ROLEPLAY HQ - scorched-roots

ROLEPLAY HQ

Archive 22 / scorched-roots

Triggers: Sexual Content, Alcohol, Drugs, Fighting, Conflict, more TBD

TW: Sexual Content, Alcohol, Drugs, Fighting, Conflict, more TBD

Vivian let out a nervous sigh as she stood outside of the large building where she would be working, ST Services. ST Services was a large consulting business that worked all through the city, and they had been hiring for a secretary for one of their executives, the CEO. Vivian had secretarial experience, so she applied. She had been working at a different company and was feeling rather bored and stagnant, so she needed a change. This wasn't the only reason she had left her old job. She had been there for several years, and during her time there, she had been dating a man named Jeremy Tomlinson. Their romance had been... really intense, and unfortunately, it just didn't work out, and because of that, they broke up. But, people kept asking her about Jeremy. Why did they break up? What had he done? What had she done? All of it became too much, and Vivian was over it. Thankfully the questions stopped after a while, but every now and then, people would tell stories about her and Jeremy, and she knew she couldn't take it anymore. So, here she was. The website didn't list the CEO and that was probably for a reason, so she figured she'd meet him when she started. She wasn't too worried. he was probably some old man that just didn't know how to use a computer. She could handle this. She headed inside the building. She wore a black pencil skirt and a black and white stripped button up shirt with a pair of black heels. Her caramel brown hair was fluffed and curled at the ends, and she only wore a little makeup. Just some eyeliner, mascara, and a light lipstick. The building was all ST Services, and just had different departments. A tall woman wearing a black pantsuit came out. "Can I help you?" She asked Vivian, her short blonde bob haircut neatly combed down.

10:09

"Hi, my name is Vivian Canellys. I'm here for-" "Oh, yes. You're our new secretary. Of course, right this way." The woman grinned. "My name is Debra. I'm one of the managers here. I over see administration. It's wonderful to meet you. It's been rather hectic without a secretary. I hope you don't mind starting quickly? The job is really simple. You will just be focusing on scheduling Mr. Tomlinson's schedule, sending emails, and entering some data." Vivian tensed a little as she called him 'Mr. Tomlinson', but then again, Tomlinson was a common name. Oliver wasn't here. He couldn't be. "Yes, of course. I'm sure it'll be fine." "You can always ask me questions. Your email is already set up, and I'll check in on you today. There's a work book that explains everything you'll need to know." The two traveled up to the top floor of the building via the elevator, and once Vivian and Debra got to the top, Debra held the door. "Mr. Tomlinson's door is all the way at the end. He's expecting you." She smiled. Vivian nodded. "Thanks, Debra." "Good luck, Vivian." She grinned before she hit the button to her floor. The elevator doors shut and Vivian turned to walk down the hallway. The halls had several windows and copy rooms, filing rooms, and a large conference room. The door to the CEO's office was right at the end, and she walked down the hall. She got to the door and she knocked. Once she was allowed in, she stepped inside. When she entered the office, her eyes widened when they landed on the man sitting at the CEO's desk. "...Jeremy?" (edited)

If you had taken a snapshot of Jeremy a year and a half ago he was the very picture of success. At 24 he’d worked his way up to VP of Marketing for J&I, The past year and a half had been hard on Jeremy. He lost his well-paying job first, then the nice car, then the nice apartment, then he lost Vivian, the final blow to his self-esteem. He spent six months surfing friend’s couches and at one point living with his parents. He had to build himself back from nothing. Now at 26 he was once again the picture of success. He’d leveraged some relationships he’d made at J&I to leverage a position working directly for the CFO of ST Services. After a big market shakeup the board voted to oust and the former CEO. In a big upset he had been promoted to the role. He had a rough idea of what the job entailed, but he was certainly in over his head. His time there so far had been marked by some incredible successes, but he chalked them up more so to dumb luck. He was extremely grateful when he heard they were finally getting him a secretary. He’d been getting some assistance from the other “C suite” executives, but it only went so far. He sat in his office, his new favorite dark gray, well-tailored Italian suit on. He was wrapped up in some paperwork, looking back and forth between the papers in front of him and his computer screen. He was trying to make sense of his schedule for the coming week when he heard his door open. “…Jeremy?” His heart sank. What is she doing here. He thought before gathering his thoughts and looking up from his desk. “Vivian.. hi. Can.. I help you with something? What are you doing here?” He asked cautiously. His mind was racing as to why she would be here and it just couldn’t make sense of what he was seeing.

