My Sweet Punishment by Amelia Brooks (best book club books of all time .TXT) 📕

        I spent the whole day working with documents. Thank God, Collins didn’t call me back to his office. He gave me orders with Amanda, who was always trying to touch my pride, sometimes with my appearance, sometimes with something else… But seeing my completely indifferent reaction to her empty insults, she turned around and left, slamming the door loudly. Yeah, a little more, and I will have to buy a new door.

       Since the boss did not make himself felt all day, I thought that the trip to the restaurant was canceled, and I hoped to go home quietly. But no such luck. Ten minutes before the end of the working day, when I already packed my bag and prepared to leave the office, his deep baritone voice came out the intercom, and I jumped in surprise again. Well, I can’t get used to this device.

         And also, it seems that he is constantly watching me. I looked around my office carefully. Probably there are cameras here and now he admires the picture of me on a permanent basis? He's a maniac ghoul. You can expect anything from him. I frowned.

     “Ms. Brown, I kindly remind you that today we have dinner with our business partners. Only it is postponed for an hour and a half.” I heard Collins's suave voice and I literally growled. Argh! He remembers, after all..

       “Ahem,” the man cleared his throat, “Ms. Browns, and how do I have to interpret this answer of yours?” I didn’t see his face, but for some reason, it seems to me that now he is grinning in all his 32.

       What answer? It was only now that I noticed that I had been squeezing the answer button on the selector for a long time. And apparently, my boss also heard my grumbling growl. Heck!

        “I said, all right, Mr. Collins,” I muttered in an unctuous voice. “Apparently, there was some interference the first time and you did not hear me.”

        “What strange interference,” the man chuckled, “I will order to change your selector as soon as possible. It is just unacceptable that it’s so... roaring.

       “Oh, no. Don’t worry, Mr. Collins. I don’t think it will happen again,” Because I won’t be so stupid next time.

        “As you wish,” and the man’s tone of command returned, “You have an hour to prepare for the dinner. My driver will be waiting at your house at 06:00 p.m. And, Ms. Brown.” I caught the menacing note in his voice, and an unpleasant shiver went through my body. “Don’t be late. You remember I don’t like it.”

       Why I am so annoyed at everything he says? I think a little more and the previously calm and reasonable Mia will just explode with anger. I heaved a sigh and picked up my bag and keys to the office and headed for the exit. But as soon as I put the key in the lock, I heard the powerful voice from the intercom again:

       “I’m still waiting for the answer, Ms. Brown” How long he’s gonna drive me crazy?! It seems to me that one day I will go home on the subway and then instead of hearing the name of my stop, I will hear “Ms. Brown, come to my office!”. Oooh, I imagined it and grimaced. It’s creepy. But with his power and opportunities, he can arrange it easily if desired.

        I hurriedly stomped to this infernal machine called “selector” and answered:

        “I understood, Mr. Collins!” I tried very hard to sound less annoyed.

      When I went home on the subway, I tried to figure out what clothes from my wardrobe looked like an evening dress. None! Although... I still had that black dress of Olivia’s I warn that night. Apparently, this is the only option left for me.

        The sound of the message distracted me from my thoughts. New message from Olivia.

        Olivia: “Hello my working beauty! When will I see you again? I have so much news for you!!! How about tonight? I’ll stop by.”

        Without thinking twice, I immediately typed an answer to my friend.

        Me: “Hi, Olivia. Sorry, we can’t meet today. I’m going to a business meeting with my boss tonight.”

        Olivia: “Wow, what a business lady you became ;) But your working day seems to be over?”

        Me: “Well, that’s how it turned out. Orders from superiors are not to be discussed : (”

        Olivia: “Well, your boss is definitely a tyrant. I’ll call you tomorrow then. Good luck!”

        Oh, if you knew who my boss is, Olivia, you wouldn’t say that bad about him. But I don’t want to report it by text message. It needs to be face to face. She also can misunderstand me. That’s it, as soon as I meet with a friend, I will immediately start this conversation.

         I came home and looked at the clock. 05:30 p.m. There’s still a little time for me to get ready.

        For some reason, I wildly wanted to prove to Collins that I can also look gorgeous. And make him take back what he said about me embarrassing him with my appearance. His words, I admit, hit me at the time.

       Half an hour later, I was standing in front of the mirror and looking at my elegant appearance. Well, it seems to be good. My hair was pulled up in a high bun, leaving a few wavy strands at my temples. I tinted my lashes. And the hell with it, I turned Olivia’s red lipstick over in my hands and applied it to my lips.