found a table to sit at. I could take it with me, but I don’t want to. I would rather sit in here and prepare myself for my meeting. I plan to get in and out quickly, but I don’t know if that will work because Meredith talks way too much and will play nice towards me. She will always act nice towards her staff because the last time she treated one of her staff members horribly in front of me, I pulled her up for it. So, now, she acts to be the sweetest boss, but I know her better than that. I will be civil because I need to be.
I turn my focus to my breakfast, but Mia creeps into my mind again. There must be some way I can find her without asking my mother or Meredith. The photos and footage from the ball won’t do me any good because Mia did not take her mask off, not once. Fuck, all of this will be driving me crazy for I don’t know how long.
I finish up my breakfast, leaving and jumping back in my car to head to Meredith’s office. It doesn’t take long to arrive since it is a short drive. I sit in my car for ten minutes before finally making a move to head inside. The sooner I get in, the sooner I can get out.
I stroll inside, greeting the staff as I do on the way to Meredith’s floor. When I walked in, the first thing I noticed was the girl at her desk. It is the one from the coffee shop. She has her head down, working hard. Now, I understand why she seemed in such a rush to get coffee.
“Hello, again.” I greet her as I approach her desk.
She jumps and glances up, the same reaction on her face from the coffee place.
“Um, hello again, Mr Ackley.” She smiles.
“You know who I was when we met?” I laugh.
She nods, “Yes, I did.”
“You should have said. You know my name; it is only fair I know yours.”
She blushes and tucks some hair behind her ear, “Maya.” She smiles.
I extend my hand to her, “It is nice to meet you officially, Maya.”
Maya takes my hand, shaking it, “Thank you, Sir.”
“Is Meredith free?”
“Yes, you can head through. I will let her know.” Maya smiles.
“Thank you, Maya.”
I nod, smile and head through. I need this meeting to be done soon.