The Reluctant Assistant - Book One

Bluff 4

"You did that?" Tilly asked in awe. They were sitting in his flat, empty beer bottles littering the table, with two boxes of pizza.

"Shit Ray. You've got a set of steel balls on you!" Hector shook his head. His eyes already cloudy from all the alcohol.

"And he wanted to fire half of the company because you resigned? Tilly asked in again in disbelief. "Wow, you have power." 

"You're losing focus here," he admonished them. "He didn't even know my fucking name after six years of blood, sweat and tears!"

"And that too." Tilly poured a shot of tequila and handed it to him. "but just imagine the shit you can ask for. I mean it sounds like he will do anything to keep you." she shook her head again looking at Raymond.

"She's right Ray. Milk him for everything and then you take us all on a holiday with that ransom money." Hector was now dangerously swaying.

"You're a moron Hector." he said before downing his shot.

"It's like a bad marriage gone wrong." Hector continued as if he wasn't interrupted. "As the work wife, you should get half of what he owns!" he jabs at Raymond, almost falling over in the process.

"God, I'm glad I don't work on your floor. Things must be really stressful these days." Tilly shuddered at the thought. "Are you already looking for another job?"

"No, I haven't gotten that far yet. I was just so pissed off that he didn't know my name, that I threw out the first thing that came to mind. Unfortunately, I will now have to stick to my guns and lay in the bed that I had made." he sighed, lifting his beer glass again.

"You'll be fine!" Tilly assured him. "And even if you don't get anything, you can always renegotiate the T's and C's with you know who." Raymond had made them swear at the start of the night that they would not say Jackson's name at all. "Just stick to your guns. He'll crumble soon enough, the selfish ratbag!"

Spending the rest of the night laying into Jackson, Raymond stumbled to his bed in the early hours of the morning, after the others had left. 

When he woke the next day, he knew that something was off. The sun was streaming through the small window in his room, which made him sit straight up in bed. Looking for his phone under the pillows, he finally found it at the foot of the mattress where he must have kicked it during the course of the night, dead.

"Shit!" he cussed as he jumped out of bed stumbling to get to the bathroom. He was so late that he didn't think about what he was pulling out of the closet. Grabbing his coffee in his thermos mug, he rushed out of the door as soon as he saw the cab pulling up in the parking lot. There was no point in going to Jackson's place now, he thought, finally turning his phone on that was now connected to his power bank.

"Shit!!" he swore under his breath. Fifteen missed calls  and a whole string of threatening messages. Deciding not to answer, he jumped out of the cab, once they had drawn up in front of the building. Getting off the elevator, Raymond was out of breath, sure that his face was red and sweaty. Dumping his mug and postman's bag on his desk, he rushed into Jackson's office, still breathing hard from the running.

"Is this the time to get here?" Jackson asked with a raised eyebrow, as soon as Raymond came to a halt in front of his desk "I know that you've handed in your resignation Raymond, but you still have work to do."

"I'm sorry Mr. Dealer, it won't happen again." Raymond mumbled looking at the floor in shame.

"I'll forgive you this once, if you retract that stupid letter and call me Jackson." he smiled as Raymond's head shot up.