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Chapter one

Chapter One

Cassie POV

Friday Evening,

Classes are over, and I rush to gather my books, to get to my internship, at the publishing house.

I don’t want to hit the weekend traffic, as I know for sure I’ll be late.

Lucky for me, I was able to squeeze into a space, right outside the lecture hall, where I had my last class of the week, now its Winter Break.

Everybody’s cheering, throwing papers in the air, hugging, some are even crying, they won’t see their friends over the holidays, even if they do get to see their families.

See here’s the thing.

To some of us, that’s what our friends have become during this hard time, in our life where we’re completely on our own, having to figure life out and what it all means.

The relationships, the heartbreak. The ups, the downs, the arguments.

Even, down to the exams, the stress.

The friends we’ve made have been there for us.

Through it all, which is a big deal, considering the emotional toll it can take on a friendship.

I just want to get out of here, so, Jericho, my extravagantly, wealthy, boss, doesn’t make me sit in the naughty corner, and take a time out, for being late.

Not really, well I hope not.

But he will have my head if I’m late again.

I weave through all my classmates gathered in the corridor, and finally I can see light.

The door, cracked open, by the person who has just walked through it.

“Yes, almost there”.

I can feel the breeze on my skin when, “Cassandra Amelia Knox.”

“Turn right back around and get back this way.”

“I would like a word with you.”

The bustling winter breakers readying to leave campus for their holidays are all frozen in place.

I’m clearly the main attraction now.

I feel, naked.

“Noooo so close but so far.”

I was almost there.

I could see freedom.

I could taste victory.

Yet alas, I should have known, it was never going to be that easy.

I turn on my pumps and saunter towards Mrs Adams, my English Lit professor.

I think I know what this is about.

It’s about, my grades slipping.

How I’m failing, because I have too much on my plate. “Please sit-down Cassandra”.

“Cassie”. I correct.

“Cassie” she replies.

“Do you, know why, I called you back here Cassie?”

I slink down into my chair.

“Is it because, I’m failing your class?”

I answer back with a question.

I mentally scold myself.

“Professors hate that. Makes them think, you’re a know it all.” “On the contrary Miss Knox.” she replies.

She sits down.

She looks up at me, over her horn-rimmed glasses, and smiles. I exhale the breath I was clearly holding onto.

I straighten up.

“Cassandra”.

“Cassie”. I remind her.

“Your transcripts are impressive.”

“Your work in my class, exceptional.”

“Tell me, have you given any thoughts, to what you might want to achieve?”

“After, your time here, at Berkley, of course?”

I sit and ponder the question.

I get a glimpse of the clock.

I do a double take.

I’m screwed.

Jericho, is most definitely, going to have my head for this. Late, again.

Professor Adams watches me,

“Have you got any place you would rather be, Miss Knox? Plans for Winter break?”

“What do I want to achieve after Berkley?”

The answer was simple really but, in this moment, I couldn’t quiet come up with an answer.

My focus was on the clock and how I was running extremely late.

“Erm actually Mrs Adams I really best be going.”

“I’m late for my internship over at the publishing house and I’m already on my bosses shit list if you pardon my French”. “I didn’t realise you were interning at a publishing house, which publishing house may I ask?”

I hesitated to answer for a moment.

“It’s the one over on third, Deans.”

Her eyes sparkled with extreme surprise.

“You can’t possibly mean Deans Publishing house?”

As in Jericho Dean.

Her eyes bulging out of their sockets.

“That would be the place yes!”

I say smugly.

“Well then Miss Knox, it seems you have more tricks up your sleeve then I thought.”

“I’ve clearly underestimated your potential.”

“You can go.”

She eyes me as I gather my things and rush for the door.

“Oh, and Cassie…”

“Yes Mrs Adams.”

“This conversation is not over.”

“You go think about my question over the winter break.”

“And I expect an honest answer, deal?”

“Deal.”

I’m home free.

I must get to work.

Mrs Adam’s question is a worry for another day.

I arrive at the office expecting Jericho to be waiting for me. To tell me not to bother coming in as I no longer work here. Luckily for me that’s not the case.

I quickly and quietly run towards my desk.

Make it appear like I have been here the whole time.

When people walk in through that main door.

The face they see is mine.

No wait, Amy’s face is first.

Then mine.

I see the stack of manuscripts on my desk with their colour coded sticky labels hanging out at the sides.

I know I’m busted.

I sit and make a start on the manuscripts.

I’m well into the third manuscript.

I realise Jericho hasn’t walked past me to go back into his office.

I look through his office window.

Nothing.

He’s not in there.

strange.

I waltz over to Amy.

The receptionist.

“Hey Amy, where’s Mr Dean?” I ask.

“Does he have any meetings or appointments that I don’t know about today?”

“Err let me just check, nope.”

Mr Deans calendars clear today.”

“Hm”

I think.

“Did he say he was going out at all today?”

I ask again.

“Nope, haven’t seen him leave the office Cass.”

“Thanks Amy”

“No problem.” she replies.

Blowing a bubble with her gum.

If Jericho had seen that she would be out on her ear.

I'm no snitch.

I walk back to my desk wondering where Jericho could have possibly gone.

It’s not like the owner of a prestigious Publication company can just disappear without anyone noticing it.

It’s getting late.

I'm exhausted.

I haven’t seen Jericho the whole time I’ve been here.

I'm starting to get a bit worried.

I for sure thought he’d be waiting on me to bust my balls.

I was wrong.

Amy’s gone for the night.

So has everybody else that works here.

Why was nobody else was concerned?

It could be my mind making things up in my head.

It has been a long day.

I'm pooped.

I pack my stuff up from my desk and carry the last manuscript.

I have to read this by tomorrow.

I’m just about to turn out the lights and leave, when I hear a thud coming from Jericho’s office.

“Ow.”

I open the door.

“Hello.”

“Fuck.”

Another sound comes from inside.

I look around, hastily.

I hope I just imagined it.

“Hello.”

Suddenly, there’s Jericho.

Falling through the door.

“What the hell?” I snigger.

He crashes down with a thud.

“Shit. Fuck. Stupid thing.”

He curses as he stands and turns, to see me gawking at him.

Laughing.

“Miss Knox.” he looks surprised.

“Mr Dean.” I reply.

Still laughing.

What the hell did I just witness?

“Can I help you?”

“Or are you just going to keep standing there.”

“Laughing at me?”

All seriousness of his face

I stop immediately.

“If I answer, will I be fired?” I ask.

“Depends, on the answer!”

I think carefully about the next words that come from my mouth.

Before I say something stupid.

He’s looking at me.

He tilts his head.

“Well, if there’s nothing more, the show is over.”

“Your free to go.”

I start to leave.

He calls me.

“Oh, and Miss Knox.”

“What you’ve just witnessed here, never happened. Got it?”

I don’t reply.

I don’t have the faintest clue what I had just witnessed.

I look at Jericho and nod.

I leave his office.

I head straight to my car.

I have a mind to go back in there.

What the hell he was doing?

I sit in my car.

“Why do you care Cassie?”

I ask myself.

Why do I care?

Its only Jericho

The man makes it his mission in life to make my days a living hell.

I need to get out of this place before Jericho leaves and sees me sitting in my car like some crazy woman.

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