MAYA 2 - A Hidden KEY-

Chapter 27

Jin's Pov

June 29th Tuesday 3pm.

Honeysuckle. Lemon drops. Blood orange. This wasall I could smell, breathe, taste. Carmen had fumigated the entiredepartment with her incense. For good luck, was her excuse for thesweet smelling funk. When I asked her why the need for good luck,she hushed me.

'You haven't met Mason in big meetings yet.' Shewarned me cooly 'Our Boss is not human without daily caffeine injections, and his PA is not the brightest of the bunch here.so...for good luck.' Nevertheless I couldn't care if she'd shoved her good luck down my throat. All I could think of, was that video.

But i'd have to put my feelings aside. the teeth-grinding meeting wasgoing to begin soon enough, and everyone's nerves were already tense.
Unfortunately, it was obvious,all clientele of our Boss would suffer the brunt of his rage today.

Not unless one of us, came upwith the perfect article idea. Something that I myself, was counting on as a intern this summer. No more batista jobs for me after this gets done. It's all underway.

'Anyone know where Boss is?' Someone grunted.

'Or his PA for that matter?' another chippedin
'Is that what they're calling the other woman these days?' Yuka murmured a little too loudly for her company's liking. For the first time since I came here, everyone turned to look near me, in my face,not at my shoes, or at my hands, but eye to eye.

Then I realised. She was here. Halfway through the door.And she heard me.
His PA, nowfully ready to throttle me with her eyes, used all her willpower towithdraw her cat claws and sit down silently. Everyone not so subtlyglanced over her side of the table. No Coffee.

My co-workers facesbegan to age very quickly. I on the other hand opened my Binders andmentally recited my lines. This had to work.

Not a moment later Mason appeared, growling thathe was in a foul mood so we better have something great to give him.Mason was a tight lipped ,hawk eyed bird. Omitting conversation withhim seemed like a suicide mission. But that was something I had to bewilling to take.

The department had never seen a morning sothreateningly quiet. No one wanted to be the one who spoke up first.Everyone bowed their heads as if in prayer for their lives or betteryet, their jobs.

The PA's deer eyes widened with confusion. What did she do wrong? She didn't know. No one ever corrected her,in the end.

'I need a coffee.' She thought out loud to herself.

Mason averted his already pissed-looking face back to his stupid assistant, but to noavail, didn't say anything.

'So.' He sighed.

'What have you guysgot for me?'

'Well, for starters,here's a coffee sir.' I take out my secret weapon with a little lessconfidence then i'd initially expected.

'Black, no sugar, yourexact preference I presume.'

Mason's face crinkles into a somewhat friendly smile. 'Well, it's nice to know that someonearound here has more than one working brain cell, let's hope you havemore than one idea to deliver to the table as well.'

I looked at him,silently praying that I was about to do the right thing. Here'shoping.

'Well, I actuallythink I have a pin on a story, it was anonymously sent to the office department this week, I think it could help the bureaucratic case youwanted us to write about ,concerning the Kirencho Family.'

The entire room washushed in expectancy.

Mason's brows wereraised. 'I'm intrigued, if you have the evidence to back this findingup, i'd be willing to consider it for the paper.'

He took a sip of theCoffee, and his eyes grew darker.

I weakly smiled,pushing the Usb towards him. 'Only one way to find out.'