CHAPTER - 4 [ MAGICAL MOMENTS... ]

Ryan Carlos

Panaché, New York

We all had assembled in front of the reception area instead of evacuating, because the smoke around was a problem and fortunately nothing about a fire. "Imagine a real fire? Ms Williams would tackle it just like she tackles huge men single handed," Eric commented and further added "Thank God, it wasn't anything on us this time, someone else has got into trouble, I guess. Anyway, let's enjoy the break we have got."

"Most likely, she should have shot someone or maybe burnt someone alive with her cruelty? Or wait I guess that's why the fire alarm went loud. We are such sadists dude but she's the one with guns!" James said and we laughed with him. As soon as we saw that the smoke had reduced and all there was left was fog around near the lounge, which was close to the exit doors. Everyone started to mumble about things where it all started, what happened and came up with their own theories. But I was certain that it was the problem creator, our chief, as we wondered what dramatic moment we would witness this time. Even though everyone was whispering into each other's ears, the overall effect was noisy.

"But James, just imagine, like what if you were the actual target this time also just like the previous incident. You were the one who noticed the gun Ms Williams had too. Your life might be in danger again, shit," I said because I love teasing James. In a daze, he looked back to see if somebody was behind him, and we laughed at his utter cowardness. While he was about to say a word, a female voice screamed, "MS WILLIAMS!" which sounded to me like her female bodyguard and everyone in the room had their eyes on the sudden voice.

"Williams?" James started asking questions. "What happened to her? I can't..." and we saw her walking down the stairs.

"Dude! I'm guessing she shot someone this time. Look at the gun in her hand!" exclaimed James. Ms Williams was holding her gun and looked exhausted, walking unbalanced, where I could see that she wasn't able to go any further. While she was stepping down with half of her eyes closed, she noticed her bodyguard and said, "Smith...", lost balance and tripped immediately.

I didn't know what was wrong with me, but my impulses were working like crazy to hold her, seeing her pitiful condition, but her lady bodyguard caught her instead.

"Miss Williams, what happened? Are you okay?" she yelled in fear.

Williams handed over the gun to Smith and asked, tenuously, "Is everyone okay? The design..." and in seconds of time, Ms Williams had gone unconscious. She was lying down in front of me, and I could tell she wasn't really in a good condition. I felt bad for mocking her behind her back for some reason, and felt guilty that I couldn't help her.

"Someone, call the doctor immediately," her bodyguard ordered loudly.

Mark took a step forward to call the doctor, but he kept checking for his phone in his coat. My brain had frozen that I didn't realise I could have done it also, until he asked me.

"Shit! I forgot to bring my phone. Ryan, call right away," Mark urged.

"Hey, did she shoot someone else or herself this time?" James asked, laughing at her situation.

But I simply hated James when he reacted like this even after looking at her.

"Would you just shut up, that's so insensitive James," Mark was annoyed at him.

I walked away from the crowd and dialled Dr Ray, my personal doctor, getting the person who came to mind. He took my call, and I briefed him on the situation. To my surprise, being a famous doctor, he told me he'd be in my office in ten minutes after hearing the patient's details.

As soon as I told Ms Smith about the doctor, she had Ms Williams' male bodyguard take her to her office. She ordered me, "Ryan, get the doctor to Ms Williams' office as soon as he arrives," and then walked away.

"Don't worry guys, once she gains consciousness, she'll also call you personally to see if the gun is functioning or not," Eric rolled his eyes and left. When I looked at Mark, I noticed his impulsive hands, and made it clear that he was concerned about Ms Williams, but he tried to keep his face calm.

And now, what's the matter with this guy? Is he still in his dreamland, or is he sinking into depression because she was hurt? I hope he doesn't fall for her.

We rushed to Ms Williams' office as soon as Doctor Ray arrived, and when we entered, she was awake and sitting on the sofa, looking tense. Robert and her two bodyguards were with her, and Ms Smith seemed to be worried about her. For some reason, Ms Williams appeared to have a fear on her face, but I was relieved to see her regain consciousness.

While Dr Ray was checking on her, Robert said, "Thank you so much, Ryan. You literally saved our lives," he patted my shoulder.

Your lives? Did I? Why would I do that?

"And Ms Smith, I will make sure that everyone has returned to their work after the chaos because it must have caused a tension. Ma'am please take care of yourself, " he added.

