SONIC
My office door swings wide open and as I tap away on my computer and then I see an arm place a steaming warm cup of coffee.
"Here you Mr. Sonic. Sorry the late coffee! It's 11am but who said you can't have coffee at 11am." My assistant Espio places the coffee on my desk, and I yawn and take it.
"What happened to having my coffee at 9am when I arrive?" I ask and I grab my coffee and watch Espio laugh carelessly.
"I got up late! Sorry. But this is the last time I am going to be late with it." Espio apologizes once again, and I nod my head and sip on it.
Bitterness hits my tounge and I stop drinking instantly and I spit it out into my garbage can to the left of my desk and I look at Espio.
"Black Coffee?! Espio- "
"What? Black coffee? This isn't black." Espio says and takes it from me and drinks it after me but then he pauses too and spits it back in the cup.
"Alright. It's definitely black." Espio throws the coffee away and gets a water bottle from my mini fridge and small napkin.
"Here. Sorry boss." Espio says and I drown the water and spits back into the garbage can and I wipe my mouth afterwards.
"Ugh, Espio. Just forget it. I am going to get me a banana from the break room." I say and straighten my tan suit jacket and I walk out of my office.
"I can get that for you!" Espio walks beside me, and I stop near his desk that was down the hall, but the closest to my office and I stop him near his desk. We pass multiple pictures of when my company was at my small apartment during college when it was just starting and then the pictures going to different buildings and certificates happening along the way and then the building, we are in currently which was extremely nice. Building I dreamed was the last picture.
"It's fine. Just make sure I don't miss any meetings today. It feels like I have something important to do today but I can't remember."
"Right on it!" Espio runs over to his desk and checks through his computer and sigh as I walk deeper down the hall and then I am open to the sunlight from the big windows and happy office works in office boxes and some with their own office rooms.
"Hi, Mr. Sonic!" Says one of my staff and I wave at the and stop to chat with a couple of my employees.
"Good morning. How is that graph chart going with our sales in Texas?"
"Amazing! I think this is the highest yet. Would you like to see how far we got on the graph?"
"No, I believe guys. Just email it to me and I will get to it." I say and then and I make it to the break room and grab a banana. I walk out of the break, and I watch the happiness spread through my workplace.
This building and staff were a blueprint of how hard I worked to get to where I am now. I own a million-dollar company and just recently we are getting close to two million which is somewhere I never expected to be but that's where I am now with my loyal employees.
I take a bite from my banana from some energy I didn't have and then I hear someone singing to the office music I let them choose so they could relax more at work but seems like he was getting to relaxed.
"BABY ITS YOU! YOU ARE THE ONE I LOVE! YOU ARE THE ONE I NEED!" My senior manager sings and then he moonwalks in front of me and spins.
"Yo Sonic! How's your morning?!" Knuckles asks and I shrug my shoulders and yawns.
"Tiring. I'm very tired."
"Tired? Why is that? You know you have been very tired lately" Knuckles notices and I fold my arm and take another bite.
"Yeah, and Sally still won't let me sleep in the bed with her sometimes, so my sleep isn't the best on our couch and then every window in our living room lets in the bright shining sun, so I wake up at 6am every day." I say and Knuckles stopped dancing once I said that.
"She has you sleeping on the couch still? Yo, when she is going to let go of what happen in college. You guys have been married for five years and still she is bugging about that cheating thing you BOTH did in college. Which was crazy that you two are still together, but you did have a kid together, so it makes sense that- "
"Okay, Knuckles thanks. I hear it enough from being at home." I say and finish my banana and Knuckles opens the lid of the trashcan for me and I place my peel inside it.
"And now antsy Mr. Hedgehog comes back to the workplace. Temper. Temper."
I ignore Knuckles because he was right. I did get like this a lot of days at work which was my only escape from being in my uncomfortable home.
"I think you need some relief. You are always here so why not try to do something instead of taking longer hour shifts here." Knuckles suggests and I stop and turn to him.
"Like what? And don't mention goat yoga because for the last time, I am not doing that with you."
"Goat yoga is amazing, but I think such a nice looking fellow as yourself. You successful at a young age, you have all your hair, strong build and never looking like you don't have tons of other shit going in your life then I think you should…" Knuckles leans in closely." Have sex with someone- "
"No." I say and walk off and Knuckles runs up to my side while I try to escape this conversation, we had multiple times.
