Post by AlaskaAirGirl on Dec 4, 2023 17:12:55 GMT -8
I know this might not be the best. But it is just something that I am writing. Please no negative comments. I would love some feedback. This story is shared between Austin and Sorya's points of view.
Sorya’s bottom ached as she sat down at her desk at work in the Emerald Airways corporate office. The night before, she had been riding one of her new horses, a paint mare named Miya when the mare got frighted by a water jump and sent Sorya falling to the ground with a loud THUD! That was something she was used to as she worked with horses and owned the prestigious Emerald Valley Equestrian, a horse stable in Fredericksburg, Texas when she was not at work as the CEO of Emerald Airways. She took a moment to check a few emails on her computer. But within a few minutes, she heard the sound of glass shattering outside her office.
Sorya instantly got up from her desk and flew to the door to investigate the sound. It was only her new assistant, Maria Gonzales, as she had dropped a coffee pot full of fresh coffee on the tile floor. She was scrambling to pick up the pieces of the broken coffee pot as Sorya knelt next to her to help.
“Maria, is everything alright?” Sorya asked as she pulled over a trash can that was nearby and helped the girl pick up the glass. A janitor was just arriving to clean up the liquid on the floor. He did not look so happy that the spill even happened on the newly cleaned floor.
“I-I just figured you would want a cup of coffee this morning…I did not mean…” Maria began, but stopped when she saw just how upset the janitor was. Maria was no older than twenty-two at least. Her long black hair was pulled back into a single braid that had a few strands that escaped the braid, as if she had quickly braided it this morning. Her skin was tanned as if she had spent some time out in the Texas sun sunbathing when she was not at the office. Her eyes were a rich dark chocolate color that was hidden behind a pair of black glasses.
“It’s okay, Maria. It was an accident,” Sorya announced as she helped Maria pick up the glass. Once all the large pieces were picked up and placed in the trash, Sorya let Maria sit down in one of the chairs as the janitor took care of the rest of the mess. “Is everything alright? You seem a little nervous this morning.”
Maria did not answer for a moment as Sorya sat down across from her. She watched as Sorya pushed back a strand of her light brown hair behind her ear. “Well…no…I have been trying my hardest to do the best I can here…I am just so nervous that I am going to do something wrong…like give you the wrong paperwork, or not have everything ready for you when you need it. My last boss was not so…how do I put it…he was not so nice like you are. He was always demanding that I do everything right the first time. And if I did do something wrong, he would yell at me and tell me how his last assistant got everything right the first time.”
“Don’t worry, Maria. You are doing an excellent job here. I do not expect you to be perfect the first time around,” Sorya announced as she placed a hand on Maria’s right arm. She smiled kindly to make Maria feel more comfortable. “Just take a moment to take a deep breath when you feel like something is bothering you.”
“Are you sure you are not mad at me for breaking that coffee pot?” Maria asked with a worried look on her face.
“No, of course not. We can always buy a new coffee maker. Shaniqua, my secretary may not be happy about not getting any coffee when she gets here…but don’t let it drag you down. Like I said, if you feel nervous, stop, and take a deep breath to gather yourself. I have been in your shoes. When I first started out as CEO 2 years ago, I was a nervous wreck. I could not believe that my aunt would want me to run this company after she passed away. When I first started, I dropped a whole cup of coffee on Captain Mitch Donaldson, one of the chief pilots when he was here to meet with me. You should have seen the look on his face when the coffee hit his uniform. I was so embarrassed that I hid in the bathroom for an hour before I came out and apologized.”
“No…you didn’t…” Maria laughed a little but quickly covered her mouth with her hands for a moment. “Was he mad?”
“No. he was not mad. Luckily he had a spare uniform with him in his car that he was able to change into. He told me that accidents happen. It made me feel better knowing that he understood how nervous I was. And it helped that he was being calm as well,” Sorya explained with a smile. She was about to continue speaking when someone announced that she had a call waiting for her in her office. Reaching into her pocket, she grabbed out a few bills and handed them to Maria. “Why don’t you head on down to Starbucks and get me a Caramel Ribbon Crunch frappe and get yourself something as well.”
Maria’s eyes lit up as she smiled and took the money. “Thank you for being so understanding. I really appreciate it. And I promise, next time I get nervous I will take a moment to collect myself.”
“Of course, Maria.” Sorya answered before she headed into her office to handle the call that was waiting for her. Sitting back down at her desk, she answered the phone. “This is Sorya.”
“Hey, Sorya…it’s Anna. I know I should not be calling you at work, but we have an emergency. We kind of need you to come by as soon as possible,” Anna Johnson, a stable hand at Emerald Valley Equestrian said.
