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Of Corporate Scandals
Chapter 14. What Happens, Stays
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Annabeth wanted to say that she held her ground and gave her boss the angry-silent treatment for weeks until he caved, but to be honest...She didn't last one entire day.
After about a few hours of silent resentment and an awkward lunch break, Annabeth had heard some arguing...and smashing and thudding. That was then immediately followed by angry Calypso storming out of the office. After what she assumed was their breakup, Annabeth had been so giddy that she had simply forgotten to be rude and hostile.
The next day, contrary to what she had been expecting, Percy did not show up with a new girl sucking his face - nor the days to follow.
Maybe the reporter on Celebrity Look Out! had been right and it really had been just a phase. There was no need for a sex intervention, fortunately.
Annabeth had nonchalantly brought up the notion with Silena in the employee lounge as they took their break together. Silena had waved it off as simply Percy thought she was hotter than Calypso, but she noticed the mischievous glint in her eyes. Annabeth suspected her friend had lent a hand in the whole Calypso/Percy fiasco when events didn't go her way, but Annabeth decided not to question it.
She had seen Calypso in and out of the office on several occasions during the past few days, but only on strict business circumstances. Things had gone back to an almost boring, routine fashion.
So here she was, sitting home alone, eating pizza and watching re-runs of Friends after a particularly challenging day at school.
It was late Friday night and she was doing what every other broke grad student was doing - you know, except for the ones that actually had lives. She sighed. Thalia and Luke were out on date to some expensive place as they were every other night. Now, people often wonder how Thalia could afford to go out all the time while, at the same time paying more than half the rent when Annabeth could barely scrape enough to pay for used textbooks.
Thalia's father, the owner of King of the Sky Airlines was downright, filthy rich. Yet, Thalia despised everything about him — his outlook on life, the way he looked down upon the less fortunate instead of helping them, her moody, controlling step-mother, Hera, and his pretty, new mistress of the month who was barely a year older than Thalia. She hated everything, of course, except his money.
Zeus Grace absolutely hated anything that hinted at a rebellion to the 'perfect' society of America and anything "tree-huggery" — which, of course, was what Annabeth's dear friend was all about. Zeus still promised to pay for anything of Thalia's desire as long as she stayed out of the tabloids and didn't speak any opinions of her father or his company without a lawyer or guardian present.
So, that, along with the paycheck of Luke's considerably successful job, the couple was probably out eating a meal that cost more than Annabeth's whole paycheck.
No, of course she didn't resent her best friend for her financial good fortune, but Annabeth Chase did not, under any circumstances, take charity. She would rather eat greasy New York take-out food every night than have her pride bruised by borrowing money from her friend.
No way in hell...Annabeth Chase does not take charity.
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The light from the setting Manhattan skyline cast dark shadows all across the streets as the lamps slowly flickered on, giving light to the pedestrians below. To the people looking up at the skyscrapers, a window of illumination stood out against the darkness of the other office buildings. This window belonged to the executive office of Open Seas Inc. Tower.
Annabeth yawned as she shuffled the documents and set them on the slowly growing pile of papers on the black, mahogany desk, "There you go, Mr. Jackson. The final reports for your father."
Percy grinned, slipping the files into a Manila envelope, "Thanks, Annabeth, You're a lifesaver. I would've been up here 'til dawn if it wasn't for you."
Annabeth smiled, shrugging it off, "It's no problem at all. I had nothing else to do tonight, anyway."
It was true. Even though her work day officially ended at three so she had time to walk over to Columbia, classes were canceled that day so she had time to hang around. Annabeth had decided to go say goodbye to Percy before he went home as well. Instead she found him sitting behind piles and piles of papers and files, his office almost unrecognizable. Even though her duties for the day were completed, she decided to stay and help out.
It had been five hours since then and the winter sun was already gone.
Annabeth picked up her purse after slipping on her coat as Percy put on his.
"Have everything?" He asked as he fixed his collar.
Annabeth nodded as he switched off the lamp to his office, bathing them in darkness with only the bright, night lights of Manhattan to allow them to not trip and fall. She followed his footsteps in the darkness to the elevator. The light from the emergency exit sign and the down button on the elevator panel cast shadows on Percy's face as she watched him press the button.
The chrome doors slid open and the bright, fluorescence lighting inside the pod stung her eyes, but she quickly adjusted. The elevator walls were completely made of mirrors, excluding the thin panels of the wall behind the hand-railing which was made of a frosted, crystal glass. Percy, forever and always a gentleman of chivalry let her enter first.
She nodded quick thanks before stepping inside with him following closely behind. Percy pressed the lobby button as they doors closed and he leaned against the hand railing.
Annabeth didn't want to break the comfortable silence between them so she refrained from asking if there were security cameras in the elevator - a random thought that always occurred in her mind whenever she rode inside.
A sudden jolt rocked Annabeth off her feet and crashing into Percy followed by a piercing, screeching clang that sent the elevator to a stop. The fluorescent lights in the ceiling soon flickered a few times before fusing out, bathing them in darkness.
"Whoa!" Percy yelped, catching Annabeth by her wrists as he helped to steady her on her feet in the blackness, "Are you okay?"
Annabeth, still a bit shaken from the sudden stop, nodded before realizing he couldn't see her, "Yeah, I'm fine." She smoothed her pencil skirt, "Uh," She gulped, "Must have been a shaft wire problem."
The light emitting from the tiny level buttons barely illuminated the shadows on their faces.
Her boss nodded, frowning as he pressed the emergency button, distinguished by its red back light.
