Chapter 3 - Part I
"So you need arrangements to be done so that you can work from home because you have important personal matters to attend to?" He asked, raising an eyebrow, after we finally got the time to discuss peacefully without any interruption.
"Yes."
"And may I ask what these personal matters are?" He asked again, leaning forward and joining his fingers in a steeple as those deep blue eyes regarded me.
I straightened myself and responded curtly, "No. They are being called personal for a reason."
"Look, Miss Allison—"
"It's Alyssa." I said, for the tenth time, annoyed.
"Okay, Alyssa, you are Larissa's assistant, and you are important to the publishing house in her absence. But it doesn't mean that you can misuse your position and sit in your house and work like the lazy ass you are. We will not hesitate before firing you and hiring another, more capable assistant. So either you work like you used to, or resign." His voice grew deeper and angrier with every word.
I was working and clearing up his wife's mess and I was the lazy ass?
"Excuse me?"
"You are excused; you can actually leave, right now, and you'll make me the happiest man on the Earth."
I slammed my hands on his desks and glared at him, annoyed at his antics and his completely untactful behaviour. Resign? Seriously?
You need to take a nice shower to clean yourself. Who knows he might have done it on his desk and probably even his chair.
"At least some kind of arrangement should be possible, Mr. Powers!" I exclaimed. "This job is really important to me and—"
"Then work like you were doing before and stop making shitty excuses in Larissa's absence!" He said, standing up and slamming his fists on the desk, earning a deep scowl from me.
"If that's what you want," I paused, trying to stay calm but failing miserably, 'cause that slug looked so damn smug.
"... Go find a new assistant because I. Am. Resigning!" I spat.
That wiped the victorious look out of his face and he gaped at me. I stood up, pushing the chair behind me, turned on my heels and walked out of his office, flipping off his assistant, Hoe, on my way.
I stomped down towards my car, ready to head home, but not at all ready for the scene waiting for me at that place.
A scene of destruction.
Either work like you used to, or resign.
I mimicked his words, mocking a deep, gravelly voice, which came out of my mouth more like the voices of the ghosts in the Conjuring movies. I was driving my car at a neck-breaking speed, my body, without doubt, radiating my anger. The fury that had been causing havoc in me since I stomped out of that dreaded office made me forget all the traffic rules as I pressed my foot on the accelerator.
Drive safe. There is someone waiting at home for you.
The board flashed in front of my eyes as I passed it, suddenly reminding me of my babies waiting back at home. My eyes widened for a moment and I started to slow down. I recovered my sane mind and started driving at the speed limit, realising, once again, that there were two other lives that were depending on me right now, probably waiting for their momma to come home.
I kept my brain thoughtless till I reached my apartment, not letting my emotions get to me. It was now two in the afternoon and I was mentally exhausted, not knowing what to do anymore. I was kinda helpless, jobless but not penniless.
Yet.
I rested my head on the steering wheel, breathing in deeply. No, I did not regret my decision of resigning at all. Even I had no interest in working for a dick and a bitch, with no daycare facility in my workplace. The pay was good and all, but my babies were my priority right now, and I wanted to give them everything a good mother should. I had taken their responsibility and I was going to look after them and give them all of the love they deserved.
Seemed like I would have to sell off my Merc one day.
Oh my poor car!
I was sure I was going to find a way out. I mean, I could work in some other publishing company right? Where they could let me work from home. There were so many of them out there, probably with some good daycare facilities.
Not to brag, but I had an impressive résumé too, so finding a new job wouldn't be a difficult task. Working as the Assistant of the Head Editor at a prestigious publishing house made my résumé look even more appealing. Everything would definitely work out.
Right?
I sighed, gathering my thoughts, and got out of my car, skipping towards my apartment, ready to vent out my frustrations. I stopped in front of my door and rang the doorbell, waiting for Allie to come open it.
I counted till thirty seconds yet no one opened the door. I pressed the doorbell a few more times, repeatedly, and pressed my ear to the door.
Crash!
Thud!
"Ow! Ow! Fuck, shit!"