“Is it something I need to take care of now? I have a meeting with the board members about some new hubs we want to open up. Or should I cancel my meeting and come by now?” Sorya asked.
“Well, it is not that important. But it is something that you should deal with today. Carl called and said that he could not make it to New Hampshire today to pick up that new mare, Cash. As he was about to get to the airport this afternoon, his sister called and told him that Elena went into labor and that they were on their way to the hospital,” Anna announced. Carl was a groom at the stables who had been chosen to bring back one of the school horses that Sorya had bought for lessons at the stables. He was to be on the cargo plane and make sure that the paint mare would make it back to Texas fine.
Sorya had remembered every time that she came to the stables, Carl would have a new update about his wife, Elena, who was 8 months pregnant with their first child. Whether that was about any updates on how the baby was doing during a doctors appointment, to ultrasound pictures that he wanted to show everyone. Carl even confessed to Sorya that he was a little nervous about being a dad. He was scared that he was going to do something wrong. He wanted to do everything perfectly. So, Elena and he decided to take classes at the learning center about how to take care of a baby and what to do during childbirth. Sorya was surprised that Carl had not called her about Elena going into labor. She pulled her phone out of her desk and checked her messages. None were delivered. She thought he was just being courteous since she was at work. Or maybe he forgot to text her.
“Okay. Let me book a flight and I can bring the mare back this weekend. I can let Lisa know that I am going to need to leave a little early on Friday so "I can be at the airport,” Sorya thought out loud to herself more than she was speaking to Anna. “Do you have the address to the stables where Cash is located?”
“I can text that to you as soon as we get off the phone,” Anna answered. Sorya thought she could hear a sigh of relief in Anna’s voice. Anna could not do it because she had two sons that she needed to take care of as she was a single mother. She already had to have them in after school care on weekdays when she worked at the stables. Anna had enough on her plate with her sons being rowdy at times and did not need to have to spend the time to find a last-minute babysitter for the boys. “Should I call Morgan and let him know that we are going to be later than expected to pick up Cash?”
“Please. That would be a big weight off my shoulders, Anna. I can also look into a different cargo airline tonight and book a flight for Cash that night. I can make it a quick trip. She already has her paperwork from the vet okaying her flight back here to Texas,” Sorya answered. “Do you have a stall ready in the quarantine barn ready for her once she arrives?”
“I had just finished getting it ready when Carl called me,” Anna said. Anna was about to ask Sorya if she was going to stop by tonight to take care of Midnight, her Friesian mare when she heard the sound of a stall door slamming open. “Sorya, I have to go. Luka has just opened her stall door and is trotting down the stall isle to go to the feed room.”
“Thanks for letting me know about what is going on. I think our next project is to find a stall that Luka can not open by herself,” Sorya laughed as she thought about the quirky little black tobiano Shetland pony. The mare had learned how to unlock her stall door and if the feed room door was open, she would find her way inside to look for some snacks. Luckily all of the feed was locked up in bins. But she would often go through cubbies and boarders jackets and make a mess in the feed room trying to find treats. One day after Sorya had gotten off work, and most of the stables hands and grooms had gone home for the night, Sorya found Luka in the feed room. The feed room looked like a disaster zone after a hurricane went though it. Buckets, scoops, empty treat bags, and some other items were strewn around the room. Sorya had to spend all night cleaning up the feed room by herself since the grooms and stable hands that were there were busy with other things. She tried everything to keep Luka in her stall. But the Shetland pony would find her way out. Now, they needed to find a new latch that would help to keep the pony in her stall. But each one that Sorya would try, Luka would figure it out within five minutes and was out of her stall. So, the hunt was still on for that perfect latch that was Luka proof.
Hanging up the phone, Sorya leaned back in her chair as she let out a deep breath. So much was going on. She often wondered how she balanced everything so perfectly. She really did not want to question her tactics as she knew that if she did, something would go wrong. After a few moments, her door opened as Maria entered with her coffee.
“You are a life saver. I am hoping that this coffee with help me forget about everything that is going on. Did you get something for yourself?” Sorya asked as she took the venti sized Frappuccino and took a drink. It was just what she needed. She felt everything suddenly slide off her shoulders.
“I did, thank you. I also managed to get Shaniqua an apology coffee as I know she is not going to be so happy about…” but she was interrupted by the someone outside.
“Who the Demons broke the coffee pot?!” the familiar southern voice of Shaniqua exclaimed from the reception area that led to Sorya’s office. Sorya smiled, but it quickly faded as Shaniqua came into the office. “Sorya, did you know that someone broke the coffee pot? I was just about to make me a cup when I noticed that there was an out of order sign on it. When I find out who…”
“It was me. But it was an accident. I promise to get a new one with my own salary,” Maria answered as she looked at Shaniqua. “I can stop by the store this evening and get one. But I did get you a coffee from Starbucks as an apology. I hope you are not mad at me.”
