Sasha, leaned back in my chair with her ankles crossed and on top of my desk, held the phone to her ear with one hand, and curled a strand of her ginger hair around a finger of the other. “Oh stop,” she laughed, slightly swaying back in forth in my custom-made Aero chair.
I swung the door open, hoping to surprise Sasha so much that she fell onto the floor. Instead, she glanced at me and then continued talking without pause. “Ugh, and did you see the shoes she wore? I thought about giving her a mercy-nudge into that mud puddle just to cover them up!”
“Sasha,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. “Hang up the phone, please. We need to talk.”
Sasha rolled her eyes. “I need to go, Mom. Someone needs her office for the first time this week—coincidentally when I’m on the phone. Okay. Bye,” she said, returning the phone to its cradle. “You have the last cord phone in this entire building.”
“It was my father’s.”
“So?”
My first reaction was to run at her full speed and tackle her bony ass to the floor. Then she wouldn’t be in my chair complaining that it wasn’t fit to her standards.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and began again. “I’m not changing anything in this office. I like it the way it is…because it is, in fact, my office. Which begs the question: What are you doing here at ten o’clock at night?”
“What are you doing here?”
“Answer the question, Sasha,” I replied, exasperated.
“I was working,” she snapped. She pulled a file off the desk and held it against her chest as she approached me. “Trust me, your office was happy for the change.”
I started to cross my arms, but forced them to stay at my sides. “What exactly do you hope to accomplish here by insulting the CEO of the company? How far do you expect to get here, Sasha?” I hated how arrogant that sounded, but I was genuinely curious.
“Grant is the CEO as far as we are all concerned.”
“What you should be concerned about is the company you’ll be applying to after you graduate. Who do you think will sign your recommendation letter? Who do you think will have the final say on your reference report?”
“You wouldn’t.”
My eyebrows popped up. “You’ve made an enemy of me from day one. You can’t expect me to feel sorry for—”
“Grant has plenty of positive things to say about my time here.”
“Grant likes your short skirts and that you have coffee waiting for him every morning. Even if he did somehow notice the insignificant tasks you do complete, he would also see how many mistakes you make. You are not the asset to this company you believe you are, and you’re a bi—” I stopped, catching myself.
“I’m a what?” she goaded.
“A bit rough around the edges.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I know you’re the princess of Titan. That doesn’t mean you get everything.”
“What on earth are you talking about?” I said, wrinkling my nose.
Sasha stuck her hands on her hips. “Oh, enough already with the oblivious routine. You may have some people fooled, but I’m not one of them,” she said, poking her chest with the last few words.
Frustrated, I closed my eyes, shook my head and sighed. “If you don’t wish to resolve this, fine. But stay out of my office unless you have my verbal permission.” I opened the door, gesturing for her to leave.
Sasha’s arms crossed tighter, and she lifted her chin in defiance. “Truth hurts?”
“I honestly don’t have time for this.”
“You just threatened my career. Make time,” she said, pushing the door shut.
“What career?”
“Better than a fake one.”
“Are you serious? You’re bitter because I’m taking my father’s place in the company? As if you wouldn’t, had you the opportunity! What father doesn’t want their child to take over the family business?”
“You’re never even here!”
“What is it that you want, Sasha? My job?”
“No! It’s absolutely ridiculous that you have this huge office right beside Grant that you’re never in! What a waste of company resources! Grant keeps this company running while you’re off doing God knows what with your husband-slash-stalker…it’s disgusting,” she said, her face screwing so tight, the skin around the creases in her face turned white.
“Disgusting?”
“Yes! When you do decide to show up, you’re so busy flirting with Grant that you still don’t get anything done. What will happen to this company if Grant decides to leave? It’s doomed!”
Sasha’s words turned a light on inside my head, and I stood there in shock. “You’re in love with him,” I whispered.
“Oh, please,” Sasha said. “You must be losing sleep again.”
“You’re in love with Grant.”
Sasha’s mouth fell open. “Am not!”
I pointed at her. “You’re in love with him, and you’ve been pissed at me this entire time because he flirts with me!”