"Hello, this is security at the front desk," A static-y, feminine voice spoke through the speaker box.
Percy cleared his throat, recognizing the voice as a member of his security staff "Uh Janice, it's Percy. The elevator stopped."
"Are you alright, Mr. Jackson?"
"Yeah, we're fine. My assistant, Annabeth, is here with me. We're not hurt, but the lights got shut off and we can't see. Can you call some help?"
A pause. "Of course, Mr. Jackson. A mechanic and the fire department are on their way to get you out. There is a traffic accident on Lexington that's blocking the road. It'll be about half an hour before they arrive. Just sit tight."
"Will do, Janice. Thank you." Percy sighed, pacing back to Annabeth. She saw his shadow slink down to the floor to sit and she followed his suit. She attempted to sit modestly in her tight skirt before realizing that Percy couldn't even see her.
"I guess we're going to be here for a while, huh?" Percy commented as she heard a rustle of his hand running through his hair.
Annabeth said, weakly, "Yeah, I guess so." She pulled out her phone to call Thalia, but, alas, no signal and her battery was nearly dead. "No signal."
"Yeah, me neither."
A few moments of silence followed the two as they sat, lounging on the floor. Annabeth could hear the sounds of his steady breathing. Percy's fingers idly tapped a rhythm-less beat on the floor of the elevator. Annabeth was almost certain he could hear her heartbeat (It was certainly loud enough to pound in her ears) and shallow breathing. Why was she so nervous all of a sudden?
It was Percy who broke the silence, "Want to play a game?"
Annabeth shifted her head to look at him, her eyes had already adjusted to the dimness and she could make out some of his more prominent features, "What kind of game?"
"Oh, I dunno. The kind of games they play in movies in situations like this." Percy said, shrugging, "Truth or dare?"
Annabeth almost laughed, but managed to contain it to a soft giggle, "What? Are we twelve? No way."
Percy let out a low chuckle, "Alright. How about 20 Questions?"
Annabeth raised her eyebrow in the darkness, "Um, alright? Like the 'guess what I am' 20 Questions or the-"
"No, no. Not that. We take turns asking questions and the other person has to answer it no matter what."
"How do you win?"
"What kind of question is that?"
"We're playing a game. What's the objective? How do I win?"
Percy chuckled, "You win by the other person losing. The first person to refuse to answer a question loses.'
"But what if we both answer all twenty of the questions. Which one of us wins?"
"The game goes on forever until someone loses. You can ask and answer more than twenty." Percy continued, "Also, one more rule. What happens in the elevator stays in the elevator."
"Why?"
"Uh, sometimes questions can get a little crazy..."
"Okay…well, you go first."
The next few minutes passed by in a flurry of laughter and shock. The two managed to learn many things about each other during the next few minutes. They learned of each other's embarrassing moments, high school experiences, Prom dates, family, and so much more. It was ridiculous how much fun they were having.
During the course of the game along with all the "No way!"s and "You're lying!"s, they had moved to sit quite near to each other.
Annabeth giggled as he finished up his last story on his first date, "Alright, you're turn."
Percy tapped his chin and stroked his nonexistent mustache. His mockery made her laugh, "Hmm, what question should I ask now?"
"Pick a new topic this time," Annabeth commented, "I swear, if I have to recall one more high school chess team experience..."
Percy chuckled, "Alright, alright. I won't. No more high school, promise."
Annabeth couldn't help but giggle.
Percy continued thinking, "Hmm...Okay, got one. Question 15 — Are you a virgin?"
Annabeth blinked, feeling the blood rush to her cheeks as she blushed. This was the first time any of their questions surpassed this maturity level.
"Excuse me?"
Percy shrugged as if asking about one's virginity was the most nonchalant thing in the world, "Have you or have you not had sex with someone?"
Annabeth was bewildered. She choked out, "You can't possibly expect me to tell you something personal like that?"
Percy said, "Hey, what happens in the elevator stays in the elevator. Anyway, are you forfeiting and I win?"
Annabeth did a double-take, "No, of course not. I'm answering it." She stuck out her jaw indignantly in her confidence, "Yes, I am a virgin. I've never had sex before."
She was blushing furiously, but she couldn't keep the smug smile off her face as she proved to Percy that she would definitely in this game.
Percy chuckled, nodding as he was quite impressed, "Your turn."
Annabeth held up her hand, "Wait, wait, why did you want to know that?"
He said something so softly it was inaudible. She leaned in closer to hear him. Annabeth could hear his slow breathing and feel his moist breath on her ear. Their shoulders and arms were touching.
Percy murmured, "I said. I wanted to know because you intrigue me, Annabeth Chase."
Annabeth tilted her head to look up at him, her voice suddenly breathy and shallow, "And why is that?"
Before she knew it, his lips were on hers. Percy's skin was soft and smooth and his breath tasted minty. Her hand moved to rest on his neck, right below his jaw, the other hand tangling in his raven locks.
Percy's hand slid up her thigh and gripped her waist as he held her to him. She felt his other hand linger at her neck.
Annabeth felt herself melting against him. The fabric of her blouse catching onto the buttons of his suit. Percy tilted her head, deepening the kiss further until she felt she was about to
"Mr. Jackson, Miss Chase, the fire department is here. They're sending someone into the shaft to retrieve you," said a voice from the intercom.
Percy pulled away, his hand sliding across her body to fall back into his lap. He cleared his throat, "Okay."
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A/N: Please leave your questions, comments, and constructive criticism in a review below!