Novel Sweet
Chapter 30
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“Don’t worry, Mommy. Hakuna Matata.”
This sentence kept playing in Marissa’s mind when Alex told her last night. Though she spent the Sunday enjoying herself with kids, but Hakuna Matata kept disturbing the peace of her mind.
The next day, when she reached the office to submit the final menu list, her caterer friends were already there near the reception counter.
“If they pay us well, that doesn’t mean we must wait here every morning. Either they let us decide the menu at our homes and if they want us to arrive here daily then we should be given proper employee cards.” Marissa stated. She didn’t want to throw a tantrum, but this attitude was not justified.
“Listen, lady,” a woman who was wearing a pencil skirt along with three–inch pencil heels approached them, “You are standing inside the prestigious building of MSin and here we don’t encourage bullying.”
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She eyed Marissa with a sarcastic smirk as if Marissa was just a mere insect. Marissa might not be dressed formally but looked beautiful in her beige pants and a
black button–down shirt.
“And may I know, who is bullying here? I’m just asking you to issue us some kind of card that can allow us to enter the VIP elevator,” Marissa kept her calm.
“Are you out of your mind?” the woman took off her branded glasses and observed the participants, “Cards are only issued to the employees. We don’t issue cards to any contractors. Secondly,” She placed her index finger on her lips, “nobody is allowed to get to the VIP elevators,” She then looked behind Marissa where the
receptionist was trying to tell her something.
“What!” she snapped.
All of them turned around to face the receptionist who dropped her hands by her sides, “They are indeed right. All of them are reporting directly to Mr. Joseph,” an apologetic smile touched the receptionist’s lips, “I’m sorry for giving you all the trouble. I left my seat for a few minutes, and this happened.”
Kate turned to the rude lady and snapped her fingers,
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“Now you listen, lady! See? I don’t know who you are. But you know nothing and still decided to poke your nose in our business.”
For the first time, Marissa liked Kate. Being fierce for such reasons was never a problem for her. At least she was raising her voice against wrong.
Several lines appeared on the rude woman’s forehead, “Stop calling me lady. My name is Mala and I’m from the HR department. A recruitment coordinator.”
Funny! Because just a few moments back she called Marissa ‘lady‘.
She turned to the receptionist and tapped her finger on the counter, “You need to check it. A contractor is not allowed to approach the VIP floor,” She then looked over her shoulder and spoke to Shan Chin, “What is the nature of your job? Is it something construction related to the offices? Because I don’t have anything in my file,” She started flipping pages her dossier.
Shang Chi nodded with an embarrassing smile, “Ms. Mala. We all are caterers and are supposed to participate in the main event that’s taking place in
of
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honor of the CEO.”
This time Mala’s smile deepened, “Caterers!” she started laughing, “Caterers on the VIP floor? Ha–ha.” She wanted to roll on the floor with mirth.
“What’s so funny about it?” Marissa demanded the
woman.
“The funny thing is…” she hiccupped in between, “the event is for our president. Do you think we’ll want to involve him as a host when he is the chief guest?”
Her point carried weight, but now it was making
Marissa exhausted.
“If the VIP floor is not for us then maybe take us to our floor where we can work,” Kate passed her a glare, but Marissa was not here to be a VIP but to work.
For her, it didn’t matter what place it was. But respect
mattered to her.
Mala nodded, “You all just sit on that couch. I’ll ask the concerned department to issue you contractor cards. That can give you immediate access to YOUR floor.”
Marissa held Shan Chi’s hand to walk to the said couch. Delinda and Kate followed them silently.
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The woman whose name was Mala was making funny faces and was still giving them eye rolls.
She was having some secret argument with the receptionist.
“This is quite insulting for me,” Delinda said with a sigh, “Like you people, I joined this profession because I loved cooking and had a passion for arranging events. MSin was paying good, and that was the reason I
agreed to work with them. I don’t know why they want us to sit here and chat when we can submit the
required menus within a few days.”
This was the same point Sophia tried to convey to Marissa yesterday.
“If that’s the case,” Shang Chi spoke in a hushed tone, “then I think we should talk to them.”
“Oh, please,” Kate bobbed her head in annoyance, “Better speak for yourself. I’m happy to come here daily and get a chance to sit with Dean or Mr. Joseph. I might get a chance to talk to the panty dropping president. The pay is good! You, see?”
Mala had left the reception area and now they were sitting on the couch trying to suppress their yawns for
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God knew how long.
“Am I allowed to lie here?” Delinda asked no one in
particular but everyone started laughing including
Marissa.
“Guys,” Marissa whispered while eyeing the
receptionist who was busy taking calls and typing on her computer, “what if we race to the VIP elevator?”
The rest of them straightened with their eyes darting between the reception and the elevator.
“Why?” Kate hissed, “Are you forgetting the guard who is standing in front of that elevator?” she couldn’t forget the insult she had to face from the tall man.
“What if we try? Like… let’s not run… but… walk a little casually to the elevator and see if the guard will stop us. If he does, then we’ll say sorry and turn around to
ass here!”
ee our
Delinda started laughing at her idea, “You people are naughty…” She chewed her lower lip between her teeth and blinked her eyes,
“OK. Let’s try that.” She was the first one to stand from the couch. Others followed her and all of them looked
at the busy recentionist.
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Nobody was even looking their way. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
“Come. Let’s go. Paste a smile on your face,” Marissa said through her gritted teeth, and they all started walking to the elevator.
“Talk to each other. Make it look natural,” Marissa said
good naturedly and turned to Shan Chi to say something.
They all were almost near the elevator when they heard a loud male voice, “Stop! Where do you think you are going?”
They not only stopped walking but also stopped breathing too…
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