After she returned to her office after she had her lunch, Saphira took the time to relax. The morning had been very stressful, and she and her team were just happy that they didn't have to be too busy. They were still working on their project, but Saphira had told them to take it easy. There were only a few hours left of the workday, so there really was no rush in making any kind of completion for the day. Besides, Saphira had decided to maybe give Arthur's friend a ring. But she was not sure on the idea of owning a Porsche.
It's just a statement car, they aren't necessarily useful aside from a nice appearance and speed. That's not really what I want from a car.
But if Arthur was not lying, she would not have to spend a heap of money on a new car. The car in question did have some trunk space, so she could technically go shopping with it. But given what she felt, she was not sure. She really needed to think on it before making the decision to even call the man about it. She also wanted to give Arthur time to inform his friend that someone could be interested in the car. So for the rest of the day she simply relaxed.
When her day came to an end, Saphira was happy she did not need to stay behind, nor did anyone else. She had always made sure that no one stayed overtime here under her watch. Claudia often had her team stay back, which Saphira always thought was wrong. Anthony sometimes had his team stay back, but he would stay with them, so she really didn't have the same kind of view towards him as she would do the same thing if they needed to stay behind. But as Saphira made sure that her team understood that getting work done quickly and working with her was the best way to ensure no one gets overtime. And it has worked, and her team like it.
Saphira finished tidying up her office when the door opened again. She looked up from where she was wiping and saw Claudia glaring at her. "What do you want now, Claudia? And you really need to knock. It is very rude to just barge in all the time."
The woman walked towards her and placed her hand on her hip. "You know why I am here. You embarrassed me!"
"Wait, what?" Saphira frowned in confusion at the woman. "You are joking, right? I never embarrassed you." The woman breathed in deeply as she glared at Saphira. "I am not sure what exactly you were trying to pull by claiming the work that my team and I did as stolen."
Claudia rolled her eyes at Saphira. "You know you were supposed to agree with me! That's why it was your fault!"
"You wanted me to…lie?" She was not following Claudia's logic and rubbed her forehead. "Look, Claudia, I have had a long day. Can't you just focus on your project for NASA? It's a way better project than what my team are working on anyway, so you really should be happy with that."
"Oh, I am. Believe me." She stepped closer to Saphira as she tried to intimidate her. "Don't think I don't know, Saphira." She frowned at Claudia with confusion. "You and Arthur seemed to be pretty friendly."
Saphira was even more confused. "You do realize Arthur isn't into women, right?" Claudia stopped in her tracks. "I've seen him with his boyfriend more than once. You have been here longer than me, and you haven't noticed?"
Claudia was shocked at the information she was just given. "Wait…he's…gay?" Saphira nodded affirmatively before the woman began to laugh. "Now you're just making me angry. He's not gay! I have never seen another guy kiss him."
"Okay, well, have you seen a woman kiss him?" Saphira argued before shaking her head before Claudia could even answer. "You know what? This is ridiculous! I don't know why you are at me for something that was not my fault. You were the one who barged into Arthur's office, you were the one who tried to say I stole your work and you are the one who has decided to not keep up with your work like you used to. None of this is my fault."
"We will see who wins in the end." Claudia smirked at her in a triumphant way. "Don't underestimate me, Saphira." She stepped closer and jabs her finger at Saphira's chin, making her flinch away. "I will make sure you don't go any further in this company. Do you understand? You're just a little runt! I know Arthur left school, but I don't care. You will not beat me!"
This woman is so vain!
Saphira could only watch as Claudia turned on her heel and storm away. She shook her head at the ridiculousness of all this was. She returned to finishing up with the cleaning of her office. She really just wanted to get home, have a shower and cook up something to eat. She really just didn't want to deal with today anymore, even though she had a relatively good day. Claudia was the only person who could really make the day sour. But that happened almost everyday sadly, and Saphira couldn't really get a break from the woman.
When she was finished, she made her way out of the office to head to the bottom floor to leave. It was four-thirty now, and she wanted to get home. When she got in the elevator, she was surprised to see Arthur standing there with a briefcase. He smiled at her as she stepped in. "I see you are all done for the day, Saphira. You always seem to make sure to go home on time."
