That Coffee Accident

Chapter 3 - Hold the Door

    Dwayne's secretary, Paul, accompanied me to the hospital as Dwayne ordered. He was way older than Dwayne and he had this serious face. I sat down at the emergency room waiting for the doctor. My bruises stung so much from all the movement. 

    Paul was sitting beside me. He was holding his phone and typing something there. I sighed and dissolved my plan of striking a conversation even though the silence was slowly killing me. 

        "Are you alright?" He said and put his phone on the inside pocket of his coat. 

        "Uh, yes..." I stammered and smiled. 

    The doctor opened the curtain. The nurse pushed a cart with different type of scissors and antiseptic. She smiled at us and stood beside the doctor. 

        "I am Doctor Rajeed." He introduced himself and held my knee, where the cuts were located. 

        "Gauze," he ordered. 

    He wiped my cuts and I flinched with the lingering pain. He was seriously examining it. He said to have an anesthesia administered on me so he can start stitching. I laid down and closed my eyes as the anesthesia started to kick in. I was going dizzy and within seconds, passed out. 

                                                                ************

    I woke up to an extravagant ceiling with a chandelier. I groaned as I felt the throbbing pain on my leg. I sat down and watched my legs.

        "Good thing you are awake." a woman said behind me. 

    My eyes widened. I saw a woman in a tight red dress walking to my direction. Her hair was made into a huge curls that gave her so much volume. She was slim and her dress suited her. 

        "Oh, no. Am I dreaming?" She asked.

    Eleanor slightly tapped her cheeks. 

    Is it the anesthesia, talking? Where is she?

    The woman laughed softly. 

        "Paul brought you here, Miss. I heard that you're Dwayne's employee." she said and sat down in front of me. 

    She put the wine glass on the center table. I looked around to see an extravagant apartment. It was already night from the city light's she saw on the glass wall. They were too high from the ground that you can see the whole New York. 

        "Now, tell me what happened?" She grinned.

    It was weird. I blinked my eyes in confusion. The woman in front of me crossed her legs and watched me. 

        "Boy, I am really confused right now. Where am I?" I exclaimed. 

    The woman laughed again. 

        "Oh! I like you! You're funny. I am Cornelia , Dwayne's older sister." She winked.

    Oh my! Cornelia Taylor? Why the hell am I doing here?

        "Why am I here? How did you know about me?" I asked again. 

        "I know that you'll be wondering... but it's already ten o'clock. Why don't I explain everything over a plate of steak?" She snapped her finger and a housemaid appeared out of nowhere. 

    Minutes later, I found myself on the couch, eating the world's best steak. She was only sitting there watching me inhaled the steak. I didn't eat the whole day. I was starving so much. 

        "Paul brought you here as I told him." she explained.

    Paul turned out to be her secret boyfriend. Dwayne knows but their parents didn't. Now, it's a secret I have to keep also. Cornelia was bound to marry someone else as I heard on the business news. She was a successful model and beauty tycoon. She was known on the make-up industry.  

        "I heard Katy did a scene. I disliked that brat ever since." She rolled her eyes. "|And I also heard you are her assistant?" she said. 

    I nodded and wiped the side of my lips. 

        "Yeah. Dwayne promoted someone else." 

        "I know. I'm one of Dwayne's investors. So, I have ears on the company s***h my secret boyfriend." She winked. 

    I nodded. 

        "Oh, well yeah? Have you heard how Katy yelled for everyone to hear the reason why Dwayne and Ivana broke up? She just yelled, I'll quote... she cheated not once but twice."

    Cornelia Taylor did not even flinched. She was just looking at me and sighed.

        "Why should I be surprised? Everyone knew because it was all over the tabloids. That slut really loved the attention my stupid brother gives her." She groaned and took a sip on her wine. 

    I spent the entire minute watching her every move. She was really lovely to look at unlike her brother. She's a sweet lady while Dwayne, was the perfect definition of a devil incarnate. 

        "Is there something wrong with my face, Eleanor?" she asked. 

        "Nothing. I am just wondering what do you want from me?" I asked back.

    She wetted her lower lip and grinned like a crazy woman. 

         "We're just about to get to that." 

    She stood up and paced back and forth. I sat there, watching her like a kid. 

        "I want you to get my brother's attention." She said.

    If I was not done eating, I would be spitting every bit of that sumptuous steak on the carpeted floor. What did I just hear? 

    She wanted me to what?

        "What?" I screamed.

    She threw herself beside me. I was too shocked to absorb everything. 

        "I want you to help me to break apart that Ivana and my stupid brother. My brother can be i***t at times but I cannot believe that he will let himself to humiliate himself." She said. 

      I swallowed. I didn't understand. I passed out and woke up to this whole thing. Ivana Myers was a goddess compared to me so I don't get why Cornelia would have the interest on me. 

