His Harmless Predator

He hurriedly stumbled out of the taxi and patted his dark blue suit that fit his body perfectly, coughing a bit from the smoke that came from the vehicle as it sped off. It was a hot day and if he didn't get in the air-conditioned building fast, he'll be like a snowman slowly melting under the intense heat. Briefcase in hand as he pushed up his glasses, brushing his soft black fluffy hair.

The 22-year-old lad entered the building with his usual cheery smile that always lit up the others' days.

"Good morning boss! Nice suit." Lay, one of the employees who were in charge in the marketing section greeted him as he waved back.

"Lay, how many times do I have to tell you to call me by my name? It isn't hard to pronounce, is it?" He asked the blue-eyed lad. Lay held up his hands in defense and chuckled, " Alright, sorry Sam." Sam laughed back and proceeded to the elevator. The door was about to close when a hand stopped it.

Sam looked to see who it is and smiled at the person.

"Oh you're here, just in time. I was about to put these files on your desk, you're coffee is already there and I'll narrate your schedule for today while you're having your coffee."

"Thanks Jester, you always know what to do." He smiled as the elevator started to go upwards. Jester looked back at him, " I'm just doing my job Sammy, no need to thank me." He ruffled Sam's hair, earning a soft giggle from the other.

Still, anyways have you had breakfast yet? What about the others?" Sam replied as the elevator dinged, signalling they were on the top floor where his and Jester's, his secretary's, office are.

Jester smiled at Sam who got in the the double doors first, leaving it open for Jester to enter. He always admired how Sam always cared for others despite any occasion. He even once stopped an important meeting when he observed that one of the board members turned more pale than usual.

He always cared when others didn't.

That was one of the reasons why all of his employees loved him. That was one of the reasons why BREE Magazine is on the top charts.

"I already asked everyone, knowing you would want to know and yes they all have." They were both inside the large office. A large rectangular table with glass on top sat in the middle with a maroon leather chair behind it. Sofas were neatly placed on each side infront of the table and there were indoor plants here and there. A mini fridge sat by a door leading to a bathroom.One side of the walls were glass, giving a fantastic view of the city since it was the top floor of one of the highest buildings in the country. When Sam felt exposed, he'd press a button and the glass walls would be covered.

"That's good. So, what's on the line for me today?" He said as he sipped from his coffee that went a little colder. They both sat down, Sam on the leather chair and Jester on the sofa. Jester opened up his notepad and took out his pen, pointing at his boss' schedule one by one.

"You'll have a meeting with one of Laroxe's fashion designers at 9 am sharp. I had a chat with her once, and damn, that woman is so full of herself!" Jester waved his arms in the air, explaining how the woman was boisterous and too confident.

"Calm down, maybe she's gone through a lot and is just proud of what she's become." He replied with a soft voice and took another sip from the cup.

"Yeah right, she's too proud for her own good." Sam snorted at Jester's immaturity and signaled for him to continue. "After that, you'll be here in your office signing all those papers because the printing department needs confirmation. Some of those are for the articles. I scanned them already, nothing fake or illegal. They need it before 2 in the afternoon. Next, of course you'll have your lunch break. Then finally at 3 pm, a board meeting with all the heads of every department for our next release. Unfortunately, your father will be there. He said he wanted to see how his son handles things."

Sam sighed and leaned back, closing his eyes. " I took half of the papers so I could help you, so don't go suing me for imitating your signature!" Sam chuckled and muttered another 'thank you' as Jester waved goodbye and went out of the doors and onto his own mini office.

Sam placed a thick folder in front of him, opened it and began signing as a soft instrumental music blared through the whole building.

He sighed. It had always been like this, nothing new. The employees knew about his situation and understood his actions. They knew what's behind that bright smile, but never mentioned it in front of Sam since the lad had shown a different kind of love for the company and its employees and they didn't want to lose him. To them, he was the best boss they could ever have. He was totally different from others. He would always smile, ask if you're okay and such that can make your heart warm. He makes them feel like they deserve to be loved. Nobody dared to betray him, not because he was your typical hot-headed boss, but because he's your overly-caring boss.

