17. Ariyan
ARIYAN
“Chairman, it’s always a pleasure to host you in our humble abode,” I said, flashing the man sitting before me my best smile.
“The pleasure is all mine.”
“Of course it is.”
Looking around the office, he tapped the chair’s armrest with his fat finger. As he did, my eyes drifted to the security guy standing near the door with both his palms crossed before him.
“Chairman,” I snapped his attention back. “There’s just one thing I would like to discuss before you leave.”
He raised one brow at me. “What is it?”
Once again, my eyes moved to the man standing by the door and back. Getting the message clearly, the chairman asked his guard to leave us alone.
“So, get on with it. I’m a busy man—”
“Oh, trust me, I know,” I said, getting up. “I promise to make it as quick as possible, as I’d hate to delay you.”
Grabbing the small black suitcase from beside my desk, I lifted it up.
“It seems like there are a few stacks missing here.” I placed it on the desk. “It’s too light.”
His eyes widened, brows creasing in confusion.
“That’s impossible—”
“Should I open and count?” I offered, my fingers already on the zipper.
Taking a deep breath, his thus far pale face took on an ugly shade of red.
“How dare you doubt me?” he spat out.
I always found it amazing how liars were the first to take offense when doubted. Or perhaps it wasn’t at all about ego but the fear of being caught so easily.
“Let’s not get personal, shall we?” I removed my hand from the suitcase. “After all, we all have jobs to do, and this, well, this is mine.”
Swallowing hard, he gave me a barely there nod that made my lips stretch into a thin smile.
“Now, then, tell me, why is this lovely suitcase too light?”
“It’s the same amount as always,” he grunted.
“Well.” I huffed a small laugh. “That explains it, then. You didn’t add the cleanup fees.”
“The hell are you talking about?” He glared at me, reminding me of a pig.
They all do.
“You don’t expect to cause a mess and not face the consequences, do you, Chairman?
” I looked at him in confusion. “It would have been one thing if it were a few blood splatters, but we’re talking about a whole thorough cleaning.
One that left no trail back to you. Therefore, you can’t be surprised that such a service would cost extra.
This is the hospitality industry we’re talking about, after all, where everything comes at a cost.”
His eyes drifted away from me as he loosened the collar of his shirt.
“How much more?”
“Two hundred grand.”
His eyes widened.
“You must be joking! As if I’d pay you such an absurd amount. She wasn’t even worth it.”
His words made my jaw tick.
“I demand to speak with your supervisor. Now.”
My smile dropped as I stared at him, disappointed.
“What a shame,” I sighed, walking back to sit in my chair.
“Huh?”
“What a shame that you don’t realize the situation that you’re in.
” I crossed my legs, then rested my hands on my thigh.
“This isn’t a market where you negotiate the price like a common peasant, but a legitimate business.
Our professionals are the best in the field, not to mention discreet.
And let me be clear, the last thing you want is to meet my supervisor.
Unlike me, he’s not as patient when it comes to dealing with misbehaving clients who disrespect his organization.
So, before I pick up my phone and make an unfortunate call, think wisely and pay what you owe. ”
His jaw clenched, yet the fear in his ugly eyes was enough to tell me he finally understood who was in charge here.
Good.
“I’ll handle the rest of the payment by the end of the week—”
“Make it by the end of this working day,” I said with a polite smile. Only he didn’t seem to appreciate my good manners and instead replied to me with one ugly frown.
Ungrateful pig.
The clock on the wall ticked as seconds passed by, the sound reminding me once again that time was money, and currently, I was earning none.
“Chairman, did you not say you’re a busy man?”
“Why are you asking?” He scowled.
“Well, to me, it seems like this conversation has long since concluded, and yet, you’re still here.”
His face reddened, and his lips twitched in an unflattering manner. Although I doubted anything could flatter an ugly face like his. Truthfully, I should be paid more for needing to look at such grotesqueness. And that was without mentioning his smell, which reminded me of rotten fish.
At last, the pig got his ass off my expensive leather and moved to leave when I remembered something.
“One last thing, and do forgive me for being so scattered,” I said while unplugging the flash drive that had been connected to my laptop thus far, “but your name will be revoked from our guest list from now on.”
“What?”
I put the flash drive in my desk drawer and looked up. But before I could answer, sounds coming from the hallway interrupted my words.
How annoying.
“As I was saying—”
“Fuck off!” someone barked from the other side of the door, and I rolled my eyes. Sadly, I already recognized the moron’s voice. But ignoring him, I cleared my throat. “As I was trying to say, you can’t expect to be invited to our parties after so bluntly breaking our rules—”
“Again, the fuck are you? I need to see Ariyan, so fuck off.”
I’m going to kill him.
The chairman looked at the door, then at me.
“Who’s that?”
“No one you should concern yourself with. Now, then, please make sure to hand over the deposit tonight or—”
The door to my office slammed open, and there stood the imbecile dog I’d been trying to tame for the past few weeks. Clearly, I was doing a poor job.
