Chapter 4: MEETING THE BOSS

Hazel resumed to work the following week and when she had closed from work, on her way outside the company;

She espied the same man who had saved her the other day entering into the exact Bentley car with his driver at the front.

She was bewildered to see him, but she understood that she couldn't approach him that way as she left to board a taxi home.

After two weeks of working in RD group, Hazel was sent to drop a file on the Kate's desk when she abruptly stumbled on Ethan.

"I'm very sorry sir, I wasn't looking." Hazel apologized with a bow.

"Is it an habit?" Ethan queried, standing opposite her, gazing at her head below him.

Hazel paused for a moment before figuring out what Ethan meant and raised her head afterwards.

"Oh...no sir, that day, I was just too happy, so I didn't mind my surrounding." Hazel explained, giving a faint smile as Ethan's clinical look stirred up a fright in her.

"Oh!" Ethan replied expressionlessly and walked past her into his own designed elevator.

With this, Ethan realized she was the new worker that had just been employed into the marketing department and he didn't think much of it afterwards.

Hazel got back to her office floor and secretly smiled to herself as she wasn't expecting her saviour to be her overall boss.

She had already felt a tinge for him, but in her heart she knew it wouldn't be so possible she get connected to Ethan in any way, except life showed her another favour.

She shrugged and continued with her work.

****

After three months of working as a staff of RD group; on the night of Amelia's Wilson's death anniversary who happened to be Ethan's late lover, Hazel was held up by her work making her stay late in the company.

She checked her wristwatch ; it was already past 9 p.m. The other workers had closed for the day, since their working hours is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Only if there were urgent works to finish up could an employee stay until 10 p.m. at the latest.

Hazel printed on the last piece of paper, placed it on the ones she had printed earlier, banded it, and surged forward to the elevator.

She got the last floor meant for the CEO and other higher executives. Getting to Kate's desk, she dropped the pile of documents on her table with a deep sigh.

She felt so exhausted and famished at the same time.

"Pure witch !" She silently cursed at her manager, 'Laura' Who had given her an extra work and instructed that she conclude on it and drop it on Kate's desk before leaving.

Hazel turned to leave, dragging her black, cheap, pencil-low heels on the tiled floor, when her eyes caught a glimpse of the light in her boss' office.

Hazel walked slowly to the door, as she wasn't hearing any movement inside the office.

She knew it was rare for Ethan to be at the office at the moment due to how she was cognizant of seeing him leave the company at 6-7 p.m almost every day except for days when he goes out early for meetings or appointments.

Getting to the door, she pressed herself against it to grasp the happenings inside the office—probably the boss was only working late. She assumed.

But, with Hazel's queer nature, she knocked on the door gently, just to know if Ethan was alright.

After three knocks! What could be heard was pure silence.

Hazel felt more curious as she called out to him carefully.

"President Ethan!"

Hazel didn't get a reply. She stood at the door for another few seconds, then she took up the courage to unlatch the door to discern if Ethan was truly fine.

Hazel became stunned by the scene before her. Ethan looked wasted as he sat on his couch, drunk, with empty bottles of strong wine on a stool close to the couch.

He seemed to have slept off and unaware of the happenings around him.

Hazel didn't know the action to take at first as she stood rooted to her spot, staring straight at the drunk Ethan.

She couldn't apprehend why he became that way or why he would drink to stupor.

To her, Ethan was a perfect, influential, and unique man whom most ladies yearned for, including her.

She finally left her spot and moved closer to Ethan gently.

"President Ethan !" "It's so late, you should head home now." She said to him as she glanced at her wristwatch again, realizing the time said 9 :40 p.m.

She had only twenty minutes left before she would vacate the company's premises.

After getting no response, she helped him up by wrapping his right arm over her shoulders and holding him to his waist with her left arm.

She searched for his car keys with her eyes, and luckily she saw it on his desk.

It wasn't easy for her to help him walk as Ethan's body rested heavily on her, but she persisted, knowing she had to help him home.

They both got to the elevator, and in a jiffy, they got to the lowest floor, and she added more effort by dragging him out with herself.

There were already some traces of sweat popped on her forehead, as Ethan was a well-built man and also well heightened.

Getting to where his car was parked, Hazel pressed the remote key, and the door creaked open instantly.

She might not be rich, but she had rich friends who drove cars like that of Ethan's, hence, she was much apprised with automobiles of such.

She supported Ethan in seating properly at the back, and then she realized she didn't know where he lived.

She tried searching his pockets in a proper way to see if his phone was with him, but she couldn't find it.

She glanced at her wristwatch ; the time was 9 :52 p.m. She only had eight minutes left to leave the company's premises before she got harassed by the security men.

She ran back upstairs to get his phone, and luckily she saw the phone on the floor under the stool where the wine bottles were.

She got downstairs at exactly 9 :55 p.m. She unlocked the phone with Ethan's fingerprint so she could call his driver.

While trying to search for the driver's number, she saw a number that was the latest call Ethan had made.

She saw the name ‘Amel Love’ and wondered who it could be — maybe his girlfriend or close pal. She thought.

She finally saw a number saved with ‘Driver Jeff' and she felt like giving it a try.

She called, and the other party picked up immediately.

"Hello, this is Hazel Morton, a staff member of RD group; Sorry, are you Mr Ethan's driver? Hazel introduced while asked to confirm Jeff's identity.

"Yes I am...but how come you're with his phone?" Jeff probed, already feeling ill at ease.

"Oh...Well, the boss is not in a good state as of now". Please, can you come over to take him home?" Hazel briefly expound on her purpose for calling.

"Actually, miss, I'm very far away; I already told President Ethan about my leave for today which he agreed to, and to be factual, it's really too late for me to come over, but what exactly is wrong ?" Jeff questioned after reavealing his stance to Hazel.

"Uhm... "He's in a drunken state right now, and he really can't drive." Hazel replied, not knowing if she had done right or wrong as she felt, spilling Ethan's present state to another might cause a blow on reputation. But thankfully, Jeff wasn't a person of such.

"Really? ...oops! I'm not even in town right now. "Please, can you drive" Jeff asked, already deciphering who she was, as he had come across her twice in the company unknowingly to Hazel.

"Yes, I can, but you will have to text me the address." Hazel replied.

"Ok, miss, thank you very much". "I will text you now". Jeff said, and they both hung up.

A few seconds later, Jeff texted the address to Ethan's phone, and Hazel rushed into the car immediately while she drove off into the street of Rochdale, Manchester.

★★★