Meeting Mr. Mogul (Book 1 of Mr. Mogul series)

Five

"What is wrong with you? You don't have the right to make a scene like in my restaurant!" he snapped as he walked towards me.

"Just because you're the boss does not mean you can treat me however you want!" I countered furiously, jumping up from my seat.

"I didn't make a scene when I fired you. You should be grateful I hadn't humiliated you in there," he stated, practically spitting the words at me.

"Oh, sure! Because firing someone in the middle of work is much less embarrassing," I said sarcastically.

"Stop being so snarky," he interjected, snorting as he shook his head in disbelief. "This kind of behavior only shows how unrefined you are. You lower class people are so opinionated and rude."

"Oh! And you think your kind is any better? You are full of yourself. You think you have the world in your grasp. Well, news flash! You wouldn't be on top without us unrefined, lower-class people getting you there!"

He opened his mouth to reply then closed it again. He took an unsteady step backward from where he stood, looking dumbfounded. I stared him down and mustered some confidence as I took a step closer to him before replying.

"You might own most of the city, Mr. Maxwell, but you can never own a person's free will."

I'm glad the bus arrived right after I said those words. I didn't wait for his reply or reaction and just hopped in. When I was seated, it was like this smog of contempt was lifted and I could breathe again. For a moment, as the bus drove away, I saw a glimpse of his figure. He stood as still as a statue, but his eyes looked unsettled.

~~~~

When I finally got back to Terry's apartment, I simply crashed on the couch face down. The adrenaline rush from being fired by Mr. Mogul kept me going, but once that ran out, I succumbed to the exhaustion and finally gave in to some much-needed rest.

I didn't realize I fell asleep until I heard someone barge through the door open and call out my name. Once my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I recognized Terry.

"Andy! What were you thinking?" he asked, fascinated and horrified.

I blinked my eyes a couple of times and stretched my stiff body. I slowly sat up on the couch and yawned. "He asked for it," I replied, my voice slurry from grogginess.

"I can't believe you just did that to William Maxwell!"

"Yeah. Don't remind me," I mumbled in disinterest, rubbing my face sleepily.

"Why the hell did you do that?"

I looked at him pointedly.

"Right. The man was a douchebag," he said empathetically. "It was an awesome exit, though."

"Why, thank you." I bowed my head in acknowledgment, my lips twitching into a smile.

Terry burst into laughter, prompting me to giggle with him.

~~~~

Later on, I went to my second job though I was unsure if I still had it since Mr. Mogul also owned it. Terry showed support by accompanying me to the club.

I felt a slight chill as I marched towards the bar. When Jack saw me approaching, he gave a little wave. I took it as a good sign and continued to walk towards him.

"Hey. I need a hand with these orders."

I smiled to myself, relieved to know I still had this job. "I'll get right on it," I replied with a nod.