eyes are narrowed and dangerous. I am standing in front of him with my hands clasped tightly together. A few more moments of this intense scrutiny and I’m sure I’m going to start sweating.
“You want me to tell you what to do?” he asks.
“I just meant if there’s anything else you need, I’ll be happy to do it.”
“Of course you will, Miss Waters. That is your job,” he replies in a stern voice.
I’m not sure what exactly I have done to make him this angry with me. He’s looking me up and down like he can’t believe I’m standing in front of him.
“Okay…I just—” I try to say something, but he cuts me off.
“If there is work to be done, you will be informed of it. In fact, I expect you to anticipate what I need you to do.”
I nod. I’m starting to panic. I didn’t come in here with the intention of getting reprimanded by him. Especially because I haven’t done anything wrong!
“Now, leave. If you were paying attention to my schedule, you would know I have a phone call in the next three minutes that I’ll be late for because of you.”
I can feel the prick of hot tears at the back of my eyelids. How could I forget about the call? I didn’t forget. It just slipped my mind!
I spin away, trying to make for the door, but he stops me in my tracks.
“And I expect you to stay until eight tonight. I have two meetings back to back, as you know from my schedule, and I will need you to handle the minutes,” he says.
I nod without looking at him and then I leave.
Outside his office I try to catch my breath but I know he can see me if he’s looking. I feel his eyes on me. Watching my every move. Is he relishing the effect he’s had on me? Is he trying to put me in my place?
My hands shake a little as I rush back to my desk to connect him to the call.
I should have just kept my mouth shut.
I had to sit in on the meetings today because he wanted me to take notes. This was the first time I actually saw him in action. I have to admit that it was difficult for me to focus on notetaking and record-keeping when I was so entranced by the way he spoke.
Everybody there was.
He has a smooth way of speaking and making you believe in what he’s saying. There were literally no objections or criticisms to the presentations he made or the speeches he gave.
If he ever wants to become a cult leader, I’m pretty sure he would be very successful at it.
Despite the awkward encounter from this morning, when he was downright rude to me—I couldn’t help but be magnetized by his presence at the meetings. As far as he is concerned, it seems like he has no memory of our interaction today. It is probably for the best.
I’m pretty sure I haven’t made much of an impression on him, but whatever little bit I do, I would hate for it to be a negative one.
Once the meetings are done, he returns to his office and I follow him to my desk. It’s pretty late already. The floor is empty, and we are the only ones here.
I see him sit down at his desk and fire up his computer again. His brows are furrowed; his face looks dark with thought. I know he isn’t thinking about me. Why would he? Kirk Silvers seems like the kind of man who rarely thinks about anyone else but himself.
I brush up all the notes and type up whatever needs to be kept a record of. I assume he would want a copy of it to go over tonight so I arrange everything in a file and take it to his office.
I usually just walk in and out of his office without disturbing him, and I have full intention of doing it now too. I don’t want him to feel I intend to speak to him. That chapter is closed between us.
I focus hard on simply walking over to his desk, leaving the file on the corner of the desk, and walking away. But it feels like the floor is playing a trick on me. I trip. How do I trip? I will never know the answer to that question. The file goes flying out of my hands, and everything is happening in slow motion.