Carmen - H.S

Chapter 12

this is an awkward chapter but i haven't updated in like a month so yay. and happy 4 year anniversary! i'm so so proud of them all (especially niall)

Ron was late. He tugged on his coat frantically and patted his pockets, searching for his keys. They weren't there. Swearing violently under his breath, he dashed into his office as rapidly as his huge feet could carry him. He began opening various drawers, shutting them with bangs that punctuated the silence. As hope began seeping from his body, he dropped to his knees and pawed the ground almost blindly. He exhaled shakily and ran a hand through his thinning hair.

A small noise reached his ears. He hadn't even noticed Carmen sitting in her usual spot. She was calmly nestled in her chair, the polar opposite of what he felt now. Her legs were crossed at the ankles, and her hands were laced together in the folds of her lime green mini dress. She seemed to wear a new color every day.

"Hi, Ronnie," she greeted with a small smirk. He narrowed his eyes at her amused expression. He didn't have time to deal with her at the moment.

"What do you want?" he grumbled. Already, irritation was ballooning in his chest, consuming the fervor to locate his keys.

She raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow. "You called me, you fucking idiot."

With a flash of horror, he recalled that he had indeed told Carmen to meet him at his office at three. A glance at the clock revealed that it was 3:07. Damn it, he thought vehemently.

He looked at her. She was still wearing that infuriating grin, as if she enjoyed the strife he was drowning in. This meeting was crucial. But he was supposed to be in Sacramento in less than an hour to recruit new talent. It was his least favorite part of the job. Well really, every part was his least favorite part. He couldn't stay, but he needed to. Why was life so difficult?

Desperately, he glanced out the window that presented a clear view of the wide hallways. Through the transparent glass, he searched frantically for the answer to his prayers, and almost immediately, it strolled by. He groaned aloud even as he made his way to the door. He had no other options.

It wasn't that Ron particularly disliked Harry. He was a fine young man. He worked well with numbers, did what he was told, and never talked back. All admirable traits in Ron's eyes. But he possessed the one constant characteristic that all of his past employees had. He couldn't stand up for himself.

More specifically, he couldn't stand up to Carmen. He knew full well how rude and intimidating she was. She would snap and growl and bite and scratch to get her way, disregarding the fragile emotions of anyone involved. She was childish and careless. That was something he took for an indisputable fact.

She taunted the boy to no end, but he still remained, and that sparked somewhat of a grudging respect for him in Ron. But he absolutely couldn't stand how timid and unassertive he was. He would get pulverized in this industry with an attitude like that. The boy needed to toughen up, and fast. Or else he wouldn't make it another week.

"Harry," he called gruffly. The boy started and looked up at him, like a deer caught in the headlights. That seemed to be his perpetual expression.

"I need you to listen carefully."

Harry nodded a bit uncertainly and stepped forward.

"I'm going to California right now for some recruiting. There's a blue folder on my desk. It has Carmen's schedule for this week in it." Harry paled at the mention of her name, but Ron forged on.

"I need you to read the whole thing to her," he urged sternly. It seemed idiotic, but he knew that he couldn't simply give Carmen the itinerary and expect her to scan it on her own volition. He'd learned that the hard way when she hadn't even bothered to show up to her first three gigs. Somehow she remembered every word spoken to her, which made her disregard for his every demand that much more infuriating.