Chasing Reality

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

My phone buzzes in my bag as I try to get more comfortable sitting in those little vinyl chairs from our conference room. I look apologetically at the people who got distracted because of the buzz as I check my new text message. A frown appears on my face as the screen says 'Unknown sender'. Apparently this mysterious person really likes me because it's the tenth message this week.

I love you .

The message equally freaks me out and makes me want to run away because this proves that I couldn't attract a normal human being, but a creepy dude who wants to stay incognito. I really hope it's an admirer and not a psychotic murderer who wants spill my lungs.

As someone -my director- clears her throat to catch everyone's attention back to where she is sitting, I hide my phone in the purse and chose to ignore the message, again.

"Ladies and gentleman, I appreciate your participation to our meeting. We will start by congratulating the employees who managed to do such a marvelous job at redesigning our main conference room. I would like to invite Miss Jefferson to step on the stage next to me. She is the coordinator and the one who came up with the ideas."

As I clutch my agenda, harder than a rational person should, I glance over at Gina Jefferson aka the amazing employee. She stands up from her seat with a dumb smile on her face. Damn, I hate this creature. We were best friends in the ninth grade but one of us had to be the traitor and leave after finding a more popular person to hang out with. Hint: I'm not the traitor. However, she used to be the smart and neat type while I was the she's-the-school's-tennis-team-captain so let's think she's stupid and bitchy. The surprise came when I gave up on playing professional tennis explaining that it was because of an aggravating injury, and people actually started to pay attention to my ideas and the fact that I wasn't a complete shit head. The truth is that I didn't give up because of an injury, I've actually stopped playing because I was sexually harassed by my coach. He was still young, twenty something years and I was the highschool girl with no friends who played tennis everyday. He began by inviting me at the cinema and when I kept rejecting him he started touching me. Everything was bearable, I felt like a dirty skunk but bearable. I thought I had to endure everything to pursue my dreams, but when he started touching my boobs and ass I couldn't take it anymore. I am such an idiot for not telling my parents back then, maybe they would've moved me to another school. But those silly times are over and look at us now. I'm a prosecutor hired by a very well know law firm while Gina is just an employee from the furniture store and my ex coach still teaches at a local school, far away from here.

"Uhm...we worked very hard and we tried to make this amazing room look more amazing" she stops to laugh like a dying horse " and in the end we got this....uhm...amazing deign idea."

Everyone starts clapping like she just discovered the cure for cancer. Are people usually this pathetic or is this all because her aunt is our director?

"Holy sandwich! I can't even imagine myself clapping for something like this!"

My best friend and co-worker Sasha looks horrified at the stage where Gina grins proudly.

I let out a silent chuckle as I stand up and approach the sea of people who can't wait to get out of this room and forget that this meeting ever happened.

"Miss Shepard! Wait a second."

Geez! Our director, the Traitor Bitch's aunt, looks me up and down and crinkles her overly long and sharp nose, I'm surprised she didn't stab anybody with it yet.

"Yes?"

I try my best to sound cheerful.

"Your skirt is too short."

What? Are you shitting me? My skirt is barely two palms above my knee!

"The are women with shorter skirts."

"We are not paying you to show off your legs."

"Is there any problem?"

I can't even manage to respond because our boss and the firm's creator steps in to help me. Thank God world has normal people as well.

"I was just telling Miss Shepard that her skirt is too short. She's going to give our prestigious company a bad name."

Boss stares coldly at Mrs. Prim.

"She's one of our best prosecutors and she's not even twenty five, Stella. I don't think she needs to dress like an old lady just because she works with one."

Holy shit! This sixty-two-years-old-man saved my butt and pissed Mrs. Prim off. I feel like bowing in front of him in the Japanese way or some shit like that.

"Bernard!"

Mrs. Prim looks hurt.

They start glowering at each other .

Wait! Something it's really wrong. They way Boss stares at her...and her boobs...and her...oh my God they are having an affair and I'm caught between them. Un-fucking-believable.

So the old man didn't help me, he did all of those to get her attention.

"I'll leave now."

I announce as I turn and head to my office. Just let me leave and forget this.

"I want to talk to you in my office, Ms. Shepard."

I sigh. Please tell me he's not going to fire me because he couldn't get that hag to be hot 'n' heavy for him. And all because of this damn skirt.

I walk toward Bernard's office door with him a few steps behind him.

As he sits on his leather armchair he motions at the seat in front him. This is clearly important judging his expression.

"I think you need a holiday, Havana."

Oh so now I'm Havana.

"Why? I'm not tired."

"Yes. Yes you are. Your work used to be flawless, irreproachable but I saw you spacing out in the last week."

Well, that's because all of you shoved Gina in my face. Besides this, if I really did space out it's because I keep receiving those weird messages from an unknown person. If this keeps going on I'm definitely going at the police station. I can't risk my career because of a lunatic.

"I'm sorry. I'll--"

"I'm not saying this because I have the sudden feeling to scold you, dear. You need some time outside work and this is not a suggestion, it's an order. A few weeks won't harm anyone and as I know, you don't have any cases at the moment. So why bother coming at work?"

This can't be happening.

"Are you firing me?"

He lets out an irritated sigh.

"No, Havana. I'm not firing you. I'm requesting you to take a break from work. Dammit. I'll call you if anything shows up."

When he clears his throat I realize I'm gaping at him in horror. Maybe I'm wrong but I think this is the beginning of my life failure.

"You're dismissed."

***

In less then an hour I exit the huge building, but my shock vanished. I only feel rage. If I would've focused more on my work and less on Gina, none of this would've ever happen. But thinking more clearly, that's how I failed at playing tennis as well. I ignored my injury and kept playing because I wanted to prove some stupid shit to my idiotic coach, something like : I don't need you and your help asshole.

A loud buss horn announced its approach and wakes me up from my contemplation. Maybe this is just one of those weird dreams when you wake up and everything goes back to normal.

So why bother being all sad and bitchy? I have a shitload of free time and the best way to start a vacation is a little workout at the gym. Soooo first stop home and then gyyyym!