"I never learned to call it quits".
A concert six months from now, by Finneas O Connell.
********************************
The next day:
11:00 a.m.
After the board meeting and department heads at Alpenuati Book Publishing, which started at 9:00 a.m.
- He shouldn't have started his speech like that. Their CEO's delivery was hilarious. Bill, did you hear that? I can't believe he started his speech with, "You know what I love most about energy drinks?" Hahaha. What was it?
- They're energy drinks. Hahaha. I seriously can't stop laughing. I can't believe their company acquired our publishing house. What did Mr. Jefferson do to deserve such a deal?
- Maybe try that energy drink that CEO loves. Hahaha. I'm really going to burst out laughing.
- Hahahahaha, Reggie, stop, you're going to make me pee with laughter. This is worse than falling.
- I can't believe he even forgot to introduce himself. Maybe that's due to the energy drink he had before arriving today.
Regina and Bill continued talking and laughing about the new management's first meeting today as they walked through the halls of the Contracts and Legal departments, heading towards their own department, the Editorial Department. Meanwhile, Will, their third colleague, who they apparently hadn't noticed due to his continued silence, turned away and continued on his way to the coffee shop located in the dining room, which was relatively large for a publishing house in a medium-sized building.
The lounge was empty, which made sense. Who would come here to make traditional coffee when Manager Jefferson had decided that everyone would enjoy a large, well-organized, and well-attended communal breakfast to celebrate the merger of Albinuati Publishing and Burton House. In reality, this wasn't a merger, but rather an acquisition by Burton House of Albinuati Publishing, but the media units of both companies were careful to mention that it was a merger to avoid future problems with their publishing competitors.
However, Will wasn't going to like this noisy atmosphere, so he decided to get away from everyone to enjoy some peace and quiet. He continued on his way and headed towards the door to the small kitchen, which was located at the end of the hall, next to the corner of the dark red wall. He arrived there, where there was a small stove that had apparently not been used for a long time, a medium-sized refrigerator with storage cabinets surrounding the kitchen on all sides, a passageway that allowed people to stand between them and serve themselves, and finally the microwave, along with various coffee machines placed on a rather large white table against the wall. This particular corner of the dining room wasn't very spacious; it was rather narrow and closed off. He stopped in front of the coffee maker, but didn't start making his coffee as usual. He simply stood there, staring at the ingredients visible from behind the transparent pantry door. He placed both hands on his waist on each side, causing a mess on his light khaki suit shirt. All he could hear was the deafening silence. After a while of standing there aimlessly, he moved his right hand and placed it on his neck, massaging it slightly due to the annoying pain he felt there. He stayed in this position for a while, as if he'd forgotten why he'd come here in the first place. Was it because he really wanted to drink coffee? Or was Regina and Bill's chatter and laughter causing him too much discomfort? He closed his eyes, feeling slightly relieved, still moving his hand there. A little time passed, and he opened them sluggishly and heavily. Was it because he'd already gone numb from the relief? Or was he still unaware that someone had grabbed his hand, lowered it, and started massaging his neck instead? He was still in shock. Seconds passed before he fully comprehended the situation. With a quick movement, he wanted to turn around to see who was standing behind him, but the person held him in the same position. Then, leaning close to his right ear, he whispered softly, "Calm down. We'll be done in a little while."
This sentence alone was enough to make Will feel repulsive, angry, shudder, and agitated. He tried to turn around again, but couldn't. The man behind him was strong and adamant.
"Get away from me. What do you think you're doing!"
"Calm down, shhhh."
The stranger repeated his words in the same tone, while holding both of Will's hands, preventing him from moving. He continued massaging Will's neck until the other stopped resisting and calmed down a little. Then, with a sudden movement, he turned Will to face him, pushed him against the wall, lunged at him, and began kissing him!!
At that moment, Will completely stopped resisting, as if he were dead. Despite the shock he received and the pain he felt in his back from colliding with the wall, he didn't react, as if waiting for the situation to end. Moments later, the stranger stopped kissing him of his own accord. It seemed he sensed something was wrong and that Will wasn't returning the kiss or even resisting him. He stepped back slightly and began to look at Will, his dark black hair obscuring his eyes, which were lined with a little black eyeliner—or perhaps not, but rather, just their natural shape. Will looked up at him in return and said, "Are you done? Now get away from me."
He said this angrily, without lingering over the other's features. He followed his words with a straightened stance and a brisk exit from the room, unable to believe what had just happened.
The other remained silent, raising his eyebrows in surprise, muttering, "Naah... It seems the employees at this company are a bit too typical!"
He ended his speech with a sarcastic smile and left the room as well, putting his hands in the pockets of his black formal pants.
.....