While he was about to leave, he said "Ryan, stay with them until the doctor leaves, I shall take my leave," and he left.

While Dr Ray was checking on Ms Williams, she abruptly asked Smith, "Where is my gun?" Ray's mouth and eyes widened for a couple of seconds, and he stared at me blankly. In that situation, I tried hard not to laugh and covered my mouth with my hands. Smith, unaware of things, placed the gun on a table next to her sofa.

"It appears that you had a panic attack because of the Nyctophobia which you have, Ms Williams. I don't think it's the first time you faced your fear of darkness. Did something happen or did you see things that made you feel more anxious?" Ray inquired, taking out his notepad to jot down the prescription.

"No," she said matter-of-factly.

Is she making it up? She is, indeed.

"You don't have to be a workaholic this week. So, a good sleep and a few medications would help ease the anxiety. A few days off would also do wonders," Ray said this while prescribing her some medication.

Why did I have the ambience that Smith and Ms Williams were having a silent conversation? Smith looked Ms Williams in the eyes and nodded her head in negotiations while she too nodded twice in response. Ms Williams nodded her head twice suggesting that something had happened in the smoke affected area, despite the fact that I had no idea what it was about. They had a different understanding between the two which was difficult to crack. What if she'd actually murdered someone?

GOD! I should keep my distance from her.

Smith walked over to Ms Williams' desk and silently brushed her hand inside her drawer. She removed a few capsules from a wooden box and replaced them. Dr Ray said, "Take these medicines for a couple of days and you'll be fine, " and he was ready to leave.

Smith crushed the prescription and stuffed it inside her pocket in a matter of seconds where Ray would not have even turned away from them. She handed over the capsules she had picked from the wooden box smoothly.

So why did I bring him here in the first place? I wasted my time.

"All right, now that this all is over, let me get back to work. Call Hazel and ask..." she commented, but Smith cut her off, saying, "No, ma'am. It is highly suggested to take a break for a while. Mr Robert and I will handle the chaos, Ryan shall take care of the projects entirely."

WHERE ON EARTH, DID I SAY I WOULD HELP?

But she wasn't ready to listen to Smith and responded, "You know me. I don't trust people, but only the work that I see with my own eyes. And we will be launching a new product in a few weeks. I can't..."

"It is necessary for you to take a short nap, Ms Williams. All I'm saying is to pass out for an hour or two and get back fresh. Until then, we'll handle it. Please take these medicines, they also have sleeping pills which will help you to relax down," Smith said and walked towards Ray.

"Ryan, I will take him out. You get back to your work," she said and left with Ray.

It was just her and me in her office, and it was extremely awkward. She was staring at the pills in her hands, and when I looked around, I noticed a bottle near the door. I placed the bottle in front of her but she must have been lost in her thoughts, so I feigned a cough to get her attention.

"Thank you," she said, taking the bottle and her medicine.

Should I ask her permission to leave or just leave?

I was about to take a few steps towards the door when she asked, "Could you just pull on the curtains when you leave?" and I simply nodded.

She laid on the sofa, her right hand on her face to block out the thin sunlight still touching her face. As I was about to shut the door, I looked at her one last time and a thought struck me: "Was it about a childhood trauma she went through?"

People who lived with her would have been traumatised, but not this cold-hearted woman.

As I returned to the design hall, everyone was preoccupied with their own tasks. Ms Williams' special fans, James and Eric, didn't even bother to inquire about her. It surprised me to see James working so intently after that incident as if nothing had happened. I didn't want to think about it too much because, if I were in their shoes, I probably wouldn't have cared. So, I joined them and went back to work too.

While Eric and I were working on a dress attached to a mannequin, Hazel threw the file on the desk and yelled, "I don't understand what the hell her problem is now."

"Hazy, please don't tell me she rejected the collection because my brain is prompting rejection, again," James said as he stood there with a pencil on his ears.

"Yup, she's probably calling you four for that reason," Hazel said as she crammed her glasses into her sling bag.

"What?" I questioned.

"It's only been an hour or two since the fire. I wonder if she is some kind of human robot," Eric threw the pins over the table. Mark once again asked her whether Ms Williams really did call us to her cabin or not.

She raised her eyebrows, saying, "Ms Williams just texted me asking you four to meet her in her office, check it for yourself. And by the way, I'll make sure to throw this design away before you return, because I am sure she wouldn't have liked it."