Clank!
Then I heard cries, my babies' cries. Oh my god!
What the hell was happening inside?
I rang the doorbell again, for a few more times. "I'm coming, Lisa! Wait!" Allie hollered and in a few moments, the door opened, revealing my disheveled best friend.
The top she was wearing, which was mine, was creased and the sweatpants which she was wearing, which was also mine, looked weird. One side of her hair looked as if it was electrocuted, and other looked like a bird's nest. All in all, my best friend looked perfectly ready to model for a leading fashion line.
Not.
To say that my house looked wrecked was an understatement. It looked as if a hurricane had tossed everything upside down, or as if it had been a battlefield for the World War 3. It was horrible, looking at the place I had left so clean and tidy in the morning.
Things were scattered here and there, especially my novels and manuscripts, my couch looked a bit weird - maybe it was upturned, two or three diapers were lying around and I was pretty sure that was my bra that was hanging on the lamp?
How the hell did it end up there?
I sniffed the air as I felt a smell tickling my nose and scrunched up my face.
"Were you cooking something, Allie?" I said, looking at her, not at all falling for the innocent look she was feigning. Her eyes, that were looking at me with so much of innocence widened as she heard what I said, probably remembering something.
Something she shouldn't have forgotten.
"Shit! I forgot!" She cursed, running towards the kitchen as she somehow stopped herself from slipping and kissing the floor, when she stepped on a diaper.
I rolled my eyes and started towards the bedroom, feeling restless in side as I heard them cry. When I entered the room, I found my two babies, crying and wailing on the bed, screaming on top of their lungs.
"Hey, babies, see, momma is here." I cooed in motherese and walked towards the bed.
I crawled up the bed and sat cross legged in between the two. Their small hands and legs were flailing around, as if searching for something. They were screaming as if something was bothering them, and their cries sounded different than their usual ones.
"Lisa, please check up what's wrong with them. I've tried everything." Allie said, with a frown on her face, walking inside the room with my bra and the diapers in her hands.
"They refuse to drink the milk, their diapers weren't soiled too. I took them outside in the balcony too, but they just won't stop crying." She frowned.
I turned to lie down between the two of them and pulled them closer so that they both were tucked in my arms. I started humming the usual tune again.
Slowly, they stopped crying and snuggled into me, their tiny limbs coming to rest. They still had a frown on their face, their chins wobbling and their lower lips jutted out. Then slowly, their eyes closed and Ryan let out a yawn, finally closing his eyes completely. Raine was already in deep sleep.
"Aw." Allie cooed. "They are so cute! Looks like they missed mommy." She spoke softly as she placed the bra and diapers in my underwear drawer.
I nodded at her, a small smile on my face.
They needed me. And I knew that a normal nine to five job was not going to allow me to do that. I had resigned from my position and I desperately needed to find a new job which could let me earn enough for the three of us.
How was I going to do all of this?
"Is something wrong?" Allie asked, now sitting on the bed. I realised that I had a frown on my face and was staring at Raine, unblinkingly.
"Everything, Allie." I whispered and Ryan stirred. So I gestured Allie to take him from me. She took him and I turned and placed Raine down, then taking Ryan and placing him beside her.
Allie had already made her way to the adjoining balcony and I followed her outside, not before checking if Raine and Ryan were still asleep. I closed the doors behind me and turned to face Allie, who had a small frown on her face.
"What did Mr. Powers say?" She asked me as soon as I stepped in. I leaned against the railing and told her everything, starting from the condoms to my resignation. I cringed as I remembered the day's events.
She had a serious look on her face by the end of my rant, and came to stand near me, putting her arm around my shoulder.
"First of all, that guy is disgusting," She twisted her face into a scowl and I let out a small chuckle, "And secondly, Larissa and him are, seriously, made for each other. You don't worry, we'll find out a way."
Then she paused for a moment, a grin forming on her face. "Now there's only one thing left to do."
"And what is it?" I asked her, confused as she smiled at me evilly.
"Baby shopping!" She cheered and did a fist pump.
And I groaned.