She smiled politely as stood beside him. She didn't need to press the floor button on the elevator since it was already pressed. "Yes, well, you know how I am. I haven't done much overtime the whole time I have been here. I make sure my job is done thoroughly, while making sure it is done on time. I make sure my team do the same."
"It is something I wish everyone can do here." Arthur breathed in deeply. "Anyway, I spoke to Marcus about your interest in the car. I know you are working tomorrow, but your team can cover for you. I'll have Lara write you up as absent for business if you want to ring him tonight and check the car out tomorrow."
Saphira was surprised by the offer. "Uh…wait, really?" He nodded affirmatively. "Arthur, that is kind of you, but I really think that is unnecessary. I could go look at the car on the weekend, I don't need to see it tomorrow." She didn't want to dismiss his offer, but it was just so sudden. "Does your friend really need the car gone?"
Arthur gave a nod and a shrug, which meant both yes and no. "He's been trying to sell it for months, and it is just sitting there. The engine is still good, as he takes the car for a run once a week. So you won't need to worry about the battery."
Saphira listened quietly as Arthur told her more about it. "Well…when was it serviced last?" Arthur shrugged at her and she smiled a little. "I see. I'll make a note of that when I talk to him later. I am surprised you are really going out of your way for me, Arthur. I hate to admit it, but some of the women in the office are getting jealous."
"Jealous?" Arthur seemed awfully surprised by that revelation before he realized. "Oh, right. Uh oh…" He chuckled a little as he realized what he has unintentionally been implying. "Oops, I did not realize. Not everyone here realizes that I am gay. Lara does, you do, Anthony knows…I guess I should try to be a little bit less…what is the word?"
She chuckled softly. "It probably comes across as flirtatious, Arthur. The fact is, you took me under your wing when I came to your company a few years ago because I was in a bad situation. And I really do appreciate that. But you don't have to go out of your way for everything. I do need to be able to rely on myself as well."
"And you do. Don't worry, I know what it is like, my parents weren't the greatest either. Especially when it came to who I fell in love with." He placed his hand on Saphira's shoulder with a smile. "And we don't exactly have a relationship anymore. But it is just as important to find a family from others around you. And I am quite prepared to help you and be that family for you. That is all I am doing. I am not just your boss, I am your friend."
Saphira smiled at him and looked away. He was just too kind. "Thank you. You are now making me really wanting to buy the car out of…well…you are kind of pushing me to with how kind you are being. It is like a repayment, especially if I can get it for cheap."
"Don't do it just out of kindness, but as a necessity. Sure, it is not an SUV, but it will be enough for you." He looked at the doors as the elevator opens and he stepped out with Saphira. "You might find that I am right about it." She shrugged as she walked alongside him and she spotted a man with shoulder length, brown hair. "Ah, there's my man there. I got to get going. We have a date night tonight."
Saphira chuckled softly as she let him go. "Alright, I will see you a bit later. And I'll take you up on that offer for tomorrow. I hope you don't mind the absence."
"Not at all. Just go and do what you need to, Saphira."
Saphira just nodded as she watched Arthur walk over to his boyfriend. As she looked away, she noticed Claudia at the corner of her eye, but simply ignored her. She no doubt now saw that Arthur indeed had a relationship, and Saphira did have a guess that she was interested in trying to seduce Arthur. Thankfully, that will not work. Plus, Arthur is not the type of person to fall for that either. So whatever plan Claudia had will already be a failure. Though she still felt sorry for her team as she knew they were likely hard at work right now.
If I was in charge of her team too, they would be going home right now.
Saphira left the building, yawning slightly as weariness began to take over as she made her way to the bus station. She glanced at her watch, and she saw she would have fifteen minutes before her bus arrives to take her to the station near her apartment block. So she would take the time to do some sketching. She has always been into art since she was a kid, and it has been a helpful skill to relieve stress in her life. Plus, she had managed to build up quite the skill and she could make money from it on the side if she wanted to. But she wasn't a very forward person, so she planned to keep this hobby of hers to herself for the time being.
She continued to sketch when she got on the bus and waited for her stop. She made sure pay attention for when her stop was next. It took an hour to get to her stop, which was normal as the bus stopped at several other places before stopping at hers. She was very happy she was about to get home. She did know having her own car could mean she would get home sooner, but she didn't want to drive in the afternoon traffic. And she has seen how crazy people can drive.
