You make me smile :)

CHAPTER-15: A crazy day

Sam was in a hurry, she had a meeting to crash and steal the other company's clients. She wore her typical boring black and white business suit, tied her hair clumsily in a bun and left home with an apple in one hand and her car keys in the other.

She bought a cappuccino on her way to office and was sipping it slowly while driving as fast as she could until the inevitable mistake happened. Sam had spilled her $20 coffee on her $2000 suit. She didn't even take notice of the stain on her sparkly white shirt. She reached her destination within minutes.

In front of her was a huge skyscraper which read 'Vanderbilt Industries'. She flashed her entry pass which she had managed to get from the parking lot where it seemed to have fallen from the pockets of one of the employees.

Her plan was simple and keeping in mind how she managed to get into the building, she was confident that everything was going to work out. She had thought of posing as a random client of the Vanderbilt Industries who would break into the board meeting, utter some dissatisfactory things about the services that have been provided to her and convince the client that association with the Vanderbilt name is a very bad idea.

She found the boardroom in seconds as the structure of this building was pretty much the same as her company's building. She told the guards that she was a board member and would sue them if they wouldn't let her in. She got in! Everything was so easy!

The huge boardroom door opened, breaking the silence in the room as a lot of paperwork was being done.

"Greetings gentlemen!" she said after clearing her voice.

"The Vanderbilt industry is a very trusted one and I know this by my own experience. But ever since Mr John Vanderbilt has left his chair to his 'not-so-rightful' heir, Vanderbilt Junior, things have never looked up!" she said in a voice full of grief.

The board members were shocked to see somebody break in like this and tarnish their name in front of one of their most important clients.

"Excuse me Miss? Do I know you? How did you get in?" asked the furious yet undeniably handsome man who stood up from his luxurious chair to confront Sam.

"Mr Vanderbilt, I am a client of yours and a very furious one at that! I bet your father would have never let things go so bad in his own industry, would he?" asked Sam, looking towards Mr John V's full size photograph, which took up almost a full wall.

"What are you talking about? Guards! Show her the exit please!" shouted the man, unmoved by what she just said to him.

"No. Michael! Lets just hear her out. Miss? asked one of the worried clients, sitting up straight in his chair to hear her out.

"Isobel Shawn. " said Sam, smiling and brooding at the same time.

"I think there's been some huge misunderstanding here." she heard one of the board members sitting to the right of Michael.

"Alex?" said Sam, shocked to see him in a room full of businessmen. She was cursing herself for recognising him. Luck just wasn't on her side!

"Miss Isobel, why don't you come with me to my office? I will make sure that all your demands are fulfilled and that you are heavily compensated for your loss." said Alex, getting up from his chair and holding Sam by the shoulder while walking out of the boardroom.

"Please continue, gentlemen!" were his words before leaving with Sam.

He took her to his office which was as swanky as her own and offered her a glass of water which she obviously refused to drink.

"What are you doing here?" said the two of them to each other, only with a huge difference of tones. Sam was shocked to see Alex while he was glad to see her, but was a little confused as to what she was doing in the boardroom.

"I work here. Mike is my business partner." said Alex

"You mean junior V. is your business buddy? I thought you painted for a living!" scorned Sam, giving Alex some pretty hateful stares.

"Ouch! That hurt! Coming from someone like you, moreover. You think I can seriously do nothing better than just paint for a living?" said Alex, sounding hurt.

"I didn't mean that" said Sam, feeling bad for being so mean to the nicest guy ever!

"You've spilled something on your shirt" he said, trying to figure out what it was.

Sam was shocked to see that huge brown patch on her perfectly white shirt.

"I just went into a boardroom full of elite businessmen with coffee spilled on my suit! Gosh! How could I be such an idiot?" shouted Sam as she walked to and fro in the room like a pendulum.

"You should sit down, you look...constipated." said Alex, trying to find words to be able to define Sam's condition. But Sam was furious and confused and ashamed. She didn't know how to make things right.

Alex walked towards Sam, who was moving here and there, not knowing how to stop moving. He held her hands, just to slow her down.

"Sam! It's alright. I'm here for you. I promise you that I won't let you get into harms way! I promise!"

His words slowed her down. She seemed more calm and in control. She felt safe and for a moment she thought that he should never leave her side.

"I'm going to get you a change of clothes ok?" he said, while stroking her hair before leaving, to get Sam some clean clothing and save the day.

Sam was sitting on the couch when a woman entered Alex's office. She was a timid, middle aged woman with a faint smile on her face.

"Miss Samantha? Is that you?" asked the woman, her smile, becoming wider.

"Yes" said Sam, not knowing what was going on.

"Mr Krause sent this for you. He is in a meeting right now so he asked me to hand it over to you. I can take you to the ladies room if you want" said the lady, giving a huge package to Sam. 

Sam felt as if all of it was just a dream that was too good to be true. She didn't want to get her hopes attached to some kind of mundane relationship that she and Alex were having which involved only and only staring at each other and then getting lost in each other's eyes. She wanted to have control over herself, which she would often lose around Alex.

"No. Thanks a lot Miss?" said Sam.

"Tiffany, Mr Krause's secretary." smiled the lady as she spoke.

"I'll see myself out" said Sam as she left the package on Alex's desk and prepared to leave.