"M-Mr. Marks?"

That stutter reappeared again. Presumably the spine that stoppered it melted away once she realised her actions. Indeed, the hands that held her notepad and pen were shaking as the adrenaline from making Blaize do something against his will coursed through her veins.

"Um, p-please make sure that Mr. Elliot is s-safe to drive. Did Mr. Dexter go h-home?"

You have liked this post!

Oliver turned as Jeanette said his last-name. He felt almost immediately out of his element again at what she asked of him. He didn't want to make sure Blaize got home, not out of anger but because he wasn't even sure he wanted to go home. Oliver was a bundle of stupid emotions that would only be made worse by being around Blaize for too long. However, he knew it should do the 'right thing' and make sure Blaize could drive home, but he figured he should answer Jeanette first.

"Um..I'm not sure if Mr. Dexter actually went home. I left when my shift was done, I don't know if he is still there," Oliver confessed. As those words left him, Oliver felt even more like dirt. He let his dislike of Mr. Dexter get in the way of being a decent assistant. He was a petty brat, no wonder Blaize didn't listen to him. Who would?

Moving toward Blaize, Oliver wanted to reach out for him but stopped himself.

"Do you want me to drive you back?" Oliver asked him.

You have liked this post!

Jeanette didn't really welcome the news that Mr. Dexter might still be around. Although technically he was supposed to be with Mr. Elliot, the horrible chain that pulled at her neck whenever she wasn't around Richard was tightening, playing into the compulsive drive to see if he needed her for whatever reason. Though, she had the feeling that he might want her to be a listening ear as he ranted about the current situation.

"I-I see .." She closed the door behind her, immediately dashing off to find Richard in case he was still in the building.

Blaize often forgot Oliver could drive; by default, he always drove them to wherever they needed to go, or a taxi brought his assistant to him. He shook his head, rubbing his face yet again.
"No, I'll drive. Just go home; I'm surprised you didn't bludgeon Dick with your coin book if you're saying he might still be around"

You have liked this post!

Richard had glared at the door way for a full minute once Oliver left. There was still work to be done and the office itself was in a bit of a disarray. Clearly Oliver was a poor assistant if he didn't bother to stick around to clean anything up. Frustrated, Richard rose from behind his desk and began to toss scrap piece of paper into a bin. Made notes to himself about what to do and even made a small pile of paperwork for Oliver on the tiny desk. The more work for Oliver the better, so Richard thought.

He didn't slow down as he kept on tossing things about.

~

Oliver nodded in agreement. Blaize was an adult and clearly able to take care of himself and despite the bit of teasing about his coin book Oliver found it difficult to smile.

"I can't wait for this to be over. I want to go back to normal," Oliver said his voice slightly flat as he did his best to avoid sounding how he felt.

"Drive safe okay, I would like to keep you around for awhile," Oliver told him.

You have liked this post!

Jeanette could only stare at the mess that was Oliver's desk, and stare even harder at Richard personally throwing scrap paper away.
"What ... happened?" She dared ask, taking a step inside the office.

-

"I'm not going anywhere" His voice was a little firmer and darker than intended, possibly referring to the talk they had outside the Dean's office.
"You ... get home safe. And eat something that doesn't go in a toaster"

You have liked this post!

Richard turned sharply at the sound of Jeanette's voice but none of his anger softened. Instead it seemed that she was the new target.
"That Marks is a terrible assistant . I don't know how Elliot puts up with him. Left me with this mess and didn't even offer to stay later. Who does that!" Richard ranted pointing to a stack of paper.

"Move those to his desk," He ordered, the goal was to overwhelm Oliver by giving him an abnormal amount of work for the following day.

~

That streak of defiance threatened to rise up in Oliver as he was told to do eat something besides his favorite kind of meals. 'If you wanted me to eat better then invite me to dinner,' He wanted to say but kept his mouth shut. Instead of starting something he'd want to finish in the privacy of a bedroom. Oliver nodded in false-agreement thinking back to what he could eat once he made it home. He hadn't been shopping in a few days and likely nothing in his fridge would be good. He made a mental list to grab a few things on his way home.

You have liked this post!

"Um, I think Mr. Marks is more a field assistant than an office one ..." She dared to offer this insight, before the order to move the papers came from his mouth.
"... " She paused, going over the day with Mr. Elliot. She had breakfast brought to her, she sat down all day talking to him about their work, she had lunch without incident other than getting sharp with an irritated Oliver ... She had a nice day, overall, apart from the uncomfortable beginning.

