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“Cassandra, the presentation is perfect, you don’t need to worry.”
Somehow Joshua can sense these things, even if my face shows nothing but fake calmness and friendly pretense.
“How did you know?” I ask, curious.
“You get very silent before the storm.” My boss raises an eyebrow, challenging me to lie to him. I can’t. He is a charming man who is invested in my progress and knew me before I found my strength and changed. Instead of answering, I grin and tell him that the appointment has been confirmed.
Liverpool is an impressive city, full of life and modern character. I actually do get to see it a bit through the windows of the moving cab. My breathing starts to increase the closer we get to the tower made of glass, as I’m haunted by the things I must keep locked away. I can’t relax or enjoy the beauty of the city laid out for me.
Chapter 4
Playing with Fire
~Cassandra~
“The food is amazing, don’t you think? We always order from this catering company.” Lara, a woman in her twenties, with a bright smile and ginger complexion, has been chatting nonstop, trying to engage me. “And you’re a total computer wizard. Look at this new system you set up.”
“Without you, Lara, I couldn’t have done it. You helped me a lot to arrange everything. You make a perfect partner-in-crime.”
For the past few hours, we have been organizing and preparing the conference room. Everything is ready, and I have just enough time to go through it once more.
“I heard the CEO from the American headquarters has arrived. He is incredibly handsome and so intense…every woman in the office wants to be his assistant, or at least be noticed by him. Jess in HR told me she had met him before…”
I smile, since I have no idea how to respond to the juicy gossip she’s sharing. The rest, I just block; none of those things fit in my life.
“Thank you, Lara. I have few things to do, if you don’t mind?”
She nods and winks at me. “Make sure you impress the dragon, Cassandra. He is not easy to please,” she tosses over her shoulder as she leaves the conference room.
Not wasting time, I head to the bathroom to check my appearance. I need to take this time to find balance, away from the curious eyes in the office. Anxiety is my companion, panic attacks will follow, and I must be careful. I have enough tragedies, struggles, and traumas to fill the ocean with sorrow.
One misstep and everything will unravel, burst in a torrent of agonizing screams. Silently, I stand in front of a mirror, staring at my perfect hair and flawless makeup. Once I look into my own eyes, willing them to reflect the image of my character, I leave with a composed façade, a plastic smile on my painted lips.
On the way to my desk, I meet up with Joshua.
“How are preparations for the meeting?” he asks, flustered. His eyes dart around the office and his hands fidget with the buttons of his suit.
“Everything is ready. Nothing to worry about. You know me, I’m very thorough.”
My words do little to ease him, as his forehead crinkles with worry and his jaw becomes tight with tension.
“I have faith in you, Cassandra. You always deliver the best results.” Joshua is too distracted to mean it, though. His pen taps the table as a faraway look crosses his face.
“Is everything all right, boss? You seem nervous.” I’m concerned he failed to mention something important.
He looks up and smiles encouragingly. “Oh yes, everything’s great. Just wondering about a few people coming from the States. Usually, someone else attends these boring meetings, but not this time.”
Is he worried about the CEO?
Joshua appears to be in his own head right now, so I let him be. Who knows, maybe he needs to reorganize, just like me.
While Joshua makes few calls, I do my own catch-up on the things I left unresolved yesterday. As I work, I feel the atmosphere in the office begin to glow with excitement. People are discussing their plans for a Friday evening in the city, though there are plenty who probably will work until late. We are no exception either.
The floor is very nicely decorated, with dark grey carpets and deep brown grass-cloth wallpaper, the modern shelving and desks situated around the high-ceiling stained glass partitions to give some privacy. The nature pictures provide some green and purple hues to bring the entire look together.
I’m so caught up in my own thoughts, I don’t notice Joshua has finished his call and is looking at me.
“What is it?” I’m too busy to engage in conversation, but don’t want to seem rude.
