Tell her

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(Flowers's POV)

*****

I sat in my around my desk, intently reviewing the credentials of each intern candidate for the Christmas holidays. I hated this part of the job, knowing that I would have to turn so many of them down. Doubtfully I knew this came with the work territory, but It was still a hard decision to do. Having a such duty of choice could affect any and everything, this company, an opportunity for a person's future.

I knew I was faced with good and bad candidates, that could either have a good outcome or sometimes turn out for the worst. Yet, I was assigned the pitfall barrier. Put in place to prevent this from happening. I need to make good choices for Mr. Hayes. After all, my mic picking would somewhat ultimately help draw this to a conclusion.

I looked at the pile I had approved and sighed helplessly. It was still too much. I should have ten candidates for Mr. Hayes to choose from. Annoyingly, I was looking at some forty-something worth of files. How do human resources do this? Choose the best candidate. Each year I felt like an evil witch. To make it worst, today was the day Mr. Hayes had to choose. I lowered my head unto the table in despair.

"Morning, Flowers," I jolted up. I didn't hear him when he entered the room. I looked up at him in his sturdy, neatly dressed pressed shirt that Mr. Hayes was wearing. My eyes hovered over his black glossed hair, slick sideburns, and smoldering hazel eyes.

This shouldn't have surprised me, either way. He lived on the floor. Clever him, when he decided to adjoin his office and design his penthouse alongside it. On the very same building, he owns.

"Mr. Hayes," I sang at him. He had caught me off guard.

"I thought you were perhaps… sleeping?"

"No," shaking my head at him gently. He smiled slightly.

"Sure about that? I guess you should be tired of me already, I won't be surprised if you did." I rolled my eyes, furrow my brow and exhale loudly.

"Should I be, Marcelo? Don't give any reason to." I said sternly, feeling annoyed by his judgment. If I was, I wouldn't be sitting in this chair.

"Aha, there she is … my raw coffee," I piercing stare at him. He looked at me confidently, he was the picture of it. A face I had forgotten a year ago stared back at me, bringing back a flame that I had long since extinguished.

"Flowers met me in my office," he said a bit too collected for my taste.

"Yes, Mr. Hayes." I watched as he walked away to his office and then looked at all the files on my desk. I was in a trap, there was no way I could choose ten people and not feel bad about it.

I looked at the pile that I had approved. I then did the unthinkable. I closed my eyes and pushed it off my desk, letting it shatter unto the floor. I merely glance at them and then maliciously blindly, pick up one after the other. After I was through I looked at the ten files that were faith to be in the last batch of selection. I smiled. I wasn't the one who determined the other casualties that lay in despair.

I hugged them in my hand and walk towards Mr. Hayes's office. I open the door. I could smell the rich smell of brewed coffee in the morning. I made it earlier this morning in his office. It was intoxicating as I noticed him taking a cup. I placed the files on his desk and sat on the black chair in front of it.

He turned to observe me, as he took a sip. He grunted.

"Finish already?" I ignored the smirk on his face, knowing all too well he saw the pile I had on my desk.

"Let's start with the files," I stated. He walked towards his desk and lean on it in front of me. He took up one folder, still drinking his coffee. He rustled the pages with one hand, before placing the file back down.

"Thi one is already compelling," he jeered. "I just need to choose three of them right?" He said as he went to take sit in his chair.

"Yes, the top three. Nothing has changed. The intern program we have with the university, remains the same" I stated. He flickered his eyes away, only to return them to my stare.

"Still upset, I left?" He asked, placing his cup of coffee down.

I sat there remembering the storm that came raging like a wild beast for days in the beginning when he just left. It had transformed my pristine painted desk into a shadow of its former self. I had fumbled a couple of times and had to stand up for myself. Basically, find my footing without him.

My world went through a bit of tremor as I remember how that stank of a woman came into Redwood as if she own the place. He had allowed something so foolishly to happen in the first place and then accept his faith. I gingerly bite my lip not wanting to answer him, befitting to how I felt. Like dipping one's toe into the sharply freezing ice-cold water.

"Of course not," I spin it off with a quick smile while waving a hand at him when I said this. Of course, I wasn't upset, more like passionately pissed.

"Ready to make up for a lost time," I asked suggestively. He lifted his chin and slightly tapped his fingers on the table.

"I have something in mind," he claimed. It perked my interest. Now that he was back, I just wanted to know his intentions. I was more ready to twist that woman's head off and kick her out.

"Tell me, how's Soraya doing?" I raise my eyebrows slightly and stretched out my legs in front of me.

"That's why you hired her?" I asked. I was a bit shocked. When he had returned much less interviewing someone on the first day. Imagine how surprised I was when he told me she would share my desk. Not that I don't mind, I loved the company. I had pleaded before but he refused, saying it would only complicate things and that he only trusted me. It made me wonder how much did he trust her.

"No," he murmured softly. I immediately leaned in.

"If you hired one of your call…"

"No," his voice intruded and denounced my notion. He looked at me sharply, as if I should be careful with my words.

"I hope not," I glared at him back.

"I just find her interesting that's all," he said as he picked up a file and gave it to me. I scanned the folder. It was about the enhanced development of Redwood. Future projections and assumptions if a certain directive was taken. Written by Soraya, in college. I was impressed and gratified knowing she wrote this.

I stared back at the selection files I had given. A haunting thought came into my mind, I wondered if she was once a candidate I passed over in previous years. The horror of guilt filled me.

"She was never candidate Flowers," I looked up at him, reading my mind. "She never attended the University of Hartt. I am sure you would have selected her," easing my guilt.

"This is amazing," I flipped a few sheets. "To be exact… we were almost on track with these assumptions, until you..." Just right then, I knew he was going to use her.

"Exactly. I'm thinking of putting her on one of the projects I had in mind. I think her savviness would fit quite perfectly," he said.

"So you called me in here to ask me my opinion?" We stared at each other. I knew he wouldn't admit it, but I also got the feeling he had something up his sleeve. This wasn't just some simple project.

"She has adapted quite well. Follows instructions to the 't'. I like her spunk… especially her company," I emphasized the last part smiling. "But I don't know if… she can manage that stray cat you picked up." He chuckled.

"You still upset with me," I gave a half-shrug. I then stood up and gave him back the file.

"Whatever your planning to do. Do it right this time, otherwise… we all pay the price," he snorted and clench his jaw.

"So… when do you plan on telling her?" I asked.

"About?" He asked as if he was lost. I braced unto the table and lean into his space. But his resolve was unmoved and I knew right there he knew what I meant.

"She can be very useful, I see that myself. But if you allow your cocky-ness to surpass the truth. You might be playing the game by yourself. We need all cards on the deck, and each card had an important role just as the player. So, whether you like it or not. No one likes to be used," I then stood straight and ran my hand through my hair.

"So if you asked for my advice, Marcelo. She's valuable. So tell her. Otherwise, she will feel like the joker in the deck. When the bigger one is Jules of course," giving him my verdict. He braced back into his chair, again too comfortable for my taste. He's unwavering composure. This man had something up his sleeve.

"If you don't mind you need to select a candidate by the end of the day, "I pointed my finger to my pile of files when he didn't answer me. "Plus, have other stuff to attend to," I said as I swirl to leave.

He wasn't ready to relieve anything much. However, I already knew my objective and my directive. I was sure enough, that the dumb cow had eaten enough grass at Redwood. Time for the slaughter.