Will hurried to the smoking area of the building, located near the editorial unit where he worked as both book editor and director. He pulled out a cigarette in a careless and angry manner. His breathing was so loud that anyone standing next to him could hear it. He grabbed his tie and began to pull it off haphazardly, wanting to calm down and breathe evenly. He felt angry, but that wasn't what bothered him. He lit the cigarette and took his first puff. Seconds later, he released it into the air. He closed his eyes, feeling elated and relieved at last. A few tears even slid down the sides of both eyes. He too slid down, his back against the wall, until he reached the floor and sat down. He continued to inhale this cigarette, that one, and that one, sometimes standing, sometimes walking to the open window and contemplating the snow-covered streets of Cleveland and the passersby. He couldn't think of anything except that he had once again been able to feel. This time, there wasn't just an absolute emptiness in his heart, but there was a seething anger. He didn't care what kind of feeling it was. The emotions he felt, but he was grateful he felt them anyway.
...
Across from the staff smoking area is the editorial unit, which Will manages, and which Regina and Bill, along with a few other staff members, also work in.
The editorial unit is the most important component of any publishing house, coming second only to the publisher, who is, of course, the owner of the house. This unit performs many tasks, the most prominent of which are:
1. Setting the direction and policy of the publishing house.
2. Approving publications.
3. Proofreading works.
4. Establishing strong relationships between other publishing houses and individual authors.
5. Obtaining the book from a literary agent.
6. Reading and reviewing content.
7. Ensuring the author stays on track with the manuscript.
8. Reviewing and editing books and articles.
She performs many other tasks that contribute to the mission of publishing a book. Everyone in the editorial unit, from the copy editor, publishing assistant, assistant editor, and many others, all the way up to the managing editor, will work hard to complete the book's publication process and obtain final approval from the publisher. It's worth noting that the book editor's recommendation plays the most important role in whether a book reaches the publisher's desk and is published. It's the most important stage a book must pass on its publishing journey.
...
Most of the staff have returned to their offices. They may not be working today due to the festive atmosphere, but they must be present until the end of the working day. This is the case with Regina and Bill, who have also returned to their offices.
Regina is a sensitive and gentle personality, extremely cheerful, and always laughs and smiles. When you first meet her, you'd think she's silly and silly to the point of illness. However, this is not her intention, as she suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), diagnosed early in her life. She cannot control some of her behavior; So her colleagues sometimes don't take her reactions seriously and are tolerant of her mistakes. Even a simple word of reprimand is enough to bring tears to her cheeks and make her withdraw into herself. As for her work as a copy editor, she is very good, in fact the best in this field. She always makes sure to implement what is asked of her to the letter, and she loves to check very much. Even Will doesn't check the work more than once if he knows that Regina is the one who worked on it.
Bill works as an assistant editor, specializing in editing and proofreading only one area: economics, news, and related articles. He has a strict and very straightforward personality, and is not very forgiving of his work. He strives for excellence and is striving for the position of editorial director, which Will currently holds. He may seem very selfish when he occasionally makes mistakes against others, which causes some to avoid him or be a little reserved when speaking to him. However, he always apologizes and admits his mistakes. He is a reliable colleague and performs his work with utmost perfection. He often appears to care only about his own interests, but he doesn't really mean that. He loves his work and his colleagues very much, and cares about them, but he may have difficulty showing this clearly.
"Bill, do you know where Will went?" Regina said, adjusting her angular glasses with colorful strings so they wouldn't fall off.
"Will... Um... I didn't see him after the meeting. Maybe he went out to get some air. It's Will, as usual." Bill replied as he arranged some files that had been left on his desk from earlier and looked at the time on his wristwatch.
"Do you think things will stay okay from now on?" Regina asked slowly, clearly nervous, biting her nails. Bill didn't respond, but simply gave her a questioning look, urging her to elaborate on her question. He clasped his hands, placing them across his chest, and leaned back in his seat.
"I mean, do you think President Jefferson will keep his job and we will, and that business will remain the same, meaning there won't be any major changes?" "Actually, I don't care about anything else. All I care about is keeping my job, or else that damn Jefferson will ask you right in the face..."
Then he leaned a little closer to Regina and continued in a whisper, saying, "We're talking about an acquisition, which means that Jefferson was forced to agree to unfair terms for our publishing house. He sold us out, in other words. Didn't you notice the smiles of the acquiring company's employees at the meeting today? They were disgustingly smart smiles, as if they knew exactly what they were going to do to Albinuati Publishing House."
Regina was unable to respond, as they were interrupted by someone.
"Hello, Albinoi."
A well-dressed man greeted them. He looked like a respected manager, tall. He could be guessed to be between six and six and a half feet (approximately 189 cm to 195 cm). His athletic build was also evident, judging by the way he bent down to retrieve the pen that had fallen from Bill's desk. He was wearing a black suit and a black tie, a brown leather watch, a strong-smelling cologne, and white sneakers, the same color as the shirt he wore under his tuxedo.
Regina and Bill turned away from each other, realizing it was someone they didn't know, which meant he was part of the acquiring company. They pretended to talk about how well-organized and wonderful the party was—or at least Bill did, with his quick wit. He spontaneously flashed a broad smile, beaming, and thanked him for holding up the pen. Regina stood there, interlocking her fingers and then pressing them against her hips, clearly nervous when meeting new people she didn't know and having to deal with them.
"Hello, mister?" Bill said with a forced smile.
"Carl McGland, Carl Robert McGland."
