101 Dalmatians (1996 Movie Version) (Male! Cruella de Vil) X OC

Is he...being nice?

Hey everybody! Sorry for making you wait for the next chapter. A lot was going on, not to mention Thanksgiving. Happy late Thanksgiving everyone! So, if you may or may not have read my latest post, after this chapter, I'm planning to put this story on hold and work on another story until I can come up with new ideas for the next few chapters. I will put a list at the bottom when you are done reading, and I hope to hear from you soon, my darlings!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Barely a week passed, and I am already exhausted! Ever since my boss made me work double-time, I barely had one minute to rest. The first few days, I had to stay up all night to finish two portfolios, and I only slept for two hours before I had to go to work. No matter how much coffee I drank, it does not do any justice as my body is practically screaming for sleep. The worst case is that I barely had time to pack. I was able to let the landlord know that Anita and I are moving out, and I still have plenty of time until they come back from their honeymoon. Speaking of which, I was able to call her a few days ago and told her that I will be busy all the time and that I will not be able to pick up the phone. That was partly true, but I never told her that I had to work double-time. I mean, she just started her honeymoon, and the last thing I need is to have Anita be concerned about my well-being and come back early.

I was dragging my feet out of the elevator as the guy at the reception desk looked at me with pity and concern since my boss told him that I would be working overtime. He gently smiled as he handed me a nice hot cup of coffee. I smiled and said 'thank you' as I walked over to my station. It has been a routine for him to make me coffee every morning to start my day, and I appreciated his support. He's a really good friend, even when we barely spoke to each other

I finished up my coffee and tossed it in the bin, stretching my body as I heard a few pops. Whatever that guy did to my coffee made me feel energized. Not as much to be fully awake, but enough to keep pacing with work. Fours hours came and went, though it felt like the clock is ticking slowly, which is torture to me. My back is aching from sitting in one place, so I decided to go to the break room for some coffee and a snack. Finishing the sketch work, I walked down towards the end of the hall and found myself in the lounging area. A few tables here and there, but I barely see workers hanging out in there often, so it's usually just me, which I am thankful for now. My head feels like it's about to explode, not only from lack of sleep, but the constant noise from the other work stations. As I set the coffee machine the way I want it, I walked over to the fridge to see if there is something from my lunch bag that I can nibble on. When I opened the fridge, I found out that lunch is not there. I face-palmed myself for being an idiot. 'How could I forget my lunch? I must have left it on the counter.' I sighed softly, but then I found a box on the counter, and when I opened it, there was one donut left. Well, it's better to eat than to starve, so I grabbed it as soon as the coffee machine went off, signaling that my coffee is ready. I poured two spoonfuls of sugar and cream into my cup and stirred them all together. I took a nice, long sip and sighed blissfully, enjoying the silence. I took a bite of the donut when I heard the door open. I thought it was one of the designers, so I didn't pay any mind to it until I heard a familiar voice.

"Slacking already, darling," he asked.

I groaned silently in my head as I looked up at the ceiling praying to god, 'why me?' I turned around to see Cruelle leaning against the wall, giving me another one of those smug looks. If I wasn't so tired, I would have slapped that smirk off his face.

"I was about to leave, sir. I just came here for coffee," I said.

He looked at me skeptically.

"Just for coffee," he asked, staring at my hand that's not holding the coffee.