The Devil's Harem

Chapter - 64

"Come in," Karen gave her permission to Amber.

Amber walked in and raised her brows, looking at Alex, signalling him, 'Why am I being called?'

Alex shook his head in return.

Karen looked at them, signalling each other before she intervened, "Alex, Amber, I have a job for you guys," Karen said to the two of them. She then looked at Alex, "From Monday, Next week, I want you both to go around the area of the publishing company and do a survey for me. I want you to prepare a questionnaire or something. Like what kind of books they like to read, where they usually read the books from or do they like going to the libraries to read books, something along those lines," Karen told them.

"Chief, can't we just do an online survey?" Amber asked.

Karen nodded, "Of course we are gonna do that. But we need someone to do the leg work too. What I am asking you is a vital part of our plan to promote the new company. This survey helps us know more about our primary target audience, the people in the vicinity of our new project. We will sort out the data based on their age, gender, and if needed, their ethnicity," Karen explained to the two of them.

"Still, Chief. We can always hire some people to do it for us?" Alex said and got a nod from Amber as well.

"We can, but I want the two of you to do this," Karen said, "Moreover, the people we hire won't be diligent enough."

"Boss, you are being unreasonable," This time, it was Amber, almost whining like a little girl. Amber usually is not at the centre of events and would just go along with the flow, but this time, even she felt it was too troublesome.

"It's my privilege of being the boss. Didn't you say it the last time?" Karen said and made Alex remember his own words from the meeting they had a few days back, "Now off you go. I have work to do," Karen said and shooed them out of her office.

Alex and Amber walked out of her cabin, dejected. They looked weary as they walked to their seats. The others ladies, when saw them, gathered around them to know what happened, but when they heard it from Amber, they didn't look that surprised. Evidently, they all have gone through something like this at least once during the early days of starting working here.

The ladies began to share their stories with Alex and Amber. The most pitiful of them all was Jennifer. It was just when she had started working at Theation when the company was still blooming. One of their celebrity was involved in a scandal, and Jennifer, along with Karen, had to spend their whole night in a car outside the police station to make sure the media could not get a hold of that celebrity. Hearing them all, Alex and Amber cheered up a bit. For all they had to do was stand somewhere, stop some people and ask them some questions, simple enough.

When the clock struck six, it was time for them to leave. Alex packed his stuff and walked straight to Karen's cabin.

*Knock! Knock!

"Come in," Alex heard Karen's voice.

Alex walked in and stood in front of Karen obediently. When Karen heard no one talking, she looked up from the file she was looking at.

"What are you doing here?" Karen asked and then looked at the clock, "Oh! It's already time. Yes, you all can leave. I will also leave in a while," Karen said. She thought Alex was here to notify her that he, along with others, was leaving.

"No, that's not it. I just wanted to let you know in advance that I won't be coming to work on Saturday," Alex told her.

"And why is that?" Karen asked.

"I have some business to attend to," Alex told her.

"And that would be?" Karen asked with curiosity. She had her face supported by her hand, and she was looking at him leisurely.

"That would be something personal," Alex looked at her with a sneer.

Karen almost lost balance hearing him. Adjusting her clothes, she looked at him with annoyance.

"Whatever, I want you to send me an application for leave on my e-mail as well as a handwritten application by Friday," Karen said and went back to reading her file.
Alex was left speechless. He never knew Karen would act so petty over such a small joke. Hazel already told him that notifying Karen was more than enough, but Karen here was singing a different tone altogether.

"Fine... Whatever," Alex said and walked out of her cabin, banging the door behind him.

Karen was again left in awe by Alex. She had expected him to try and reason out with her and almost plead to her for some relaxation, but contrary to her expectations, he just left without a single argument.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Three days went by in a jiffy, and it was Saturday. These few days, Karen was pissed with him, and Ellaine was at arm's length. Except for that, everything went surprisingly well for Alex.

And right now, Alex was sitting in front of Rachel again. But this time, they were not in her chamber but in a different room with nothing but two chairs placed in it.

"So, are you still facing the issue we talked about the other day?" Rachel asked.

"Yup, nothing has changed," Alex nodded.

"It's okay. We will try to find the cause for it," Rachel said, looking at Alex while her hands wrote something on the notepad in her hand.

"Well, I am sure we will get somewhere soon. After all, a beautiful and smart doctor like you won't just leave me hanging," Alex flattered Rachel.

"Hehehehe..." Rachel broke into soft giggles, "Now I am even experiencing what you told me about the other day. You really have gotten sly."

"It all comes naturally in the company of a beautiful lady such as yourself. I am just the medium. The one truly admiring you is someone else," Alex said as he pointed up, referring to the god.

"Oh! Just shut up now. You are making me blush. What is your mother were to know about this?" Rachel tried hard not to crack up again.

"So what? She will be proud of me that I can appreciate true beauty," Alex was still in no mood to bring it a notch down.

"So you want to appreciate my beauty?" Rachel asked. She had this smug look on her face, almost provoking Alex. If Alex answered in affirmation, he might get a taste of something extraordinary.

This confidence of Rachel made Alex back off. He was still a greenhorn, trying his luck. He picked up a few lines from here and there and wanted to use them on someone, in this case, Rachel. But if it was someone else, Alex might have gotten an upper hand, but in front of Rachel and Margaret, the possibility is very slim.

"Hehehe... I am joking... joking," Alex said with a foolish smile on his face.

"But I am not," This time, Rachel decided to push it.

"Why don't we get down to business? If mom knew, we are wasting her money on idle chatter. She will blast my ass with her lambast," Alex tried to bring them back on track of their counselling session.

"I am not charging your mother a single dime," Rachel told him.

"Really... So you better cooperate with the session," Rachel said as she straightened herself, "Now, do you think you can tell me about your dreams?" Rachel asked.

"That..." Alex was hesitant. He didn't know Rachel would ask this of him so soon.

It has been about a year since they started this session. It took Alex a couple of months to open up to Rachel. They talked about everything, movies, landscapes, arts, politics or anything they could think of, but Alex never told her what he saw in his dream. Not only Rachel, he never even told Martha or Geroge about what he saw in those dreams. But Rachel was very patient with him. She would bring up the topic in hopes that Alex might open up but won't push Alex.

"It's okay. No need to dwell upon it. But I hope the next time you are here, you will open up to me, or at least to your parents," Rachel said, "Okay, so tell me..."

"I am ready,"

* * * * *