10:50

@The Hermit

Vivian's heart was rapidly beating in her chest. This had to be some sick joke. There was no way he didn't know why she was here, right? "I-I...I'm here because I'm the CEO's secretary now." She said, glancing to the door. Yup. There it was. CEO. She swallowed hard. Her hands felt sweaty and she felt sick. She truly did. There was absolutely no way this was happening. Was the room spinning or was it just her? She took a slow deep breath as she stepped into Jeremy's office. Her eyes roamed over his body, taking him in. It had been roughly nine months since she had seen him, and he looked great. A part of her felt immediately angry at that. Why did he look so good? How had he gotten this position within nine months, while she was just barely scrapping by after having to work two jobs? Anger started to bubble in her chest, but she stamped it down. She had to. She couldn't afford to lose this job, not on her first day. "I...I guess we are going to be working together." She mumbled. She awkwardly rubbed her notebook with her finger, the uncomfortable realization washing over her. "...So... how have you been?" She asked. It was strange, and she hadn't really meant to ask him, but, she had. A part of her did want to know. She had loved him after all... @Knight Night 🛡

Jeremy pinched the bridge of his nose. And sighed deeply. How had he let this happen? He would have veto’ed her name immediately if he had know given their history. Painful memories and a crippling sense of failure began to bubble up inside him. He stuffed the familiar feelings into their box and pushed them down within himself. He looked up at her again. Fuck, she looks good. Of course she looks good. “Yes, I suppose we will be.” He replied, not sounding overly enthusiastic about it. “I’ve been well..” he said slowly. “All of this is relatively new. Three months now. How about you?” He was trying to be cordial as he ran through his options in his mind. She was here, there was no changing that now. He certainly wasn’t going to fire her. This was just going to make focusing on his tasks more.. difficult. He didn’t know what this arrangement would look like, but he couldn’t deny she was good at this work. It would take several days to admit it, but she really was an asset to his team. “I, uh. I wasn’t expecting to see you like this.” He said a little dumbly. Even if it was the truth he kicked himself for not sounding just a little less shocked by her presence. “Look, either way, there’s lots of work to do. If you still want the job, it’s yours. I’d love to get your brought up to speed.” He finally recovers some of his professionalism as he stood and buttoned the top clasp of his suit.

01:08

@The Hermit

Vivian felt a sharp pain spread through her chest as he said that he had been well. Well? He had been well? Well good for fucking him. She hadn't. She had just started feeling better, only to now find out she was going to be his secretary and have to face him every single day. But he was well. Good for him. Vivian almost scoffed, but she forced a smile and nodded. "I'm good. Congrats on your new position. I've been keeping myself... preoccupied." She said, not wanting to discuss how awful the last several months had been. She came to sit down in front of his desk in one of the chairs. She nodded as he mentioned that he hadn't expected to see her like this. "Me neither. I didn't know you were the CEO. The ad never stated who it was so..." She took a deep breath and then said, "I am not quitting. I will do my best and I want to keep this position. If you wouldn't mind helping me get up to speed, that would be great." She said, giving him a determined stare. As he stood, she stood too. She suddenly stuck her hand out towards him. "It's good to work with you, Mr. Tomlinson." She said, putting on a professional smile, one that didn't radiate familiarity, or love. No. If this was going to work then... she was going to have to keep all of her feelings down. The anger. The hurt. The sorrow of losing him... all of it. @Knight Night 🛡

He nodded at her comment about quitting. “Oh I figured. I know how determined you can be.” More like stubborn. “I’ll do what I can to make sure you get the start you need.” He cocked his head at the hand outstretched toward him, but he took it and shook. “You too..?” He said, a little thrown off balance by the display. “Your desk should have everything you need. There are a few company manuals discussing our business strategies and how we handle our clients. Please read up on them. And I still like my paper schedule, so that’s in the leather bound book on your desk as well.” He gestured to the door, waiting for her to go to her desk and get started. He needed her to go because as soon as she left he intended to have a breakdown. Life without her had been shit, and now she was back, but not back. This would be harder than he thought.

07:09

@The Hermit

Vivian felt that same sharp pain spread through her, but this time it was worse. He was dismissing her like she was just some stranger. Well, she hadn't really expected him to be excited to see her, but, she didn't expect him to basically just... pretend what they had hadn't meant anything. She had tried to be nice, and all he seemed to care about was... work. That's what it had always been about until he lost his job. Work. Then, when it was gone... She let her smile drop and she released his hand. "Got it." That's all she said. Fine. If he didn't want to be even a little bit kind, and all he wanted was professionalism, then fine. She turned quickly, not wanting him to see the tears that were welling up in her eyes. She left his office quickly and as she stepped out into the hallway, she saw the desk he referred to. It was right outside his office, so she went to sit down. It was a large desk with several drawers. There was a laptop and several notebooks, including the leather bound book he mentioned earlier. She opened it up to today's date and then she opened the laptop. There was a sticky note with the login information from Debra. Within fifteen minutes, Vivian was up and running. She scanned her emails to ensure she got all appointments scheduled for him. She then opened a manual about ST Services and their procedures and she began to read through it, taking a few notes as she did. @Knight Night 🛡

Jeremy sat at his desk staring into the upper corner of the tall ceiling. His eyes were wet. What am I gonna do..? He had made so much progress with out her, but he’d always felt it was empty. He just didn’t know how to fix things. And now with here here. He wasn’t sure how to function. He did have a company to run, however. It was his job to push on and keep things professional. He straightened himself in his seat, wiped his eyes, and went back to the document he had been reading. The company had a big meeting coming up. A potential client had contracted them on a conditional basis and it was time to either win them over for good or lose what would amount to a good chuck of the company’s income. He had to be focused for his. He spent much of the rest of the afternoon skimming briefs and paperwork, trying to get his mind, and heart, off the woman at the desk outside the door.