He was so close with his employees that he lets them call him by his nickname. Luckily for him, they respect him back and not abuse his affection for the company.

"Ah, shit." In the middle of signing, his hand and fingers began to hurt. He cracked his knuckles, feeling relieved. He stood up and went to the glass doors, observing the scene below as he put his hands in his pockets.

'This is what you get for not loving your job. You easily get tired'

He remembered Jester's dialogue that happened last month when he was doing the same thing. He wouldn't deny that his secretary was right. You easily get tired at a job you don't like.

Its not that Sam hates the company. He loves the company and the people around it, but being a CEO is not his cup of coffee. He never once dreamed or even thought about handling a company, let alone his own family's company. He had other choices that he enjoyed. He's not an office kind of guy, he's more like someone you'd see in an art gallery or studio holding a paintbrush and a canvass.

He had other dreams that had to be forcefully put on hold because of his responsibilities, as a head of the company, that his father forced him to have. Even though he didn't like how his father expected him to be, he stayed quiet. It had always been his first goal to make his father proud, but after five years (and counting) of making BREE Magazine the top magazine company in the country, the old man didn't seem convinced or even proud of his son. Sam tried everything but to no avail, Mr. Derek Darlington still didn't seem fazed.

He sat back down and continued signing the papers. A knock was heard and the doors slowly opened revealing Jester with a clipboard and a pen in hand.

"Let's go Sam, the Laroxe woman is almost here." Humor could be heard in his tone as he motioned Sam to follow him. Sam creased his eyebrows, "It's 9 already? Damn, I didn't notice."

They went down a few floors, Sam earning some greetings here and there as he displayed his usual smile. They stopped in front of an oak door and Jester opened it revealing the meeting room. It had a long table and a few chairs that looked very expensive. A few people stood there and greeted him as he sat at the head of the table with Jester standing behind him.

"Oh my, why is it so hot in here! My make-up is going to melt! Can't you turn on the ai-rconditioner higher? You're rich, I think you can handle a few more zeroes in your electric bills." A high-pitched voice boomed inside the room as a woman dressed in a rather confusing blue dress that had feathers on the shoulders entered the meeting hall. Jester snorted rather loudly and Sam hid his amusement with a smile as he smacked his secretary's arm lightly, makig the other pout.

"You must be Ms. Veronica Hales, I'm Samuel Darlington, CEO of BREE Magazine. It's a pleasure to meet you ." Sam held out his hand, expecting it to be shaken but the woman just stared at it and showed him a disgusted look.

"Sorry sweetie, but I don't do those hand-shaking things. My hands are too precious for a man to hold it!" She said as she sat down a chair, not before brushing the non-existent dust from it.

Jester leaned down to Sam's ear and whispered, " See? Told you she was over-confident.." Sam internally laughed and straightened his posture as he faced the caked-up woman.

"So Ms. Hales, what can we do for you?" He asked professionaly as Hales crossed her legs and began ranting.

After two hours, their meeting was over. Turns out, Laroxe wanted its newest designs to be featured in next week's magazine launching. The designs were for males and they wanted to use BREE's models for it. They were supposed to pay in three days but Hales already payed in advance, not forgetting to mention that the company doesn't need to worry about payments from her because she 'Has a decent job and a lot of green bills.'

Sam ate lunch with Jester as they discussed about future events. Sam couldn't help but think about how his friend would've been a better leader than he is. It isn't that Sam was degrading himself, but because he saw the passion in the lad's eyes.

Fortunately, they finished signing all the papers and sent it back in time. Sam grew nervous and determined at the same time as the clock tinged, showing that it was time for the board meeting.

When they got there, Jester told him that his mother called, saying that his father wasn't feeling well so he wasn't able to come.

Somehow, Sam released air he didn't notice he was holding. He then put up that same smile and began the meeting, making sure that they had snacks inside as to not bore the others.

He got home by a taxi at night, not forgetting to greet the driver.

Sam lied on the large bed, slowly drifting to sleep as he ignored his trembling hands, aching for that familiar paint brush just a few rooms far.