Is she going to kick us out now? I had no idea this woman would be so unpredictable. She continued to irritate me since her entry in the company, and I wish I wouldn't explode in front of her.

As we walked towards her office, I noticed that James never shut his mouth especially since he was nervous, which Eric took advantage of. "What if she overheard our conversation, the reception area one?" To get an answer from Mark, James held his shoulder tightly, jerking him until I stopped him.

"No, I guess she's going to make us work overnight today also," I said as I buttoned my jacket.

"Can it get any better than this? Is she planning to make us leave our house, live here, and eat those dry snacks?" James mused.

"I'm not sure what happened there, to keep her alive even during the fire. I did somewhat wish her to be dead. At the least, we would have gotten a two-day break," Eric said, adjusting his coat.

"That was way out of line, Eric. Don't ever say something like that again," I said.

"All right, enough cursing her. In any case, we're going to have to deal with her. So, let's see what she's up to this time," Mark suggested.

And the lover boy has geared up!

"I'm hoping she doesn't say anything crazy or kicks us out, " James prayed before entering the room. We formed a straight line in front of her, facing our boss, but she continued to work on her laptop. "Sit down, don't be so formal," she informed while still working on her laptop.

Mark asked as I was about to take my seat, "Are you sure she was treated by a doctor? But she doesn't look that sick Ryan," he said, and I could see his curiosity in his words. Despite her efforts to conceal her dull face with makeup, there was something evident to us. Every time we entered her office, the air was filled with her confidence and a powerful aura of hers, but today she was completely exhausted, even though the room was filled with the same confidence and we all could figure it out.

"When did we start being formal with her? Is she under the assumption that we are not sitting because we respect her? She really needs to understand that there isn't enough space," James tried to whisper into Mark's ears, but he was too loud.

"Sorry what?" she asked, looking at him.

Mark smacked his butts to close his mouth, and we sat down nervously together.

"I really should thank you for your efforts on this project. You guys did an excellent job," and she was appreciative.

Wait! DO YOU THINK SHE APPRECIATED US? MS WILLIAMS? At the time, instead of being amused by her gratitude, I was wondering what heavenly medicine Smith had given her to cause her to react in this manner. I know it was silly of me to think of it, but I wish Smith could give her that every day so that our hearts fluttered once in a while hearing her words.

"Wait! Why am I thrilled? Disgusting Ryan, don't fall into her pit, you moron," I told myself.

Worst of all, do you know what the other part was? You don't have to overthink things when you have two boxes of curiosities as best friend and colleague, Mark and James. They would do the job instead of your brain, and all you would have to do is to get their mouth shut, soon. Mark is fine at times, but James? His entire existence was a surprise to him.

"Are you sure she's, okay?" James inquired. Did you check on her to see if she's got a head injury? Internal damage maybe?" and I responded, "I feel you bro." James, who was not prepared to hear what I was about to say, asked, "Do you understand the meaning of thank you from her mouth? Ryan, I don't feel right about this, it's something serious."

And James presented us with a new version of himself.

She smiled at us for the first time genuinely, and that was the only time I ever saw it as the previous ones were always an obligation. It shouldn't occur to me, but she was incredibly beautiful when she gave us her smile wholeheartedly. I felt good for some reason. My face lit up when I saw her happy expression.

"As you all know, we are going to release our new collection in a couple of weeks and you guys have also really worked hard for it. You all have shown some real good ideas which were really impressive even after being in pressure. So, I believe it is time for you to..."

James abruptly rose from his seat and exclaimed, "See? Didn't I warn you, Ryan? She called, congratulated us, and now she's going to tell us to get out of here. I should have understood the true meaning of your 'WORKED HARD', Ms Williams, and I truly apologise. Give us another chance, and we will not make the same mistake, and believe me, I will work my tail off."

She sat back in her chair, a grin on her face. "To be honest, I had no intention of firing you four. I thought you guys should take a break before we left for Paris, to relax. But now that James told me..."

"See, I also warned you. She is a wonderful person who always encourages us in our endeavours. Thank you very much, ma'am, and I know we don't deserve such a lovely boss..." James cracked a grin.

"James, Will you please stop talking and sit? Don't force me to kick your retarded ass," Mark tried to make him sit down by yanking on his pants.

