I raked a hand through my hair in frustration. Argh! I wonder how much Mr. Doyle is going to penalize me since I’m late to work today!
I then flipped through my contacts for Harry’s number to give him a call and explain things. But before I had even pressed the dial button, a call came in.
At the sight of Michael’s name flashing across the screen, my heart pounded wildly.
Shit! Could he be calling at this time to question why I’m not in the office yet? Oh God, what should I do? How should I explain it to him? I can’t say that I overslept, can I? After all, such an excuse isn’t valid to him!
Throughout my internal monologue, my phone continued ringing. Inhaling deeply, I finally answered the call uneasily.
“Hello, Mr. Shaw…” I murmured after the call was connected.
Sheer anxiety ricocheted within me, for I was terrified that Michael’s apoplectic voice would suddenly blast out from the other end of the phone.
“You’re awake?”
To my surprise, Michael didn’t rage at me. Instead, his voice was placid with a trace of warmth.
My heart skipped a beat at once, and a strange feeling pervaded me. I shook my head forcefully, telling myself that I had to be hearing things since he would never speak to me so tenderly.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Shaw. I overslept this morning.”
Well, regardless of whether he’s calling to reprimand me, I can’t go wrong with an apology right off the bat. Even if he’s irate, he won’t be too angry when I apologize so sincerely.
“I was the one who turned off your alarm. I’m giving you the day off, so just stay home and rest up. Perhaps I went about things wrongly yesterday.”
Michael’s deep and alluring voice was still as detached as ever as it drifted over, yet my heart fluttered.
What? He was the one who turned off my alarm? How could he simply fiddle with my cell phone? Doesn’t he know what privacy means?
My anger was piqued at his admission, but when I registered the meaning of his final utterance, my heart hammered wildly. He actually admitted that he was wrong before me? Has hell frozen over today?
“Mr. Shaw, I…”
It was a long while before I snapped out of my stupor. I opened my mouth to say something else, but he had already hung up on me.
Hearing the disconnect tone from the other end of the phone, I curled my lips in chagrin. Good grief! That was the first time he admitted to having made a mistake, yet he only uttered that meager remark. How insincere!
After putting down the phone, my emotions remained turbulent for a very long time. Why would an arrogant man like him simply apologize? Has he gotten his wires crossed today?
Despite my puzzlement, I forced myself not to think about anything remotely related to Michael. His mind was wired differently from others, after all, so I could never comprehend his thoughts even if I were to rack my brains.
I stayed at Birchwood the entire day without going anywhere. When hunger pangs hit, I made a cup of instant noodles, determined to relax all day.
I simply allowed myself to be unkempt without washing up or changing my clothes, I was so sloppy that I was no different from a bedraggled vagabond.
When Michael came home at night, he was so shocked at my state that his eyes almost popped out of his head. Never once had I been so blasé about my image before him.
“Anna, did you just fall into a trash can?”
Putting down the briefcase in his hand, Michael eyed me with utter contempt as his striking brows creased deeply.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Love from My Dominant Boss