3 PM. Lyn arranged her desk before heading to the mail room. After the stunt Vince pulled on her, she decided to bring a steel ruler and stuffed it in her sling bag. It wasn't much, but at least a hit from it might give her time to escape. She silently entered the small room, where the same fat person was carrying a load of boxes. As he sees the brunette knocking on the door, he set the boxes down and wipes his brow.
"Look, Miss," the man spoke. "You're a really nice girl, but you don't need to come here to give us food every day."
"I guess so," Lyn replied. "I promise this is the last day. Eclairs?" She handed a paper bag to him. The man gratefully took the bag from her and went to the storage room.
"Hey, kid!" He said to Vince, who was doing his usual mundane tasks. "It's been three days since the boss's daughter has been coming over. At least show some respect and eat some of her food!"
Vince inhaled deeply and suppressed the urge to exhale loudly. He lousily approached his supervisor and took an eclair from the bag.
"That's more like it." The older man said. "Now, what do you say to her?" Vince resisted to roll his eyes but his face could not hide the vexation boiling within. In his most stoic and monotone voice, he let out a dry "thank you" and ate the treat before returning inside the storage room.
"I know the new guy can be rough around the edges, but he's alright." The older man said once again. "I think I see why you like him."
"Oh no, it's not like that at all, Sir," Lyn waved it off cooly, but deep down she was disgusted by the comment. 'Be professional. Overreacting would make him assume I'm denying it.' "
"Ah, young love. No need to deny it, Ma'am."
"Please stop, Sir."
"Why, when I was your age, I remember meeting this gir-"
"SIR, I SWEAR IF YOU MENTION IT THAT WAY AGAIN AND I WILL HAVE YOU FIRED ON THE SPOT!" Lyn's voice rang clear, but not enough for it to qualify a yell. She immediately covered her mouth at her sudden outburst. She saw the fat man stop his rambling, mouth slowly closing. He dropped down to his knees and clasped his hands.
"Ma'am, please," he begged, his eyes beginning to water. "I didn't mean to go out of bounds. Please don't fire me. I'm really sorry! I'll do anything. I desperately need this job." Lyn's eyes began well up as well. She didn't mean to go that far, but the damage had already been done. She knelt beside him and wrapped her arms around him.
"I am so sorry. I didn't mean what I said. Please forgive me." The man sniffled and wiped his tears, making eye contact with the girl.
"So I am not fired?"
"You're not fired."
"Oh thank you so much, Miss!" The man returned her embrace. "Oh. May I hug you? I'm just so happy I'm not fired!" Lyn chuckled in between sniffs and tightened her hug.
"I really am sorry for reacting like that," Lyn said. "I didn't have to threaten you. I didn't have control over my emotions."
"It's alright. I too apologize for my curtness. Though, can I ask you something? Why are you here?"
Lyn sighed. No hiding it now. She can't hurt this person any more than she already did. "Though my 'relationship' with Vince is anything but romantic, I have some personal matters that need discussing. And it's not something I can talk outside of the workplace. Would you allow me and him some privacy, please? If that is alright with you."
"Ah, I see. No problem, Miss. I'll be over somewhere over yonder not listening to whatever you have to say to each other." The man steadily got up and went for the door. "Though be sure he gets back to work by the end of the break, please Miss?" The brunette gave him a mock salute.
"One more thing," Lyn stated. She held out her hand. "We never were properly introduced. I'm Lyn."
"Monty."
As the Monty left the room, Lyn strode into the storage room once again.
"Wow, such drama." Vince's voice greeted her once more.
"I take it you saw the whole thing?"
"Pfft, I heard the whole thing," Vince snorted. "Anyways let's get this over with." He dusted himself up and propped himself against a shelf. "So?"
"So, who forced you into this?" Lyn started, her back against the doorpost.
Vince took a deep breath. He thought about this again and again last night. He might as well let it out. He felt that he had to anyway. "I wasn't forced okay? It was more like drilled into my brain since I was little. Mom always told me to aim high, both at getting a job and getting a girlfriend of a good family. And who better to date than you?"
