I made my way to the hallways of the floor where Alicia's office was. Unexpectedly, I bumped into someone, and she dropped the coffee she was holding.
I apologized instantly, "I'm so sorry, are you okay?" I told her that I would pay for the coffee that was unintentionally spilled. She looked at me sharply, "Are you blind?!" she snarled, glaring at me with evident irritation. I apologized again—it was truly unintentional. I hadn't seen her coming because I was just about to turn the corner when she suddenly appeared.
By the look of her—well-dressed, confident posture—I could tell she was an employee here at the company. A lot of employees knew me, but I guessed this lady was new. I didn't mind that she didn't know who I was. I supposed I did look like I belonged here today, dressed plainly without any distinguishing badge.
"Don't you know who I am?" she asked, her tone dripping with condescension, her eyes narrowed in subtle disdain. I didn't know who she was. Was she expecting me to know every person in the company?
"I'm sorry, miss. I'm afraid I lack the knowledge to recognize you," I replied politely.
"Well," she scoffed, "you should know who you're dealing with, because I'll have you fired this instant! What's your name?"
She really thought I worked here. I couldn't blame her, honestly—my outfit today made me look like a trainee. A little idea came to mind. I had the thought of playing along with her.
"I'm Meia Loren, miss... still a trainee. I was only asked to deliver something to the CEO. I'm really sorry, miss. This won't happen again. Please don't have me fired... I just started yesterday," I said, lying through my teeth while trying to keep a straight face. I nearly laughed at my own exaggerated story, wondering if she'd actually believe it.
She looked at me with a smirk full of smug superiority. "Hmph! Pack your things because I'll take this to HR and have you kicked out immediately," she said, then shouldered past me with deliberate force, not hiding her hostility behind the move.
Once she was gone, I just laughed quietly to myself. Good luck finding the name Meia Loren, I thought before continuing toward Alicia's office.
Before entering, I greeted Leah, who was seated at the reception desk outside. She stood and opened the office door for me, her demeanor as professional as ever.
I stepped into Alicia's office. The familiar smell of fresh coffee and polished wood greeted me as I set the lunch bag on her desk. Alicia glanced up at me, her lips curving into a soft smile. She held my hand and kissed it lovingly.
"You're late, hon," she said in a warm, playful tone.
I chuckled as I unpacked our food. "I know, I know."
Alicia leaned back in her chair, her gaze softening as she watched me. "I was about to fetch you. I thought something happened on your way. Did something happen?"
I didn't want to tell her what happened—it was just a trivial matter—but the way she was looking at me, gently probing, made it hard to brush off entirely. I hesitated for a moment before sitting beside her.
"It's nothing serious. I just came across this lady on the way here. I guess she's having a rough day. I accidentally bumped into her and spilled the coffee she was holding. She got angry and… threatened to fire me," I said, not hiding the amusement and hint of laughter in my voice over how ridiculous it was.
Alicia's brows lifted, a small smile painted on her lips as she watched me having quite the fun from that encounter. "Do you want me to do something about her?" my wife asked. She hadn't even asked who the woman was—just one word from me, and she was ready to make that woman's day a nightmare.
"No need to bother about her anymore. I'm already in front of you, so there's no need to pay unnecessary attention to someone else," I smiled teasingly as I brushed behind my ear the stray hair that blocked my view while preparing our lunch on the table.
Alicia's expression softened, and she leaned over to kiss my cheek. I looked at her and gave her a small peck on her smiling lips.
"You're really beautiful, my wife."
I couldn't help but blush, like I always did. Looking at her face—the same face that told me how beautiful and lovely I was every single day—always made my heart flutter. Though I knew my looks were ordinary compared to hers and others, she never failed to make me feel like the most stunning person alive. In her eyes, I was the only one who mattered.
We began eating lunch, chatting about random things—her meetings, my current writing project, and which desserts we were craving that day.
The earlier encounter with that rude employee quickly faded from my mind. I had no intention of bringing it up again. Let that woman stay clueless about who I really am.