June rolled around.
School finally finished and I walked down the podium to receive my business degree. I was officially an adult, ready to do adult things, like find a job and find out what I was doing for the rest of my life. No big deal, except I had no idea what I wanted to do. I never thought I’d reach that point.
School was all I knew.
Grandpa was real proud of me. He wanted me to join him at his firm and perhaps get some “real world” experience. I was to start work at Evans Inc. alongside my grandfather on Monday morning.
Grandpa dealt with international business, hence why I graduated with a business degree. Ever since I can remember I wanted to walk and talk like my grandfather, I wanted to have the same swagger as him. The way he would command a room full of people, the way he lead with experience, knowledge and compassion. Grandpa was my hero.
I was over the moon about all the thing I would be learning.
**October**
He was threatening me.
“You lack the experience little princess! You act like a battleaxe who tells me what to do, in your pathetic determination trying to frighten me!”
He was yelling by this point.
“You would do better to be my arm candy than my advisor, maybe you should pull up your skirt higher so I can see your tight ass. Maybe you can show me what you’re capable of in the bedroom or my kitchen. After I am done with your pretty little ass I’ll let the rest of my men enjoy you too!”
I saw red.
With that I stood up, gathered my files and prepared to leave. But I couldn’t leave before I put this pathetic excuse of a man in his place.
“Vulgarity is no substitute for wit Mr. Taylor.”
“I hope as the leader of a young nation you have got a piece of paper and are writing out your resignation. Because if you want to know what misogyny looks like, you don’t need to look further, you need a mirror.”
With that I swiftly left the room but not before I slammed the door as hard as I could.
I was shaking, all I could do was walk as fast as I could. I needed to get out of that conference room.
This was only supposed to be an advisory meeting with one of Evans Inc.’s biggest offshore accounts. My team was in New York meeting with the president of Miyan, rich with oil and other opulent natural resource this nation asked our firm for help in creating a plan for their new found wealth.
Waiting for the elevator to arrive was like torture and once it arrived I couldn’t wait for the doors to shut, I kept pressing the close button as hard as I could. Finally it began to move down from the 82nd floor.
As the box of steel was moving down I hit the emergency button and the box halted to a stop. I was breathing heavy, I closed my eyes and slid down to the floor of the lift trying to calm myself down while counting down in my head. 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13…
“Excuse me, are you ok?”
…12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7-
“Hey, are you ok?”
Someone was touching my shoulder, opening my eyes I saw someone leaning over me. I had to take a couple deep breaths before I could give a coherent response.
He was asking “Are you ok? Why’d you stop the elevator?” Do I know that voice?
I picked myself off the floor of the box and stood up facing the stranger.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t notice anyone was in the lift with me.” Have I met this man before?
“Yes, I was in here before you got on, do you need some help?” He offered
“Thank you, I’m fine. I was just threatened by a warlord for trying to help his country and I flipped him off. He might send some assassins to my hotel later.” I don’t know why I was saying this to him.
I know I’ve seen him somewhere.
His eyes widened and now he was looking at me as if I had gone completely crazy.
There was another voice, this one was coming from the elevator. Someone was asking if there was an emergency.
“Everything is fine, it was just an accident can you restart the lift please?” The stranger with the voice was saying.
I needed to pull myself back together and deal with what I went through later, one dilemma at a time.
“Now, tell me what this warlord told you that upset you so much, Miss?” the stranger was asking me.
The box began to move again slowly down.
“He threatened to rape me…” My cheeks were wet and my vision blurred. I didn’t know I was crying. Next thing I know this man was holding my hand and pulling me into a hug.
“I’m so sorry, he’s no man.” He said.
The elevator dinged and the door began to slide open.
He let go of me and helped me gather up my brief case and the papers that had flown out.
He handed me some papers back outside in the busy hall way. His hand was on my shoulder and gently squeezing. “Are you sure you are alright miss?”
I nodded in response to his question.
“I’m Chase, and if you need anything please let me know and I’ll do my best to help you out” His hand dropped from my shoulder and was extended towards me in a hand shake.
I shook his big hand and thanked him.
I definitely know this man, I just don’t know from where.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name miss.”
“Oh, it’s Eliya. Eliya Evans.”
“Nice to meet you Miss Eliya Evans. Would you mind accompanying me to get some coffee and walking me through your very scary situation?”
I nodded yes and we both walked out into the October afternoon to get coffee.
YOU ARE READING
Not a backup plan.
Fantasía“I’m pretty sure he's dead.” I said to Chase as a man calling himself my “father” walked towards us. Chase was being pulled away from my arms by several men that looked more like walls of meat than men. I was suddenly picked up off my feet. I panick...