Shaniqua was a flashy southern black woman who had the confidence of a peacock. She was a little heavyset. But she said she did not care to be skinny. She loved her body no matter what. She would often dress in outfits that had a pop of color. Sometimes that color would be a bright neon color or a pastel. But sometimes she wore interesting prints in her clothing. Shaniqua loved fashion as she would come to work in nothing but designer clothing. Those flashes of color looked good with her mahogany skin. Today she wore a cheetah print blouse with a yellow skirt. Around her waist was a gold belt. She also had on a pair of gold heels. Her nails were done with a pink color nail polish to bring the outfit all together. She even wore a black wig that faded to brown and styled in an afro. Gold hoop earrings hung from her ears along with a few gold rings on her fingers.
Looking outside the door, Shaniqua noticed the coffee that was sitting on her desk. “Well, I thank you for the coffee. And I accept your apology, Maria.” Shaniqua then left the office as she quietly closed the door.
“Well, it looks like we have that solved. Are you ready for your meeting with the board of directors?” Maria asked as she handed Sorya some papers that she would need for the meeting.
TBC...
Chapter 1
Sorya
Sorya
Sorya’s bottom ached as she sat down at her desk at work in the Emerald Airways corporate office. The night before, she had been riding one of her new horses, a paint mare named Miya when the mare got frighted by a water jump and sent Sorya falling to the ground with a loud THUD! That was something she was used to as she worked with horses and owned the prestigious Emerald Valley Equestrian, a horse stable in Fredericksburg, Texas when she was not at work as the CEO of Emerald Airways. She took a moment to check a few emails on her computer. But within a few minutes, she heard the sound of glass shattering outside her office.
Sorya instantly got up from her desk and flew to the door to investigate the sound. It was only her new assistant, Maria Gonzales, as she had dropped a coffee pot full of fresh coffee on the tile floor. She was scrambling to pick up the pieces of the broken coffee pot as Sorya knelt next to her to help.
“Maria, is everything alright?” Sorya asked as she pulled over a trash can that was nearby and helped the girl pick up the glass. A janitor was just arriving to clean up the liquid on the floor. He did not look so happy that the spill even happened on the newly cleaned floor.
“I-I just figured you would want a cup of coffee this morning…I did not mean…” Maria began, but stopped when she saw just how upset the janitor was. Maria was no older than twenty-two at least. Her long black hair was pulled back into a single braid that had a few strands that escaped the braid, as if she had quickly braided it this morning. Her skin was tanned as if she had spent some time out in the Texas sun sunbathing when she was not at the office. Her eyes were a rich dark chocolate color that was hidden behind a pair of black glasses.
“It’s okay, Maria. It was an accident,” Sorya announced as she helped Maria pick up the glass. Once all the large pieces were picked up and placed in the trash, Sorya let Maria sit down in one of the chairs as the janitor took care of the rest of the mess. “Is everything alright? You seem a little nervous this morning.”
Maria did not answer for a moment as Sorya sat down across from her. She watched as Sorya pushed back a strand of her light brown hair behind her ear. “Well…no…I have been trying my hardest to do the best I can here…I am just so nervous that I am going to do something wrong…like give you the wrong paperwork, or not have everything ready for you when you need it. My last boss was not so…how do I put it…he was not so nice like you are. He was always demanding that I do everything right the first time. And if I did do something wrong, he would yell at me and tell me how his last assistant got everything right the first time.”
“Don’t worry, Maria. You are doing an excellent job here. I do not expect you to be perfect the first time around,” Sorya announced as she placed a hand on Maria’s right arm. She smiled kindly to make Maria feel more comfortable. “Just take a moment to take a deep breath when you feel like something is bothering you.”
“Are you sure you are not mad at me for breaking that coffee pot?” Maria asked with a worried look on her face.
“No, of course not. We can always buy a new coffee maker. Shaniqua, my secretary may not be happy about not getting any coffee when she gets here…but don’t let it drag you down. Like I said, if you feel nervous, stop, and take a deep breath to gather yourself. I have been in your shoes. When I first started out as CEO 2 years ago, I was a nervous wreck. I could not believe that my aunt would want me to run this company after she passed away. When I first started, I dropped a whole cup of coffee on Captain Mitch Donaldson, one of the chief pilots when he was here to meet with me. You should have seen the look on his face when the coffee hit his uniform. I was so embarrassed that I hid in the bathroom for an hour before I came out and apologized.”
