Pain in the Neck

D R I X ᯓᡣ𐭩

WHEN I enter the house, Camilla is quietly seated at the dinning table, surrounded by multiple dishes, and I wonder if she was the only one eating. A maid tastes her cup of tea with a teaspoon before handing it to her ,and she slowly sips the content with ease. Despite it being 8:am, she was still dressed in her bathrobe, reading a magazine, page by page. Did she still have plans of going anywhere, today? Why then did she need me to arrive this early?

Adjusting my tie, I approach her at the table, "Good morning,"

She doesn't say a word but peeks at me from her magazine and returns her gaze back to the printed sheets, "Nice suit, " she compliments.

"Thank you. When are you leaving? " I ask, trying to get to the point.

"Soon, after my clothes are properly steamed. Forgive me, Mr. Professionalism, I had my clothes steamed yesterday, I just didn't feel like wearing a black suit today anymore, "

Mr. Professionalism? So, she did find that offensive.

"Fine, would you like to share details of your schedule for today's events?"

Camilla lets out a sigh, shutting her magazine as more cooks arrived with an elegant serving of toast and bacon. She takes a bite and turns to one of the cooks, "Mr. Anderson would be having breakfast with me," she informs them and they bow their heads in affirmation.

"Err—"

"Is there anything you wish to say, Mr. Anderson? "

"No, it's fine. Just a cup of coffee, would do, "

I'm not hungry but I don't want to turn down her efforts of making me comfortable.

Minutes later and I'm served a cup of dark coffee which I gulp it down quietly.

"I see, you've made friends with my one of gardeners,"

Does she have surveillance at all areas of the building?

"Oh, she was in need of my assistance. I just helped, "

"In need? Interesting," She remarks.

"Look, I —"

"I go to work by ten and usually return home at 4 but as for today, I have a family event to attend at noon so you will come with me. Thereafter, we'll return back to the office and back to the house and you get go home at nine, "

"That is fine by me, "

"Feel free to resign whenever you wish to if the workload gets too much, " she smiles.

"I will," I return her smile, playing her card.

Camilla doesn't say anything further but exits the breakfast table and goes directly to her room.

An hour later, and I'm still waiting for her to get ready,I don't mind but use the spare time to phone the driver to get the car ready and park the vehicle in front of the building for convenience.

Moments later, she's finally emerges, wearing a pair of dark brown high waisted trousers and a cropped blazer over a black cropped shirt, her hair straightened and silky. A maid is walking behind her, holding her brown purse. I take the bag from the woman and she heads out, Camilla pulls to a halt in front of the vehicle.

"Why is this here?" she asks, pointing at the vehicle.

"To take you to work,"

"And whose choice was that?"

"Well,the driver phoned you minutes ago and you clearly says you wanted to drive the Rolls-Royce this morning,"

"I did?"

"Yes, you did,"

"Well, I'm not getting into that thing,"

"Thing,you say?"

"Yes, thing, "

If the phrase was a pain the neck was a person, it would be Camilla Dunwoody; she was the full physical representation of it. I think I had applied to be a butler instead of a bodyguard, or maybe a babysitter.

The driver shares the same expression with me as he liberates a frustrated sigh and rests his head on the steering wheel as I tried to reason with this young lady.

"Fine, what do you want to drive?"

Camilla bites the interior of her cheek, "The white Ferrari, "

"You heard her, " I refer to the driver, who turns on the ignition and drives straight into the garage for a car change.

Moments later and the white Ferrari Purosangue, quietly parks in front of us, she doesn't budge but keeps her hands folded.

"Aren't you going to open the car door? " she questions, blinkly innocently like she hadn't caused a ruckus this morning.

Sighing for the millionth time today, I open the door for her and she gets in, I hop in through the other side of the vehicle and driver heads straight to CD Meals, her food packaging company. She doesn't say anything in the car, which is a huge sign of relief and when we finally arrive at her place of work, she delightfully leads the way to her office.

Like her house, the company's aesthetics is also neutral, but it's quite big for a company that just started out as mom had earlier said everyone was busy but they didn't fail to recognize her presence by greeting her the moment she walked past, even if she gave them no reply.

I wave at the few people who greeted me before catching up to her in the elevator.

"Don't you think we should walk at the same pace? " I ask her, walking too fast wouldn't help us at all not with her safety at stake.

"Well, I guess it's my fault. After all, I trusted my safety in the hands of a sloth, "she says, her tone laced with sarcasm

"Well, sorry, I —"

"Don't." she shuts me with one word. "Don' t you dare apologize, I don't slow down for anyone; it's either you quicken up or get left behind. If you still wish to keep your job, remember that rule, "

Her calm tone makes it unclear if it's a threat or a warning, "Yes, ma'am, " I respond.

"Good,"

The elevator opens at the top floor, where her office was stationed, "Plan's changed, I'll drop off a few things with Stephan and we would head over to my family's place for the event. Any questions? "

"None at all,"