Chapter 11

"What have you done, Mitch?" Daniel asked with interest in his voice "I didn t know he was the boss," Mitchell replied, sounding defensive. He was yelling at the staff in the lobby. I felt that was rude and I couldn t just stand by and watch. "Oh! You know how I dislike people abusing power or intimidating the weak?" she said "You felt it was rude for the boss to yell at his staff?" He asked sounding incredulous "Did you hear the part where I said I didn t know he was the boss?" She asked "Okay. So, what did you do?" He asked before taking a sip from his wine cup "Well... I only told him to apologize," She answered. And that was all I did." She added defensively "You did what?" Daniel exclaimed. Almost choking on his drink. Then burst out laughing "You asked him to apologize?" He repeated after calming from his laughter. Mitch!!! And you called that "that was all you did?" "Oh no, Mitch... You are unbelievable" "I only made him apologize," Mitch repeated. He was rude to them. Even if he was the boss, that wasn t enough reason to be rude to his employees." You made Mr. Michael Smith apologize, Mitch? It s a first as far as I know. And to think, you made him apologize to some bunch of junior staff. That s incredible." "Well, you wouldn t have stood by and just watched either. And you taught me, Danny" "I know I taught you to be daring, but now you are overly daring. Even I, your teacher, dares not look Mr. Smith in the eyes. Nobody dares." He concluded. "Well, he isn t my boss," "But he is mine and you should thread easily," he said, lightly. "Is that a warning?" She asked with a frown on her face. "Wipe that frown off your face," he said laughing. But take it as a warning. Mr. Smith doesn t like his pride trampled on." "But what you did was commendable," He added after a brief second, giving her the, "I am proud of you look" which got Mitchell smiling once again. Daniel smiled. The news would have gone around the company that Daniel s girlfriend made the formidable boss apologize to his receptionists. "His receptionists." He said again with a sardonic look "Receptionists are human too, are they not? She asked rhetorically Daniel just smiled. "You aren t mad at me?" Mitchell asked quietly. "No, I m not" He answered "Your job?" "Safe. He replied. I am not the one he has grievances with and the last I checked, I m still the best they have here. That made me quite indispensable. "And from the look of things, I suspect my boss likes you." This bit he added slowly looking keenly at Mitchell "I don t like him" She burst out "Are you sure? Because certainly, I know a ton of ladies who would give anything to have Michael show interest in them." His looks, his money, and power, don t they mean anything?" "Not to me. Never." She swore vehemently "Never say never, remember that saying?" "Hell would freeze over before I like him" "Why?" "He is arrogant, and that is just saying the least" "Admittedly he is arrogant but underneath lies a good man," Daniel said Mitchell just smiled scornfully and said, "Thanks. but no thanks" "How come I never met him before and chairman? So, he is the chairman. I thought people like him moved around with a hundred bodyguards? Mitchell asked "Yes, he is the chairman and I am not surprised that you do not know him. He is a ghost and one who prefers to be invisible. Ironically, he is almost non-existent, that is why I have not mentioned him to you before, in fact, quite a lot of the staff here do not know who the chairman was. He was so invisible that we sometimes forgot who he was, but he was also overly present. "How did he escape the media?" "Only he can answer that" He laughed. But he was known for something else more than for being the chairman of these big conglomerates. Mitchell shrugged. "Enough of him already, can you close for the day and let me give you a nice birthday treat. Any restaurant of your choice." Mitchell asked gleefully "Any?" "Yes, any". "Isn t it my lucky day? First, I got you off work and now I can even get to spend the rest of the day with you. When was the last time we got to hang out together? That was probably ages ago. I wish everyday could be my birthday". Daniel said, sounding genuinely happy. Mitchell felt sorry, she was always busy. Too busy to even have time to enjoy herself. Daniel had told her years ago that work was the only panacea to her problem and she had taken heed to it. But she couldn t tell him now that she had merely followed the advice he gave her. Instead, she looks at him apologetically and promises to create time for them. It wasn t like Daniel wasn t busy also, he was but in all, he just wanted to make her happy and make sure she gets a life outside of work. It has been eight long years since she broke up with her Ex and during those eight years, she had only agreed to a couple of dates and mostly because Daniel had pestered her into accepting. All she ever wanted after her breakup was to become a success in her chosen career. She was, and she can be more. She looked at Daniel again, hoping he wouldn t lecture her on the need to start a relationship. She just wanted to be free, free from the headache relationship brings and she doesn t want to be dependent on any man either.