08:52

@The Hermit

Vivian let out a sigh as the day dragged on. The clock moved by slowly but she busied herself with some new work, so she didn't really mind. As the clock struck noon, it was time for her lunch break. Debra had given her a schedule and it had written out what her start time, lunch break, and end time was. She stood up and headed to the breakroom that was on the floor. Since it was just him and her, the breakroom was tiny. There was a refrigerator, a table, and a coffee maker along with a counter and a sink. Vivian made herself a coffee, light roast with just cream, and then she thought of Jeremy. He hadn't come out of his office since she started. Maybe he needed some coffee too. When they were together he used to drink it a lot. She let out a sigh and she made him a cup too. She remembered he liked it with cream and sugar, so, she made it the same way. Taking the two cups, she headed back to his office. She knocked on the door and once she was allowed in, she entered carefully. "Hi. I brought you a coffee. I made one for myself and figured you may want one. I made it how you like." She said, setting his coffee down on his desk. She wasn't smiling, but she wasn't frowning either, and the corners of her lips were slightly tugged upward. Just a little. @Knight Night 🛡

He looked up as she came into the room, losing any progress he’d made the past few hours on recentering himself. He saw the two cups of coffee in her hand and internally grimaced. It was a very real reminder of their time apart and how they had grown and changed. “Oh, thank you Vi- sorry, Viviana.” He stopped himself from calling her by her old pet name. They weren’t together anymore, hadn’t been in almost a year, but old habits die hard. “I, uh..” He cleared his throat. “I really do appreciate the thought, but it it won’t be necessary. I actually quit caffeine six months ago. I think there are some bottled fruit smoothies in the fridge if you wouldn’t mind grabbing me one of those?” He was very much testing the waters. The power dynamic by all accounts should have been in his favor, but there in the room with the woman he shared so much history with he had no idea what would happen.

12:23

@The Hermit

Vivian felt her smile falter a little as he told her that he quit caffeine six months ago. So, after months together he finally decides that coffee is no longer good for him? Why did she even bother? She should have asked him. It felt so odd now... It was like... he was a stranger now. "Y-Yeah, that's fine. No worries. Don't worry about it. I'll grab you one." She said quietly. She didn't want him to hear the pain in her voice. She turned quickly so that he couldn't see her face, and she departed his office. She went to the breakroom and she dumped his coffee down the drain then chucked the cup into the trash. As the cup landed in the garbage, Vivian felt a tear run down her cheek. Then another... and another... She brushed the tears away, sniffling softly. "What the fuck?" She whispered to herself. This was just... painful. Their breakup was painful, and seeing him now after all this time with everything changed was just... she felt as if she didn't even know him anymore. They had used to go on coffee dates, and now, coffee was bad? Why did that feel so personal? After a moment, she took a paper towel and she ran it under cold water and she dabbed at her cheeks. She hoped that would hide her red eyes, but, maybe not. She then reached into the fridge and grabbed one of the bottled smoothies. She brought it back to Jeremy's office. "Here. Strawberry Banana." She said, setting the bottle down. "If you need me, just buzz me." She said before she turned and headed back for her desk. @Knight Night 🛡

JT has been grateful for her swift exit. He could tell she was pissed and having a moment to himself away from her was a relief from the tension. He buried his face in his hands and mumbled to himself. “Great. Now I’m the asshole.” His new reality was starting to settle in. This was all going to be so much harder than he though. He steadied himself, pushing down the thoughts of their time together. “Focus. You gotta focus, man. Everyone is counting on you, and if you fuck this up now you’re back to sleeping on couches.” He gave himself a little pep talk, wiped the bit of moisture the from corner of his eye, and refocused on his work just as she reentered the room. Every time he had to remind himself not to stare, not to watch her his sway, or stare at her blouse fondly remembering what it hid. “Strawberry banana sounds great. Thank you, Vivian.” He nodded politely as he took it. “And thank you for thinking of me with the coffee. I’ll let you know if anything else comes up today.” He caught himself watching her walk away and mentally kicked himself until he was able to refocus his attentions on work. The rest of the day was much of the same. Struggling to focus on preparing for his clients while his mind wandered to the woman sitting at the desk just outside his office. He thought of what might have been had he not fucked up so badly. But this is just the way it was going to be now, right? His day was uneventful in a typical business way. Even though his world had been shook the company was fine, the building still stood on it’s foundation, and the office kept working like nothing was going on. He was almost glad when five o’clock rolled around. He would politely say goodnight to Vi, make sure he was on a separate elevator from her, and head straight to his uptown apartment to drink just a little too much scotch and irritate his neighbors with music loud enough to drown out the thoughts in his head. He didn’t know what to do, or how tomorrow would go, but he

04:07

imagined it would be just as- if not more so- painful as today had been. He felt like he was spiraling, sinking. He needed to recover, and quick. The company needed him, and if they didn’t land these clients he would be out of a job for sure.