Knowing nothing about good manners, the idiot’s eyes jumped between me and the chairman before he asked, “You busy?”
What a fool.
Fighting hard not to roll my eyes as the answer to his question was obvious, I looked at the chairman, a smile on my lips.
“As I said before, it’s always a pleasure to host you in our humble abode. I tried to be as clear as possible, but in case you need further clarification regarding our discussion, I’d love to connect you with the owner—”
“It won’t be necessary,” he hissed, voice tight. Then, without saying another word, he turned around and walked out of my office, leaving the door open behind him.
At last.
My jaw hurt from smiling so much, and finally able to breathe without choking on his scent, I sat down in my chair. If only people followed the rules, it would save me so much time.
“Who was that?”
Rubbing my temples with my eyes closed, I sighed. “You’re still here?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“I need to talk to you.”
I looked up at him. In all honesty, I was sure that by now, he’d beg me to fire him or, at the very least, snap like he did that first time.
Only he didn’t, and instead, he kept doing the insane tasks I’d tossed at him.
Soon, I’d run out of ideas. If I thought that sending him out of town to buy me sea salt you could get at any grocery shop, as I did last week, would push him over the edge, I turned out to be wrong.
Incredibly so. Because here he was, insufferably stubborn, begging for my attention.
And yet, knowing it was my choice to test him, I couldn’t complain, not until I was sure he fitted my plans.
“About what?” I asked, not bothered by the eager look on his stupid face.
“I need to take tomorrow off.”
My eyes darted to his name tag. Once again, he’d put it on the wrong side.
“So? Can I?”
What would it take for him to learn it should be worn on his right side?
“Are you even listening to me?”
“As a matter of fact, no. I was distracted by your stupidity, yet again.”
“Huh?” he frowned, and I found it to be incredibly annoying.
“Your name tag. Move it to the right side.”
Looking down at his chest, he shrugged. “Whatever…” He began fixing it. “So, can I take tomorrow off?”
“And why would you need a day off? I thought you were desperate for money,” I said, watching his fingers fumbling with the pin.
Please stab yourself.
“It’s my little brother’s birthday—”
“No.”
He quickly looked up, his eyes meeting mine as pure anger crossed them.
How sweet.
“Why not?” he grunted like the juvenile he was. He might be twenty-four, and yet he had the brain of a toddler. The temper of one as well.
“Because I said so.”
His jaw twitched, and I loved the way it looked like he was a second from exploding. Would it be bloody?
“You’re a fucking asshole, you know that, right?”
I hated when he cursed. Unfortunately, his vocabulary was reduced to fuck, shit, and a few other lovely slurs.
But not in the mood to educate him, I stayed quiet and signaled for him to come closer.
Possessing the intoxicating combination of stubbornness and obedience, he moved toward me, stepping right in front of my desk.
“What?”
“Come closer, I don’t bite,” I said, getting up and hovering above my desk, my hands flat on the hardwood.
A jolt of worry glinted in his eyes, one that mixed with lust, before he did as I asked and leaned close. Focusing on his thick neck and the visible outlines of his muscles, I bit on my bottom lip before cupping his jaw. He grunted at the force and tried pulling away when I kept him close.
“I don’t owe you explanations,” I hissed, jabbing my nails into his skin and enjoying the look of agony in his furious eyes. But then, the scent of peaches reached my nostrils, and, annoyed, I pushed him back.
“Get out. I’m busy.”
“You’re a fucking psycho,” he hissed while collecting himself back together.
“I might be,” I said, grabbing the suitcase left by the chairman and putting it on the floor. “But it doesn’t change the fact that you must do as I say. And I say, you just got yourself a double shift for tomorrow.”
Once again, containing his rage like some petulant child, he fisted his hands and gritted his teeth before leaving my office.
There was something almost appealing about his tantrums, enough to make me want to squeeze him like a grapefruit and watch all the blood drain out of his system. But there would be time for that.
With him out of my office, I was free to attend to my work.
Opening my desk drawer, I pushed my gun to the side, my hand hovering over the different items before I picked out my lip balm.
Taking the lid off, I put a bit on my finger, then with soft taps, applied it to my lips.
After all, there was nothing worse than cracked lips, especially with how important it was for me to have a decent smile.
Done, I put the lip balm back in place and grabbed the flash drive I left there earlier.
Getting up from my chair, I walked over to where I had a painting hung on the wall.
It was a reproduction of Judith Slaying Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi.
One of my absolute favorites. Taking it off the wall, I revealed a safe, and after quickly typing in the pin code, it opened.
My eyes went over the folders I kept there, lists of names for a rainy day, before I placed the flash drive in a small metal box filled with dozens of others.
Pleased, I closed the safe, hung the painting on the wall, and went back to my chair.
There, I took a notepad and a pen and wrote something on it before attaching it to the suitcase.
Per usual, my handwriting was impeccable, yet it didn’t stop my mouth from twitching as I reread the words.
14th Floor.
What a bother.
But just like I told the chairman, we all had jobs to do. And I? Well, I did mine with excellence because there was simply no other choice.