The shriek of my alarm cut through my dreams like a knife through silk.
I swatted at the clock, eyes flying open to read the time: 7:45 AM.
"Shit. I'm late for work."
Adrenaline a poor substitute for caffeine, I tore into the bathroom.
A frantic brush of the teeth, a splash of water on my face. No time for a shower; clean clothes and a heavy spritz of perfume would have to suffice.
I brushed my hair until it was relatively smooth, grabbed my worn bag, and dashed out of my apartment, slamming the door behind me.
I hit the stairs running and collided instantly with my landlord, Mr. Henderson, whose face was already set in its usual scowl.
"Your rent is due, Lilith!" he yelled after me as I vaulted down the steps.
"Good morning to you, too!" I tossed over my shoulder, taking the last three steps in a single bound.
Outside, the morning rush was in full swing. I tried hailing a taxi, but some stranger beat me to it. It looks like I'm going to run to work.
I started sprinting down the sidewalk, cursing my cheap apartment's distance from the financial district.
A sleek black car pulled up noiselessly beside me. The window slid down, revealing a man wearing sharp, expensive sunglasses.
"Need a lift?" he asked, his voice smooth and familiar.
"No thank you, I'm almost there," I lied, barely pausing my stride.
"Don't you recognize me?"
"No," I replied, squinting into the shade of his glasses.
He lifted them slightly. "Lilith, it's me... Wesley."
My jaw nearly dropped. "Wesley? For real? Oh, my God. Wesley."
"So, do you need a lift now?" he asked, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Um... no, there's no need." The ghost of my father's slap still lingered in my memory.
Getting into this man's car felt dangerous in a way I couldn't articulate.
"Lilith, it's the least I could do, after you saved me from a fate worse than boredom."
"Um..."
"Don't say no."
I reluctantly slid into the luxurious leather interior.
The car smelled like wealth and indifference. He drove the rest of the way to the company in comfortable silence.
"Thank you," I said stiffly as he pulled up.
"You're welcome. Can I have your number?"
"Sure." I recited the digits and immediately jumped out of the car, eager to escape the lingering ghost of my past life.
"Goodbye," Wesley said.
"Bye," I replied, already running toward the glass doors.
I entered the company and ran straight for the office suite. I was a secretary, the lowest rung, but tardiness was still noted.
"You're late," a voice drawled from behind me.
I slowly turned to see Jerry the accountant, a smug look on his face and a cup of coffee in his hand.
"Care to explain why you're late?" Jerry asked.
"I overslept," I said with a smile that I knew he couldn't challenge.
He couldn't do or say anything permanent; I wasn't under his jurisdiction.
I slipped past him and into Mr. White's office.
"Good morning, Sir," I chirped, breathless.
"Lilith, where have you been?" Mr. White, a man who lived and died by efficiency, frowned at his watch.
"Um... I went to get a latte for myself," I lied smoothly.
"You went to get a latte for yourself?"
"Yes."
"So where is it?"
"I drank it on my way here," I said.
He sighed, shaking his head at my apparent incompetence before pivoting to the day's agenda.
"Alright, we're having a meeting today with the board of directors... so I expect you to be prepared."
"Yes, Sir."
"Now get me a cup of latte... would you?"
"Yes, Sir," I sighed in relief as I walked toward the elevator.
"Lilith! No sugar, please!"
"Yes, Sir!"
I went to the coffee shop and was returning when Angela, another secretary from the sales department, flagged me down.
"Lilith, Lilith, wait up!" she called, jogging toward me.
"Aren't you going to tell me?"
"Tell me what?" I asked, confused.
"Don't pretend! I'm talking about the car that dropped you off and the hot guy that was inside!"
"Stop talking nonsense, Angela," I said, rolling my eyes.
"Lilith, who is he?"
"Someone."
"Someone who's important?"
"Angela, please, I need to get this latte to Mr. White."
"Don't worry about the latte; I'd ask someone to give the latte to Mr. White while you tell me everything in details," she offered, eager for gossip.
"Thank you very much, Angela, but last time I checked, I have hands and legs, which, by the way, are working perfectly fine."
"Come on, Lilith, if you have nothing to do with him, could you at least hook me up with him?"
"Angela, I never told you I was a fisherman that would hook up fishes," I said, a glint in my eye.
"Are you calling me a fish?"
"I never said it out loud, but you took the words right out of my mouth," I grinned.
Angela stormed off in a huff. That took care of that distraction.
I finally got back to the office and handed Mr. White his coffee.
"Lilith, what took you so long?" he asked.
"The line at the cafe was a little bit too long," I said.
"I see... anyway, I hope you're prepared."
"For what?" I asked, my heart suddenly racing.
"For the meeting, of course. Come on, Lilith, the presentation starts in an hour!"
"I'd go get ready immediately," I squeaked.
I rushed to my desk and started rehearsing the presentation I hadn't truly prepared for.
"Over the past month we've noticed that the... that the... um... Argh! I just can't concentrate." Wesley's face kept popping into my mind.
The meeting began before I felt ready. Everyone was seated in the sterile boardroom.
Mr. White gave me the signal to begin.
I stood, my palms sweating, and launched into an impromptu presentation.
"Over the past month we've noticed that the stocks have gone low. The only solution is if we make the product more affordable for those that can't afford it... and I also think that we should make the product more presentable. I mean, it's okay the way it is, but I feel like we could do more with the packaging and advertising."
I was improvising wildly now, fueled by three years of working in constant frustration and too many caffeine.
"We could also expand our organization, we could make it easier for people to get our products... for instance, if we advertise it online and perhaps a customer orders something, we could make it our number one priority to deliver on time."
Whispers broke out across the table. Mr. White had his hand on his forehead, a clear sign of disappointment in my failure. I braced myself for public humiliation.
Suddenly, everyone began to clap. I was utterly surprised. I thought all I had just said was rubbish, but I had no idea the board of directors would love the idea.
"Well done. You have given us a meaningful presentation," a man on the board said, smiling widely.
"Thank you," I managed to say.
The meeting ended, and I fled the boardroom for the safety of the office. Mr. White came up to me and, in a rare display of emotion, hugged me.
"You did it, Lilith... The board loved you."