Jo Goes To Paris

Chapitre Un

A strong woman; determined, self-confident, independent and elegant. The kind of woman who turns a man’s head just by the way she walks, and conquers his heart by the way she talks.

Well, that was not Johanna Seymour. At least, not at first impression.

“Seymour, are you done with the report?” her boss asked, approaching her desk, her eyes undeniably angry behind the thick Prada glasses.

“It will be done in fifteen minutes, Mrs. Douglas.” She replied, nervously.

“Fifteen minutes… You know how to piss me off! I’ve been asking for this all day!” Her boss huffed,  as she walked away with her newly acquired high heels making an extremely irritating noise.

Johanna sighed, passing her fingers through her long dark hair, trying not to pull it out from frustration; every day it was the same thing. Her boss loved to demand things from her in the rudest way possible, and she was never pleased with anything.

“I can’t believe you let this woman talk to you like this!” Amber, her best friend and co-worker whispered once Mrs. Douglas was far away. “Jo, she has no respect! She’s just being a b…”

“Well, I need the job.”  Johanna replied, quickly typing her report. Amber did not insist, seeing that Johanna was not willing to change her mind and confront her boss.

But it was very frustrating. Johanna was not at all an uneducated woman. She was the Head of the Publicity Department for a great English fashion magazine,  the Cosmo Magazine, and there was no doubt she knew how to do her job. Unfortunately, for being in such position, she was also closer to Emily Douglas, the intimidating and hateful director of the company. Johanna hated how her boss would diminish her in front of her whole crew, but she had no other choice; the pay was too good and enabled her to keep a comfortable flat in Mayfair and her addiction for brand name shoes.

“Well, just a bit more now…”

Just when she finished typing it and was ordering the printing, happy with herself, her cell phone rang, showing on its screen the picture of her boyfriend, Greg. With a smile, she made a sign for Amber indicating she would take it  in private.

“Hey, honey!” She picked up once she reached the small coffee room next to her office.

“Hey… Jo, I need to talk to you.”

“Right now? I’m a tad busy, sweetheart, you know, my boss…” She replied, picking up a small cup of coffee.

“Then I’ll be quick.” He said. “Jo, I’m leaving you.”

Johanna dropped the coffee cup on the floor, shocked. “You’re what?!”

“Sorry, Jo. Just couldn’t find a better way of doing this. It’s over.”

“Are you serious? Like this? Over the phone?!”

“You know I hate drama.”

“You hate drama? This is a three-year relationship we’re talking about! I don’t deserve any consideration?! You can’t even look at my face to dump me?”

“It would not help, Jo. Better if we just stay apart.”

She started to cry, trying her best not to let her sobs be too loud.

“Why, Greg…?”

“Look, it’s just not working anymore, okay? You can’t force me to be with someone I don’t love.”

“Greg, please…” Johanna cried. “Is it something I’ve done? What’s wrong? Please don’t do this…”

“See, this is exactly why I’m doing this over the phone. It’s just over, Jo! I have to go now… good luck, okay? Bye”

“Greg, WAIT!” She screamed, but it was too late, he had hung up on her. Jo tried to call him back several times, but every time it would go to voice mail.

“No, this just can’t be happening…”

But it was, and Johanna knew very well it was not a nightmare. She looked down to the spilled coffee on the floor, and realised she was still at work.

“Oh my, I must hand that report to Mrs. Douglas now!”

Still shaking, she quickly cleaned the floor with a few paper towels and ran back to the office, well aware her hazel eyes were swollen and red.

“Jo, what’s the matter?!” Amber asked, surprised. “Mrs. Douglas was here a few minutes ago... Are you alright? What happened? Why are you crying?”

“I’m alright, Amber.” Johanna quickly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “Where is the report?”

“It’s here, I just stapled the sheets for you.” Amber handed her the report. “Are you going to tell me…?”

“Later, Amber, I promise.” Grabbing the report, she quickly walked in the direction of her boss’ office, hoping she would not be in a bad mood.

Before Johanna could reach the door, though, Mrs. Douglas stomped from the room] , furiously.

“Ha! There you are, Seymour!” she shouted. “Where the hell have you been?! Where is the report?!”

“It… It’s here, Mrs. Douglas...”

The boss grabbed the papers angrily, and briefly passed through the pages.

“You call this a report, Seymour? What do you think you’re doing?! This is garbage!”

Johanna tried to defend herself, but the woman was angry beyond limits.

“You had all day and you hand me this?!  Seymour, what is the matter with you, how could you possibly believe you could just give me this and get away with it?!”

“Mrs. Douglas, if you could please read, I explained pretty well about the Adams deal…”

“I don’t care, Seymour! You will have to stay here until you make a decent report, you hear me?!”

That was too much for Johanna. She looked at her hateful boss scolding her, and felt all her repressed anger coming up.

“You know what, Mrs. Douglas? I will not stay here tonight!”

The woman stopped talking, surprised.

“What did you just say, Seymour?”

“I am not staying. I am not redoing this. I am sick of this.” Johanna took a deep breath. “I quit.” Amber gasped, and the whole office was silent, seeing for the first time Johanna standing up for herself.

“Oh, don’t be stupid, Seymour.” Mrs. Douglas said sarcastically. “You can’t possibly think I believe this.”

“Well, too bad you don’t. You will have to see it, then. I won’t work for a bitch who doesn’t know about respect.”

Mrs. Douglas ’ round face turned red. “How dare you…?!”

“I dare because I can!”

Johanna went to her desk, grabbed her purse and her main belongings, ignoring Amber’s shocked gaze.

“And you know what else? Those Prada glasses make you look like an old owl.”

That said, she left the room, knowing very well her life had turned upside down within an hour.

“Oh, well. At least I know what’s coming next.”