       Upon realizing everything, I laughed so hard like it was a big joke. Cornelia looked at me with confusion on my sudden laughter. She might even think that I am being crazy right now. She was polite enough to let me finish and compose myself. 

        "You are kidding right?" I exclaimed. 

        "Unfortunately, no." She said. "But I know it is too unbelievable but I just wanna save my brother from that vile woman. And after hearing what happened, how Dwayne asked Paul to send you the hospital to get your stitches... I felt hope. I felt like it is the universe's way to help me save him."

    I stopped laughing. My face turned serious. I felt bad for feeling funny about it. Her heart was on the right place. Always reading something about Dwayne and Ivana's relationship everywhere, it must be sad for her. When most likely, it was all about how dumb Dwayne was for getting back together with her. 

        "I asked for your files. I read about how you see yourself in five years having a secured position at one of the biggest publishing companies in USA and I can help you with that." She held my hands.

    Her palm felt like a baby's cheek. It was soft and very fragile. I watched her squeezed my calloused hand, making me uncomfortable. 

        "Eleanor, I am not forcing you to love him. I know that it would be hard. I just want you to get his attention and spend time with him. You should make him realize that there's so much around him. He should not waste his life for the girl who doesn't deserve him..."

   I bit my lips. Her offer was tempting. The Taylors of New York was very powerful and she can make my wish came true overnight.

        "I don't know, Cornelia. It is unfair to Dwayne." I said. 

        "I know. It will never be fair to him. But it will be also unfair if I won't guide him to the right path as his sister so I would rather have him hated me for the right reasons." She pleaded. 

    I swallowed and removed my hands from her grasp. I smiled weakly. 

        "I cannot do it, Cornelia. We don't even know if he can remember me by tomorrow. I am just me. Look at me. I can never be compared to Ivana Myers. I am nowhere near her and I would rather crawl my way to that secured position you were talking about. I am deeply sorry." I explained. 

    It was too hard to say no to her. She was an angel and very nice but I don't want to regret everything in the end. 

        "Okay, I understand." She said and nodded. 

        "I would ask Paul to drive where you are staying. Thank you, Eleanor." She kissed my cheek.

                                                                ************        

  Monday morning came. I dressed up for work, grabbed my usual coffee from the dollar coffee shop under my apartment building before heading to work. The streets of New York seemed quite busier than the usual. I took my time to drink and wander since it was still a half an hour early from my shift.

    Walking on the middle of Central Perk, my phone rang. I stopped to fish it from my bag. I answered without looking at the phone caller's ID. 

        "Eleanor Walter, talking." I greeted and continued walking. 

        "Eleanor, one large freshly brewed Americano with two sachets of sugar. I want it on my table before I arrive."

        "What?" I said as I looked at the caller ID. 

    I almost threw my coffee. I cannot believe it! Why on earth was happening! Kathy's on the phone with me.

        "I want it on my desk. I am ten minutes away from the office. Better be there with my damn coffee." The line cut off. 

    I swallowed and ran to the nearest trash bin to throw my  unfinished coffee. Good thing, I was wearing my commuter's shoes today. I saw a cab being hailed on the side. Pushing the girl, I sat on the back seat and yelled my apologies. 

        "I would double the p*****t. Drive me at the nearest Starbucks in three minutes!" I ordered. 

    The driver stepped on the gas. I handed him a fifty-dollar cash for that short ride. I did not even bother asking for a change. The devil was back for I don't know reason, but my guts were telling me to do it or hell would be casted to me. 

        "I want a Venti. Americano with two sachets of sugar on the side please. Could you make it faster? I am kind of late, sorry. " I asked the barista. 

    The coffee was made in five minutes. I held the coffee holder and ran so fast. I even hailed a cab to the office. I climbed the stairs on the entrance. As I exited the revolving doors, I saw that one of the elevator are closing.

        "Hold the door!" I shouted. 

    The unknown man from the elevator pushed the door hold. I gasped and ran to it. 

    But as I was approaching the elevators doors, the unluckiest thing happened to me. I tripped on the untied laces of my commuter's shoes and went out of balance.

    I yelled when the lid of the Americano swung open. And the man in front of me got spilled all over his branded suit. I dove in front of him.

        "What the hell?" he shouted while I fell flat on my face.

    I looked up to him. 

    Dwayne Taylor was looking down on me. His brown Louis Vuitton suit was soaked with hot-brewed coffee. And his eyes were screaming trouble.

    The elevator door was still open as the half of my body was still outside. Horrified looks were thrown at me from the people on the lobby. 

     Oh, s**t.

    I just spilled the CEO of the company. I wanted to tell him it was an accident but it felt like my tongue ran from too much fear.

    I swear, it was an accident. 

    It was a coffee accident.