04:07

@The Hermit

The day went by uneventfully and Vivian was thankful for it. She was so sick and tired of feeling like she was walking on eggshells around Jeremy all fucking day. As five o'clock rolled around, she and Jeremy parted ways with a polite and short 'Bye,' and each took their own elevator down. As the elevator doors shut on Jeremy, Vivian let the tears that had threatened to fall all day finally run down her cheeks. She stood in the dimly lit hallway for a solid five minutes, her shoulders shaking with soft sobs. Was this their relationship now? If so, she didn't know how long she'd be able to work here. Vivian want home to sulk. She skipped dinner as her appetite was just shot. She took a shower and changed into an oversized t-shirt and then she went to bed. She had no desire to do anything except lay in bed and cry, so that's just what she did. In the morning, Vivian woke up with a splitting headache, and she dreaded going to work. She didn't have a vehicle as it wasn't necessary in the city they lived in. She got dressed in a black pencil skirt with an emerald green bodice with black filigree covering it. It was a half sleeved shirt that hugged her chest nicely. She tied her hair back just at the sides in two braids that connected to one long braid in the back. She wore her typical makeup, but, she added a light red lipstick this time. Just... for some unknown reason. She slid her heels on and headed down the apartment stairs to hail a cab. When she got to work, she went right to her desk and set her belongings down. She then went to Jeremy's office and knocked. Once he allowed her in, she entered. "Good morning. I figured we could run through your schedule quickly." She said, looking at him. She wondered how his night was, and stupidly, she decided to ask, "How was your evening...?" @Knight Night 🛡

Jeremy looked like shit. There was no way around it. His tie hung loosely around his neck, no care given to even make a knot. The top button of his shirt was still undone, his hair unkempt. He looked like he hadn’t slept a wink, a fact he would refute whole heartedly. He’d , in fact, gotten an hour and a half. He was holding an ice pack to his temple. He groaned as she spoke. “No, no, not so loud please-” He grumbled. “Not good. It went not good, Vi. Oh god I feel like shit.” He opened a drawer in his desk and grabbed two aspirin from a bottle and took them dry before putting his elbows on his knees and holding his head in his hands. “I, uh, didn’t sleep great… okay and maybe I drank a bit of scotch.” He was suddenly very aware of how much she hated when he drank too much, especially toward the end after he’d lost his job. He shot her a side eyed glance to see her reaction. He tried to straighten himself, adjusting his suit jacket as he sat up in his chair. “The schedule would be great, let’s review that. Oh, and, ah, how about your evening?” He was a mess. He just hoped he could salvage the day and maybe even what little Vi still thought of him.

07:54

@The Hermit

Vivian's eyes widened as she laid eyes on Jeremy. Holy shit. He looked horrible. She stayed quiet as he grumbled at her to not be 'so loud.' He was clearly hung over and a cruel part of her felt that it served him right... though, she had a headache too and she figured that would be rude to laugh at, so she stayed silent. Although, the sight of him hung over made her insides tighten. It brought up their last few months together, and all the pain that came with it. She forced herself to remain neutral. "Jeeze, JT..." She mumbled, walking over to his side of the desk. "We can talk about the schedule after. Your tie isn't even done. You have a meeting in twenty minutes. Pull yourself together..." She reached for his tie and she took the two sides between her hands. She started to tie his tie, her hands working as if she had done this for years. She hadn't, but she had learned how to do a typical Windsor Tie when they started dating, and she hadn't seemed to forget it yet. "This is what you get for drinking so much." She mumbled quietly. She kept her gaze at his tie and not at his face. She didn't want to see the bags under his eyes or see the expression of regret on his face. She couldn't bare it right now... "You have a meeting in twenty minutes... then another one at two thirty, then you're free til we leave. There is a report that Debra told me to remind you that's due tonight before you leave, so that needs to be done." She synched the tie up and she smiled lightly, "There. All better..." She said, but now, the realization kicked in of what she had done. She quickly let the tie go. "I'm...I'm sorry." @Knight Night 🛡

Jeremy shut his eyes and tried to massage his right temple as she fixed his tie. He silently nodded along as she gave him his schedule, currently to busy regretting his decisions from the previous night. He internally rolled his eyes when she mentioned his drinking, knowing better than to actually roll his eyes at her. Yeah yeah, here we go again.. She dropped his tie and he looked up at her, meeting her eyes before quickly looking away. “No, no, it’s fine. Thanks.” He said more quietly than his normal strong tone. He didn’t deserve her help. Here he was, hung over and in shambles, and of course she was all put together. Per usual. He could only assume her composure was because she was over him, while he was still hung up on her. He just wanted the pain to stop. He cleared his throat. “Alright, 20 minutes you said? Could you get me the docket for the meeting so I can review that ahead of time?” He had a pretty good idea of what he needed to do in the meeting, but he needed a distraction from this difficult moment.