The other replied, extending his hand to shake theirs.
A moment of silence passed as they all exchanged glances with forced smiles. This didn't last long, as Bill saved the day for the second time, speaking:
"So, Mr. McGland, how may I serve you?" Bill said this with his usual arrogance toward those he didn't care about.
"Is this your editorial unit? Um, it's not that bad."
The other spoke arrogantly, ignoring Bill's question, his eyes never leaving the ceiling or the walls, scanning the entire place with dissatisfaction.
"Yes, it's our editorial unit, equipped with the latest equipment and tools for editing books, articles, news, and..."
"Oh really, and let me guess, you're the boss here?"
He interrupted Bill with his casual question.
"Sorry, no, I'm not the boss. We don't have an editor-in-chief here, just a managing editor, because..."
"Because Albinuati is too small to have an editor-in-chief. Yes, I know that." Bill interrupted again, and the other began to sweat and feel suffocated. He didn't like what was happening, so he decided to go back to the starting point and ask him about his position. He wanted to know who this man was and who he thought he was to talk to him in this way.
"Mr. McGland."
Bill spoke in a slightly raised tone to attract the other's attention, which he did. Then he continued, "May I ask you about your position at Burton House?"
Carl McGland looked at him with a sarcastic smile. He knew Bill was upset by their conversation, so he decided to end it and answer his question:
"Did I forget to introduce myself? Sorry, man, I missed that. This is the founding member and CEO of Burton House Publishing, and from now on, the co-CEO of Albinuati Publishing."
He extended his hand to shake Bill's hand again, and Bill shook it back after standing up, straightening his posture, and putting on a serious expression despite the obvious shock on his face.
"Hello, Mr. McGland. I'm Bill Forten, assistant editor here. I apologize. I didn't recognize you the first time. I thought the employee who introduced today's meeting was the CEO. I apologize again."
"You mean Simon? No, man, that can't be true. Hahaha. Anyway, no need to apologize now. But maybe you'll need to offer an apology and a bouquet of flowers next time if you don't recognize me." Carl spoke in a playful manner, but Bill didn't know whether to laugh at the other's joke or maintain his calm and serious tone.
"Don't worry, Mr. Carl. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."
He chose to maintain his seriousness.
Carl merely nodded, then looked at Regina standing to the side and said, "Hi, I haven't heard from you since I got here. What's your name?"
"I... I'm Regina Barnosky, the copy editor here."
Regina finally spoke, after several attempts to control her mounting anxiety.
"Nice, how long have you two been working here..."
His speech was interrupted by the sight of someone coming from the back of the hall, the person he had kissed a moment ago, but beside him was another person. Umm, remember who? Ah, yes, Jefferson. Jefferson and that young man were walking together, talking about something, heading towards them. Then suddenly, he saw Jefferson pat the young man's shoulders and change direction to another section on the left side of the hall. The young man paused there for a moment, looking at Jefferson's back, then continued on his way towards them. He was breathtakingly beautiful; his slender figure and soft, milky skin both drew you in closer to him. His relatively long black hair covered his eyebrows, and his gray eyes. Carl combed his body with great care, not leaving a single spot unattended. Even his flushed lips were missing his gaze, as if he had lost track of time and space. All he could feel was himself and that young man, but... Bill was keen to spoil the others' fun, as usual. "Oh, Will, here you are. Step forward and shake hands with the new CEO, Mr. Carl McGland. Mr. Carl McGland, this is Will Frank, Editorial Director at Albinuati Publishing."
Will gave Bill a pointed look, then turned to look at the other. He knew him well, but pretended otherwise, and said, "Um, welcome, Mr. Carl. I hope things go well between our house and yours."
Will's voice came out very tired and barely audible, as if he had cried a lot, but he didn't care. Carl, on the other hand, didn't speak or say a single word. He simply looked at Will's face, examining it closely.
"Reggie, I'm going out now. See you later. Bye." He let go of Carl's hand, looked at Regina and spoke in a low voice, then grabbed his black bag and his heavy brown coat, put the bag on his shoulder and just held the coat in his hand, took his glasses and left after patting Bill and Regina on the shoulders.
All this happened in plain sight of Carl, who didn't find a chance to speak. He simply watched him silently from behind until he disappeared, a huge exclamation mark filling his mind. Did this young man cry because of a kiss?!
Bill looked at the clock on his hand and muttered through gritted teeth:
"Oh, boss, you do what you want. You leave whenever you want and stay whenever you want. It's twelve o'clock at night, and the end of work is two o'clock."
"Huh, what are you saying?" Regina asked spontaneously.
"Haha, nothing, nothing. Let's get back to work."
Bill and Regina sat in their office chairs, busy with some simple tasks to fill their remaining time at work. Carl wanted to head to his office, but he didn't know where to go, so he decided to go to the same place Jefferson had gone to earlier.
"Okay, work hard. See you later." Carl said before he left.
"Bye." Bill and Regina talked together.
(End of Chapter)
********************************
Your opinions.
I didn't proofread, so I apologize for any mistakes.
See you in the next chapter.