"Dude, it's been so long since you have had sex. How old is your son? Three? That's been three years and that's also probably why you get so easily irradiated because need relief and to live life and you can't do that with someone who wants nothing to do with you." Knuckles rants and I pass Espio desk and see him talking to a female employee and I keep walking.
"Just hear me out!" Knuckles says and c loses the door after entering my office.
"Have sex with who? Sally? We have talked about this so many times Knuckles, and you know she is still mad at me for what I did. I've done everything to apologize to what happened years ago, but it doesn't work. Nothing." I say and sit at my computer and Knuckles grabs some candy from a bowl and laughs.
"I know all the issues and consequences but Sonic you aren't happy, and I miss my happy best friend in college I used to have before you got her pregnant."
"I am happy." I say and Knuckles starts laughing at me like I told the best joke ever and slaps his knee.
"That's your new excuse? You are happy? What married man is happy with their wife doesn't want to have sex at all or even have a RELATIONSHIP WITH HER HUSBAND!" Knuckles says and I open my computer and unlock it. "Hello? Earth to Sonic?"
"Hm?" I ask and Knuckles sighs and walks closer and picks up a picture of me, Sally and my son, Jules and we are all smiling after taking a photoshoot for his birthday.
Knuckles covers Sally and just shows me holding Jules and I look at Knuckles to give me unrealistic advice he thinks I am going to follow.
"This is your happiness. Not her." He says and that made me look at Jules and then back to Knuckles as he placed the picture back down.
"I'm serious Sonic. You don't need to waste your life with someone who isn't trying to move forward with life. I know you love her; you could barely see Jules do to however the judge says when you want to see him and then other money situations, but I think whatever you do that EXCLUDES Sally. Then you can go back to enjoying life like you used too."
"I know that Knuckles, but I love her, and Jules is too young to go through a family divorce and I wouldn't him to be stressed or hate me for leaving his mom, I also don't want to leave her either, but I think we are getting better. We are supposed to go on a small date after work, so I won't be here for the entire day." I bring up.
"A date." Knuckles says and I nod my head and sighs and gives up. "Fine. I still think you should drop her." Knuckles says and I laugh at my concerned friend for only wanted the best for me and then my phone rings.
"Hello, Sonic speaking."
"Mr. Hedgehog this James from Texas… Uh, I was waiting for your call about the starting the business deal two days ago, but I still haven't heard from you so are interested or not?" He says and lean up and my face stirs in confusion.
"James? James who? I am not familiar with a James from Texas." I say and then the phone goes silent.
"The one you want to do a business deal from Texas! James Hudson's Company!" he yells and then I freeze.
"Texas… But I haven't received any notices of their calls or anything."
"… Mr. Hudson?"
"Yes! Mr. Hedgehog just forget I ever called. The deal is off with me so you can forget making anymore sales from us since you can't seem to remember your companies you are working with- "
"No! No! You have it all wrong! I must have missed your email! I have an assistant that keeps track of all my emails and conferences going so maybe he missed it. You know how easy incidents can be." I laugh off and hope that he would just calm down.
"Mr. Hedgehog I am sorry, but I am declining you from helping my company for here on out. We agreed on 500k from my company to yours so that you can help us out but from you missing all the emails, phone calls, and meetings then I am going to have to cut our deal. Good day."
"Wai- "I bring my phone back down to my eyes to see that he hung up and then I try to call him back. But it goes straight to voicemail.
"FUCK!" I launch my phone to the wall and Knuckles jumps at the sound of it possibly breaking and I stand up slowly.
"Sonic… what happened- "
"FUCKING ESPIO!" I yell and I storm to my door, and I open wide, and I let it hit the wall hard. Air was fuming out of my nose, and I walk to see Espio eating a bag of chips with his feet on his desk, and he saw me coming to his desk quickly and he sits up and drops his chips.
"Hi, sir- "
"GET UP!" I yell and Espio raises his hands up and stands up out of his black rolling office chair and I sit in it and unlock his computer. I scroll my way to my important emails, and I noticed that he had missed an entire day of emails from weeks back.
"Did I miss some emails?" Espio voice sounded very amused, but he had no idea what he had done.
I stand back up and I grab his arm and he stumble and tries to keep up with me as I drag him along.
"KNUCKLES GET HIS THINGS!" I yell and Espio stumbles.
"My things- wait are you firing me- "
I push him forward and I clear my voice as I make back to my main office area.
"EVERYONE STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING!" I say and they all stop and stand up slowly and approach us.
Knuckles gives Espio his bag and belongs he had and looks at me in shock.
