To Color Your Life

"What the hell is it with today?!" a man's roar echoed down the corridor along with the sound from a crutch crashing to the floor. The man grabbed the wall to somehow stay on his feet. Emily couldn't boast of the same.

Her butt landed in the same place as the wooden assistant of her unfortunate colleague.

"Oh hello, Mr. Denver." Emily rubbed her bruised spot and was about to get up, but the man had already grabbed her by the elbow and put her to her feet.

"Miss Hayes, I'm starting to think you've been given a secret mission to break my other leg," Christian muttered, bending down for a crutch.

Emily, as an attentive and well-mannered person, decided to do the same.

Luck clearly had a dark sense of humor about these two.

"Auch." Instead of helping the man, her forehead made another attempt to cripple Denver, colliding with the victim's head.

"Miss Hayes!" exploded Christian, rubbing his bruised forehead, "Are you doing this on purpose?!"

"Of course not! Who do you take me for?!" the girl threw an indignant glance at him. You are not the only one who will now have a bruise all over your forehead, by the way!

Denver muttered something else under his breath and lifted a crutch. Emily didn't understand what he said there. If someone is in a bad mood, she was not going to spoil hers because of this.

"Didn't you hit yourself hard?" he asked in a more calm tone.

"I'm fine, please, excuse me for my inattention."

"No, you excuse me. It was my fault too. And also, sorry for being rude as well." The man sighed and looked at the girl in a strange way.

What? Does she have something on her face? Does he want to say something else? Emily couldn't understand this man. What's the point of being angry and rude and then apologizing right after?

She is also to blame, but is it possible to react differently?

"Well, I guess I've got to get going. Have a nice day, Mr. Denver." They had nothing to talk about, and they did not really know each other. They only got stuck in the elevator once. It doesn't even count as an acquaintance.

The man nodded silently. Emily walked around him and walked on. Today she was wearing the simplest outfit - shirt, jeans and sneakers. Her heels did not knock on the floor, her steps were light and weightless.

Nothing could be heard at all. Including the movement of a man. She felt his gaze on her back. Emily was sure if she turned around, their gazes would collide.

But she didn't.

Hayes got to the office of the main boss without additional adventures. Mrs. Parkenson greeted her with a restrained smile and escorted her into the chief's office.

"Hello, Mr. Evans," Emily greeted Justin's father. She still felt a slight embarrassment next to him, but there was no longer that feeling on the verge of horror when she first got into this office.

"Hello, Emily. How are you?"

"Thank you, everything is fine. How about you?"

Roger Evans looked a little morose, or rather depressed. As far as Emily got to know him as a person, the boss's father was very friendly. From the outside, he might seem stern, but in fact, he just didn't smile as openly as Justin.

His speech was not filled with bright epithets, it was even a little dry. But the man spoke to the point. He was one of those people who will give you sincere advice based on his experience, without the influence of personal emotions and assessments.

"There was one unpleasant conversation, but you don't have to worry about it," Mr. Evans smiled slightly, but Emily noticed that his eyes remained sad. Apparently, the conversation was really unpleasant.

"Sorry if I don't mind my business, you meant Mr. Denver, didn't you?"

Last time, the news of the unplanned arrival of this guest did not make all three bosses happy. And if then (thanks to Emily's awkwardness) the meeting did not take place, then today Christian Denver was on the top floor for a reason.

"I met him not far from the elevator," Emily hastened to explain the source of her guess.

"Hmm, I didn't know you knew him," the boss's father said in surprise.

"Well, not that I know him... Our acquaintance happened by accident, actually."

Maybe she shouldn't have mentioned that brute with the crutch at all? But Roger Evans took this information calmly and even relaxed a little, as it seemed to Emily.

He leaned back in his large leather chair, turned sideways and looked out the window. Still sunny in the morning, the sky was clouded with gray clouds by lunchtime. Emily didn't remember weather forecast program mentioning rain, but it looked like it.

"Denver is one of the main candidates for leading the Pharaoh. No, more precisely, he is the main contender," said the man.

"Do you mean that he will be running the magazine instead of Justin?" Although Emily had no intention of staying in the department, she was very worried about who would run the magazine after the boss left. She wanted this person to appreciate each employee as much as Evans did.

Considering her two brief encounters with this Denver, Hayes was now not sure if he was such a leader. Christian Denver was more like the one in charge of the stick than the carrot.

On the other hand, she could be wrong.

Roger Evans nodded, "Yes. At the moment, his candidacy is in the lead."

"Is that bad?" the girl asked cautiously. According to the intonation of the main boss, such a balance of power did not please him.

"Who knows, Emily. Who knows..." the man answered vaguely. "Well, let's not talk about sad things! Teresa handed you the cakes. Help yourself," he placed a container on the table, which was filled to the top with treats so that even the lid did not fit.

Whoa! Yes, there is enough for the whole department! Emily wondered. She thought there would be two or three, but not twenty!

Whipped cream, powdered sugar, jams, chocolate cream - the cakes were covered with all kinds of ingredients. Any pastry shop will envy such an assortment.

"Please take them. I can't look at them anymore," the man sighed and pushed the container over to the edge of the table. "Teresa decided to turn on the mad baker mode. It happens to her, from time to time. So get ready for having to pick up a basket of croissants or rolls next time."

"Got it," Emily laughed in response to Mr. Evans' smile. Although his words sounded like a complaint, it felt like there was warmth in the man's intonation. This man loved his wife and was ready to endure all her culinary follies, if she was happy about it.

Hayes thanked him for his help with the delivery of the cakes and carried the container back to the department in anticipation of a cheerful lunch. The girls will be so delighted when they see such a mountain of sweets, which were even cooked by the mother of their favorite boss!

At the last turn to the turtle-speed elevator, she slowed down and froze.

Is he still here?!

The girl looked around the corner. Christian Denver was standing next to the elevator doors talking on the phone. Why didn't he leave?!

Emily had no intention of eavesdropping on a stranger's conversation, but it just happened. The phrase "Pharaoh Magazine" had an effect on her like a red rag on a bull. Her hearing instantly sharpened to several levels.

"I need Arthur Pitcher shares. Do your best to get them," Denver demanded from someone.

Arthur Pitcher? Is it about Justin's grandfather? Hmm, as far as Emily knew the rules of the upcoming board meeting, only one shareholder could transfer his share to another shareholder. This time, this right could be used by Mr. Pitcher. The rest used their shares as votes.

"I don't care about what is going to happen with this damn magazine. But if Pitcher decides to sell his shares to someone else, then my whole plan may be in jeopardy."

A plan? Wait, it doesn't matter what the plan is. Did he say that he doesn't care about the fate of the magazine? But he's the main candidate for the role of its owner! What is this man up to?!

Emily leaned her back against the wall, trying not to make a sound. Denver said something else about agreements with other shareholders. She was not too versed in undercover intrigues, but during her work at Pharaoh she managed to read several love novels, where the main characters were CEOs of large companies.

And their opponents started their dark deeds just like that! Did this Denver decide to drag the voices to his side behind Justin's back, using dirty methods? What a bastard!

Emily was about to explode with indignation. She waited for two elevator signals that the doors had opened and closed.

It became quiet in the corridor, but she did not dare to look there. So, Hayes, he's gone. 

I need to call Justin and tell him everything! She took a phone out of her pocket.

"And what is this cute little mouse we are having here?" a threatening whisper suddenly sounded right next to her ear.