01:27

@The Hermit

"Sure," She gave him a soft nod as he requested the docket for the meeting. She had been emailed the docket earlier that morning so she wasn't worried about finding it. She patted his tie and backed away, giving him a slow once over. "I'll go grab you a smoothie." She muttered before she turned and left the office. Letting out a rough sigh, Vivian walked to the breakroom where she went and made herself a cup of coffee and she grabbed one of his fruit smoothies. She grabbed a different flavor from the last time she brought him one. She didn't want him to only have one flavor. She brought the smoothie back to him and she set it, and two Advil, down on the desk. "Take those. I'll bring you more in four hours." This time, she gave him a little smile. "Make sure to take them. It'll help with the headache." She then headed back to her desk. She printed out the docket and returned it to his desk. The first meeting went off without a hitch, and soon, his last meeting started to approach. Vivian was at her desk when the elevator dinged. A tall woman wearing a tight red skirt and black blazer stepped out, her black pumps clicking on the linoleum floor. She had fluffy blonde hair and eyes that were the color of the sky. Her skin was nicely tanned and she looked stunning. She walked over to Vivian's desk. "Hi, my name is Amelia. I'm here to see Jeremy? I have an appointment." She said sweetly. Vivian nodded, feeling a bit... intimidated by this woman. Her figure was flawless with hips that could knock out a professional fighter and a bust to match. She pressed her call button on her phone. "Mr. Tomlinson? Your One Twenty Appointment is here." @Knight Night 🛡

Per usual, he caught himself watching her walk out of the room. It always gave him a pan of guilt for everything that had happened between them, but he couldn’t help himself. The smoothie was a much needed boon for his day. There was no way he’d make it through the day without some self care. JT slowly composed himself through out the day. His first meeting had been via webcam so he was able to hide the dark bags under his eyes a bit better. He was proud of himself for rallying, though deep down he knew he should have just never let himself get so drunk. He finished looking over his paperwork for his 1:20 meeting. He’d never met Amelia before, but he’d heard stories. She was a notorious flirt. This might have bothered Jeremy normal, but she had something he needed: money. She represented S.T. Service’s biggest client, Bauer, Bachman, & Bachman. He was more than happy to play her game if it meant saving his company from falling apart before his very eyes. He reached into his desk and grabbed the little bottle of concealer, a trick he picked up for his job interviews when his drinking had been out of control. He covered the dark circles around his eyes, then grabbed the bottle of cologne. He grimaced. Apparently he was now one of those guys that kept cologne in his desk. All for the company. He though as he straightened his perfect tie and adjusted his suit jacket. It was time. The intercom crackled to life. “Mr. Tomlinson? Your one twenty appointment is here.” “Yeah, send her in. Thank you, Vivian.” He prepared himself, standing by his desk as the gorgeous blonde stepped into his office.

11:41

@The Hermit

"Yeah, send her in. Thank you, Vivian." Vivian nodded and hung up the phone once she got Jeremy's approval. She looked back up at Amelia, who was smiling down at her. "You can head right in." "Excellent, thank you, Veronica." "It's Vivian..." "Of course, right. Could you bring me a coffee? You can just bring it in once it's ready. Three cream, two sweeteners. Thanks, Veronica." She said, turning and ignoring Vivian further as she walked into Jeremy's office. Vivian felt anger bubbling in her chest and she shook her head. Whatever. She got up from her desk and she went to the breakroom and made a coffee with three cream and two sweeteners. Something about that Amelia just made her skin crawl. She was covered in makeup, and even her clothes just felt like a show. She returned to Jeremy's office and she knocked on the door then entered. "Here is your coffee, Ma'am." Amelia was giggling at something Jeremy said. Amelia had removed her blazer and was wearing a tight crimson red tank top that matched her skirt. It hugged her chest and was even cut just low enough to show off some cleavage but not enough to be considered classless. "Oh, thank you, Veronica." She said, taking the coffee. Vivian noticed an unusual smell that radiated around the office. Cologne? She looked at Jeremy. Was he wearing cologne? He hadn't worn cologne around her except for... when they first met. Then, slowly, he just stopped wearing it. When did he stop trying for her? Then again, he didn't need cologne to try... it had just... become a step that she liked. But, she stopped wearing makeup sometimes, so she was to blame as well. She bit her lip a little. "Is...Is there anything-" "No, that's it. Thanks, Veronica." Vivian felt her chest tighten. "My name is Vivian." Amelia stopped mid sip. "Okay, I said that." She said, forcing a smile. Vivian glanced over at Jeremy. Wasn't he going to say anything? @Knight Night 🛡

Amelia had certainly been more that Jeremy had bargained for. She had walked in like she owned the room, then solidified that position when she smacked away his hand for a polite hand shake. The hug had been completely unprofessional, but not as unprofessional as the comment about him “keeping it tight.” JT found himself breathing a sigh of relief that Vi hadn’t been in the room to see that. Jeremy sat there, a perplexed look on his face, trying to understand the power struggle playing out in front of him between his business partner and his secretary/ex. With Amelia looking over her shoulder at Vivian, he was at least able to shoot her a remorseful glance and shrug his shoulders at the display. He didn’t dare say anything directly against his biggest client. But he had to do something to stop this uncomfortable exchange. He cleared his throat. “So, Amelia, should we get started on reviewing this proposal for Q2?” He wished he had stood up for Vi, but he felt like his hands were tied here. From the way Amelia kept looking at him he was relatively certain she wanted his hands tied, figuratively and literally. He was out of his league, caught between the two titans of his life: personal and professional.