Lyn rubbed her temple. "Here we are again. Back to the status life. Is that all there is to me? Am I that glamorously rich?"
"Well duh! It's not just the wealth. Your family is one of the biggest business empires in all of Ninjago! Marrying heirs of businesses is no uncommon thing you know."
At this point, Lyn wanted to cry once more, but she sucked it up. She wasn't going to cry, especially regarding this matter. "And is that all I am to the world? A face? A ticket to my family's wealth? You know what, this is why I'm sick of this way, when everyone around treats you like nothing more than a lunch pass."
"That's not the point. The point is getting married is the best way both our parents' businesses will benefit."
"At the expense of our own happiness?
Vince shrugged. "Hey, I was cool with it. You're the only one holding back Jackie. You're the problem! Not me!"
"Are you serious right now? You never even bothered to try and to get to know me properly. Sure we've known each other since we were in elementary school but we weren't exactly friends. One day, you just sent me flowers and immediately asked me on a date. And when I'd refuse, you'd grab my arm and force your way. You know how intimidating that is?"
"Excuse me, that started when I was getting tired of you rejecting me all the time."
"You could have at least tried to get to know me as a friend first. Then maybe I would have given you a chance. But your methods are just beyond awful. And now, I know why. You were never interested in me. You were just interested in my family's name and wealth."
"I was kinda into you actually," Vince said. "You were always cute, but that was it. I was never up to the whole relationship thing, but my mom wanted me to date you as soon as possible so that we'd get married once we're both of age."
"Hold up. Your mom put you up to this?" Vince nodded. Lyn always knew that Vince's mom was always a stage mother and was very conscious of her appearance. Now she understood why. "What about your dad? What did he say?"
"He said he didn't mind as long as it benefited the business, and that I make sure I run the company when he retired, and that I don't cause you any problems when we're together."
Lyn scoffed. "Well, clearly you only followed half that advice."
"Whatever Jackie. Anyways, when he found out what happened during Valentine's Day, he got mad and punished me by sending me to work in this stinkhole. He said that I needed to fix my attitude or something and that I should have been more 'courteous' with you. But you know what, I'm done with this. I'm letting you off. I'm sick of doing this. Especially when you have the Green Ninja as your so-called boyfriend." Lyn blushed at that last part.
"He's not my… wait. How come you never told the press? You knew Lloyd was the Green Ninja and I haven't heard any news about him since."
"You really think I would tell on that guy after receiving a death threat? So yeah. I'm done."
The girl's eyes lit up. "So what you mean is…"
"Ugh! Could you be any more ignorant? I'm saying I'm not gonna chase you anymore. I've had it with your 'tude and you constantly one-upping me."
"So you're not gonna stalk me anymore, or send me flowers, or those gross pickup lines?"
"Yeah, yeah. All that stuff. And… hey! My pickup lines aren't gross."
"Yes, they are."
"Argghhh… never mind. Just so we're clear, we go our separate ways, got it?"
"Got it. Though, what about your parents? What are they going to say?"
"Who cares what they're going to say? It's not like they'll disown me. Besides, there's plenty other fish in the sea."
"Yeah, yeah," Lyn said as she prepared to leave. Break time was about to end. "And there are quite a few girls that would indeed 'love' your attention. Goodbye, Vince." She said that with excitement and freedom and exited room just as the bell rang.
"Yeah. Bye." Vince went back to stocking supplies when he felt another presence behind him.
"Interesting closure you guys did," Monty peeped.
"Tell me you weren't listening."
"I didn't really hear much, but I could sense the tension. Anyways, all good now?"
Vince leaned back sniffed the stagnant air, but he never felt freer. He turned to his boss with a smile. "Yeah, all good now."
Yes, another chapter out. So now we know what's really going on with Vince. Maybe given the right girl, he may turn out to be a decent guy. Maybe. Thank you once again for the reviews! I'll try to get one last chapter out, as the next chapter is the one I've been dying to finish and post, but I needed to get this out of the way first. Because Lloyd's back and things are about to get even more interesting. Buckle up for the next chapter ~ Snowflakeshard