Daisy’s Secret Crush

***Daisy’s POV.***

Life is unpredictable.

Nobody knows what will happen the very next second. One minute you are driving happily to your work and the next minute you almost meet with an accident.

That is when life flashes in front of your eyes like a movie reel. Showing what you have achieved and making you remember what you missed. And then making you regret some things which could have been different.

Same thing happened to me.

Buzz… Buzz… Buzz…

I wake up and throw the alarm against the floor. I groan out, “Great. Now I have to buy another alarm.”

I look at the time on my phone and see it is half-past eight. I am going to get late. I go to take a quick shower and wear the outfit I took out last night, which is horrific.

Was I so tired last night that I made this fashion blunder? Who wears a simple black outfit on the day important clients are coming?

Ms. Amelia Montez would kill me.

I took out another outfit which is a lilac color suit. I wore this two months ago. Yes, this would do. But what if Amelia notices it? I changed into an all-over printed cream shirt instead of a simple one.

I need a haircut soon. I am fed up with having long hair. Short hairs need little maintenance, unlike the long one which I am straightening right now as my boss hates the curls.

After straightening my sunflower blond hair. I wear earrings of fake diamonds. I may work for a famous interior designer, but I am saving money for something. I take white pumps which will kill my feet by the end of the day and my bag and go out.

I am currently living in a one-hall and kitchen apartment. Even though my godfather, Richard Anderson, insisted that I live in an apartment that his wife, Heather, bought.

But I refused outright as I want to have a place of my own and also this place is cheap and near my workplace. So even if I am late, I can reach there just by running barefoot, which I am doing just now.

As soon as I reach near the block of work, I put on my pumps and enter the building. I look for the receptionist, who is not at her desk. Where the hell is Helen when you need her?Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“Hey, has the boss arrived yet?” I asked one of the staff.

“No. She is going to be late as she is having breakfast with Italian clients.” He says.

“Great.” I say, then go to my small cubicle, which is on the third floor.

The building comprises five floors. The ground floor is for parking, the first floor is a lounge area, the second floor is a department for designing local clients and the third floor is for exclusive and important clients. And the top floor is for our boss.

I was working for locals during my internship but then got a job for exclusive clients by getting recommendations from my local clients. So Amelia has to give me a small cubicle on the third floor and always make me aware that I didn’t do enough to get here.

I tidied up my small cubicle and put away some of the project files as they were completed. I asked one of the staff to take it to the file room to store them. As I sit down and go to take a sip of my coffee, which gratefully Helen sent for me, I get a call from Amelia.

“Yes?” I ask.

“Can’t you Americans even complete a sentence? I don’t know how you complete your work,” she says.

It’s almost on my tongue to say, “Well, my files would tell a different story. Unlike your favourite champ, Ben, I actually complete my work with the highest customer satisfaction rate.”

But I ask, “What can I do for you, Amelia?”

“I want you to handle Ben’s client and help him.” She says and I sigh internally in frustration.

I don’t like it when Amelia does this. It makes my suspicions true that there is an affair going on between those two, as he is always getting away with tough work and swoops in at the last minute to take credit. I am so done with it. But all of his clients are always so high profile that I have to attend.

But as that saying goes, if life gives you a lemon, make lemonade. So do I. I make such an impression on his clients that they suggest me to his friends or colleagues.

“Okay. I will be there. Anything else?” I ask.

“After that, go to Mr. McKay’s house for a survey.” She says and hangs up before I can deny.

“Oh! Come on now. Can’t she send her precious Ben there? At least he is a man who would be safe.” I say to myself, but then I remember McKay at the Christmas party. “No, he would be in even more trouble. Obviously, she wants to save him.”

I finish my coffee first, then my work. Then I go to Walter’s house. They are a young married couple who want to move into their new house as Mrs. Walter is expecting and wants the interior to be done before the baby is here.

My deadline to complete the blueprint of the interior is in a week. So I talked with them and made an appointment to meet them with a decision after two days. So I can make changes they need me to before the final blueprint.

I have a light lunch as next I have to meet Mr. McKay. I have vegetable salad and potato leek soup. As I eat a cupcake, I haul a taxi and sit in it.

I don’t want to go there. As I am sitting in the front seat with the taxi driver, I talk with him to pass the time because he is trying to pursue a career as a realtor.

I laugh at some of his jokes, but the very next second that laugh turns into a scream when out of nowhere a truck comes right at us and the driver surfs out of the way somehow, only to crash with a wall.

From the shock, I lost my hold of consciousness. I woke up when a paramedic woke me up. I gingerly open my eyes to see her. I look from side to side in panic, only to notice I am in the ambulance.

“Calm down, Mam. You had a minor accident a few minutes ago. The shock would wear off soon. Please take this.” She says as she gives me a small cup, which has two medicines.

“What is this for?” I ask as I take it and see my right hand has a bandage over it.

“These are painkillers.” She says, and I look up at her in shock.

“I am hurt. Where?” I ask, looking at my body to find wounds.

“Calm down. You have minor scratches on both your hands because the window glass and windshield glass broke. Your head has a minor bump. So we are taking you to the hospital for a scan.” She says.

“What?” I exclaim, then ask, “Where is the driver? Is he okay?”

“He is fine. He also got some minor scratches from glass in one hand.” She says.

At her insistence, I take the medication as my wounds hurt. When we reached the hospital, the Doctor said after the scan that I was fine and wrote a prescription which I should take only if I get blurry vision or severe headache.

I came out and sat in another taxi, but instead of going to McKay’s house; I asked the driver to take me to my home. I am shaken because it would have been my last day and that too not to my liking.

I am not afraid to die as I forget about it most of the time, but what I am very much afraid of is not completing all my dreams before going away.

There are so many things I have yet to achieve. So many things I have yet to do. That moment made me realise so many things I could have done rather than going to that stupid McKay’s house. I realised that rather than working for Amelia, I could work for myself and that too, with a lot of satisfaction and free time to paint.

As I think of the devil, her call comes and I pick up only to hear, “Where are you, Daisy? Do you know how many times Mr. McKay has called me? Do you have any idea-”

I cut her for the first time and poured all the adrenaline rush on her and said, “Do you have any idea that I met with an accident? No. Do you know why? Because you never let others speak. And about that house survey of Mr. McKay’s, then send your precious Ben there. I am going home right now to rest, which I deserve. Goodbye.”

I take a deep breath after I hang up and feel a bit relieved. After I get home, I order dinner from my favourite restaurant and shower while there is still some time.

I change into a pink camisole nighty and wear a robe over it. When my order arrives, I take it inside and have pasta with wine.

As I look outside, I remember the way I talked to my boss. I don’t regret it but I think it is time that I go back. It is time I don’t waste a second. It is time that I be with my parents, who are waiting for me to come back.

And the only thing stopping me is my childhood crush. Theo. Well, it is time to do something about it.

I am now going to jump into whatever I want head first, then think about it later.

I want to live my life.