Bab 4: Back at Home
BETWEEN TENERIFE ADVENTURE AND A SUPPOSEDLY BUSINESS DINNER
Elwira was in a particularly bad mood today. Mikołaj Skrzynecki, who had been doing most of her duties for about a month, looked at her. Since her pregnancy reached the ninth month and the stomach the size of a basketball, she has become even more unbearable. She was still only complaining about her ankles and back, while he had to prepare all reports, market analysis and even attend inter-departmental meetings. Elwira was just hanging around and annoying their small team with constant complaints and whims. She would really do a great favor to herself and others if she just went on sick leave.
But no, Elwira had to prove to everyone that a pregnant woman is not an invalid who cannot even come to work!
But why the hell should come to this job if everyone has to work for her and listen to her complaints?
"No, no, and again - no!" Elwira screamed, throwing papers on the desk. Ewka, who delivered them, cringed under her scream. "How many times do I have to repeat that we cannot base sales forecasts solely on online surveys! How can you show me that? In addition, my back will torment me in a moment! "
"Leave the girl alone" murmured Mikołaj. "Forgot that at today's meeting we are only going to discuss internet sales analysis?"
Elwira was pissed off. She forgot - it was evident in her confused expression. However, she was too proud to admit her mistake.
"And that's what for I am, your deputy and humble assistant, so you don't have to remember everything," he added in a playful tone. He worked at the company only a little shorter than her and had great results, so he could afford some freedom, especially since Elwira would be leaving for maternity any day.
"Eh you," she shook her head. "We'll see how you will sing, when with incomplete information you will lose your head at a meeting."
"Are you not going again?", he said more than he asked.
"I have too much work here to waste time on some meetings." Also, you must be prepared to replace me when I'm on vacation.
Oh, or as usual, she doesn't want to work, Mikołaj thought and sighed. It was totally Elwira's style to say she wasn't going to the meeting an hour before it. If this was the first time, Mikołaj could panic that he was not prepared for it, but at this point he was just used to having all the materials collected and developed. Since such situations have happened more often than rarely recently, it was enough for Skrzynecki to get used to them.
"Okay, okay. Leave it to me."
By behaving in this way, Elwira committed suicide in this company. If Mikołaj now carried out all the duties of a department manager, it would be a matter of time before he replaced her permanently. Elwira was leaving for at least a year and did not make sure that people missed her during that time. When she returns, she will be only a vague memory.
Skrzynecki felt sorry for her. In a sense, she had to choose a career or a family, but if she did not act like a bitch, everyone would expect her to return happily.
Although it wasn't his business, actually. Elwira was a big girl and should anticipate the consequences of her behavior. It's even better for him. Three years after starting work, he will be able to become the head of the marketing department of the Polish branch of an international corporation.
Ewa, who was just passing by his desk, smiled at him gratefully. She wasn't very pretty, but hard-working. She was a good acquisition for their team and she was the youngest intern in this team of four. Mikołaj had already seen the report she prepared, and although it was not actually made one hundred percent for someone who had worked with them for two months, he was really good. Looking through it, he drew her attention to the details and was sure that the next one would be even better. The new one has the right to make mistakes, and unless they are critical, nobody should make a big deal of it. A simple remark is enough and Elwira should not be angry at her. Ewa and Łukasz, who had been working for a year, knew this well. That is why they avoided Elwira and came to him for advice and consultation. In fact, at the moment, Mikołaj was more of a department manager than she was, and he was only missed his promotion because Elwira was protected after becoming pregnant. Who knows, maybe she got a baby just to not fly out?
Does not matter. In the year of her absence Skrzynecki will strengthen his position to such an extent that nothing will save her.
The meeting was to take place in less than an hour, so he looked through all the papers again. He didn't want to go wrong. Not when the vision of promotion was clearly visible to him.
Ten minutes before the meeting he got up from the desk and headed for the exit.
"Where are you going?" Elwira asked with venom.
"To the toilet. What, I can't?"
"Just don't be late for the meeting!"
He ignored her words.
Mikołaj started working in this company before graduation. He was always interested in electronics, although he had no talent for it. He did well with people and market analyzes, therefore he ended up in sales development.
Returning from the toilet, he entered the kitchen. He didn't have time for coffee, but he still needed to wet his throat. He poured himself water from the dispenser and, drinking, looked at the people sitting at the tables.
He knew them all. The local department employed almost thirty people. Although most of them did not have contact every day, it happened, however, that he had to spend several hours in another department refining some more aggressive sales tactics or someone from them sat with them wanting to get as much information as possible. You cannot forget about integration meetings, which were organized twice a year - in June and December. This December was combined with a Christmas party.
