The Girl Who Woke Up

Chapter 5 First Day Out

Clint just finished taking a shower and was ready to sleep, when he heard a shattering sound downstairs. He hurriedly went out and switched on the lights. Looking around, he walked to the kitchen. Before he could reach the kitchen, he saw Cristine turning her back at him. He walked near her and Cristine squatted down to pick up the shards. Clint hurriedly grabbed her arm and pulled her to stand. Cristine was surprised by the sudden pull and felt pain on her wrist that was grasped.

Facing Clint, she couldn't look at him in the eye. "I'm sorry. I...", Cristine apologized. She continued to look at the floor. Clint let go of her arm and started to clean the shards. "I'll clean this one". Cristine watched him until he finished cleaning the mess. Cristine still couldn't look at Clint and kept looking everywhere but not landing a gaze on him. Clint, thinking that she was feeling guilty for the mess, consoled her, "Don't worry about it. If you're done with what you want to do, go back to sleep." After saying those words, he went back to his room.

Cristine finally can breathe a sigh of relief. Cristine felt her cheeks getting warm and she placed her palms on both sides cupping her own face. Feeling embarrassed, she shook her head and hit her cheek.

"Is he crazy?", Cristine muttered to her own self. "How could he just come out like that?" Suddenly, Clint walking towards her flashed again in her mind. Clint was wearing a silk pajama and because it is summer, he was wearing a thin one. The piece of cloth was too thin and seemed to just droop on his body tracing his muscles and curves. He looked so sexy in his pajamas. She always saw actors on television with great bodies flexing their bare upper body but this is the first time she saw someone with such a great body in reality. Cristine hit her cheeks again and ran back to her room, rolled on her bed, and shrieked between her pillows. She was too embarrassed witnessing such view. He wasn't even naked so how much more if he was.

Clint on the other room, not knowing what were Cristine's thoughts, sat on his bed and pondered deeply. Did he grab her with too much force? Maybe he did. He shouldn't have grabbed her. Cristine couldn't even look at him. Maybe she was scared. Is she scared? He shouldn't have gone out... And just like that, Clint spent his entire night thinking if he had done something wrong for Cristine not to spare him a look.

Clint woke up in the morning and went to work early. He sat on his seat and looked at the sales report of their new summer outfits. The more he turned the pages, the more his face looked darker. The people seating in front of him keep stealing glances at him and seeing that a dark air surrounded him, they couldn't help but shiver.

After reading the report, Clint threw the papers on the table and a crisp 'pang' was heard all over the room. "Explain", he said in a soft but powerful voice. His eyes swept around the room and landed on an employee. The employee felt those eyes landing on him and couldn't help but shake all over. He stood and explained, "The summer outfits are not selling well because our rival has also launched their summer designs and they were all better than ours. We planned to target ages 15-25 but most people tend to buy our rival's clothes as they suit a wide range of ages. Even old people buy their clothes." After speaking, the employee, looked at Clint to see his reaction. Clint leaned back on the chair and appeared to be thinking.

"Research on the current trends on the fashion preferences of different ages. After that, give them to our designers to plan on our new release. I want drafts of the designs next week", Clint commanded. The employees looked at each other with doubts and complaints. "Is there a problem?", Clint asked.

"None, Sir", all the employees coherently answered.

"Meeting adjourned". Clint stood from his seat, straightened his suit, then proceeded to leave.

"He is giving us four days to do all of those things. Is he crazy?", one employee complained.

"Shhh. He might hear you", the employee next to her warned. "It's better to do what he says than be fired. Didn't you hear? Paul was fired last week for miscalculated sales. President doesn't give second chances so we better do what he told us to do. I still have a family to feed. I can't afford getting fired."