andrea
"Thank you for the wonderful lunch," I said to Mr. Horan just as we left the restaurant, his well-polished shoes always a few steps ahead of my own. "I believe in having the best for all employees, Miss Byrne. You are certainly no exception. That is something you will come to learn - everyone in H&Co. is treated equally," He replies, getting into the car in one quick movement.
1:26pm. To say I was nervous for the first meeting I would attend with Mr. Horan was an understatement. I had far surpassed the definition of being 'nervous'. If I didn't know any better, I could possibly resort to jumping off a cliff to resolve my anxiety. I had to make a good impression - there was no way I was going to survive a week without presenting a perfect little image of me. Of course, I was everything but what I'd regard as 'perfect'.
"Make sure every single person has a copy of the documents, Andrea. Don't be late or we may rethink our choices of hiring you. Big people we're seeing today," He spoke bluntly, not bothering to even look me in the eye as he said so. "Yes, Mr. Horan," I gulped, the pressure unknowingly added onto my shoulders. The car ride was filled with a certain unnecessary tension. Simply awful.
* * *
The meeting was a success. It flowed as it should have and nothing went off-track, thank goodness. It was like a huge sigh of relief. My phone vibrated in the pocket of my jacket as we exited the conference room, politely excusing myself from the group of businessmen in tailored suits.
"Hello?" I answered, eyes darting from Mr. Horan to the group of men being escorted to the lobby. He signalled for me to enter his office after I ended my call. I nodded, smiling faintly as the plum lipstick I wore faded into the cracks of my lips.
"Andrea, it's Emily. Dad's in the hospital, he just got back from his trip. You need to come over now," She cried, her sniffing so loud it clogged my brain cells. My sister and her feelings somehow always got to me. I was sure he would be fine. Old men and their illnesses. "I'll try to come over soon. It's my first day, Emily, I don't know if my boss will let me, but I'll try."
I brisk-walked towards Mr. Horan's office, heels clicking against the marble floor. He nodded at me through the glass door, representing his consent. I drew in a deep breath, not quite sure how to phrase my request. "Could I-" "Good job today, Andrea. But I'll need you to file these all up by six. Oh, what was it you were 'bout to say?" God, how was I going to deliver even the slightest clue of a request?
"Mr. Horan, my father just got admitted to the hospital. I need to rush over," I explained, fingers twiddling with the hem of my skirt. "Alright. The papers can wait. Get the driver to send us over, I'll go with you. Haven't seen your father in a long time," He speaks, loosening his tie.
"It's fine, Mr. Horan, you really don't have to," I smiled, thanking him for his kind thought. In reality, I just didn't want him seeing my sister. I always had this jealousy bubbling within me about Emily. Just nineteen and furthering her education but already able to unleash the monster within me. She was so horribly fantastic.. It drove me insane. "I insist, Andrea," Mr. Horan retaliates, his voice low and demanding. "Let's go."
I could only nod in silence, my cheeks tinted a blood red as he opened the door for me, ushering me out of his office. Sometimes his 'niceness' made me slightly worried. Bosses don't offer to meet your father on your first day at work, do they?
* * *
Her blonde hair swept over her right shoulder, arms crossed over her chest as she paced up and down the corridor. Her jeans fit snugly on her legs. Emily was what I'd like to call a god-send of a sister. To say I hated her would be a hyperbole. I didn't. I loved Emily Byrne, but who doesn't ever face sibling rivalry? It didn't help that she was so little and adored by all. I wouldn't be surprised if this man, six years her senior, fancied her too. Everyone did.
"Drea," She sighed, her words hardly audible. She engulfed me in a hug, standing on her toes. Surprisingly enough, I was taller than her, still. She pulled away from our little reunion to take a look at Mr. Horan, as he awkwardly stood by the seating area nearby. "I'm sorry. You must be Drea's boyfriend. I'm Emily," Emily laughed, walking up to shake his hand.
"Emily! Mr. Horan's my boss. Please, have some self-control," I said through gritted teeth, giving her the signal to 'cut it'. "No worries, Miss Byrne. Pleasure meeting Emily, haven't seen you in a while, darling," Mr. Horan brushes it off once again like it was nothing. I was one to remember things. Sometimes a little too well - I remembered criticism, rules, secrets once told by a now-blurred face. And jokes about my boss being my 'boyfriend' was one of them.
Emily let out a choked, forced laugh as she walked towards the ward, signalling for us to follow her. The room was quiet, much like my childhood home. There was always a certain lack of happiness and anything to do with children. It was as if my father turned our home into his second office, nothing play-related to be found in any corner of the house. The ward only seemed like a reflection of it - morbid, bleak. Dark.
"Father, Andrea and Mr. Horan are here to see you," Emily speaks in a soft voice, standing by my father's bed. He looked as strong as ever, only a little more haggard and worn out than usual. He smiled, the wrinkles on his face more prominent as he did so. "Niall, it's good to see you, son," My father grinned as Mr. Horan approached him. I never knew they had such a great relationship, but it was definitely drilled into our heads throughout our lives that he had always wanted a son.
"It's very nice to see you again, Sir," He smiled, revealing his perfect teeth that I'm sure Emily was swooning over. My father nodded, before looking towards me. "Now, Andrea, if this boy does you any harm, you come and look for me. I'll be sure to have his head off within minutes," My father jokes, patting Niall on the back. "That'll never happen, I promise," Mr. Horan, or as I've come to know, Niall, responds with a charismatic smirk.
"Well you'd better not have any ill intentions, because I still remember little old Niall proclaiming his love for our Andrea here when he was eight on tape," Father smiles yet again as he thought about our past. He was never home, but when he was, Niall's family usually was around too. It was somewhere down the road that they drifted apart.
"Sir, your daughter is undeniably charming, I think I had rather good taste for a four-year-old, huh," Niall runs his fingers through the hairs on his head, smiling cheekily.
Oh, I remember him now. And I doubt he's changed much at all.
