Sugar-Crash

"Ma'am?"

"Ma'am?"

"MA'AM?"

"YES! YES! WHAT IS IT?!" Ayana snapped out of her thoughts as she realised her colleagues have been calling her for ten minutes straight.

"It seems our Madame is quite lost in her lovey-dovey dreams. Down to Earth Ms. Shekar! Hello?" A team member named Luke popped up out of nowhere to started his routine mischiefs.

The rest team members laughed while others scolded Luke to rather focus more on his last assignment, he yet had to complete by this week.

Everyone in the building was aware of Ayana's relationship with CFO, Jake Anderson, since they would often be seen hanging out together in each other's arms on social media posts and in nearby couple cafes. They were like two sweet peas of a pod, the so-called match made from heaven for her officemates.

It was so ironical, that the bond of which she was so fond of earlier, was now the root of distressing her. She faked laughed in disguise, but quickly ended this fun chat as she couldn't bear it any longer. She wanted to lash out her frustration, but everytime Betty's words keep reoccurring in her mind, telling to not mix her work life with personal one.

She took a deep breath, and started their serious discussion about the upcoming conference with an advertising company.

Ayana wasn't actually the boss. She just happen to take in charge of their small team when their own boss abandoned them in times of crisis. This helped Ayana to raise her status unofficially as head of the team, and she wished to make it officially one day.

Their Boss would usually remain in his cabin, and would only do the chores which required his permission specifically or order around everyone for useless things, especially Ayana.

After a productive discussion for a long time, Ayana concluded the meeting with new assignments to everyone. She was satisfied with everyone's opinion and hoped that atleast this upcoming meeting would not fail.

She stretched her arms as she strolled in the corridor and headed for the coffee machine with a pondering face. She guessed again and again but couldn't reach to a conclusion.

"Sigh... seriously, why did she left me in such a suspense? I am having a bad feeling about this." She muttered and continued.

"Ugh! Why isn't any coffee coming out?! Sigh..great. Now I'll have to go to cafeteria just to grab a single cup of Latte." She hung her head high at the ceiling and dragged herself to the elevator.

"Wait. Ain't there's another machine on the two floors above? It would take so much time to reach ground floor and I've to quickly submit today's report to boss too." She ruminated over her dilemma as the two floors above was actually the place where higher rankings office was present.

But then again, Ayana being Ayana, pressed the button to eighth floor without giving it much of a thought and started fixing her look in elevator wall's reflection.

"The machine would probably be at a corner of the corridor. I'll simply sneak upto there, and if anybody caught me.... I'll make some random excuses." She mumbled.

The door slides open and a gush of fresh air welcomed her. The tiles were glistening white, and the lobby was decorated with plant props and glass walls. A faint jazz piano music was playing in the background as if the place was a cafe or something.

Ayana blinked twice from bewilderment as she couldn't believe this type of workplace also existed in this building. To her, the office reverberated from phone rings and pen scribbling 24/7. The floor was full of stains when observed under light's reflection and the atmosphere was always stiff and suffocating.

For a while, she took a moment to relax in the ambience of this space but an immediate call shook her abruptly. Her body wouldn't move from the shock impact but she could hear a woman approaching near the counter to recieve call.

She somehow managed to turn around to the elevator but unfortunately the lift was on it's way downwards by now.

"Excuse me. May I ask what are you doing here?" Suddenly a cold voice called her from behind.

'Cr*p!!!!' Her mind screamed as she turned around hesitantly and noticed a tall slim lady with silver dyed Bob cut hairs was digging glares at Ayana through her cateye spectacles. She had a curvy figure and her black tight skirt with off-white shirt made her super sexy.

"Uhh..I..I was actually called here." She stuterred with hands tied at her back and gaze low. Even to Ayana, it felt wierd for acting so low. Was she really that scared of getting caught over a coffee?

"By whom?" The lady asked bluntly with a stone face.

Ayana struggled as she speak but finally managed to name a random person, whose name was written on direction board. "It's..it's Ms.Grace Park ma'am." She said with cold sweat dripping down her face.

"Ms. Park you say?" She said with a brow raised and hands crossed. But Ayana managed to keep her poker face.

"Yes."

"Are you sure young Miss? This better not be a joke." Her face's expression began to change which looked quite concerning to Ayana as she could feel stepping on another landmine by now. She was so nervous that her lips wouldn't even part properly to utter a word. All she could do was keep her masked face of buisness smile and stare at her.

The lady marched towards the reception to dial a landline present on the counter and returned back after a while. Even her face looked a little puzzled now.

'She's currently busy in a meeting and had asked you to wait in the lobby." She said hesitantly. Why did she looked so shocked and perplexed since the time she ended the call? Just who is this Ms. Park?

"Uh okay. Umm, can I use the washroom of this floor?"

Seeing things are turning south, Ayana finally managed to open her mouth and quickly made a plan to escape. Things have gotten much worse and she need to leave before that person comes.

"Oh that, Turn right at the end of this hallway then take a left." Surprisingly, she said politely this time. It was quite unexpected as normally employees aren't treated equally with their boss, even for small things.

But unfortunately, this good change was a bad news for her since now she had to look for another way to escape.

She had expectations to get send back to lower floors for using restrooms.