Paradeisia: Origin of Paradise by B.C.CHASE Read Free Book Online Page B

returned to her seat.  Now, the phone in her lap buzzed.  The screen said “He nry Potter.”  She answered it, “Hello?”
    His sharp voice came on the other end, “When I call you, it's not because I want to gossip.  It's because I need you here, now.  In the future, don't bother answering, just get over here.  Is that understood?”
    “Yes, sorry, yes.”
    “And I'm certain Maggie would have explained this to you.”
    She was silent.  Aubrey wasn't sure if this was a question or a statement.
    “Didn't she?”
    “Yes, she didn't.  I mean no, she did.  She did.”  She waited for a response, feeling foolish.
    The response that came from him verbalized her feeling:
    “Idiot.”
    And the call ended.
     
    After she recovered from the shock of the call, Aubrey was mad.  She was just mad.  Maggie had manipulated her into this job and now she was trapped on a plane with a new boss who was clearly a British jerk.  And, to make things worse, she didn't even know where the plane was going!  She decided she would find out.  But first, she was going to give this Henry Potter a piece of her mind.
     
    She swung open the door to his office.  And immediately all her bravado disappeared.  She couldn't explain it, but just something about the man standing there behind his desk disarmed her.  It could have been his suit.  It could have been the lavishness of his office.  It could have been something within her that longed for approval; but whatever it was, she froze.
    Henry shook his head impatiently and said, “Okay...here you go again.  What does one typically do when entering a room?”
    Aubrey's head spun.  She couldn't think.  What had she done wrong now?
    “Merciful heavens.  What rock did Maggie find you under?  Aubrey: one knocks.  So go out and knock on the door.”  Henry was rubbing his temple in exasperation.
    Aubrey backed out, feeling dismayed, absurd, and angry all at once.  After the door was closed, she raised her hand and paused.  This was really going to be difficult to do.  But she just couldn't deny this inexplicable urge to please him.  She knocked.
    “Come in.”
    She opened the door and entered.
    “Let's not have a repeat of this lesson, shall we?  Knock next time.”
    “Yes.”
    “Now, I called you here because I don't have time to wait for Maggie to explain how I like things done.  First, we'll go visit the closet so you can familiarize yourself with my mode of dress.  Come along.”
    As he walked past her, Aubrey couldn't believe what she had just heard.  Did he actually say “visit the closet?”
    From the hallway he called, “Do you expect me to whistle at you like a bitch?  Come along!”
     
    He led her to one of the on-jet suites where there was a queen size bed, armchair, and generously sized closet, all surrounded by mahogany walls.  Then he proceeded to elaborate on every facet of his attire, from which suits matched which shirts to what socks he preferred to wear with which shoes (shoes he expected to be polished and at-the-ready all the time).  He had a large a collection of ties, each one especially selected for specific outfits.
    Aubrey knew she wouldn't remember any of this.  She blurted, “I can't remember all this!”
    “Lucky for you, it's all on a chart in your phone,” Henry said.
    They moved on to his toothpastes, mouthwashes and other toiletries, which he expected her to keep in stock.  He had exacting procedures for sanitizing and storing all of his morning accoutrements.
    Then it was his phones.
    He had two phones, each the same exact model.  In the morning, he required the first to be neatly wiped and ready for his use.  Mid-day, he anticipated to switch to another polished , print-free phone.  And in the late afternoon, another.  He demanded that they be wiped, first with Windex and then an isopropyl alcohol solution (to kill any and all microorganisms, he said).
    And so it went.  Every part of his day spelled out, no detail