"... No?"

You have liked this post!

Richard had turned his back toward Jeanette but that single word had his entire body turning back. His eyes narrowed into a glare as he took a moment to look over Jeanette, his gaze dark in the scary sort of way.

"What did you say? In case you've forgotten you are still my assistant after this mess is finished. Don't think that because you get to work with that Elliot brute you actually are anything special. You work for me," He reminded her stepping toward and reaching to grab at her arm, clutching tight to as a physical reminder of his power over her.

You have liked this post!

"I'm-" But the step forward triggered the defence reaction. She immediately stepped back, her hands up at her chest and the muscles in her arms rock-hard against his piercing grip.
She simply stared at him, wide-eyed and terrified, his own face scowling at him in the reflection off her glasses.

"... yes, sir" A small, defeated voice.

You have liked this post!

Richard nodded, accepting the show of respect as he let go of her arm and again pointed to the stack of papers.

"Put those on his desk and lock up. I'm going home," Richard told her before gathering up his things and departing, leaving Jeanette to tend to his office as well as Blaize's.

You have liked this post!

With a leaden stomach, she walked over to Richard's desk, taking a stack of paperwork and place it on Oliver's desk, listening as Richard gathered his belongings and left.

As soon as he did, the burning behind her eyes became too much. Tears welled up, rolling down her cheeks with little effort and splashing on the top page of the stack. A sob spasmed out of her, and she put her hand to her mouth to try and stifle her own sorrow.

It was too much. The moment she finished tidying, she simply slumped to the floor behind Oliver's desk, her back to the drawers so no-one would see her, sobbing as the stress of her defiance and the fear of Richard's reaction overwhelmed her...

You have liked this post!

Oliver had managed to go shopping and get a few half decent things to eat during the rest of the week. Part of him wanted to say it was because he wanted actual food, but deep down Oliver knew it was because Blaize told him to. It was really stupid but Oliver liked the idea of Blaize looking out for him, even if that meant he listened when he was told to get better food.

Having showered already and almost entirely dressed for the day, Oliver stood in the kitchen as he waited for the coffee to finish brewing. He slept alright and was mentally preparing himself to deal with Mr. Dexter but in the meantime he finished off his plate of eggs and toast. Once the coffee finished, Oliver poured himself a cup added his usual cream and sugar, before pouring the rest into a thermos. Buying coffee at the university was starting to dip more into his savings then he'd ever be proud to admit.

Departing from his apartment, Oliver was partially prepared to face the day.

~

Richard finished his breakfast and coffee before heading down to his car. He started the car and gave it a moment to warm up before shifting into reverse and backing out of his newly acquired condo. Richard still hadn't finished unpacking and for a moment he thought about calling on Jeanette to come finish up the last bit of it. A woman's touch would surely bring the place together, plus it left him with more free time.

His car purred along the road as he drove toward the university, looking forward to the look on Oliver's face once he realized how much paper work he had.

You have liked this post!

Jeanette was not long in waking. The insistent strains of Vivaldi's Four Seasons - the Spring movement, naturally - rang through her bedroom and caused her to stir in her white silk bedset. Sleepily tapping off the alarm, she padded through to the bathroom and blearily looked at her own blurred reflection in the dim light.

The dark circles under her eyes were getting darker, even her poor sight could tell. She touched the shaded skin, sighing out of her nose. No amount of cucumber water and fresh cut roses would shift them ...
Getting on with her toilette, she heard the snap of her letterbox being opened and closed. From the thuds on the welcome mat inside her hallway, she guessed perhaps three or four letters. She used to hate getting any at all; they were almost always bills or scary letters telling her to pay her taxes properly. She had settled into a rhythm where everything was paid on time and she didn't need to actually worry ... But anxiety was a creature that didn't like to listen.

Gathering up the letters, she shuffled her pale pink slippers into the kitchen and started to prepare breakfast. Poached eggs, two pieces of toast and marmalade, a milky latte and some pastries she'd picked up the day before after her ... upset.
[i]No, focus, it's breakfast. That's when we relax[/i] She internally scolded herself, sitting down with her meal and looking at the letters. A 'thank you for payment' letter, perfectly fine. A 'remember your billing will change' letter, that she already knew about but gave her some nervous flutters anyway.
The third letter was in a white envelope, and just as flowery as her home décour.