She walked to her apartment to hear up to her floor. She was lucky that her apartment wasn't terribly expensive. She could afford something closer to her job, but it would also cost more, so this was just fine for her. Once she got to her apartment, the first thing Saphira did was take a shower. She wanted to get into her pyjamas before she would start dinner. She already had a lot of it prepared, she only had to cook it, and she would have leftovers for a few days.
It was marinated chicken drumsticks, and she steamed up some vegetables to have with it. While she cooked her dinner, she checked her answering machine to see if she got any messages. There was none. She guessed her boyfriend did not call in at now, and that was fine. She thought about calling him soon though. She knew he got home a little later than her, so now was probably not a good time. It was the same with thinking about calling Marcus about the car.
I must be a little crazy, but Arthur probably trusts this guy, so the car should not let me down.
At least, she hoped that would not be the case. She cooked her food in no time and sat down to eat while watching the TV. Although she barely paid attention to what has happened, and the only thing she really cared about was the weather report, so she didn't pay much attention. It was the only thing she could do while she ate her food. When she finished though, she washed up the dishes and grabbed the phone as she decided to dial the number for Marcus.
She made sure she had put in the correct number and hit the call button before placing her phone to her ear. She heard it ringing a few times before someone answer. "Hello, this is Marcus."
"Oh, hello, Marcus. My name is Saphira, and I am calling about the car you have."
"Ah, yes!" Marcus exclaimed enthusiastically. "Arthur informed me about you a little earlier today. And I promise that the car I have is very nice and it runs very well. I am sure that is what you are looking for, even though it is a Porsche."
She nodded as she sat down while she listened to the man. "Yeah, it is. But I guess I am just surprised he suggested the car to me. I mean, a Carrera is not an SUV."
"That is right, but this little car has enough room for groceries and clothes, so it is really the appearance that you are probably most thinking of. Not what it looks like on the inside." She heard papers being moved around on the other end. "Would you like to come and check it out tomorrow? Arthur said he can arrange the day off for you. He's such a nice guy."
Saphira was still uncertain about it, but she decided to check the car out. "Sure. I will come and check it out. I guess you are right. Is it good on fuel though?"
"Insanely good! The only reason why I don't want it, is because I bought originally for my daughter. She doesn't want it." That made sense. It was just an unnecessary vehicle. "And I need my pickup truck for my job, so I only drive the car to keep the engine and battery going."
"I guess I am not understanding the reason why you don't want it. I don't know why Arthur never actually mentioned that part." She shrugged and grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. "What is your address, Marcus? I'll need to use the bus to get to your part of town, unless I have to take a taxi."
"Ah, right. I forgot you had no car…welp, I'll tell you anyway. There is a nearby bus station, but you'd need to chase down a taxi from there. But I can come pick you up if that makes it easier. Hell, I might even bring the car with me so you can test drive it right away." That sounded like an interesting plan, and probably something she would consider. Marcus gave her the address to his home, and as expected, it would be somewhere away from the bus stop. "I know what bus comes out from the city, so I will tell you that one. And I think picking you up with the better option."
"I think that sounds like a very weird way to say you'll pick up and take be somewhere to end up in a ditch," Saphira said in a joking tone.
The man laughed in amusement on the other end as the comment was both random and funny at the same time to him. "I promise you that I am not that kind of man. A person who does that wouldn't tell their victim their plan in the first place. What are you taking me for, Saphira? Arthur never told me you were a comedian."
"I am not, but I am glad you liked the joke," Saphira said with a smile.
The man giggled some more. "Oh man, I am totally not going to forget that. Anyway, what time do you think you'll be over?"
She hummed for a moment as she thought about it. "Well, I might be over early. I can get on the bus around eight, and depending on the traffic and the stops, I might end up at the stop by ten…maybe. I cannot really tell you exactly, since I won't be driving there."
"I will be around there at that time. It is a good thing I just so happen to have tomorrow off, which makes it convenient for the both of us. I look forward to meeting you, and I hope we can make a deal on the car. It was nice talking to you."
"It was nice talking to you too, Marcus. Good night." Saphira hangs up the phone and took a deep breath with a smile.
