Young Adult

Chapter eleven - Begging isn't in my prada jeans

It was the end of the work day, most employees were packing up to leave. However for great mr Reed it was midday, he was just about to finish his call and I was clutching Lyn's papers nervously.

I didn't want to not be able to keep my promise to Lyn, so I was about to throw all my cards onto the table and do something I've never done before: beg.

This is my last ace up my sleeve and I want to exert all my other options before this happens.

I huffed as I saw his line be disconnected from my phone, I knocked on his door and entered when I was given permission to do so.

"Do you need something?" He asked in a deflated mood, "sorry, was your call bad? You don't look in great shape, I mean you still look great though!" He ran his hand through his hair tiredly.

"No I'm fine, it's just that I have a legal problem with one of our clients, they're a bit spooked out and I've been trying to get them not to back out of their contract." I lit up, great I have him just where I want!

"In that case", I put Lyn's file onto his desk, "your amazing employee Lyn has been looking into a very eager potential client and I unbiasedly think that it's a great offer!"

I waited in silence as he skimmed through the proposal, "I'm not going to accept this." He sighed and flung the file back onto his desk. "Wait, why?" I exclaimed, "Lyn did a lot of research and is really passionate about this project."

Mr Reed seemingly agreed with my statement
"I don't doubt her attitude to her work, but Freddy Vale is infamous to be a very difficult person to work with, many other companies have backed out of their projects with him prematurely. I can't deal with that backlash right now as the branch is so new."

He made a lot of good points, but I had made a promise - so now I must use my final trump card. I bit my lip instinctively as I didn't want to do anything that I was thinking about doing next.

"I'll owe you one favour, and I'll promise you that this project will go smoothly without any numbs in the road. Just please can you accept this project." He normally has a poker face, but he broke his character slightly by grinning.

"Why do you want me to do this project so eagerly? Are you a fan?" He inquired, I shook my head "I don't know who his is, but ... I made a promise with Lyn that I would get you to agree to accept this project."

He leaned back in his chair, knowing that he held all the cards in this scenario, "fine, I trust Lyn to be a professional. And I'm impressed about you and want you not to lose confidence."

I looked up at him confused "what to you mean?" Mr Reed got out of his chair and walked over to me, "to be honest I didn't take you as a nice person, you seemed to be a very self absorbed, spoilt teenager."

He could sense that I was angry from his statement as he smiled at me, "I didn't mean it like that, just you seemed to be very unapproachable now." I huffed "if you took the time to get to know me you would realise that I'm a compassionate person, just you learn to have your shields up growing up around people who just see you as an obstacle."

He reached out to grab one of my hands "I'm sorry, I didn't grow up in wealth, I don't know what that environment is like." It was only in a brief pause in the flowing conversation that we both realised that we were intimately holding hands.

He let go instantly "sorry, it was instinctive." We both looked away, bashful. "It's fine, are you going home now? I've finished all my work for the day so I'm leaving." He nodded "yeah I'm done too, let's go home together. I'll drive."

We both walked out of his office weirdly and were silent on the way home.

We're both not used to this unspoken agreement of personal space yet, but it's better than never entering unwarranted.