(Ailith): The calm before the storm

Ailith stuck a finger at Lucas as she left the office.

At her vulgar gesture, he burst into laughter. "Love you too baby." he said, blowing her a kiss.

Ailith gagged and sped up her pace towards the exit.

"So what did you two do in there?" When she ignored him, Lucas continued to run his mouth. "I mean, he must have been quite big for you to have screamed that loud. Say, how long exac-"

She aimed a punch at his nose and landed it. "You've been getting on my nerves for awhile now pretty boy. I don't give a shit whether you hold influence here or not so shut up and go bother someone else." Had it not been for her quick eyes, she would have missed the hint of annoyance that passed over his face. Of course it disappeared just as quickly but Ailith had seen it no less.

"Yes ma'am." he said with a goofy grin on his face as he held up a mock salute.

She opened her mouth to interrogate when the sound of a door opening echoed loudly from down the hall. It had to be Michael. She threw one final glare at Lucas before continuing her strut towards the ladder. Yes, she was pissed at Lucas but she was even more pissed at Michael. He could go to hell for all she cared.

'Stomping on my pride like that. What an idiot. I'll show him. By the time this whole thing blows over, I'll have him pleading apologies at my feet.'

Her mood was slightly lifted as she indulged herself in her fantasies for a minute.

However, that was quick to disappear as she heard Michael's footsteps boom down the corridor toward her. Annoyed, she managed to run only a few steps before he caught up with her. "What do you want now?" she demanded of him.

"Now that you have agreed to join our cause, there are several matters that we need to tend to in order to make it official."

Noticing her glare, he quickly added. "Of course you should get some rest now. You must be tired and all from being dragged here by Lucas but, return no later than next week to finalize.

Knowing that there was no arguing with him on this matter, she forced herself to give him a brief nod. "That's it?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, I'll take my leave then."

"Ok."

As Ailith made her way up the ladder, she could have sworn that she had heard him mutter

"Be careful."

after her.

Ailith tossed and turned in her bed, unable to fall asleep. 'There's no way. I must have heard him wrong. Why would a jerk like him care about my wellbeing. She scoffed at her own thoughts.' "Yeah, I heard him wrong." With the thought, she drifted off to sleep.

''WAKE UP!!!"

Ailith startled awake from her bed unsure when she had fallen asleep. She was still fully unaware of who exactly was standing at her door. Ailith rubbed at her eyes hoping to clear her blurred vision a bit.

Standing at the door was a fuming Clarice.

She rubbed at her eyes again. 'Oh god. Please let this be a dream.' She wasn't entirely sure what the reasoning behind her boss's infuriated face was but, it had to be something really bad if it made the usually stoic Clarice as mad as that.

Clarice seethed at her. "Follow me to my office."