Chapter 5: Follow Me
With care, she applied her makeup, opting for a natural look that accentuated her features. She gathered her hair into a high ponytail, reveling in the way her dark curls cascaded down her back. She donned her silver watch and donned her sunglasses, surveying herself in the full-length mirror. A surge of pride washed over her as she gazed upon her reflection. She struck a power pose and stepped out of the room, head held high, exuding confidence and poise.
Recognizing the ticking clock, Evonne knew she had no time for a leisurely breakfast at home. She resolved to stop at the nearest coffee shop en route. With practiced ease, she snatched one of Seth’s car keys, disregarding the protests of the maid who had come to scold her, and hastened towards the garage.
A press of the button brought the matte black jeep wrangler to life, and she couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement at the prospect of commanding such a powerful vehicle. She slid into the driver’s seat and took to the road, half-expecting the watchman to bar her way. To her relief, he opened the gates with minimal fuss. She was on her way, ready to take on the world.
It was 7:27 am, and Evonne was running a little behind schedule. Nevertheless, she put her foot down on the accelerator and hoped the traffic wouldn’t be too congested. Just in case, she knew a few shortcuts through the city that would help her avoid the worst of it. To her surprise, the Monday morning rush hour wasn’t as bad as she’d feared, perhaps due to the sleepy lethargy that seemed to grip the masses.
Evonne pulled into a quaint coffee shop, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafting towards her. An elderly woman greeted her with a warm smile and ushered her to a seat.
“I’m in a bit of a hurry. Just a large cappuccino to go and a brownie, please.” Evonne quickly ordered.
Evonne observed the old woman as she shuffled about behind the counter, humming softly to herself. She seemed to take an age to make her coffee, but Evonne was in no rush. Five minutes later, the woman handed her a steaming cappuccino and a brownie and then made her way over to the till. Evonne handed her a twenty-dollar bill, which more than covered the cost of her order, and offered the old woman a warm smile.
“Keep the change,” Evonne said kindly before quickly making her exit.
She glanced at her watch, shocked to see that it was now 7:39 am. Haww!!! Time seemed to be flying by at an incredible pace, she thought to herself.
Evonne placed her coffee in the cup holder and her brownies next to her bag, then resumed her journey with a sense of urgency. Would she be able to find whoever was in charge? Perhaps they hadn’t had a chance to reach out to her or were in a meeting. Regardless, she had come this far and was determined to see her mission through to the end. If she wasn’t mistaken, she was now just ten minutes away from Cohen Corporation. She took a sip of her coffee and increased her speed.
As she reached the building, she decided to park in the basement. She quickly finished her coffee, then took a few bites of her brownie before her phone began to vibrate beside her.
“Oh wow! My beloved husband was calling,” she said with a bright smile.
“Seth?” She answered the call, and her voice came out, sounding sweet.
“What brings you here?”
Straight to the point. Sure, let’s not waste time on mere pleasantries. She thought.
Evonne was taken aback by her husband’s abrupt response, but she didn’t let it faze her. “I’m here to get a job,” she said. “Can you be a darling and get one for your dear wife?”
“Come to my office now!” her husband commanded before hanging up the call. He sounded angry, and Evonne couldn’t help but worry that she was in trouble. She took a big bite of her brownie, finished her coffee, grabbed her bag, and headed for the building’s entrance.
As soon as she stepped inside, all eyes were on her. Without hesitation, she made her way straight to the receptionist’s desk. “Hi, how may I help you?” the receptionist asked, forcing a smile.
“Hi, could you tell me where Seth’s office is?” Evonne asked, her confidence boosted by the fact that she had switched out her stylish sunglasses for her spectacles on the way up. Although they could easily be mistaken for fashion accessories, she needed them to see clearly.
She could tell she was confused as to who she was, but it wasn’t her job to ask.
“7th floor. It’s the only office. You need a passcode to access the floor.”
For real!? Evonne mentally rolled her eyes. She sighed inwardly. She looked at the receptionist expectantly, waiting for her to tell her the passcode, but she simply looked back at her with a forced smile.
“What’s the passcode?” Evonne asked, trying to keep her cool.
“Only Sir Seth and his assistant know. He’ll have to come down and escort you if you have an appointment,” the receptionist replied.
Evonne was starting to feel frustrated, but she didn’t let it show. Instead, she rummaged through her purse for her phone and called Seth. He answered on the second ring.
“What the fuck is your passcode? Better yet, come to get me.” She muttered lowly, trying to restrain her anger, but she was pretty sure Ms. Receptionist heard everything she was saying. She noticed the shocked look on her face as she struggled but failed to mask it.
He scoffed, then cut. She looked over at the receptionist. She squinted her eyes a bit to read her name tag, Brittany.
“Where can I wait, Brittany?”
She pointed over to the sofa just opposite the reception. She smiled slightly at her and went over to a seat.
She was just getting comfortable when she felt someone looming over her. She looked up to see the girl from the other night looking down at her as if she’d forgotten her. This bitch. She noticed her slight smirk as if she’d won something then she suddenly broke the silence.
“Mrs. Cohen?” there was something about the way she said it. This girl should keep her guard up. She’s trying her.
She gave her a sickly sweet smile and stood up. She easily towered over her since, already without the heels, she was still taller than her. She smiled a bit remembering yesterday night and watched as her bravado suddenly failed her. She took three quick steps back and nearly fell over but managed to keep her balance.
“Mr. Seth awaits you. Follow me.” She turned and started leading her towards the elevator. So she wasn’t a model as she previously thought but the infamous secretary. Damn! Today she’d worn a tight beige skirt that had a slit behind between her legs and stopped around mid-thigh. Her white chiffon top had a killer cleavage. She doesn’t blame Seth for tapping this one.