Chapter 6: he makes it seem easy!

She got the coffee nevertheless just across the street. With it, safely wrapped in her hands, she matched to his office. Her hands were brought to the door as she knocked, resisting the urge to just barge in and give him a piece of her mind. There was a slight hesitation with inaudible voices heard inside, but Xavier eventually beckoned on her.

Rachael almost bumped into someone on her way in. The man who bumped into her gazed at her and she was taken aback by the look on his face. He was a full-grown man but shaking as if he had just seen a ghost. She took notice of the bead of sweat that gathered on his forehead. Every single sign of fear was visible on his face. He brushed past Rachael and she immediately drifted her attention to Xavier.

He looked indifferent as he stared at her, waiting for her to bring his coffee. Rachael, annoyed, walked toward his table and dropped the beverage. She wasn't going to ask about the man because she wasn't that nosey. Plus, Xavier wasn't going to tell her anyway.

"It's cold," said Xavier after touching it. Rachael scowled. He had an undying taste for perfection which caused her to wonder if he ever allowed anything slip.

"The Brewer didn't make it as hot" even though she tried to say innocently, she couldn't hide the amount of sarcasm present in her voice.

Xavier humphed, placing his two hands on the table. He stared at her then back at the coffee. He was intimidating sometimes especially when he had that cold look in his eyes. Rachael at this point was starting to get uncomfortable with the way he gazed at her.

"I'll find it hard working in the office you assigned to me" she blurted out helplessly.

"We're you given a choice?" He asked her with squinted eyes, feigning confusion.

"The paper works are too much"

"you are meant to sort them"

"Alphabetically? That will take forever"

"You have the whole day to get it done" he shrugged at her as if the entire day could be enough for her to sort the papers. She was about to counter what he had said, but after one look in his eyes, she knew he meant business. He wasn't playing around. Probably, this was his additional way of teaching her a lesson.

Silence followed with Rachael thinking of numerous reasons she hated him. Xavier seemed unbothered as he took a sip from his coffee. Rachael resisted the urge not to roll her eyes at him for initially condemning it even before tasting it

"Do you have any other complaint?" he asked the moment the coffee left his lips, judging from how quiet she stood, gazing at him in utmost frustration.

"No sir" Rachael pressed her lips together. She hated the way he acted like he paid attention to her first complaint.

"Then leave" he demanded as he looked down at the paperwork on his desk and began scribbling something on it. Rachael swallowed hard but finally left.

Working for Xavier was harder than she thought. Apart from how uncomfortable she felt around him, she couldn't stand his annoying nature. A sign escaped from her lips when she got back to her office. The paper stared at her in the face as she gazed back with profound annoyance. She didn't only have to sort it, but also take it to the 12th-floor badge by badge. Well if she wanted a little progress, she had to start right away.


Rachael began with the first pile of documents. After sorting the first, she took it out of her office. What Racheal couldn't understand was why a car company had to do a lot of paper works. A groan left her mouth when she found out that the elevator was out of service. This was the 6th floor. If she took the stairs to the 12th occasionally, she might pass out on the second try. She had just today to do this, and the elevation chose it of all days to be under maintenance.


Rachael decided to go for it, but by the time she got to the 12th floor, she was already exhausted. Her mouth dropped when she looked around. It was busier than the rest. This was the main business area in Rachael's opinion with people going to and fro, hastily. Most people gazed at her in confusion while some didn't give her any attention. Maybe because they hadn't seen her before or because they knew about the article. Rachael prayed the latter was true for her sake.

"The room is at the other side" she heard a familiar voice. It was Jerry. She had been standing there, moping around. That could be the reason he spotted her.

"I know" she clutched the paper to her chest and was about to make her way through without sparing him a glance, but he stopped her.

"Let me see" he called out behind her. Rachael couldn't help but wonder why he was so good at trampling on her nerve. Did he see her as so incompetent not to sort them properly?

She handed the heap of files to him and stretched her hand to relieve herself of the pain that resulted from inadequate blood flow.

"Good," he remarked with a stiff face, handing the file back to her. After giving him a forced smile, she left him and marched towards the warehouse.

****
Rachael sighed in relief as she took the last pile of paperwork. Something got her attention and that was the paper at the top. REHABILITATION OF VICTIMS OF THE FIRE INCIDENT. Rachael was about picking the file to take a look at it when her phone rang. It startled her a bit as she placed the phone in her ear.

Racheal's eyes widened the moment the news came through. She stood up, devastated, and rushed out through the door. When she was out of the office, she realized she hadn't gotten her purse. Out of frustration, she went back to the office and grabbed it. Her eyes drifted to the paper, resisting the urge to take it along with her. When she got back, she could read the content, properly.