Armageddon

VI

Making my way to my cubicle, I don't miss the awkward stares I get from my colleagues. I know I'm dressed professionally, my period passed a few days ago, and I'm on time! So, what is the big deal?

The girl from yesterday makes her way to my desk.

"Hey; what's up with everyone googling me?" I ask when she makes it.

"Charlene called for you."

I take a look at my wristwatch. 08:28.

Shit!

"How long ago?"

"Quite a while. Just go now. You don't want to end up on her bad side."

Taking the elevator to her floor, I will it to go faster and pray Charlene's in a good mood; but she looks like one of those people that are never in a good mood. I hope my observation is wrong!

I knock on the door and wait outside for a minute before a cold voice invites me in. Stepping inside, I am met with Charlene glaring at me with her lips curled in a disapproving frown. In front of her is a man with an athletic build focussed on his mobile. The tattoos on his neck and that slick hair on his head leave no doubt as to who it is.

"I see you chose to disobey me, Miss Brown?" she quips coldly, her voice clear as she loses the mumble from yesterday.

"I'm really sorry, Charlene. I totally forgot-"

She laughs slowly, in a low voice, though I'm not convinced of her amusement. "You forgot? I heard you got a written warning yesterday; surely another one wouldn't make much of a difference."

At this, the man turns to look at me, his bottom lip caught between his teeth to hide his amusement. "I'm sorry. It'll never happen again."

"It better not. Sit down; I don't have time for this." She does very little to soften her glare as I follow her instruction. "This is Alejandro García. You know him because you've worked with him. I think his introduction to the fans is the most important project we have right now. What do you have for him?"

Sitting next to Alejandro, my senses are overcome by the almost faint scent of birch and patchouli emanating from him. It's so faint I wonder if I'm imagining it, and my nose discreetly searches for the scent. I feel tingles run up and down my body as I feel his heat just pour itself onto me as though it's been waiting for me.

Is he as aware of my presence as I am of his?

I steal a quick glance at him: he's completely focused on the text messages on his phone. His muscles bunched under the short sleeve of his t-shirt, his tattoos enjoy full exposure.

'qui audet adipiscitur'

'llibertat' - accompanied by a butterfly

'ΑΝ ΠΡΕΠΕΙ ΝΑ ΤΡΒΟΥΜΕ ΓΙΑ ΝΑ ΖΗΣΕΤΕ ΝΑ ΣΤΑΘΕΙ-'

"Miss Brown, you are skating on thin ice as it is," Charlene warns me, to which Alejandro shifts his focus to me, his lips curving at one side in a smirk.

I fish my notes out of my bag and clear my throat lightly before starting: "I agree that Alejandro's campaign should take priority, but I think we should run two campaigns instead of one. I think it's important that we introduce him to fans of football, and a Guess Jeans promotion would work well to that end. But - and maybe more importantly - Alejandro has facial features and a body that make him a great candidate for 'sex symbol' status. To that end, a Calvin Klein promotion could expose him to a primarily female audience that will undoubtedly make him a global superstar. And he can't be accused of selling out by his more masculine fanbase as he would be promoting men's underwear.