TEST DRIVE: A Night of Forbidden Desire

Vonda had never experienced a Monday morning as exhausting as that one.

“Oh God. Thanks to what happened last night, I spent the weekend feeling down. Weekends are supposed to be for refreshing the mind, but it ended up stressing my soul.”

Vonda got out of the taxi after paying the driver. She walked with a weary gait, making her way towards Sarah, who stood impatiently in the office building’s courtyard.

“Vonda!”

Vonda raised one hand listlessly and winced as she spoke. “Please, Sarah. Don’t start gossiping about celebrities just yet. I’m completely drained right now.”

“Wait, Von. A-”

“I’m under so much pressure, Sarah. Let alone taking sudden leave, I just remembered that this morning we have a new person joining to fill the vacant department head position,” Vonda interrupted, walking inside.

Sarah followed closely, trying to interject, but she always failed.

“I thought the Development and Planning Department was cursed or something?” Vonda rambled. “The person from Mr. Bell’s team is now on the police wanted list for premeditated murder. I ended up getting interrogated by the police for days, and it affected the projects that had to be postponed. Again.”

Sarah nodded in understanding. She continued to try to speak, but Vonda kept on talking.

“Then, just as I was about to start working, the employee who handled the proposal actually resigned. And …,” Vonda grimaced.

Glek!

Sarah tried to comfort her friend, gently patting her shoulders with a stiff smile at some people nearby, who were also waiting for the elevator.

“Sorry … it’s a habit. Anne Hathaway’s acting really gets the audience to feel sad too,” Sarah whispered to Vonda. “Please, Von. Don’t go crazy again.”

The elevator opened, and Vonda hurriedly stepped in with Sarah. Inside, she stared in surprise as other employees did not follow them in.

“We’ll wait for the next elevator,” one of the employees said.

Blinking, Sarah quickly closed the elevator door.

“Do you know what happened that night, Sarah?” Vonda asked, still grimacing.

Sarah swallowed hard but did not dare say anything. She waited for Vonda to continue.

“I never thought I would end up sleeping with a stranger, Sarah. Oh my God. I felt like some kind of girl who … was so easily test-driven on the side of the road.”

Sarah tried to suppress her giggles. She should feel sad, but for some reason, she found Vonda’s story amusing.

Vonda grinned in Sarah’s embrace. “I’m really going crazy, Sarah.”

“I know you’re crazy, Von.”

“What’s going to happen to my life next, Sarah?”

“The important thing is, you should always remember, Von,” Sarah said reassuringly. “Crazy people are still worthy of living.”

Vonda chuckled, and the elevator door opened. She opened her eyes and noticed which floor they had stopped on-their department.

Sarah took a deep breath. “You go to your office first. Today, you have to welcome the new department head, right?”

Vonda nodded. “After that, let’s go, Sar?”

“Okay,” Sarah replied with a wise nod. “Then I’ll have Lily taken care of by her dad. So, her mom can have some fun. Hihihi.”

Vonda grinned. “This isn’t the right time for you to show off your happy family to me, Sarah.”

Sarah chuckled while Vonda stepped out of the elevator. She walked with weary steps, ignoring several employees passing by, and headed straight to her office, which was located next to the department head’s office.

From the large main door, Vonda entered and went to her desk. Briefly, she looked towards another door leading to a room that had been empty for over two months since its occupant had reportedly fled from the police.

Vonda sat down and checked the time on her watch, realizing it was time for her to go to the department meeting room. She took a moment to check her appearance in the mirror, ensuring her makeup and outfit looked neat before leaving.

Vonda’s feet took her to the meeting room. From outside, she could hear the commotion inside, indicating that company personnel, including the HR department, were already present.

She pressed the door leaf and entered, offering morning greetings and polite smiles to everyone she met inside.

“Finally, Von. Your tough times will be over soon,” said Simon Johnson, an HR employee, as Vonda pulled a chair and smiled back at him.

“I’m really grateful, Sir. To be honest, I feel like I can’t handle all the problems I’m facing anymore.”

“Hahaha.” Simon laughed. “Don’t worry. I guarantee that when you see who’s coming to fill the department head position, all your problems will surely disappear.”Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

Vonda glanced lazily at Simon, and he continued speaking.

“He’s still young and is related to the CEO. I heard he’s handsome, you know.”

“Oh.”

Vonda just uttered that single word weakly. Honestly! She felt like her body had no more energy. Even the words ‘handsome guy,’ which usually excited her, suddenly held no interest that morning. She was truly in a phase of life with no enthusiasm.

The whispers stopped when the meeting room door opened. Simon nudged Vonda briefly, signaling her to stand up.

Vonda got up, and a few people walked in. Feeling important in the new department head’s reception, Vonda stepped forward, positioning herself correctly as the four newcomers stood in front.

She observed each of them, one by one, until her gaze met the face that felt both strange and familiar.

Two pairs of eyes locked. In a split second, the two pairs of eyes widened. Their hands simultaneously rose as they both exclaimed in disbelief.

“You?”

“You?”

*