First impressions really were important. It was something that Ariel knew very well. But in the current situation that she was in, she was gaining a new perspective on just how crucial the first few moments of meeting someone really were.
A normal person would have been able to just walk right up to reception, deliver the phone, and be on their way. But that path risked Ariel being questioned as to how exactly she had gotten the CEO's phone in the first place.
A lie would have done best. Something along the lines of 'He forgot the phone at a restaurant I work at' or 'I saw him drop the phone without realizing, so I decided to hand it to him.'
While the two excuses sounded good. Ariel knew herself well enough to know that the moment she was prodded, she would instantly start singing like a canary.
'I was on my knees between his legs begging for money. Then I found out some huge news, and he tracked me down, saved me from some goons, and I served him food, and he forgot his phone," Did not sound at all like something that would go over well at all.
So, for the second time in a week, Ariel was once again sneaking through the hallways of Asher Industries headquarters.
Having learned from her mistake the last time, she was not about to go running and hiding behind plants and people just so she could see the man and give him his phone. So this time, she came prepared. A yellow lunch box in hand, in it, sandwiches that she had carefully crafted. The bread toasted to perfection, with vegetables and thin slices of meat in the middle.
With her blue jeans, pumps, and dark t-shirt, Ariel most definitely stood out like a sore thumb. But unlike the last time when she had wanted to blend in. She was glad that it was obvious that she did not fit in. People instantly looked at her, then they looked at the container of food she was carrying.
She could instantly see the gears in their heads turning. Their minds settling on 'food delivery', and then just letting their eyes pass over her without really seeing her. Forgetting her the same way people tended to forget the staff who were cleaning around them. Any other day being dismissed like that would have rankled. But that morning, she was glad for it.
Being actively ignored allowed Ariel to move through the building easily.
Deciding to use the stairs in an effort to avoid the possibility of being caught up in a conversation where somebody would ask some in-depth questions. Ariel swiped a key card from the back of a young man who looked to be an intern's pocket. Sending a mental apology his way, she carried on walking. She used the card at the door leading to the stairs.
Suddenly feeling no rush to get to Tristan's office, Ariel took the stairs slowly, going one at a time and pausing every few minutes.
The road to the top was a very long one and she was certain that if she rushed she would collapse halfway there. So Ariel took her time, using the journey there to try and order her thoughts.
She was almost one hundred percent certain that Tristan Asher would believe that she had stolen his phone. But either way, she was still going to hand it over.
Being that she would most likely be walking into a hostile situation. She tried to get herself into a zen state of mind. To make sure that whatever accusations Tristan threw her way, or whatever awful words he decided to call her by bounced right off. She needed to be as disconnected as possible, so that was what she tried to achieve with ever step and every breath.
If Tristan calling her names ended in her trying to claw his eyes out. That would be a very bad situation. She was in no state to get into his bad books after barely managing to get out of them the last time.
So whatever he said, she had to keep her temper in check. Ariel was thinking on that as she made it up the final few steps and then with another swipe of her 'borrowed' card, she was standing in yet another hallway. Now all that she had to do was get to Tristan's office, something that would be very simple, especially since it was not her first time being there.
If Tristan was not in, then that would make things a bit more complicated. But even so, Ariel hoped that if he was absent, his PA would be there to assist. If luck really was on Ariel's side the woman would buy her flimsy excuses without being too sceptical.
Holding on to that tiny bit of hope, Ariel straightened her clothes. She made sure that her hold on the container was solid. Then, after taking a deep, steady breath, she began walking towards Tristan's office.
With her end goal in sight, she should have reached the office in no time at all. But she had not even taken three steps before she was suddenly stopped by an unwelcome hand on her upper arm. "Well now, what is a pretty little thing like you doing here? I have never seen you around before and judging from your dress code,
You don't work here. So how is it that you have managed to make it all the way to the top floor?"
Despite not having wanted to be caught, Ariel had been rehearsing excuses that she would give during her walk up the stairs. But facing the stranger, every single thing that she had planned to say just vanished, her mind going blank. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, but nothing would come out.
Staring at the cold blue eyes, Ariel realized that she was not suddenly mute because she was nervous. She was actually scared. The uncomfortable feeling churning in her gut was fear.
That startled her, she was not one to scare easy. Only one other person had ever made her feel terrified upon meeting them the first time, and that had been madam Mo. Who was this man and why did he make Ariel to wrench her arm out of his grasp and then scrub at the skin until it was peeling? She tried to pull away but he would not let go.
He looked her up and down and there was something in that look that she did not like at all. Once again, Ariel tried to pull her arm way. This time using more force. Instead of releasing her his grip tightened in a way that threatened to leave bruises.
"Let me go," She told him, her voice firm. But the unwelcome stranger simply gave her a vicious smirk.
"And just why would I do that? You were sneaking in, weren't you? Do you know what we do to trespassers around here?" Whoever the man was, he was familiar enough with the place to know who should and should not have been on the CEO's floor. Ariel was in a world of trouble.
"Come with me," He said, but it sounded more like if she nodded, she would be sealing her doom.
"No, I'm here to see someone," Ariel hissed, her teeth grinding together. Something told her that if she let the man take her to an area that she was unfamiliar with.
Most likely the police would be fishing bits of her out of various rivers. She might have been exaggerating, but that was the feeling that she got from him. And she was not about to ignore such a firm warning from her gut.
"Do not lie to me. With those clothes, there is no way anybody let you past the first floor," He leaned in closer and Ariel leaned back, trying to get away, but his grip was just too strong. Finally deciding to stop playing nice, she shifted her feet. If he persisted, she was going to knee him in the balls.
"Let me go," She told him one more time. But the man seemed to think she was kidding.
"Or else what?" He asked.
"Or else I'll-"
"Ariel?"
The new voice was as cold as a winter storm.
But it made Ariel eel all types of warm inside, especially when she turned back to where she had come in, and found Tristan Asher glaring daggers at her companion.