A BIG Boss - Chapter 39

Chapter 39 

What was he doing? What was Harvey’s life now? Where was he standing right now? 

He thought he had everything he ever wanted, or at least what he should have by now. A job, a place to live, savings, and something he was not expecting, love. The other things are easy to get, but love’s not as easy to get.

You can’t just leave a curriculum there and hope someone will hire you to be loved. Maybe that's kind of the way a dating app works, but that’s not the main point.

Harvey felt like he had found a really special love. The biggest love in the biggest woman he’s ever met. And she seemed so sincere, so true to him. He thought he had found someone just as unlucky in love as he is. He’s not most women’s type, and Mrs. Stalwart was surely too intimidating for most men. Maybe he had found his other half?

No, it was not like that.

Harvey wandered, for quite a while, his eyes low, his gaze set on the floor. What has he been doing? Did he truly believe she liked him? She’s so superior, he knew that, but even if she was this is not right.

He thought he had found her, his other half, his angel, true love in a sincere woman. But he didn’t. Was she even sincere? Maybe she was lying this whole time, just to keep him interested. To keep him close for a while, until she finally got bored of him.

Did she? Was he just enough for a couple of weeks dating? Was she already bored of him? Tired of him? He felt bad, used, betrayed.

Harvey wandered, eventually he entered a convenient store, he felt thirsty. Water, sure why not. A beer to forget his sorrows? No, that’s not him, things won’t leave just because of that. Just water this time.

He paid and walked out, what can he do? Where can he go? He knows her place should be at the left, so he’ll turn tot he right.

“Right, let’s hope this is the right decision this time.” How could he be such a fool? How did he believe this? How did he believe her? People like her, they will never love someone like him, she just kept him there for her own amusement.

Maybe he was just used for her carnal urges. Maybe they were not making love, maybe it was just sex. A lie, and he was just the toy she used to satisfy herself. Maybe she did the same with all of her assistants, seduce them, fool around with them, and then leave them. Fire them and never see them again…

“How could I be so stupid? She’s at the top, and she’s so tall… this was not going to work. Never going to work…” What is he? A 5’5” no one, and her? She’s rich, 9´6” and way above everyone.

Maybe this was her plan all along, this scene he made, it only ended up ruining her plans, perhaps she wanted to keep him close for a while longer, and he just ruined the timing.

“Sorry things didn’t work as you wanted…” he thought, looking at the empty bottle of water right before he threw it away. She never loved him, did she? They must’ve been all lies, lies he believed.

It’s funny, for a second he felt she truly liked him. But, deep down, he always doubted this was real. And now, she just confirmed it. He didn’t even do something that bad, and to know she just gave up on him, she literally kicked him out, she set him away. Without a warning, without a chance, his love was gone.

Harvey wandered, he walked between the rest of the people, feeling empty and purposeless. With no destination, nothing to do. He just kept going.

The people around him, they must have somewhere to be, somewhere to go. Someone to love and who loved them. A crush? That’s enough to get you going. Who does he have?

Maybe he flew too close to the sun, and now he was falling. Walking adrift, going nowhere, his eyes were teary and his heart was aching.

—

The meeting was finally over. Mrs. Stalwart was making her way back to her office, and suddenly she was stopped.

“So? Are you going to fire him?” Said Mr. West. She stopped on her tracks and turned as he approached.

“Fire him?” her heart sped up for a second, but she’ll show no concern, no fear whatsoever before him.

“Exactly, you should fire that guy. He’s so disrespectful!” He complained.

The 6´9” man stood in front of her, a couple feet away. It was funny how a guy as tall as him, who surely towers above everyone wherever he goes, doesn’t even reach her chest level. Compared to Mrs. Stalwart, he’s tiny.

“Haha, so what if he’s a bit rude? What? Do you feel threatened by my assistant? Is his five-feet height too intimidating for you, big guy?” she chuckled, bending a bit and with both hands over her hips.

He frowned. “You know it’s unacceptable to talk to a member of the board as he did, he owes me an apology. Or, even better, you owe me an apology.” his smile was back on his face.

“What?” She frowned.

“You heard me, a public apology. By tomorrow, or he’ll be fired. I only need to submit a request, and I think having the whole board as my witness, that will surely grant an outcome at MY favor.” She hates to admit it, but he’s right.

Mrs. Stalwart tensed up a bit, she was getting mad; he could see it, and he really liked it.

“A letter won’t be enough, oh I feel sooo hurt, so offended! I want him to apologize in front of everyone… or you can do it. As his direct boss, you can take responsibility for his actions. Unless you’d find it easier to fire him.” His smile, so arrogant, she wanted to slap it out of his face.

