Chapter six

CHAPTER SIX

Roxanne's POV

I was taken aback, what did he mean by what he said? I didn't even know how to react for Dera's eagle eyes and ears were dangerously open.

"Sir?"

He swallowed hard and turned his head to the right side, noticing Dera and Selena's stare.

"I'd love you to stop putting on... Pink. It looks somehow on you," he said rudely, turned and headed to the elevator.

I rushed after him but realized that I wasn't entitled to the elevator.

DERA'S POV

Was the boss already falling for Roxanne? No! That couldn't be possible.

He just lost a would-be wife three years ago. Unless he wanted another casualty he better hold himself from falling in love, coz he's mine alone.

I watched as he corrected himself and as the bitch ran to the elevator. I was about to give her another stern warning but it seemed some spirit had ministered to her, helping her change her mind.

I quickly took out my mirror and applied a pink gloss on my lips. It seemed the CEO preferred girls with pink lips.

"Dera, what are you going to do about it?" Selena said, startling me from my admiration spree.

"About what?"

"Him, the CEO," he responded

"What!! You saw everything?" I asked in amazement.

"I did. And I think he's falling for her. Why hasn't he ever admired us like that?"

Maybe I didn't hear her well. Did she just say "us?"

"And why would he admire you?" I asked curtly

She shrugged and dusted her flare gown, "C'mon Dera, everyone's crushing on the CEO and everyone wants to have a taste of him"

"Are you among this `everyone'?" I asked suspiciously while processing a readily crushing insult.

She at last noticed my change of tone and quickly went back to her office of duty. I wondered what she was entirely looking for outside her typing office.

"Idiot," I cursed disdainfully. 

I continued with my makeup application but paused on the way.

I needed to do something about Roxanne's pink blouse, it looked too beautiful on her.

Thankfully, Mr. Edward had already made it known to her that pink wasn't suitable for work.

But still, I needed her to stay ugly throughout the day. She couldn't be looking all prim, proper and beautiful in my presence. No! She had to learn her place.

I thought in a very devious way and smiled as I finally got the perfect method for the plan's execution.

ROXANNE'S POV

I walked out of the CEO's office, clutching the vacuum cleaner, the mop and the rag.

I was about to descend the staircase when someone drew my tired attention

"Hello dear"

I turned and replied politely "Good morning Sir"

"I'm Brown by name and I guess you're Roxanne," he said grinning from ear to ear like a bleating goat.

His name suited him just fine, for his teeth were indeed the dirtiest brown I had ever seen.

"Yes, I am. Any problem?"

"Dera would love to have some coffee with you at the coffee shop next door by 10:00 am," he said while still displaying his clay teeth.

I sighed tiredly and gave a gentle nod. "I doubt Dera would be of any good to me," I thought and watched as he retreated to the hellhole he crawled out from. His office was on the Fourth floor.

"How could he have gotten the information from Dera if his office was on the fourth floor?"

I continued my descent as I thought about the happenings of the morning, my mind trailing back to the love confession. 

I didn't care that he had rephrased the confession. All I knew was that it was a love confession.

My mind took a step back from the confession of love to the moment when I saw him coming to me.

I thought I was seeing an angel. He was so dashing that I was sure that some love bats had begun to sing the Hallelujah Chorus in my belly.

Just as quickly as my mind had wandered into forbidden territory, it flew back to reality. I had reached the ground floor.

On the ground floor, I decided to go confirm the lunch appointment I had with Dera, but instead, I met Tarella.

"Rox! I like your blouse, it's so elegant" she commended while walking to where I stood.

She didn't look bad either, in fact, she looked like a goddess in her candle-white jumpsuit and black stiletto.

"Thanks, Tarella," I replied, "you look gorgeous yourself, very".

She smiled at the compliment.

"Why don't you come visit me in my office sometime? I work on the fourth floor. I'm on the marketing team," she said.

"Wow! That's so nice. I surely will," I replied sweetly too conscious of Dera's probing eyes

She smiled again before walking away to the typist's office.

"Dera! Why don't we go for coffee now? It's almost 10:00 am" I said politely looking straight at her makeup masqueraded face as I stood at her desk.

"Oh, That's fine by me, let's hurry over".

DERA'S POV

I was prepared for my plan's execution. She even had the guts to receive a compliment from Tarella.

I seethed as we walked side by side like friends into the Cafe.

We took a seat as the waitress came in to take our orders.

"Black coffee please," I said, smiling cunningly.

"Same order," she said elegantly. I couldn't help but catch a glimpse of her prostitute mother's beauty in her.

I cleared my throat, " I called you here to apologize for my constant rudeness," I said.

It seemed she wasn't buying my apology as she quickly took a look the other way, ignoring my apology.

The waitress arrived with our order and carefully placed it in our respective front, making her turn back to face me.

"I mean, I've really been rude to you and have always been quick to lay an insult" I added to my initial feigned apology, just as I sipped the black coffee, "I'm sorry,"

She shrugged and replied calmly "I just hope this is a sincere apology, and not just you pulling my legs".

I finally seized the opportunity to spurt out my drink directly on her blouse, in a pretense of laughter.

"Oh my gosh!!! Sorry, dear. It was a mistake, I didn't mean to," I said in feigned shock just as I got out the blackened kerchief I had taken from the trash can to clean the dress for her.

She innocently let me use the black dusty kerchief on her, thereby helping to spread soot on her pink blouse.

Noticing the soot on her dress, we both screamed.

Just then Selena walked into the Cafe to inform us that Sir Nathan, the CEO's father was around and demanded to meet with all the new employees.

On hearing this, Roxanne rushed out of the Cafe without caring to clean her dress properly. I watched with devilish joy as she went into the company in the massacred blouse for she had no idea who Sir Nathan was.

EDWARD'S POV

Everyone was gathered already except the new cleaner girl. Where could she be?

"Edward, you said something about having a cleaner, where is she?" My dad asked, already inkling to see the girl that I allowed into my personal space.

I was a very sensitive person, who hated strange people touching my things or even cleaning them. It took four years for me to accept the housekeeper's help in cleaning my room.

"Dad... Uhmm... I think...

Just then, Roxanne came panting covered in sweat and soot.

"You think what?" He asked signifying his interest in the subject

"There she is" I replied, pointing at Roxanne.

My dad looked at her, and looked back at me before asking "Where?"

"There."

"Why is her blouse stained? Did she just exit from the trash can?"

"Dad... it's not like that... I can explain...

"And what will that explanation be? What will black soot be doing on her pink blouse? I thought we had standards here?" He shouted furiously

I began my stammer, for my dad was a cleanliness fanatic "D....

"No!! She needs to be sacked right away!!"