Hey, not me!

Chapter eight: Changes.

Being the boss was great. I loved how I got to tell people what to do and they had to do it. I also got a place at the table with the seniors. It felt great to put in my ideas and have them given a thought. Also, with the increased salary it would take less time to get the two things on my priority list; a home and a car. And the best part was the privacy of my own office. I didn't have to share my working space with anyone.

However, like in every circumstance, there were downsides. I had to tone down my sarcasm. And by tone down I mean that I had to completely forget how to use sarcasm. I couldn't be seen to be harassing my subordinates, now could I? The other main con was Bruce. The guy was practically everywhere I looked and always smiling. He would try to tell me to be more sympathetic, not to be too harsh, to go easy with my strictness and so on. On the best of days, he made me want to claw my eyes out. Usually, I gave him timeout and told him to sit in the corner.

In the course of the weeks, more changes happened throughout the company. It wasn't until a month later that we finally understood what was going on. There had been a merger and that's why the whole management was taking new shape. One of the conditions of the merger was that employees wouldn't be cut off even though shuffling was inevitable. After all, a new company would need a new system for effective management.

Now to the exciting stuff, Sheila and I were bonding like we had known each other forever. That woman was funny to a fault and our lunch breaks together were spent in a flurry of laughter and chatter. She especially found it funny that I appeared to be a magnet for horrible men. Every time a guy tried to hit on me, she would make funny faces when he wasn't looking and leave me laughing. Most guys actually thought they got me laughing and would try to worm themselves into our conversation. Sheila would then interfere before they got too far.

"Dude go away before her husband sees you. She is the CEO's trophy wife and you know rich men don't like sharing their toys," she would say conspiratorially. The girl had a crazy imagination but I didn't mind whatever lie she came up with as long as she saved me from commiting murder.

There was a beehive of activities surrounding the arrival of the new CEO. The few that had been lucky to see him said that he was quite a young man. The ladies, in their usual dramatic fashion, fell over themselves trying to catch a glimpse of the new company's heartthrob. Sheila and I had a whole month's supply of laughter at the antics we experienced at our different departments. We could barely wait for lunch to share the ridiculous things that we had witnessed.

And then a rumour started that the CEO was married to a most beautiful woman. Some even went as far as to say that the mystery bride worked in the company. Several ladies would gang up and try to unearth who the woman was. It was hilarious to watch as they came up with conspiracy theory after another. Friendships which were already threatened by pretence and hypocrisy crumbled when faced with the arrival of jealousy. It was a total freak show and Sheila and I often wondered if some unknown sickness was going around.

One such Thursday, we were in our usual spot under a tree having lunch. I loved experimenting with new recipes and always brought enough food for two. We liked eating out in the open with a cool breeze and sunshine after being cooped up all morning in the offices. Sheila was going on about how two receptionists had gotten into a fight over who got to ring up the CEO's office. I couldn't understand what this guy had that made women go crazy over him like that and I said as much.

"That is funny, especially since I hear that you started a rumour that you're my wife." Sheila and I whirled around to see who had spoken. Standing over us was a man in his late twenties with a really serious expression on his face. If he smiled I bet he would be really good looking but now he just looked scary. As I comprehended what he had said it all came to me.

"Oh crap," both Sheila and I said. We both turned to look at each other as we realised what had happened. Sheila's comments about me being the CEO's trophy wife must have gone around and been the start of a rumour. All these while there hadn't really been a mystery bride, at least not in the sense people thought.

"Sir, I can explain." I said. The guy didn't even budge, he just went on staring down at me. "You see, we didn't know it was going to spread. Its just these weird guys keep hitting on me and Sheila tried to scare them off. Neither of us thought that they were gossips too," I said hurriedly. I was really beginning to get nervous with the way he was staring.

"You are way more beautiful than I thought you would be. I don't mind the rumour so much anymore if it was for a good reason. What is your name?" He asked with a smile. (Hold up, did the guy just say all that. He wasn't hitting on me, was he?)

"I am Aisha," I answered. I looked at Sheila in question and the grin she held wasn't very encouraging. She had seen the change just as I had and she knew what it meant; another man was after me.

"I am Jacob, but I guess you already knew that. Pleasure to make your acquaintance," he said in a really charming voice. Had I been just any woman, I would have melted into a puddle. "I hope to see you around, my lovely wife." With that he turned back the way he came and left.

"I am going to resign," I said dejectedly. Sheila's reply was to burst into laughter. It wasn't going to be fun trying to dodge the CEO, just my luck.