“Fine! I’ll take care of it…” He was such a jerk, she should’ve fired him when she had the chance.

“Great! I’m glad we’re both on the same channel! I’ll be waiting for your news at my office! Email, text, ha, I’ll even keep an eye open for a fax! Your move, girl…” and he walked away.

Girl? What is she? Some sort of lady he seduces at the club?

Mrs. Stalwart was mad, but he was right.The idiot was right, now she needs to ask Harvey to apologize. Hopefully he won’t be mad…

—

She made her way to her office. The feeling of walking alone again was so… depressing! So oddly sad, so disturbingly awkward.

The meeting was way longer than it should have, mostly because of the incident they had. For a full half-an-hour, there was a long moment of comments on how rude Harvey was, how unsubordinate, how disrespectful! She got mad, of course; what? Was she supposed to feel ashamed and try to hide in her shell like a tortoise? Mrs. Stalwart was angry.

But more than angry, she was feeling anxious. Was Harvey ok? Maybe she was too loud? Did she appear to be too mad? He knows she didn’t mean it, right? It was just her playing the role of the boss, that’s it.

Once she was back at her office, then she’ll call him and they might be able to settle this. She does owe him a bit of an apology.

“He knows I must be stern, right? I can’t show any favoritism, he knows that, right?” She thought as she hurried to her office.

—

Once she was there, she immediately closed the door, locked it so that there were no annoying guests, more like intruders; and then she called.

She was wondering what to say. She was a little too stern, she knows; she was a bit too hard, shame on her.

She was ready to give him an apology, and to tell him not to worry, poor guy must feel so tense! Even she feels a bit stressed. She was waiting for him to pick up, waiting on the line as she heard the beeping on her phone. One, two… three… four? Five?! He was not picking up. She went straight to voicemail! 

“Maybe… he must be busy, or he can’t pick up, that’s it! He’s just…” she thought, a feeling of concern overtaking her, she dialed again. And again, and again…

The same thing happened over and over. She ended up calling him over ten times! No answer, so she left a voicemail.

“Harvey, dear, please answer my calls. I’m not really mad, you know that, right?” She felt desperate, she even sounded a little desperate. The great Vera Stalwart was desperate? She was concerned for someone else? That was new!

The reason why he was not picking up was simple. He was not busy, he was not in a crammed bus unable to reach for his pocket. He was not lifting something using both his hands. He was just not in the mood of picking up.

“A voicemail? Wow, she’s really trying… trying to play her part really well.” He thought, looking at the number of missed calls, looking at the voicemail he was not going to listen.

Harvey was at the mall. Sitting at a random bench in front of some clothing store. Before him there was a lot of people coming and going. A few couples, he noticed them and thought they were really lucky, they seemed happy.

He was happy, this morning he woke up next to a woman who promised him heaven, and then she pushed him off his cloud. She grounded him back to reality, he was not loved, he was just one more. Just another guy, another man who no one really loves.

If she loved him, then she would’ve said something. If she loved him, then she would’ve stood for him. If she loved him, if she truly did, then she wouldn’t have kicked him off the office, suspended him and not turned on him.

He felt numb. Another few calls more, another few messages. He just put his phone in silent mode, stood up and walked away. Because that’s what she did, right? She just left him on his own. Not caring how much it hurts…

—

Mrs. Stalwart was at her office, she’s been calling him every hour. Her day at the office was not over yet, she wanted to leave everything as it was and then rush home to meet him. She wanted to find him, embrace him and tell him she didn’t mean what she said.

She called, one more time, and just like the other few dozen times, he didn’t pick up. This time, the message she left was with a worried tone.

“Harvey, my love… please pick up! I’m… I’m worried… please, I just want to know you’re alright. Just… you don’t even need to call me back! Just… a text, not even words, an emoji, a period… anything! I… I’m…” that was the end of the message. A tear ran down her cheek. What has she done?

This was so odd to her, she’s never been this worried for anyone! For anything!

where was he? Was he ok? Why was he not picking up her calls? Did something happen to him?!

She’ll never forgive herself if something happened to him after this. It was not a fight, but she yelled at him, she treated him like trash! She was unkind, unhappy, she was not the lovely woman she promised him she’ll be.

Her heart ached, every beat, every pound on her chest, she wanted to rush out and look for him. Leave everything she was doing and run to find him! Just one more hour and then she’ll be free. One more hour and she’ll rush to him, she’ll run straight to him, embrace him with her loving arms and promise him she’ll never do that again.

Right now, she only wants to see him…