There was smoke, smoke everywhere.
It clouded her vision.
Stacks and stacks, with men working clusters- hacking at the same own steel as it reacted back in a certain spark. As they walked further inside the building amidst all industrial work the scene morphed around her into a light pastel walls building. There were men lined up at desks. It almost looked like a school, only boring and no one was any fun. All the men looked mean and worn out; and they all have a strict straight face. Almost like Jasper- who was almost inhumane.
"How yer doin' old scary scandral!" a scraggly old man flocked up to him beat him on the shoulder. He almost sounded like a pirate.
Jasper's lips lifted up into a smile. One smile.
"I'm not old," he said sorely. "Scary, maybe"
"Beauty lies within the eye of the beholder they say aye?"
With a chuckle he turned face to face with Vivian. Scraggly the old man was, but his height till beat hers by a margin. "And who's this young man?" he scanned her up and down, grabbing and slapping her cheeks. "My, my, you have soft features for quite a small man like yourself. Have you considered dieting?"
Vivian frowned. There went her self esteem.
"No need to insult the young man," Jasper said. "After all he will be partnering up with me."
The scraggly man chuckled, his wrinkles defined him as he squinted his horizontal shaped eyes. "That's impossible, isn't Reuben getting that spot."
Jasper's face darkened for the millionth time. "The Wright family as changed it's mind," his arm flew around Vivian's shall shoulders, making her jolt in surprise. "This man has proved himself to be a very important asset to us. You'll see him lead the next meeting today."
The color drained from Vivian's face as he explained the whole new turn of events of the old man. She didn't know what to do. She felt nervous. She felt like to wanted to run away and beg for her father to lock her up till she grew her hair back, only to never return again. Vivian wanted to take it back, take it all back.
But alas, she couldn't.
The old man's eyes widened, flickering to her in surprise. "Forgive me, young sir. I-I didn't know."
Vivian mustered a smile. "Not a problem."
Problem.
"You must be quite a man to get a job of what's almost equivalent to Jasper's statue. I almost thought it was impossible to a man that wasn't a Wright in brilliancy to make it in such a position. You must be pleased"
"Oh believe me, I am," she choked.
Jasper noticed the vacant look on her eyes as she was almost on the verge of fainting. "Alright," Jasper pulled Vivian but the arm and took her down the isolated hall that led to the office was. "We should be on our way, working hard now."
"Yeah," she breathed, almost slipping in her man shoes again.
The old man tilted his head in confusion. "Sure thing boss, take care. Make sure to tell me when your father's getting better again. I'd like to know!"
"Father?" Vivian gasped as Jasper opened the wooden door and pushed her timid body frame inside, almost knocking her off her feet. "Please don't shove me," she said quietly as he slammed the door behind her. He looked like a mad devil, seeing right through her. His eyes hardened has he brushed past her, harshly, almost knocking her off her feet again. "What's the matter with you?" she asked. Yet still no answer, only the whiff of air that blew past when he strutted across the room over and over again. Emotions took hold of Vivian, and for a moment she almost felt bad for the beastly devil that was pondering around the room in circles. "Do you want to talk about your father?"
He stopped walking at once and narrowed his eyes. "I can't have you tarnishing my image in front of my coworkers when you look absolutely constipated!"
"I-I didn't mean too," Vivian said in a whisper. "I'm just overwhelmed, I don't know how to do anything and you just expect me to fit in?"
"Don't underestimate yourself," he warned. "Or the public will soon follow, including me."
"So what do you want me to do?" she asked desperately. "I don't know how to talk to people, especially guide a conversation. My whole life I was told that it would be better if I didn't speak-"
Jasper raised a brow, his eyes ablaze. "A man? not being able to speak for himself? that's rubbish. Absolute rubbish. Give me your family's new address and I will give them my foot in their arse! everybody knows a white man is born to speak. It's a shame they waste such a talent."
Vivian gulped. Imagine if he knew who he was really talking too.
She couldn't.
"So what am I to do?" Vivian asked nervously.
Jasper mumbled a few curses to himself as he looked over the room frantically, then he stopped. Then out of nowhere grabbed a piece of paper and a quill pen.
"What is all this?" she asked as he gathered the ink and pushed it toward her on the paper.
"Write," he said.
*********************
A/N - Hello! almost wasn't going to update today because of the amount of online work. But I've made it yet again. Please vote, comment, and share if you like the story! I update daily, please stay safe. (:
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Hiding from Mr. Billionaire
Romance"You cannot fool me, I know who you really are." His hot breath fanned Vivian's lips as she stared into his hooded grey eyes. "And if you don't reveal yourself to me, I shall do it by force" It is the mid-19th century. Despite society's efforts to t...