Marcus sounded like a nice guy on the other end. He was pleasant to talk to, and gave her a more reasonable reason as to why he wanted to get rid of the car in the first place. It made total sense. She figured she might as well take the car for a test drive to see if she liked it before she goes to buy it. A Porsche was definitely on the end of cars she did not plan on buying, but she figured that it would not really matter much anyway.
Saphira decided to see if her boyfriend was home or not. She dialled the number to his phone and waited patiently. She wasn't entirely surprised that he did not pick up though, but she did not leave a voice message for the moment. She didn't want to seem to be a pushy girlfriend. He has said so a few times, but she wanted him to know the potential good news. And it would make it so much easier to visit him, even though using the bus wasn't all bad. It just would make things easier. But Saphira did know she would need to learn where to go. She's relied on the buses for so long she was not familiar with the streets yet, so it would likely take her sometime to learn.
Deciding it was better to just go to bed, Saphira turned off the TV to head to her room. She entered her room and glanced over at the art desk she had with a hum. She knew it was pretty early right now, so she had a bit of time to kill. She figured it would be okay. She walked over to the desk and grabbed one of the sketchbooks to sketch something. She had decided to finish sketching a cardinal image she had been working on for a while. A cardinal had flown into her apartment accidently a week ago, and she took the liberty of sketching it while it looked around the apartment before leaving.
She knew that cardinals symbolised good fortune and good luck, and that someone is about to receive good news, so it was certainly a surprise to see one in her apartment. She wanted to take it as a sign, but she was not superstitious at all. She just loved the bird, and she would see them sometimes in Central Park whenever Saphira decided to visit it. Maybe this car was the good news that was being given to her, she did not know. But she wanted to finish the sketch anyway, and that would take her a few hours.
Saphira also knew she was going to have to inform the apartment manager about a new car. She has mentioned it a few times, and the space that has been empty in the lot that is assigned to her room is still available. She was aware it was used sometimes, which wasn't a bother to her. But Saphira hoped that no one would get a bee in the bonnet when she starts using regularly, and leaves the Porsche in that spot. She knew some feathers would get ruffled, but it wasn't her rule. But the manager needed to know so the car wouldn't end up towed.
With that on her mind, Saphira could not help but begin to sketch an image of the vehicle. She figured since she could potentially buy a new car, sketching the outline of the vehicle would be a good idea. She could finish sketching it once she has seen the design of the car. She didn't know what color it is, if there was anything custom to it and if restorations were needed. She only knew that the engine was good, and that was fine, but Saphira knew she could still pay money for something regarding the car. The less money she has to spend on it, the better in her mind.
She eventually saw that it was getting late and looked at the sketch she had done of the vehicle. So far, she has only sketched the outline. She knew it might look different when she sees it, so she only made a light sketch so it could be easily erased and fixed up. She stretched her arms and thought about calling her boyfriend, but it was too late. She didn't want to annoy him. He didn't call her, but that wasn't unusual. They both were busy, and the mostly talked on Friday and the weekend anyway, so during the week was usually quiet.
I am sure he is going to be so excited when I show him my car.
Saphira brushed her teeth and went to her bed. She slipped under the covers and thought about how her life might go on. She always pondered on her future. As a kid, her parents were awful to her. They didn't physically abuse her, but they did verbally and emotional abuse her. She had extremely low self esteem when she left her home, and it was partly the reason why Arthur accepted her. But he also saw how much of a harder work she would be. Saphira actually started as cleaner at the company, but she was a cleaner for two months before she moved into the marketing team after Arthur saw she was studying business and marketing on her own. She knew it was all coincidences, but it has made her life so much better.
There is not any amount of money in the world that would allow me to repay his kindness to me. I hope Arthur and I can stay friends for a long time. I stopped seeing him as a boss long ago. Maybe I should ask him and his boyfriend out for dinner sometime, he might like that.
With that, Saphira closed her eyes and fell asleep. She knew tomorrow will feel weird about not needing to get ready for work, but she was starting to feel excited. Even if it wasn't a car she wanted, she might actually start wanting the car now. She just hoped that this Marcus guy was a nice guy, as Arthur said, and that she would like the car enough to buy it on the spot. She knew she would have to prepare a check for it beforehand, so that would be one of the first things she will do in the morning before she leaves.
