Both women look equally shocked at my frank tone.
“Sorry, Car,” Lizzie says as she crosses her arms, moving her weight to one hip.
I open my clamped fist and bring it to my tie to adjust it. “Anyway, did you call Natasha like I asked you to do?”
Arms still crossed; she lifts a finger to wind a loose curl around as she obnoxiously smacks her lips on a wad of gum in her mouth. “Yes, Car,” she snaps back at me.
“Excellent. Oh, and Lizzie, what did I tell you about the gum chewing in the office?” I remind her as the smacking sound practically pierces my eardrums.
“The same thing you told me the other night. Need me to jog your memory?” she says as she begins to blow a bubble. Letting it continue to grow until it pops. She takes her time snatching it back into her fresh fucking mouth, which at this point has me seeing red.
“Enough!” I roar as I rise from my desk, seething with anger at Lizzie’s remark. “That is enough. You are not needed here, anymore, go,” I order.
“Whatever, Carmine,” she huffs as she exits my office, slamming the door behind her.
The look of discomfort on Sienna’s face makes me shift gears, trying to calm myself. I finally have her here, I can’t afford to scare her away.
“Sorry about that,” I say, trying to reassure her.
Unconvinced, Sienna nods in silence.
Another knock interrupts us, I sigh in anticipation of what could possibly go wrong next today.
“Yes,” I answer.
A muffled voice speaks through the door. “Mr. Moretti, it’s Natasha. I’m here for Ms. Ricci.”
Relieved it’s not Lizzie, I walk to the door and open it myself to let Natasha in.
“This is Sienna,” I introduce her to Natasha. They shake hands as Sienna follows Natasha to the door. I notice the look of relief on Sienna’s perfect face, as Natasha whisks her away with a clipboard of boring new employee forms for her to fill out. Between Lizzie’s antics and Eric interrupting us, this morning has been more of a shitshow than I anticipated.
“I will see Ms. Ricci to her office, once I am done going over things with her,” Natasha says as she guides Sienna to follow her to the hallway.
“Very well.” I nod, though my focus is on Sienna. I hate watching her leave, after I’ve worked so hard for her to be here. “It was a pleasure,” I say to Sienna, as I bite down on my lip.
“Yes, it was,” she says with an adorable innocence I would like nothing more than to corrupt out of her.
She walks ahead as Natasha follows her, closing the door behind them.
I look at my agenda laid out on my desk. I try to rest my eyes on the first item of business that needs my attention, but I can tell that is going to be nearly impossible today. Instead of pretending to give a shit about the things I should, I allow my mind to marinate over the fresh memory of Ms. Ricci from just moments before.
My mind drifts off in pleasurable bliss as I look out the window behind my desk, when suddenly the phone rings, robbing me of my moment to distract myself from the responsibilities that await me.
Unenthusiastically, I turn to answer the phone.
“Sorry to bother you, Mr. Moretti.” My nostrils flare as soon as my ears are met with the sarcasm that oozes from Lizzie’s voice.
“Yes?” I respond, not hiding my disinterest in conversing with her.
“Your father has called three times in less than five minutes. I think something is wrong.”
Jesus Christ, today. Not this man now.
“Did he leave a message?” I ask, growing bored of this conversation.
She stammers before she responds, “Well, no.”
“Then, how do you know something is wrong?” I interrupt her.
