hidden | ethma

five

i walk into mr. greenman's office wednesday afternoon and put the edited manuscript down on his desk. he takes it into his hands, a shocked look on his face.

"wow, emma," he says. "i didn't expect you to be done editing this until thursday, at least."

i smile, pride swelling inside me. "i work fast," i say.

"i hope it's as well edited as it is prompt," he says.

"i don't think you'll be disappointed."

"confident. you're making a good impression on me, miss chamberlain."

"thank you."

he opens the manuscript. "i will go over this and get back to you as soon as i can," he says.

i nod and exit his office.

i decide to reward myself for finishing my first manuscript by stopping at the break room to get a soda.

i open the fridge and peruse the racks before settling on a diet coke. i hum quietly to myself as i shut the fridge, turning to see ethan leaning against it as i shut the door. i scream a bit and drop my soda on the floor.

ethan smirks.

"why did you scare me?" i snap at him as i bend down to retrieve my soda.

"because you're very unsuspecting," he replies.

i grimace. "thanks," i say sarcastically.

i push past him and walk out of the break room. unfortunately, he catches up to me.

"congrats on finishing your first manuscript," he says

"whatever."

"a thank you would suffice."

"don't you have work to do?" i ask, stopping and turning to face him annoyed.

"sure i do."

"then go do it," i say through gritted teeth.

"i'd rather not," he says, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

i roll my eyes. "how do you even keep your job?"

"ah," he says, taking my soda from me and tapping his finger on the top.

"i'm damn good at it."

i snatch back my soda. "arrogant, much?"

"no, just accurate."

i huff and walk away again, making way back to my desk. i slide into my seat and put my head in my hands, thoroughly annoyed with ethan and his teasing. ethan's wide smile doesn't diminish as he gets into his own seat.

"you don't want to open up that soda yet, love, it'll explode from the fall," he says.

"shut up," i snap and open the manuscript i got from mr. greenman earlier.

this seems to amuse ethan more as he spins in his chair, a current of air being blown out from his lips in boredom. jesy hands him a paper across his desk and he picks it up, eyes trailing over it.

"you've got to be kidding," he says, jolting up from his seat. the paper wrinkles in his fist as he marches into mr. greenman's office, leaving the rest of us shocked. the door slams behind him.

"what did the paper say?" zeke asks jesy.

"nothing out of the ordinary," she replies. "just the budget cut percentages the company has to make."

i shrug it off and eye my soda. i decide to wait a while longer to open it.

a few moments later, distinct yelling is heard from mr. greenman's office.

"these cuts are too big! if we make them now, the company will be out of money in three years. we can afford to make smaller ones!" i recognize ethan's deep jersey accent.

"this is the smarter route in the long term, we'll make the money back by the end of the year and it will be fine. you don't know what you're talking about-"

"do you want to be out of money in three years? that's three more years of work for all of us, and then we'll all be laid off!"

"how do you know your calculations are accurate?"

there's pause. "i'm taking this to crystal."

"dolan-"

ethan bursts out of the office, cheeks pink with anger. we all watch as he storms past marion's desk and out the doors, into the elevator.

zeke chuckles. "ethan and his temper," he says.

"why is he so mad over budget cuts?" i ask. "it seems so petty."

zeke shrugs. "he's very concerned about his job."

i snort. "doesn't seem like it."

"he may not be on task most of the time, but he's damn smart. barely needs a calculator for anything. he's kind of a math whiz."

this news shocks me. ethan doesn't seem like the type of person to be a 'math whiz'.

i turn back to my manuscript and click open my editing pen.

three o'clock rolls around and ethan still isn't back. he's been away for a good hour and a half. it makes me wonder what's happening.

"miss chamberlain," mr. greenman calls from his office.

i cautiously stand from my desk and walk up to him.

"the manuscript you edited was fantastic," he says. "i'd like the CEO to read it for the final say before we begin publishing. do you mind taking it to mr. crystal two floors up? usually marion does it when we have all the manuscripts edited for the week, but i believe he'd like to meet you."

i nod. he smiles and hands me the folder.

i try to shake the nervous jitters inside of me as i walk into the elevator, the heels of my pumps clicking against the tile floor.

i walk into the office of mr. crystal, a receptionist greeting me.

"emma chamberlain," i say. "mr. greenman sent me up here."

she nods. "i believe mr. dolan is still in there with him, do you mind waiting?"

"i just need to drop this off. i'll be quick."

she nods, pursing her lips. "all right, go on in."

as i walk down the hall to mr. crystal's office, i hear ethan's loud voice. i swallow as i knock lightly on the door and enter the office.