Chapter 5- Cameras and coffees

    Scott's POV 

Once the car arrived in front of the company, I pushed her head away from me. She immediately jolted from her sleep and shot me a fierce look. "You'll ruin your awful make-up if you keep drooling." I stretched my hands towards her lip area so I could clean up the saliva which had dried up at the corner of her lips, but she recoiled in disgust.

"I can wipe it off myself," she blurted furiously, taking out a napkin from her purse. I cleared my throat and straightened my back. Jordan opened the door for us, and just as soon as we exited the car, we were surrounded by a sea of flashing cameras and shouted questions. The paparazzi surged forward, pressing in on us from all sides, eager to capture the perfect shot and get the exclusive scoop. The air was electric with excitement and tension, and the chaos of the scene was overwhelming.

The photographers jostled for position, calling out to me, asking tons of questions. The sound of shutters clicking and voices shouting was almost deafening, and I found myself feeling increasingly claustrophobic and on edge. I tried to maintain a cool demeanour and ignore the paparazzi, but their constant presence was a reminder of the public scrutiny and pressure that came with my success.

As Ava pushed her way through the crowd, she kept her head down and tried to remain composed, but the attention and constant barrages of questions were clearly overwhelming her. She stuck close to me, relying on my presence for protection from the photographers. Luckily, it was only a few minutes before we finally made it into the building. Ava kept following me from behind.

"You must put up good behaviours on your first day, you need not follow me about like that." I turned and voiced. She nodded to my surprise. "He will show you to your office," I tilted my head towards Jerry, my secretary. Jerry was a tall man in his mid-thirties, with a receding hairline and a warm, friendly smile. He had been the vice president of the bank for a while now, and his easy going demeanour and unflappable nature made him a popular figure.

"Hi Miss," Jerry approached Ava, smiling from ear to ear and they exchanged hugs. Whatever! I sighed and walked straight into my office, while she went about socializing with him.

I was already late for my meeting which was supposed to hold by 8:30am. I rushed over the meeting before returning to my office again. 

As I stared at the screen of the computer before me, images of Ava kept flashing into my mind. I shut the computer and took a book to read, hoping to get myself but it wasn't working. After about fifteen minutes of pacing up and down the room, I took up my phone and dialled a number.

"Coffee at my office now!" I hung up, without waiting for a response. Not long after, I heard a knock on the door of my office. I opened to see Ava holding a glass of coffee. Letting her in, I offered her a sit and she declined. "I brought your coffee," she said, still standing. I sat on my executive chair and pretended not to hear her as I rolled it back and forth.

"Scott, I brought your coffee." She repeated, with her voice lacking patience. I sat up straight and stared intently at her. "I heard you the first time," I took up my pen and began to hit it slightly on my table. 

"What do you hear?" I asked. "Nothing." She replied absent-mindedly. "What do you hear?" I raised my tone a bit.

"The ticking clock." She replied cleverly. I stood up gradually and walked towards her.