00:19

@The Hermit

Vivian felt like her chest had cracked. Jeremy didn’t stick up for her at all. He cared more about this bitch in his office than he did her. Veronica caught the pained look Vivian had for a split second and she said nothing, but she looked at Jeremy and smiled wide. “Of course. Let’s get started! That’ll be all, Veronica.” she said again, casting a slight smirk at Vivian. Vivian turned immediately, not letting either of them see the single tear that ran down her cheek. She left his office and shut the door, making sure not to slam it. As she shut the door, she felt like dying. She held in her sob but a small whimper broke through. She quickly went to the women’s room and she shut the door and locked it. She covered her face in her hands and took several deep breaths. Sure. She was pissed. But perhaps Jeremy just need to placate this client and that’s why he sat back and let her call her the wrong name numerous times. Still… he could have said something! But, no, he didn’t say a fucking word. After a few minutes, Vivian stepped out of the bathroom after having pressed a cool paper towel to her eyes. She hoped her face wasn’t too red. She sat back at her desk and continued working while she heard laughter here and there from Jeremy’s office. @Knight Night 🛡

The meeting was tense for Jeremy Amelia was a bitch, that much was obvious. She bullied others for her own enjoyment. He hated watching her do that to Vi. His fist was clenched under the table. It was bullshit. Had he cared less about the company and more about right he would have said something. In that moment we was too concerned she would turn that sinister attention on him and it would destroy the most important relationship his company had. Vivian was a big girl, she could handle it. He’d have to make it up to her later. She kept laughing at his presentation and small joke. It was starting to get under his skin. He could tell she was laughing loud enough for Vivian to hear at the desk. To an extent he hated this woman. “-so that’s why we have your projections set so high. We believe you’ll over perform in Q2 direct sales, but we also believe some of your major vendors will have higher than expected returns.” He just wanted this meeting to be over.

05:54

@The Hermit

Amelia and Jeremy chatted for what felt like forever, and Vivian seethed inside, despite the fact that she tried to drown out the sound of Amelia's giggling and stupid, "Oh, Jeremy that's so smart!" Every five. Fucking. Seconds. How could Jeremy be impressed by that stupidity? God. She was getting so angry that when the door finally opened, Vivian had to hold herself back from ripping the hair out of Amelia's head. "So it seems like we're in agreement on how Q2 will go now that I'm signed on~ I think you and I are going to make an amazing team, don't you Jer?" She cooed, leaning forward and touching his chest with her finger. "I'll get my guys to send over our contract and I'll give you a call next week, okay? Thanks again for meeting with me. It was such an amazing meeting. And do let me know if you ever want a more private discussion." She cooed, her finger trailing down to his jacket pocket before she pulled away. She glanced at Vivian and smirked slightly. "Have a great day, Veronica. I'll be seeing you again real soon." Vivian glared at Amelia's back. When Amelia finally disappeared into the elevator, Vivian cast that glare at Jeremy. "Really? That's the type of client you want? Someone who disrespects people and acts like an airhead for fun? Also, thanks for helping out." She muttered bitterly, turning back to her computer. @Knight Night 🛡

JT wanted to barf when she insinuated a private meeting, but he kept his composure. “Absolutely, I look forward to working together more closely in the future.” He flashed his “business smile” and watched her leave, more and more anxious until the elevator doors finally closed. He sighed slightly, only to be immediately put on his back foot by Vivian. He wanted to reassure her, to be understanding, but old habits die hard. The most recent habit they’d practiced together? Months and months of defensiveness and animosity. “Look, do you know how much money $15,000,000 is? The company she represents now pays your salary, my salary, and the living wages of almost every person in this building! I’m sorry the mean lady was rude to you and flirted with me, but it’s gonna happen! It isn’t my fault if pretty people flirt with me or are mean to you! It certainly isn’t more important than the livelihoods of a building’s worth of staff!” He had obviously blundered keeping his emotions in check. He could feel this wasn’t just about Amelia. He was still angry about the breakup. But why did he have to choose now to take it out on her?

07:17

@The Hermit

His words immediately cut her like a knife and as he essentially shot her feelings down, she stood up, gathering her purse. “So what if this was some creep who said I had nice tits? What if he asked me out for a date in exchange for your stupid contracts. Would you let him do it just for a deal? Is that seriously all you care about?” She spat. Tears danced down her cheeks as she grabbed her phone from her desk. “I’m taking my lunch. Maybe you can schedule your private meeting while I’m gone.” She hissed, tears running down her cheeks. She brushed them away quickly. It wasn’t the fact that Amelia called her the wrong name. It was the principle that Jeremy hadn’t even tried to correct her. What if this was some man? Would he still let this shit happen? She went over to the elevator and she hit the button, but it took forever, and she hit the button harder, sniffling softly. @Knight Night 🛡

His pride was sat firmly in the drivers seat now. Whenever he got like this he always said something he’d later regret, but he was never introspective enough in the moment to stop himself. “I’m over here whoring myself out for this contract to keep food on the table for everyone’s families! I’d hope if you were in my shoes you’d at least pop a button!” He yelled. He stubbornly locked eyes with her, feeling so much safer behind his armor of pain and anger. In that instant he finally realized what he was doing. His heart, then face melted. He couldn’t do this to her again. She didn’t the worst of him all over again, even if he did hurt. He stepped toward her in the long hall. He’d dropped his defensive stance, arms no longer crossed, but out in front of him, palms up apologetically. “Vi, look, I’m sorr-” ding The elevator doors began to close.

