Slave to my Billionaire Boss

Chapter 6

Zenith had put out a grey colured pin striped skirt and a white blouse out on the bed so that she could come out and wear it. She put on the towel bathrobe after getting out of the shower and brushed her hair as she opened the cabinet over the sink. Every thing was so shiny that Zenith had a feeling that if she touched she would probably leave a mark on it. There was a full set of make-up routine and she found that the cosmetics were the first of their order probably imported from Paris or Milan.

She had a slight inkling that he might be gay or else how was it possible for him to have such good taste in cosmetics.

But now was not the time to dilly-dally any longer. She quickly made up for the work and then brushed her thick mahogany coloured hair binding it up in a horse tail. She opened the door and stepped in the room only to find that Orlando was standing at the window of the room.

“I thought that you wanted me to get dressed as soon as possible,” said Zenith as he looked at the stature of the man who sent her heart beating every single time that she found him in such proximity. That was the reason that she tried to maintain a safe distance from him so that she would not feel weak in her knees.

“No it is not about that Ms. Smith. I would like to discuss something with you in person. But I would wait until the end of the Annual Board meeting to finish so that you are not burdened with anything at all in order to discuss that,” said Orlando as he turned towards her.

“So you could have told me that after the meeting, couldn’t you? DO you get some kind of perverse pleasure in making people squirm and make them uncomfortable?” asked Zenith in a bitter tone a scowl on her face. But before she could even look the other way Orlando was before her, it felt like he had moved in a super human speed and then his eyes bore into hers making her look at him like a scared rabbit with nowhere to run. She was trapped with her back to the bathroom door and she could not meet her boss’s dark smoldering gaze.

“Trust me Zenith Smith, if I were bent on making you uncomfortable then you would have been somewhere else at the moment. It has been eleven months six days and nine hours since we met and I have made every single arrangement to make you feel comfortable. But now I have the opinion that this is not what you want…I have strange idea that you want something different Zenith Smith and I know what that is. So get dressed and come for the meeting. And after that you should know where to come,” said Orlando as he fixed her with a dark gaze and left her there standing.

“For clarification Ms. Smith, you should be here in my apartment. The key is going to be in your locker. And you are not going to breathe a single word about this entire conversation to any one. Is that clear?” asked Orlando from the door as he did not even bother to look back at her.

“Yes Sir,” answered Zenith in a shaky voice.

Orlando left the room and closed the door behind him. Zenith was still shaking from the encounter that had just now happened. Not in a million years had she thought that she would hear something like this from her boss but she guessed that there was first time for every single thing.

She quickly spritzed some of the expensive perfume which had been kept in the closet and dressed up in the clothes that she had laid out earlier. They were perfect fit. And when she looked at the mirror to see herself she could not believe that she was looking at herself. The Zenith Smith who had been born and brought up in Texas in a ranch and cowboy boots. All that she lacked was now the confidence which she normally exuded or portrayed.

But she did not have the time for that.

Zenith came down to the office and found that Orlando was in his office standing over, rather looming over his laptop in a menacing way. Maggie saw her and said,” Wow!! Girl, you really clean up very well..”

“Come on Maggie. You know that none of these belong to me. I hate wearing borrowed clothes so much but today I don’t have any other option. I could not go home and I don’t have a change of clothes with me…this is ridiculous,” grumbled Zenith as she glanced at the office and then quickly looked back at Maggie when she found him standing up.

“Is there something going on between you two?” asked Maggie as she looked at the both of them and then narrowed her eyes.

“Maggie, you are seeing me for a year…if I had to do something with him then I think that I would have done it by now. Since I don’t that means that you need to think a bit differently.  Am not like the other ones you have seen till now,” said Zenith, immediately getting defensive.

“I know that Zenith. I know that you are absolutely different from the other folks or the girls and there lies my tension. I know that you are never a city girl at heart Zenith, you never will be,” said Maggie with a soft smile and she left the place. Zenith followed the older woman to finish the preparation of the boardroom before all the board members came in.