"What did I do?" Espio asks and stomp up to his face.
"YOU MISSED ALL OF THE IMPORTANT EMAILS FROM TEXAS! THE PLAN WE HAD BEEN WORKING ON FOR WEEKS TRASHED BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T LOOK AT THE EMAILS! SO, I WANT EVERYONE TOO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GO AGAISNT THE COMPANY! COMPLETELY DESTROYED EVERYTHING WE WORKED FOR!" I yell and I rip down a large sheet of paper that had Texas on it and the goals we had for supporting another business in that state, but it was all gone. Nothing mattered.
"Espio. You are fired. Get out." I say and he holds his things close to him and takes small steps back.
"But boss. Give me a chance to- "
I turn around to look at something to throw at him and Knuckles pushes me back.
"Espio just leave." Knuckles warns him but Espio was already out of the door since I turned around to look for a weapon.
Knuckles lets my arm go and I face my staff.
"I want everyone to go home early. I know it's a Tuesday afternoon and we usually leave at 7pm but I need EVERYONE TO GO HOME!" I yell and they start packing their things and saying goodbye.
"Sonic- "
"WHAT!" I roar at Knuckles and that encourages them to move quicker and not get caught in my wave of anger.
"Do you want me to go home too- "
"NO! YOU AND CREAM- WHERE IS CREAM!" I ask for and I turn around and see her with her laptop.
"BOTH OF YOU TO MY OFFICE." I take the lead and they hurry behind me and step on a piece of my broken phone as I walk in and slump into my chair. I spin around to the window and sigh through my nose.
I sigh stressfully and drop my head into my hands while I wait for Cream to say something to fix all of this.
"Knuckles did hire him. Maybe you should hire your assistants." Cream says boldly and I listen to Knuckles gasp.
"Wait! Ms. Cream I did hire Espio but it's because of his grades from college and his interview was spot on. He is around our age, like Sonic said he wanted, and laid back. I went by everything Sonic asked for in an assistant."
"Seems like it was not accurate enough. Boss?" Cream, my supervisor, says and I rise my head up. "Are you okay? Do you mind explaining to me what happened so I can get a better understanding?"
"Espio. Missed an entire week of emails. From Texas and now that 500k deal we had everyone working so hard for is gone. "I turn to them and shrug my shoulders. "We stayed after work hours, had meetings over the weekend about this move and now it's gone! I had staff working overtime with their consent to get Texas on board. Now what? Mr. Hudson blocked my number."
"Wow… I'm not even sure about that one." Cream looks around and Knuckles clears his throat and I glare at him.
"It's fine though! We still have to get Florida on board so that just makes more room for that- "
I slam my hand on the desk and Knuckles melts in his seat.
"Cream, write down everything I am about to say." I say and Cream takes out her computer and waits for me to speak.
"Knuckles. I want you to make an application for an assistant. Since that is your job that you are failing at. I want this to happen tomorrow. I want to see multiple people in the downstairs office, PREPARED FOR EVERYTHING IT TAKES TO BE MY ASSISSTANT!"
Knuckles nods his head and Cream types away.
"You… you want me find you an assistant tomorrow- "
"YES! AND I AM GOING TO NEED SOMEONE WITH LEADERSHIP ABILITES, COMMUNICATION SKILLS, ORGANIZATION SKILLS, PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE AS AN ASSISTANT WORKING FOR A COMPANY SIMILAR TO MINE! AND FUCKING ANALYTICAL SKILLS!" I shout to him, and I loosen my tie and take it off.
"That's all you have to do Knuckles! That's all you had to do!" I say and Knuckles nods his head and Cream stops talking.
"I can do it. You want a new assistant. I can do that. Just give me the time to do it because I don't think I can get you a new assistant tomorrow." Knuckles says and slowly turn my head to him, and he laughs quickly.
"Just kidding! I can get started on it right now! Let me go get my laptop and I'll make it known that we are looking for an assistant! With all the skills you listed! No college students without experience and stuff like that." Knuckles says and grabs his laptop and Cream shows me her computer and it's a flyer made for an assistant position with everything I asked for.
"If you want me to assist than we can close down the company for the day and focus on this. I think everyone who was working on getting Texas to get with our company is probably very discouraged so let's give them a break so we can get our company back on its feet." Cream advice and I nod my head trying not to be pissed off but Knuckles coming back and stepping on my broken phone kept on reminding me about the 500k we could have had.
"You will not even have to appear for the interviews, Sonic. I have it perfect this time." Knuckles says and stare at him.
