Lavender [3]: NEW THREAD LINK POSTED - Page 12

Chapter 44: Utterly Empty

[Ladies, I wrote half of this chapter half-asleep and the other in a rush. I have not had time to proof it and likely won't for some time, so don't be alarmed if things change (drastically) after I proof it]

The door opened without knocking and he looked up in annoyance.

Then heard the click of the heels that he knew so well and he leaned back in the chair and crossed one leg over the other.

This should be interesting.

Ah, she was wearing one of those dresses that she used to parade around the office in way back. He thought she had retired them fully when she got married. It was good to know that she still had them. It was her power-suit, so to speak. She was one of those women who knew that her body was just as powerful as her mind. And she took her care of it, twin pregnancies and all... and given that she was here early this morning so soon after her friend's resignation, he could only imagine that she had come to wage war. He leaned over slightly and... ah, yes, they were the purple 4-inch heels... that was what he had dubbed Lavanya's H-bomb. She only used it in the most dire of circumstances and then men were typically silly putty. Whatever she wanted, she got. She had always been on his side when she had worn them before; it was the first time that he was going to be at the receiving end of the purple heels.

He balanced his elbows on the rests of the chair before crossing his fingers at his waist before pushing his rolling leather chair back from the table.

"This should be good." He told her as he looked up and cocked an eyebrow.

She threw her bag on the couch at the other end of the room before coming back to his table.

She looked at him for a solid moment – she was one of the few women he had met who could hold his gaze; it had taken her about two years to not look away, but she had finally managed it – and returned her gaze in kind, tilting his head now, as he asked, "Can I help you?"

"Have you been sniffing aerosol cans, Raizada?? What the f**k is wrong with you?"

He sighed and shrugged before he said, "If I were to sniff something, it sure as hell wouldn't be an aerosol can like some broke teenager!"

"Ohhh..." she held up a hand and blinked her eyes in disbelief. "Are you seriously joking right now? This is the time you discover that you have a funny bone?"

He raised his eyebrows and stared at her for a moment. "I take it that you heard that she resigned?"

"Come again?" she said, dropping her hand and her attitude.

He looked at her in confusion. "She quit. Last night. Because I wouldn't approve her last-minute request for a two-week leave. Isn't that why you are here?"

"She quit? Khushi quit?"

"She didn't tell you?" He asked her, looking at her in surprise.

She appeared confused and shook her head absently. "No, she... I got angry with her last night and left her place. I haven't talked to since."

Only Lavanya would get angry with someone and then show up to wage a battle for that same someone!

"Why did you get angry with her?" He asked and that seemed to bring her attention back to him.

"Because..." She collected herself then and drew back as she crossed her arms across her waist. "That's between her and me."

"Ah, I see that you are familiar with that concept of wanting other people to stay out of your business."

"If you want people to stay out of your business, Arnav, don't start seducing your employees. It reeks of tabloid trash. You're an educated man. Our laws against sexual harassment at workplace may not be as stringent as other countries, but it would really suck if you were the one to change all that."

Ah... she knew just where to hit.

"Sexual harassment implies some question of consent, Lavanya. Whatever happened between her and me – and believe me, it is very much in the past tense now – there has been no question of any use of coercion or force. And I really don't think she told you anything otherwise."

"Coersion can come in many forms, Mr. Raizada. In this workplace, as long as you are her employer, you wield some power over her. Whatever her consent status maybe, there can always been a case made for you abusing your power."

"Fine. Sue me. Go ahead." He slapped his arms against his knees before unfolding his legs and pulling himself up to his desk to reopen his laptop.

She looked at him in disbelief once again before she spoke.

"Are you seriously this much of an ass? Honestly? You tell me she quit without batting an eyelash. The same woman who has been working for you for the past 8 years! The same woman that you have been sniffing around like a dog that needs to be neutered?"

"Careful, now..." he said, his tone frosty. "I allow you a certain degree of liberty more than others. Don't abuse it."

"Is that what happened with her, Arnav? She allowed you a certain degree of liberty and you abused it?" she said, too emotional to pay heed to his warning.

He finally got up from his chair and walked around the table. He saw her back off. He leaned against the table and crossed his arms at his waist.

"What do you want me to do Lavanya? I admit it, it was a mistake and one that should have never happened. And nothing has happened, in fact, for the past two months. I have no say in her decision to quit. I do not approve the leave of any employees who ask me the day before to grant it, and that too via email, unless of course there is a death in the family or some similarly extenuating circumstances. And if she thinks that she can take such liberties with me because I lost my head, then that is certainly setting a bad precedent going forward. She did warn me, don't get me wrong. I just didn't think she would be the weak sort. But what has happened has happened. And we all have to move forward. And maybe it's better if she no longer worked here. She would have no difficulty finding a job elsewhere. She has a good work-ethic and she is smart. And she is pretty, that's going to give her some pointers as well." When she looked like she was going to interrupt then, he put his hands up, "Don't... don't even try! You would not be dressed like that for this meeting if you were not aware that it wouldn't have some impact. I don't know why people get up in arms about it. Whatever you have, use it to you advantage. But that is neither here, nor there."

He stopped for a moment and when she looked at him without saying anything else, he walked back to his chair.

"If we are done here?" he asked as he sat down.

"I had always pitied those women you dated, do you know? When you would have me pick out their jewelry and their flowers and all that, I pitied them, because they didn't know the worth of a good man and had to settle for someone like you. But now, I only pity you Arnav. At least they got something out of it, while you just remain utterly empty."

And with that, she grabbed her bag and walked out.

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