Chagrin Confessions

Chapter Eleven: Pandora's box.

For Orchid_27, a brave and strong woman.

This song is awesome af. You'll know why I think it suits this chapter.

   ▪ Meanwhile, back in New York. ▪

"Cassie. Julie needs you in her office."

I look up from my laptop monitor, pushing my glasses further up my nose, and find Julie's personal assistant, Laura, standing beneath the doorframe and halfway into my office. She's a lovable, mousy-figured mother-of-two, with a compassionate personality and a witty sense of humour.

"What, now?"

"Yes dear, now. She looks livid, so be careful. I know you like to run that tongue of yours around her. But getting under her skin now would only be poking the she-devil in the ass."

"But she likes being poked in the ass."

"Not your type of poking, you wicked girl." She grins, winking.

A few months ago, Laura answered a phone call in the Ice Queen's office, while she was out. Before she got a word in the phone call, the male voice dripping with sex on the line had already talked, telling poor little Laura that she's been a naughty kitten for not calling him soon, and that she'd need another rough spanking. Needless to say, Laura barely managed squeaking out a reply, telling him that Julie is out of the office and that she'd pass his message once she gets back. During a late night out drinking, she blabbed out the whole incidence to me.

Locking my laptop, I get out of the comfort of my warm seat and head towards the wicked witch's office, mentally preparing myself from the inevitable scolding I'm going to get because of the whole Gala fiasco.

Sooo worth it.

Laura opens the door, popping her head in to notify Julie that I'm here.

"Hey Julie, you wanted to see me?"

"Sit down." She says, pursing her lips.

I move towards her mahogany desk, sitting on one of the two leather chairs placed in front of it, facing her frigid, grim face.

"Your repugnant behaviour in the Gala dinner towards some of the magazine's most important stakeholders is grounds for disciplinary action. I've never been more appalled with a member of my staff. You were incredibly disrespectful," she sneers, with ice in her tone.

Suddenly, her rigid posture relaxes and - almost unbelievably - a smile forms on her face. She moves her posture forward, placing a sheet of statistics on the polished desk towards me. "Over the weekend I was debating whether to fire you, or downgrade your position in the magazine to that of an editor's assistant. This morning, however, your guardian angel pulled through."

She motions towards the sheet. I reach out for it to read the contents, while she continues talking.

"The sales for this month's issue has been sky-rocketing over the weekend, these statistics show that we've sold more in one weekend than we have last month. Our market research team investigated a few vendors for feedback this morning, and from what they've found out, your column is the reason behind the sudden incremental up-rise in sales."

I'm gobsmacked. My eyebrows furrow at the sheet in my trembling hands. The horizontal growth in statistics shows a thirty percent increase, and this only in the duration of two days. This is because my column?