08:49

@The Hermit

Again, he simply yelled at her. This time, he told her that if she was in his position, he hoped she'd pop a button. That did it. His eyes locked with hers and he started to utter an apology. Vivian pressed the button for the doors to open and she let him see her face, the tears that ran down her cheeks. "You know what, Jeremy? This was always your problem. You put work before everything. You never gave a shit about how anyone felt when it came to work. And then when you lost your job, you just turned into this huge asshole! This wasn't about her being mean to me. This was about you sticking up for someone you care about. But you know what..." She shook her head, brushing the tears away, "I was stupid to think you cared about me anymore. The Jeremy I know would never let someone hurt me just for money... Not my Jeremy." She hit the button and quietly, she mumbled, "I hope he comes back one day..." With that, the elevator doors closed and the numbers descended as the elevator dropped down to the main floor. The entire time, Vivian sobbed into her hands. @Knight Night 🛡

Vivian returned the office roughly half an hour later. She avoided Jeremy like the plague and only spoke to him about work. She kept her questions short and tried to ask Debra for assistance if possible. This continued through the entire week. Every day she'd come in at eight or eight thirty, and leave at five, exhausted and pissed off, only to drown her sorrows in ice cream and tears. On Friday at four fifty five, Vivian had calmed down just enough to try to be civil for just a moment. She knocked on Jeremy's door and poked her head in. "Have a good weekend." She said softly. Suddenly, the elevator door beeped and opened up, revealing Amelia in a tight black skirt and a white blouse. She was holding two coffee cups each steaming with coffee. With the door open, Amelia saw Jeremy. "Hi! I wanted to stop by since I was in the area and your receptionist downstairs said your calendar was completely cleared. I brought you a coffee too. I figured we could chat about our new contract and get the ball rolling." She said, walking straight past Vivian, but bumping her in the process. "Oh, sorry, Vanessa." "It's Vivian." She muttered. Amelia scrunched her nose, "I said that. Now, excuse me, important people are talking." She said, kicking Jeremy's door shut. Vivian felt the same anger from Tuesday bubbling in her chest and in a smart decision, she turned and entered the open elevator. However, as she turned, she saw Jeremy through his glass window that was visible from the hall. She shook her head and closed the elevator. Fine. If he wanted someone like Amelia... then he could have her. @Knight Night 🛡

Jeremy shook his head. “Mmnm, nope.” He took the coffee from her hand and set it on the desk as he watched Vivian leave on the elevator. “We’re not doing this again. I understand who you represent, but I don’t want to work with anyone who can’t even treat others with common decency.” Amelia looked surprised at the sudden rebuff. She was a woman not use to hearing the words “no.” “Look,” Jeremy elaborated. “I don’t care who you are. If my secretary isn’t important enough to speak to with at least a little dignity and respect, then we’re done here.” He pushed the coffee into the wastebasket next to his desk. “I don’t drink coffee, but thanks for the gesture, Emily. Feel free to show yourself out.” The look Amelia cut could cook an egg. “You’re going to regret that.” She said through gritted teeth. “You need me a hell of a lot more than I need you.” JT’s only response was “We’ll see.” As he gestured for the door. He stood there, looking relatively menacing until the elevator doors closed at which point he collapsed into his seat. “Fuuuuuck. What the fuck did I just do?” He muttered to himself as he poured a stiff drink from the decanter hidden in his desk. He was going to take him time mulling over his decision. He wasn’t sure if it was a wise one, but it was his own.

07:12

@The Hermit

Vivian was almost halfway home when she realized she left her wallet at work. She cursed herself and headed back. She dreaded going back there... What if Amelia was there? Worse... what if she saw JT and Amelia together? The thought sickened her, and she bit her lip in fear, terrified of what she would see. However, she made her way back up in the elevator. She had conveniently missed Amelia by about five minutes, so she was safe, unbeknownst to her. She braced herself for the sounds of moaning and cries of each others name as the doors opened, but all she was met with was silence. Was Amelia really just that quiet? No, that clearly wasn't true. She noticed JT sitting in his office. He looked... defeated. What happened? JT's previous words came running back to her; “I’m over here whoring myself out for this contract to keep food on the table for everyone’s families! I’d hope if you were in my shoes you’d at least pop a button!” She swallowed nervously. Had her behavior and attitude cost him a fifteen million dollar deal...? Heart thudding in her ears, she walked to his door. It was after hours, and he didn't seem to be on the phone. She made a quick pitstop to the break room and she grabbed a smoothie. She headed back to his door and then she knocked softly before she opened the door. "H-Hey... I, uhm, I forgot my wallet. Figured I'd come see if you were-" She stopped as she saw the decanter. "Jeremy...?" Her words weren't accusatory. No... right now, her tone was simply... concerned. She quickly shut the door and walked in, setting her bag down. She put the smoothie on the desk. "Here. Drink this instread." @Knight Night 🛡