People sitting around one of the tables were extremely moved. He didn't know these girls well. One certainly was from accounting, one from promotions and the third he did not associate at all. She was probably a new acquisition. They were giggling at the best and experience told him that they had taken a colleague for the topic of a conversation. He smiled and turned away so they wouldn't notice him. How many times has he been the subject of such talks?
"Hi, Mikołaj" He jumped when Jola from accounting appeared next to him. "Have you heard the latest rumors?"
"No, what happened?"
"Your position as the most handsome guy in the company has been officially compromised. A new cake has appeared."
Skrzynecki smiled at her.
"Well, well. And who is that? "
"A Szwedas who was recently talked about, you know, this American specialist is not as old as we thought. Iwona from the promotion department has already seen him."
Mikołaj raised his eyebrows. Rumors that the bosses are to bring a new division specialist from the United States have been around the company for a long time. The guy reportedly increased sales by thirty percent on a market that was already saturated with alarm systems. His successes were counted in billions and bonuses in millions so someone with such achievements had to have vast experience. None of those present knew much about him, so people assumed that he was a man of about fifty years old, in an elegant suit and a fierce expression on his face. A hard name, Stefan Szwedas, only confirmed this.
"Apparently," Jola leaned forward, "he's far into his fifties. Very Far."
Mikołaj started. Anyone so young already has such fame? He must be a really good specialist.
"Well, we'll see," he smiled. "He'll probably be at the department managers meeting. This is a good time to introduce him. "
"Then you will tell me how he is."
"Sure. See you!"
He spend a bit to much time on rumors with Jolka, so on the run he grabbed the papers from his desk and, not paying attention to the whining of Elwira, ran to the conference room. He felt quite satisfied at the thought that the boss would pass such an opportunity to present himself to the new star of the Polish branch.
He rushed into the room a minute before the meeting began. He politely said "good morning" and took his place. People from other departments were in no hurry. They slowly finished their conversations and sat down at the table. They were probably all already, Skrzynecki judged looking around the interior. Everyone plus one. The president stood in the window with a tall man who, however, was difficult to recognize due to the light coming from outside.
"Do you think it's him?" Jarek Kamiński from the finance department nudged him sideways.
"We'll find out soon enough," he replied quietly, because at that moment the president turned to them.
"Hello to everyone at our meeting," he said. "Our new colleague who came to us from the division in the United States of America will join us today."
"Welcome very warmly," the man from under the window said with a charming smile in pure Polish language. "My name is Stefan Szwedas."
Mikołaj didn't even notice when his jaw dropped.
He remembered those piercing, but warm gray eyes and the smile as if created for seduction. He remembered that dark blond, combed hair and nonchalant style despite the elegant suit.
He also remembered more - strong, firm hands, smooth skin, a refined fragrance and the feeling of being taken by a firm but sensitive man. He perfectly remembered the crazy night spent at the motel with the mysterious stranger who was just standing in front of his eyes.
At that moment, one desire arose in Skrzynecki's head - let him not remember him.
The Szwedas smiled as charmingly as he did at the bar. His eyes rolled slowly over everyone sitting around the table, spending a few polite seconds. Mikołaj wanted to hide behind the report he brought, but found that it would seem suspicious. So he listened politely to the welcome speech, giving him about as much attention as others. But when it was time for the Swede to look at him, he couldn't stop his nervousness getting worse and he felt his cheeks burning. He immediately looked away.
The man did not pay him much attention. Not even for a moment did the tone of his voice change, which meant that he didn't recognize him.
Skrzynecki felt immediate relief. He still lacked it so that his summer adventure, a single freak of youth, would now reflect his hiccups at work.
After a while, however, he felt something else. Some completely unknown emotion crept into its interior. Something like a mix of disappointment and offended pride.
The Szwedas did not recognize him.
He didn't remember him.
Take it easy, he told himself. You don't remember all your one-time adventures, too.
Mikołaj barely swallowed.
That was what the event was, nothing more than an adventure for one night. An episode that is interesting and which has no effect on later life. He wanted it, he expected it by going to that bar and letting the guy pick up. The whole premise that night was that it would have absolutely no consequences in normal life.
Skrzynecki looked up. He felt much calmer now. The summer adventure remained a memory and the man sitting at the table would not have more influence on his life than she did. Yes, it was definitely calming.
Until Szwedas looked at him again.
Mikołaj started.
Whether the man remembers him or not, it seemed that Skrzynecki had caught his attention.
Hadiah
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