Chapter 14 Pressure
“Wow! That was scary for a woman who looked at nice.” I murmured to myself while I watched her return to her desk, here I was thinking that I was just about to make my first friend.
The first hours of my resumption was quite fun, as I watched the workers play around with each other and it seemed this little lady who threatened me was the boss around this smaller level of the company and it also seemed like Richard placed me in one of te highest level of the company.
“Lisa, the CEO wants to see you.” One of the employees said as I turned around to be sure it’s me.
“Me!!” I asked.
“Yes you.” She replied while giggling.
“My name isn’t Lisa.” I replied a bit confused.
“Melissa can also be abbreviated into Lisa.” She said before tapping my shoulder and walking away.
I stood up and walked towards Richard office when I heard my name again.
“Lisa, he is in the general lunch room.” She yelled from afar as everyone stared at me, I used my eyes to scan the labels that were placed around for new comers like me.
And through the label I found my way to the lunch room, and it was filled with different workers eating and in the far end was Richard and and extra dish opposite him as he ate his meal silently, though as I worked towards him I noticed other employees mostly females were staring at him unable to eat.
“You called for me?” I asked while still standing politely opposite him.
“Have lunch, I know you are new here and that’s why you couldn’t ask for lunch so I decided to have lunch with you.” He said pointing to the chair, I stared around at the gossiping employees and silently took my seat…. I stared at their luxurious lunch with a satisfied grin.
“I made sure they served the best so you won’t have to complain.” Richard added.
“Thank you.” I whispered to him before digging in, every spoonful I placed in my mouth tasted even more better than the previous.
As I savored my delicious meal, I couldn't help but overhear the hushed whispers and giggles from the employees around us. It was clear that their attention was divided between their food and the fascinating presence of Richard. I wondered how he dealt with all the unwanted attention on a daily basis.
Just then, the mean girl from earlier walked into the lunchroom, her heels clicking loudly with every step. She confidently walked towards our table, a sly smile playing on her lips. I watched as Richard subtly rolled his eyes, prepared for whatever confrontation was about to unfold.
"Richard, fancy seeing you here," she purred, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Mind if I join you? We could catch up on a few things."
Richard, without even sparing her a glance, continued to eat his lunch and responded coolly, "I'm sorry, but I'm busy right now. Maybe some other time."
Her smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered, undeterred by his dismissive response. "Come on, Richard, don't be like that. We used to have such a good time together. What happened?"
Richard finally looked up from his plate, his eyes narrowing with a hint of annoyance. "Things change. I expect you to respect my boundaries, especially when I'm working."
I couldn't help but admire Richard's firm stance and refusal to be drawn into her manipulative games. It was clear that he knew exactly how to handle her and protect himself from any unnecessary distractions.
She,seemingly unfazed by his cold response, tried to put on a show of innocence, batting her eyelashes and leaning in close. "Oh, but Richard, I was just trying to be friendly. It's been so long since we caught up. Surely, you can spare a few minutes for an old friend."
Richard's expression hardened, and his voice became even colder. "I suggest you find someone else to bother, I have no interest in revisiting the past. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."
With that, he turned his attention back to his lunch, effectively shutting down any further attempts at conversation. She stood there for a moment, clearly stunned by his rejection, before storming off in a huff.
I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over me. It was comforting to see that Richard had no desire to engage with someone as toxic as her. It solidified my initial impression of him as someone who valued his work and was devoted to maintaining a professional environment.
As the lunchroom gradually quieted down and the employees continued their meals, I couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude towards Richard. Not only had he provided me with a delicious meal, but he had also shown me a glimpse of the kind of person he truly was — someone who wouldn't let anyone disrupt his focus or compromise his professionalism.
“Why are you staring at her that way?” Richard asked me, immediately bringing me back to reality as I turned back at him after she left.
“She is such a weird and cunnning human.” I said to him with fake smile plastered on my face.
“Human.” Richard muttered, I shut my mouth with my hands tightly as I realize the huge mistake I had just made.
“Don’t mind my manner of speech Richard, I order to speak in proverb a lot.” I said to him, hoping he would act like I didn’t say anything wrong.
“For a minute there you acted like an alien.” He said and covering up with a silent chuckle.
“I was just joking, but Melissa you need to brace yourself because you aren’t just going to be my secretary but I hope to bag lots of contract with you.” He murmured to me before smiling. Moon goddess, why didn’t you make Richard be a wolf like me so that my chances in surviving would be at a good rate.