She breathed in, and opened the letter.

Dear Miss Peters,

We are overjoyed to receive more work from Georgina Honeyrose. Our patrons have been very vocal in their support for her work, and we hope you will forward more of it in the future. As such, we have increased the rate of pay for her output, and we have included a list of potential themes ...

Jeanette sighed, chewing on her toast in a distant way as she stared off into the safe haven of her home ...

-

She reached the University just as Richard and Blaize pulled into the parking lot, and tensed on seeing them ...

You have liked this post!

Richard did his best to arrive on time for work, but it seemed that he was cursed to arrive at the same time as Blaize. Richard didn't bother to offer any sort of greeting but did manage to catch Jeanette's attention.

"Miss Peters, come by my office on your lunch hour," He told her simply without any further explanation before he continued to his office. Richard didn't even bother to look at Blaize, preferring to ignore the man.

Meanwhile Oliver covered the last bit of distances from the main street to the path he normally took to his office. His plan was to drop off some notes before heading to Mr. Dexter's office. He saw Blaize and his face grew warm with a smile, but he tried to keep himself in check. Instead he offered a small wave and kept walking.

You have liked this post!

Blaize had spotted Richard as he left his car, offering the poisonous man a little smirk as he got out and locked the door. Seeing him approach Jeanette had him a little concerned ... the last thing he needed was her distracted with whatever nonsense Richard was telling her. He hadn't gotten a great sleep last night, his bed oddly cold and stiff and the house having a haunted silence to it that upset him as much as going out into his back garden did ... He needed her to have her wits about her as much as possible to compensate for his dullness.

Jeanette, for her part, stiffened when Richard approached her, her hand tightening on the strap of her overlarge messenger back and her shoulders high in anticipation. She was, therefore, hugely surprised when Richard addressed her very formally, very little colour in his voice, her surprise crystal-clear on her face. He rarely addressed her as 'Miss Peters' directly to her face, it was always when he was introducing her to someone who would never use a first name. Immediately suspicious, she wanted to outright ask him what it was about, since it was odd enough to have him address her by title and surname, but she wasn't given the chance before Richard walked away. Blaize approached her next, offering a small smile with a hint of concern.

"Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine" Looking off in the direction Richard had disappeared to, "Why?"
"You look confused"
"I ... it's nothing" She shook her head, looking up at the tall, dusky-skinned man. She was a little surprised to see that Oliver was some distance away; part of her expected the pair to arrive together, then seperate, despite the fact they were simply colleagues. After all, she and Richard did the same prior to shifting their posts to work at this University.
"Can I take your bag?"
"Sorry?"
"Your bag" He pointed at the messenger bag on her shoulder, "It looks heavy. Do you want me to carry it?"
She was startled by the offer, so much so that her usual instinct of refusal for such kind gestures didn't actually kick in and she handed it over without a second thought. Blaize took the strap, and his hand was jerked downwards the second she let go of the weight, quick reflexes saving the bag from hitting the ground.
"What-" He stared at the bag, then at her, "What have you GOT in here?!"
She blinked, "Just, just stuff I m-might need, why?"
"Jeanette, this must weigh half of your body weight, HOW do you carry this around without rupturing your spine?" He was shocked at how heavy the bag was for someone the size of Jeanette. She wasn't a tiny delicate woman, but nor was she a hulking Amazon warrioress.
"I ... am used to it" She didn't see the big deal, but was growing to realise that maybe the bag WAS a little heavy ...
"Honestly, you don't need much working with me" He put the strap on his own shoulder. He was used to carrying heavy weights, Hell, he'd scaled a sheer cliff with Oliver and their equipment strapped to his back, "Just a pen and pad of paper and maybe lunch. And a bottle of rum, if the University would let me drink"

Jeanette found herself stifling a laugh at the last comment, covering her mouth with her hand. Blaize smiled at seeing her amusement, opening the door for her and gesturing 'after you'.
"Oh, Mr. M-Marks is here" She turned after she walked through, pointing the man out as he caught up with them. Truth be told, Blaize was more focused on making fun of Richard and concerned about Jeanette and hadn't spotted him, offering a flicker of a sly smile as Oliver reached the door.
"Try not to kill Dick before I can" He reminded Oliver, departing with Jeanette next to him towards his office.

You have liked this post!