"No, I am going to be there. If I don't like how, they are dressed and whatever is on their resume, then they are getting denied immediately." I say.
"That's cool! That's cool. Anything you want." Knuckles types on some things in his computer and Cream sends him the flyer and information about what I said to him.
"I am going to get that 500k back for my hard-working staff. That's what I am really mad about because one person ruined everything for everyone, and I'll do anything to get it back for them."
After finally calming down and getting things ready for tomorrow's interviews, I drive to a fancy Italian restaurant that I reserved for me and my wife. This was going to be our first date in a long time and the other times I asked her she mostly said 'no', but she said so I am going to do my best with tonight.
I walk to the front entrance with her, and they escort us to our table in the upstairs and far back with dim lighting and light music playing. I pull out Sally's chair and she sits, and I push her in and then I sit down.
I was nervous. Didn't know what to expect from someone who didn't like doing stuff like this before but based off on her smiling and looking around, I think this is going to be nice.
"Very romantic, I have to say." Sally says and I smile at her enjoying the place I picked.
"The place was hard to get a reservation but with a couple of plucks, you know I would do anything to make you happy." I say and the waiter comes back with red wine and glasses of water.
"That is true as well. You asked about a date for so long so I thought it would be nice to finally get out the house and do it with you." Sally says.
"I agree." I say and the noise of the music of the restaurant becomes louder from our sudden stop of talking.
This happen a lot of time when I spend time with Sally. The things she says and reacts is very hard to come up with conversation. I am not even sure how to talk to her anymore.
"Jules… he has been talking about learning how to play the piano. It's sweet." Sally says and smile.
"He is a creative kid. Even with the block fort he made was pretty stable. He gets it from his mom." I say and Sally laughs and drink some of her wine.
"Maybe but compared to his…" she snakes her hand to mine and rubs the top of my hand. "Very successful father, I am sure he gets it most from you."
"Possibly." I say distracted her touching my hand I turn it over and hold it in my palm.
"He also broke his toy today by throwing it. Maybe he gets the that from you too by you throwing your phone at the wall at work and destroying it," Sally laughs and groan.
'" You don't even know the half of it." I speak.
"I want to know. You something about… an assistant not being an assistant and running business in the future for you."
"Yeah… I was supposed to be helping a big company in Texas and just because one more does something affects everything so now; I have to figure out how to get it back." I say and Sally removes her hand from mine, and I watch her take a big sip of wine.
"That's what usually happens when someone fucks up. They can ruin everything with one mistake or choice." She says and I was going to agree with her, but I knew she was talking about my cheating in college.
"She just will not let this go. This dinner was going so well."
Our food comes and she thanks the waiter and starts to eat. I stare at my food but after her comment I wasn't hungry. I was thinking about what she said and how it had been so long since I have done that to her.
I take a bite of my food and continue to eat until my plate was clear and Sally was done as well. We walk out the restaurant in silence, we go to the car in silence and back home in silence.
I didn't want to argue with her again. I didn't have the energy for it, and I cared about her too much to see her angry, but I could tell she was because she didn't even wait on me to park my car. She stepped out as soon as I was on my breaks to put it on park,
Sally walks into our huge home that was decorated in brown and with a white roof, protected by a gate and outskirts. Sally went upstairs and I try to catch up to her and I see that she left the door open this time. I watched changed into some pajamas and underwear and she sees my shadow at the door.
"Not tonight Sonic." She says and I didn't even say anything for her to say that but maybe my face said it all.
I wanted her. To be happy. It made me sad to see someone I loved, angry at me for so long. I really want to be with her but she will barely let me.
"I… I wasn't." I say and change clothes and brush teeth and head out but then first I went to see my son.
I open the door to his room and was sleeping peacefully from the babysitter putting him to bed and I kiss his head.
"Sorry, daddy barely got to see you today. Tomorrow." I whisper and I tuck him in, and I see Sally about to check on him, but I already did that as she could tell, and she starts to walk back.
I walk out and I feel the courage to say something after closing Jules's door.
"Sally. I love you. Good night." I say and she doesn't stop or halt to say anything about my feelings, but she does shut the door. I head down to my bed which was downstairs and sigh.
Based on how long today was… this couch was the least thing hurting me tonight.
Yoooooooo, I am kind of bored so I am just making a short story because I can.I needed a break from the other stories so don't worry they are still being worked on, so I decided to do something different for a while! Review or do whatever you like hehe
Review or do whatever you like