Jeremy stared out the window of his office as he sipped the dark liquid in his cup. He heard the door to the office open and footsteps approach, but he didn’t look up. He was too lost in thought wondering what would happen. Would be he fired? Would the company go under? How many people would lose their jobs if Amelia decided to take the nuclear option here? He absentmindedly set the glass down and took the smoothie from where she had set it on the desk. He gave her a somber look. “You were right. I was ignoring my principles. I fixed that. I just hope I didn’t absolutely fuck everyone in this company in the process.” He opened the smoothie and took a long drink from it. “Did you see her on your way out? How pissed was she? Burn your company to the ground pissed or just make sure you never work in the industry again pissed?”

09:50

@The Hermit

Vivian flinched lightly as he stated that he hoped he hadn't fucked everyone in the company for what he had just done. She felt guilt forming in her stomach. It was all her fault that he had stood up to Amelia, and now... she could be the cause of many people losing their jobs. She swallowed nervously, but as he asked if she saw Amelia, she shook her head. "I didn't see her. I came in the elevator. I didn't see her at all." She carefully stepped over to him and she lightly took his hand in hers. "Jeremy, I....I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause you so much trouble." She looked down as she let out a sad chuckle. "I guess...I'm just really bad at this." She whispered, shaking her head. "I'm bad at... a lot of things apparently." Two trails of tears dripped down her cheeks as she said this. "I'm...I'm sorry, Jeremy." She whispered again. @Knight Night 🛡

He squeezed her hand reassuringly. “No, no, it’s fine. You were right, I just couldn’t see it. We don’t need to be in business with people like that. I was putting profits ahead of people. Putting her ahead of you. It was fucked up.” He flashed a smile with strong disappointed undertones. “It’s cut throat out there. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what I’m doing in this job. I’m just flying by the seat of my pants and I’m so worried I’m going to let everyone down..” It was the first time he’d allowed himself to be vulnerable with her. He hardly realized he was holding onto her hand for dear life. He continued talking, fearing now that he’d started he might not be able to stop. “-I just, I’ve had no one to talk to. No one gets it, the pressure. What’s right? What’s wrong? I can’t talk to the board ‘cause they’ll see right through me. The consultants can’t know things are shaky or they’ll crumble. Debra is great, but she’ll report anything she finds out to the board. No one else understands. I just- I’m fucked. I don’t know what I’m doing here..” He looked so defeated.

06:24

@The Hermit

Vivian frowned as JT started to explain how he had no one to talk to, no one who understood the pressure he was under. No one at all. She reached out and touched his arm. "JT... No, that's not true. You do know what you are doing. You know how to run this place." She stepped a little closer to him. It had been so long since they had had a discussion like this, and it brought a feeling of unpleasantry to her stomach. She inhaled nervously, and she then wrapped her arms around him, pressing her head against his shoulder. The hug was against his side, and not nearly as intimate as she really wanted. But, then again, she didn't want him to shove her away. "I know you've got what it takes. You've always had that tenacity in your step. I believe in you, JT." She whispered. @Knight Night 🛡

He sighed deeply in her embrace. He seemed to melt into her. His body remembered her touch and every part of it welcomed the contact. His mind was still racing with work and visions of failure until it all started to quiet down. His thoughts were replaced with a serene black void with a speck of light. The light grew closer in his mind’s eye to reveal a form. Vi’s form. Jeremy snapped back to reality, stepping back from her. He turned to face her, taking her by the shoulders and keeping her at arm’s length. “Don’t. Don’t do that. You whisper in my ear and it-” He was quiet for a long moment. “It feels like hope. I don’t wanna let you down again too..” He released her shoulders and stepped back to the window, drink once again in hand. He looking out over the city. Everyone was racing to leave. The work day was over. They wanted to get back to their families, their children, their lives. Jeremy just wished he could be one of them. He’s fucked up so much he could never fix, but he wanted to take it all back. He wanted to stop failing. The drink in his hand was evidence alone that maybe he had learned less than he would like to admit, still falling into the old patterns and coping mechanisms. He looked at the shades of yellow, orange, red, and violet. I can’t let her down again-

10:35

@The Hermit

Vivian felt him melt into her and she smiled. This felt so familiar and warm. It brought back all the warm memories of when they were together, and Vivian couldn't help but nuzzle into him a little. This was so nice... She was so glad she could feel it once more. However, all good things must end, and far too soon, he pushed her back, telling her not to do that because it gave him... hope. "JT..." She frowned. She followed him to the window and she touched his arm. "I really do believe in you. I know what happened in the past but..." She sighed again. "You're not letting me down. Not right now. If you give up... then you'd be letting me down." She said, shaking her head. How could he give up on trying to make this company better? All over one client? No. That wasn't like him. Ever. She knew JT. This wasn't like him. "Come on. Where's the JT I know? He would never let one client get him down this badly." She said, nudging his shoulder with her hand. "Come on." @Knight Night 🛡

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