Scarlet Desires (Sample)

Chapter Seven

Rosalie could not breathe. She was almost hyperventilating and she felt the urgent need for a brown bag to breathe in and pull herself together. She swallowed hard and it hurt, for her throat had suddenly gone dry. She felt dizzy from being nervous and she doubted she wouldn't collapse soon. She wanted to flee; but who fled when the CEO was about addressing the staff? She'd be fired. Of course, she'd be fired! She realized that all the while she had been talking on phone to Marcy and speaking uncouth about the CEO, he had been standing right next to her all along. She had insulted him at the mall and had embarrassed him in the elevator. Good lord! She really needed to stop skipping going regularly to church on Sundays, it seemed like the devil was really at work in her life and had set out with the utmost goal to destroy her.

She had acted unruly with the CEO, had affronted him and today, she was going to pack up and leave the firm forever. What should she do? What should she do? She panicked. Maybe, she should hide from his view. There were almost a hundred staff on this floor and he'd not be able to single her out that easily. Please, God, give me the common sense to control this untamed tongue of mine. She prayed. She couldn't remember the last time she had prayed. Her mother was a catholic but Rosalie just gibbered any prayer that came to mind. She repeated several it times in her mind and begged God to wipe out the memory of her from the CEO's mind and he shouldn't even remember that they had met before nor that she had been so insolent to him twice.

Marcy turned slightly to smile at her. "Isn't he adorable? Just look at those eyes... He's not an old coot after all."
Rosalie didn't reply, she was pale with fear. When Marcy noticed how she was gripping the edge of her window frame in a death-like manner and that even her knuckles had gone white, her smile was instantly replaced with worry. "Are you okay?"

Rosalie shuddered. The boss was still speaking on behalf of the CEO who was busy scanning the staff keenly. Her lips trembled and she shifted out of view. Marcy was still not tall enough to shield her from his view, so Rosalie peeled off her heel shoes and nudged them away with her foot after balancing on the bare floor and sighed in relief when she realized that Marcy's body could partially shield her now. "Remember the dude I told you I met at the mall..." She began nervously. "...and the elevator mate that was insufferable, that is him." She gestured with her chin at the CEO.

"Oh-my-God!" Marcy turned slowly to look at the CEO. "He has been the one all along?!"

"I had no idea." Rosalie whined and sucked in her lower lip and watched Marcy pick up her phone and furtively began to type on it. "What are you doing?" She craned her neck to see what Marcy was typing.

"The girls need to hear this." Marcy said and soon, Rosalie's phone beeped quietly on her table. Marcy's message appeared on her screen with her WhatsApp logo. Marcy had sent a message into the group chat they had made for just the four of them and it read;
Hey girls, you wouldn't believe it, Rosalie's elevator mate is the CEO.

Rosalie exhaled sharply and looked up at Marcy then whispered. "You really had to do that?"

Marcy shrugged innocently. "They have to know what mess you have gotten yourself into."

Rosalie glanced at Trish and Clenora and discovered that they had their heads down, obviously reading Marcy's message.
Were ya stoned or something?! You were rude to the CEO...gal, what were ya thinking?! Clenora's message popped up on her screen.