They set up the carafe of water and the glasses with their crystal covers. The basket of muffins and the plate of pastrami finger sandwiches were something which Zenith had sourced from the local bakery. It was the place whose owner was a young woman of her age and she was an extremely good cook but since he store was in the back alley she did not get much customers. Zenith had made it a point to get her for catering for the different parties and the conferences that happened in the Rothschild Group of Companies.

The two women had fast become friends.

The muffins and everything was so good and fresh that Maggie inhaled the fresh aroma deeply and said,” Where from did you get these girl? These are absolutely fantastic…I need to hit this place soon. My grandkids are going to love these muffins!!!”

“I shall show you after today. This woman is a very good baker but she has this small place at the back of the main street which is the reason she has been hidden so long. Now I am trying so that she gets more orders and I am asking her to start catering as well so that she can get this more publicity,” said Zenith as Orlando entered the room with his laptop.

“Have you guys finished your chit chat or is there any more left?” asked Orlando in a grave tone.

“Oh Orlando, stop being an ass in the morning. God…everything is done and stop giving a hard time to this girl. She works probably harder than even you to keep you happy and satisfied and all I can hear is your screaming and your misbehavior. Someone needs to tell you that you have to put your head out of your ass. You are nothing if you are not a good person,” said Maggie, with her eyes burning into Orlando’s face who was stunned at her outburst.

“Are you going through that time of the month Maggie? What happened to you suddenly?” asked Orlando with a smirk on his face. Zenith looked up at him with such ferocity he felt that she would claw his face out. He knew that he was being a cad, and deliberately provocating Zenith so that she would react but it was Maggie who had taken the bait.

“No Orlando. I am not going through that time of the month,” Marguerite said clenching her fists,” I have stopped going through that time of the month quite a few years ago. But I am really pained to say this that if your father were alive today then he would be very regretful to see the man you have become.”

Orlando looked at Marguerite as if someone had slapped him across the face.

Marguerite did not wait for him to speak but she left the conference, leaving Zenith and Orlando there in uncomfortable silence.

“I am sorry Sir. Everything is ready and I have made the arrangements just like you wanted. I hope everything is fine Sir, if not, then I am going to change them immediately,” said Zenith as she kept on looking around the room to find if anything was amiss at all.

“There is nothing wrong in this room Ms. Smith. Everything is perfect. The only thing wrong is me, and the way I behave with the people who have always been with me in my worst times. It really shows me how much weak I am in thoughts, actions and characters,” said Orlando as he sat down at the chair at the head of the table.

“No Sir, there is nothing like that. We all are so much tired. Maggie did not mean that at all,” started Zenith but she also knew that Maggie had been absolutely furious at Orlando’s behavior.

“If you are trying to make me feel better about the situation then there is nothing you can do Ms. Smith. She is correct in what she said. I am an absolutely pathetic excuse for a human being far from what my father had envisioned me in the future,” said Orlando as he sighed deeply.

“I am sure that is not true Sir. But this is not the time to think about this at the moment. The members of the board are going to be coming very soon. Probably they are arriving as we speak so I would suggest you Sir that you please get your bearings right and make yourself comfortable. I am going to set up the presentation. Would you like one more cup of coffee Sir?” asked Zenith as she started walking towards the door and looked back at Orlando.

“Actually, I would love some coffee. You are right. I need to be strong and confident before those vultures and foxes or they are going to think that I am weak and they would go after the stockholders. Thanks Ms. Smith. I really needed that. I don’t know what I would have done without you or Marguerite,” said Orlando as he looked back at the laptop and Zenith smiled at him without letting him know her pleasure at the words he spoke.

As she was going out she found Jeff coming to the conference room with an angry Maggie in tow.

“Good morning Jeff. Hope you had a great night,” said Zenith as she smiled at him.

“I am least worried about the night Zenith. The mood my assistant is in, I am fearing that my boss is going to be in a far worse state. And I just want the meeting of today to go well without any kind of complications,” said Jeff as Maggie rolled her eyes at his words.

“We all hope so Jeff,” said Zenith as she came back with the cup of coffee for her boss.