The weeks literally went by so fast like runners on steroids and before Amy could get her thoughts in order. None of them had addressed any of the events from their trip. It was probably best left in the past, on foreign land. There were a few meetings that has kept her preoccupied anyways along with being constantly ogled by the weird men Blaze deals with. Like Amani Vidal and Shade Watkins. A nightmare of sheets, commands and tension that would give Amy trauma for years to come. Other than that, Blaze himself had barely looked at her for more than a minute unless he needed to and it was always professional, none of the warmth from the trip.
During the flight back, he'd also had her in a separate cabin, physically drawing a line that made Amy feel even more anxious. Perhaps the most strangest of his behavior was when he told her she didn't have to pay for his broken phone anymore. It was so sudden and that Amy wondered if anything had happened that night.
Lost in her own world, Amy absentmindedly thought of her conversation with her sister days ago. Jade and Shayda were on different trajectories. While Jade was working a good mysterious job she would rather keep private, Shayda was getting ready to tie the knot with her longtime partner, Asher.
"You look so exhausted, girl tell that boss of yours to cut you some slack"
Amy laughed and tried to brushed it off
"It's typical corporate bullshit as usual, high energy draining work and files I can't count"
"I don't need to imagine because you look like you were dragged down to hell to work for the devil himself"
"It's a week too late to say that" , Amy replied,
Definitely a week too late, she whispered to herself as she made coffee for Blaze and his guest. The young man had a striking resemblance to Blaze in a way that made Amy think of well-aged wine.
"Siri, You're unbelievable you know"
"What?, you owe me drinks and I came to collect them", the other guy replied nonchalantly
"You and I know that's just an excuse. It's not even believable at this point jackass", he countered. Amy had never seen him so carefree and playful with anyone else. And she didn't need to ask to know that was his brother.
"Amy, could you grab my jacket?", he asked as soon as he saw me. He moved out of his seat but his brother stopped him immediately.
"where are your manners B?, you can't just leave while this beautiful lady's coffee remains warm and untouched", he said with a smile at me and motioned for me to set the cups down in front of them. There was something about his voice that it impossible to disobey. Blaze squinted his eyes at him in pure disgust but sat down anyway.
"She's not your type big brother"
Amy glared at Blaze while Serial nodded sarcastically and they drank their coffee swiftly before leaving. When Friday finally rolled around, Amy was excited to get the weekend off. She would be spending time with Drake after months of no contact. Drake was back from winter school in Germany with his parents and he was dying to see her.
Amy figured it was the right distraction she needed after how tense she'd been all week. Honestly the day was pleasantly different and even better because Blaze was not ordering her around. In fact she'd barely seen him all day, since he'd arrived and sentenced her to a large pile of paper work. Somehow he'd also forgotten to demand his afternoon coffee. As Amy stared at the coffee in her hand and thought she'd rather tick that off her long list of secretary duties. After all she was in a good mood too. Who wouldn't be?. She was basically hours away from freedom but if she thought the rest of the day would sail by smoothly, the universe had other plans. Per usual.
By the time Amy stepped into his office, she was completely regretting her decisions. There perched on Blaze's lap was a girl Amy had never met before. She was a pretty redhead with prominent features, bold lipstick and sultry eyeshadow. Perhaps the most striking feature of hers was her the visible mole on the top right corner of her lip. As soon as Amy set the cup down, the redhead grabbed it and took a light sip. She smiled up at Amy and she smiled back. Amy felt obliged to make another cup of coffee for her boss and left immediately. To be honest, she also felt uncomfortable about witnessing all the intimate moments and physical contact.
Amy took her time with this cup, sorting through her uneasiness before returning.
"I went to dinner with Grandma two days ago"
"She told all about her obsession with getting us married."
"On the contrary, we talked about the foundation's major event this year. My mother is a sponsor "
Blaze rolled his eyes
"that's new"; he said emotionlessly. The redhead playfully grabbed his cheek and smiled like it was the funniest thing anyone had ever heard. Amy felt that the reaction was a bit hypocritical but she smiled again and set the cup down.
"You have a great secretary B", Amy smiled while he nodded
"If you need me sir I'll be at my desk"
Again, he only nodded. Amy felt conflicted about his reaction but she left quietly to finish up for the day.
It was probably hours later but Amy saw the office phone ring. It was Blaze. When she entered his office this time, he was alone, a lit cigarette in between his slender fingers and glasses perched on his nose. An half empty bottle of whiskey stood on his desk along with a stained empty glass. His posture was stoic and tense, almost like he was frustrated about something . He looked up briefly when she entered, his face unreadable while her heart backflipped. The closer she got, Amy could see how tense his shoulders were and bit her lip. Somehow she could tell this was not something good. When he finally opened his mouth, it wasn't a request but a demand.
"I need you to work this weekend for my family dinner"