Despise and Despair

02. Snooze You Lose.

As I walked through the doors that Rosie had instructed me to enter, a sudden and intense pain shot through my forehead and chest, causing me to collapse onto the carpeted floor. As I tried to gather my bearings, I realized that I had been drenched in hot coffee, which had seeped through my purple dress, leaving my skin feeling raw and stinging. The aroma of the coffee filled my nostrils, and I could feel its warmth spreading across my body. Confused and in pain, I struggled to stand up and make sense of what had just happened.

A string of curse words fell from my mouth, which I will not repeat. 

My eyes widened the second I saw two highly polished black shoes standing right in front of me.

I swear I could almost see my face in the shoes. What the hell? How much do you need to polish your shoes? Come on, I'm pretty sure the inside probably smells worse than our outhouse. I thought to myself, at least, I presumed it was to myself.

"Well, Ms know it all. While you're down there admiring the lovely smell of my shoes, would you care to take a smell?" 

A sudden realization hit me like a ton of bricks as soon as those words fell from his lips. I felt my heart rate increase as I took a sharp breath in, trying to process what had just happened. It was as if a grand, luxurious carriage had crashed into me, knocking the wind out of my lungs and leaving me momentarily stunned. 

"Who are you? And more importantly, did your mother not teach you how to act when in the presence of a man?"

My mother is dead, you nitwit.

"No sir, I don't have a mother, sir."

"Ah, I see you understand how to address a man. Very good, now get off my floor. You've already split my coffee all over yourself and it." His voice was strong and held authority; it was almost threatening. "When I tell you to do something, I expect you to do it right away, Ms-?"

"Ms Anne, I'm Ms Olivia Anne, s-sir." I stood shakily on my feet. My legs felt like jelly all of a sudden. 

Pull yourself together, Olivia, I told myself.

Although I had the urge to give him a death glare, I restrained myself. I didn't want to gaze at his face, which I knew was attractive and could compel me to obey his every command.

If I did look, I would be doomed.

Doomed, I tell you.

As I observed him, my attention was drawn to his dark blue suit, which was similar to those worn by many important men in London. The suit had black buttons running down the middle that connected both sides, and a narrow strip of white ran along both sides where the buttons were located. This strip of white extended up the centre until it reached the collar...

No! That's too far up! 

Look at his fingers...Oh yes, perfectly crafted fingers.

Stop it, Olivia. That's even worse! 

The pen on his desk, yes, that pen looks rather unique.

Mr Stafford sat behind his large desk. He must've seen my sudden attraction to his pen because it ended up in the small trashcan. "So, Ms Anne, do you make it a habit of spilling your potential employer's coffee?"

Not the pen! Rest in peace.

"No, sir, I-"

"Too bad I will not be your employer. You may leave." His words sliced through my heart.

He gave no reason, only three words.

You may leave.

What is his problem? Surely, he does not have an issue with a person he just met.