Despite being warned, he continued, "C'mon guys, I'm not like you people, bad mouthing someone behind their back like you guys did in the lounge. You ought to be..." That's when he realised the person, he was talking about was sitting right in front of him. He took back his seat calmly, and Mark immediately asked, "Let me know if you have any last wishes because today is your last day in this world I swear."

James bowed his head towards me and apologised, and guess what? I gave him a smile and moved my eyeball down to show him my middle finger which I flicked to him below the table. She moved her gaze from down to up, biting her inner lips, and then she glared at each of us. "It appears that the entire Panache is gossiping behind my back. Is it James? Why do I feel I shouldn't give you all a break?" she asked as she leaned forward.

"So, Ms Williams, when are we supposed to return to work after the break?" He inquired without any shame or guilt. She laughed at us! What's the matter with me? I felt warm in her smile when I saw her laughing with her small eyes. "I'll see you on Monday then. And before I change my mind, get the hell out of here," she said softly, returning to her laptop.

As we prepared to leave, she said, "Also, James. Thank you for making me smile today. I guess there is a reason for you to be the group's mood maker and all four, ditch the formalities. We can talk casually when it's not an official meet like how James did," she said.

"Perhaps with you people, I can learn about the people here and what they think of me," she said with a grin and I detected sarcasm in her words.

"Should we take it as a compliment or an insult?" Eric questioned.

"It depends on how you take it," she clarified, raising one eyebrow.

"And there's one more thing I'd like to tell James. People are like skinks here, with razor-sharp ears like snakes. So, before you get caught, be cautious of your words and actions. Place yourself always first among your people."

"Uhm! Okay… I understand what you're saying, and the conclusion is?" James questioned.

"Turn around"

HOLY SH*T! This could not be true. She had a huge monitor in the right-side corner of her office, which almost covered the entire wall of her room with clear footage of all the important places in our office. There were 20 different sections in the screen of the monitor, and I assumed our camera in the design hall wasn't working too. I could clearly see Hazel throwing all of the files, and her lip movements indicated that she was cursing someone, who of course had to be Ms Williams.

"What in the world is Hazel doing there, Ryann?" Mark yanked on my blazer.

"Do you know James? These cameras are equipped with microphones too. It appears that you can hear everything that is going on in that particular room as if you are present there," she explained.

We were completely taken aback and didn't know what to say. Is she giving us an indication that we should keep our mouths shut? Do we, by the way, have that kind of technology? The timing was so perfect that all four of us turned around to look at her at the same time.

"Would you like me to unmute and show you what's going on in the design hall?" She asked, clutching a remote in her hands.

James was about to ask a question when Mark interrupted, saying, "No, Ms Williams. We'd rather leave, it's fine. You must be extremely busy with your work, and I apologise for taking your time for so long. Thank you," he said as he led him outside, and we followed.

"I suppose she is a nice person, and we previously judged her without knowing anything. She appeared to genuinely care about us, as evidenced by the way she spoke to us. Also, she looks great when she smiles," James added, blushing slightly.

Mark gave James a disgusted look and said, "Wow! It only took you ten minutes to go from 'she's such a b*tch' to she really looks good when she smiles.' You're a hopeless case dude."

"For a moment, I fell for her words and thought she was a nice person, but that's when I realised you can't iron a wrinkle with words. She is..." James immediately covered my mouth with his hands, whispering, "Have you gone insane? She could hear us, dumbo, and she's probably watching us right now."

He took an avatar of a different personality in a split second and began praising her with all heavens.

"I'm never going to give my trust to this guy. What a Brutus," I commented, noticing his various personalities. "Does he really need to be on our team?" As we walked into my office, I wondered aloud.

"Don't worry, I'll always be there to annoy you people," James said. He jumped on Mark and said, "You know I love you." Mark immediately moved back, saying, "EW! step back." I got a can of beer for myself and passed the rest to them when Mark proclaimed, "Hey! What about tonight's party?"

After taking a large sip, Eric stated, "Ahh! I absolutely love you, man! We haven't partied together in a long time, have we?"

"Extremely long. So, what about Michael's party, which is tonight?" Mark asked, as he walked around. "Michael? Mr. Robert's spoiled brat. Is it him you're referring to?" I inquired because I wasn't particularly close to him.

"Yes, exactly him. Let's get this party started, man. I get excited when I hear the word 'party'. We're freaking going there and drinking till we pass out like teenagers," James said with a laugh.