I was at my desk before the office really filled up. The city sounded faintly through the windows, traffic and horns, nothing new. I opened my emails and started going through them. Adrian didn't appear right away, which I found unusual.
By mid-morning, he was standing at my desk. I didn't look up immediately.
"Miss Moore," he said.
"Yes?" I answered.
"Follow me."
I grabbed my bag, stood up, and walked after him. He didn't speak until we reached the conference room, where he shut the door.
"You'll be working directly with me from now on."
"Okay," I said.
"You make no mistakes."
"I'll try not to."
"You will make mistakes. I don't care about that. What matters is that you fix them immediately and without hesitation."
"Understood," I said.
He paced once around the room and stopped in front of me. "I expect results, not excuses. You get one warning per problem. After that, consequences."
"Got it," I said.
He looked at the files on the table. "These are your first set of tasks. Go through them and have the summaries ready for review by the end of the day."
I picked up the files and went back to my desk. The office was quiet. A few people had already left for lunch. I started working, keeping track of every detail he'd highlighted in the documents.
By 1 p.m., Adrian came back to check. He didn't say anything. He just walked past my desk and glanced at my work. I didn't flinch. I kept typing. He stopped for a moment, watching, and then left.
Around 5 p.m., he appeared again. "Miss Moore. Stay late today. I'll explain after you finish."
"Okay," I said.
I stayed at my desk until 7 p.m., completing all the reports. When he returned, he didn't speak. He looked over the documents, flipped a few pages, and left again.
After shutting down my computer, I grabbed my bag and started walking to the elevator. On the way out, a coworker whispered, "You're really brave, staying late like this with him watching."
I shrugged. "I'm used to it."
Outside, the street smelled of exhaust and fast food. I bought a bottle of water from the corner store and walked home. In the subway, the crowd pressed around me. I kept my headphones in, scrolling through my playlist.
When I got home, I changed into shorts and a tank top, leaving my blazer and heels on the floor. I made myself some dinner and checked my phone. Nothing from Adrian. Good.
After eating, I stretched on the couch, planning my weekend. I had a friend coming over Saturday night. We'd go out, maybe drink, maybe laugh too much. I liked keeping these plans separate from work. I liked feeling normal.
Before bed, I set my alarm and checked my emails one last time. One unread message caught my eye. Unknown sender:
"Good work today."
I frowned. No signature. I didn't reply.
I lay down, thinking about tomorrow. More files, more meetings. But I didn't worry. Not yet.