“No…you didn’t…” Maria laughed a little but quickly covered her mouth with her hands for a moment. “Was he mad?”
“No. he was not mad. Luckily he had a spare uniform with him in his car that he was able to change into. He told me that accidents happen. It made me feel better knowing that he understood how nervous I was. And it helped that he was being calm as well,” Sorya explained with a smile. She was about to continue speaking when someone announced that she had a call waiting for her in her office. Reaching into her pocket, she grabbed out a few bills and handed them to Maria. “Why don’t you head on down to Starbucks and get me a Caramel Ribbon Crunch frappe and get yourself something as well.”
Maria’s eyes lit up as she smiled and took the money. “Thank you for being so understanding. I really appreciate it. And I promise, next time I get nervous I will take a moment to collect myself.”
“Of course, Maria.” Sorya answered before she headed into her office to handle the call that was waiting for her. Sitting back down at her desk, she answered the phone. “This is Sorya.”
“Hey, Sorya…it’s Anna. I know I should not be calling you at work, but we have an emergency. We kind of need you to come by as soon as possible,” Anna Johnson, a stable hand at Emerald Valley Equestrian said.
“Is it something I need to take care of now? I have a meeting with the board members about some new hubs we want to open up. Or should I cancel my meeting and come by now?” Sorya asked.
“Well, it is not that important. But it is something that you should deal with today. Carl called and said that he could not make it to New Hampshire today to pick up that new mare, Cash. As he was about to get to the airport this afternoon, his sister called and told him that Elena went into labor and that they were on their way to the hospital,” Anna announced. Carl was a groom at the stables who had been chosen to bring back one of the school horses that Sorya had bought for lessons at the stables. He was to be on the cargo plane and make sure that the paint mare would make it back to Texas fine.
Sorya had remembered every time that she came to the stables, Carl would have a new update about his wife, Elena, who was 8 months pregnant with their first child. Whether that was about any updates on how the baby was doing during a doctors appointment, to ultrasound pictures that he wanted to show everyone. Carl even confessed to Sorya that he was a little nervous about being a dad. He was scared that he was going to do something wrong. He wanted to do everything perfectly. So, Elena and he decided to take classes at the learning center about how to take care of a baby and what to do during childbirth. Sorya was surprised that Carl had not called her about Elena going into labor. She pulled her phone out of her desk and checked her messages. None were delivered. She thought he was just being courteous since she was at work. Or maybe he forgot to text her.
“Okay. Let me book a flight and I can bring the mare back this weekend. I can let Lisa know that I am going to need to leave a little early on Friday so "I can be at the airport,” Sorya thought out loud to herself more than she was speaking to Anna. “Do you have the address to the stables where Cash is located?”
“I can text that to you as soon as we get off the phone,” Anna answered. Sorya thought she could hear a sigh of relief in Anna’s voice. Anna could not do it because she had two sons that she needed to take care of as she was a single mother. She already had to have them in after school care on weekdays when she worked at the stables. Anna had enough on her plate with her sons being rowdy at times and did not need to have to spend the time to find a last-minute babysitter for the boys. “Should I call Morgan and let him know that we are going to be later than expected to pick up Cash?”
“Please. That would be a big weight off my shoulders, Anna. I can also look into a different cargo airline tonight and book a flight for Cash that night. I can make it a quick trip. She already has her paperwork from the vet okaying her flight back here to Texas,” Sorya answered. “Do you have a stall ready in the quarantine barn ready for her once she arrives?”
“I had just finished getting it ready when Carl called me,” Anna said. Anna was about to ask Sorya if she was going to stop by tonight to take care of Midnight, her Friesian mare when she heard the sound of a stall door slamming open. “Sorya, I have to go. Luka has just opened her stall door and is trotting down the stall isle to go to the feed room.”
“Thanks for letting me know about what is going on. I think our next project is to find a stall that Luka can not open by herself,” Sorya laughed as she thought about the quirky little black tobiano Shetland pony. The mare had learned how to unlock her stall door and if the feed room door was open, she would find her way inside to look for some snacks. Luckily all of the feed was locked up in bins. But she would often go through cubbies and boarders jackets and make a mess in the feed room trying to find treats. One day after Sorya had gotten off work, and most of the stables hands and grooms had gone home for the night, Sorya found Luka in the feed room. The feed room looked like a disaster zone after a hurricane went though it. Buckets, scoops, empty treat bags, and some other items were strewn around the room. Sorya had to spend all night cleaning up the feed room by herself since the grooms and stable hands that were there were busy with other things. She tried everything to keep Luka in her stall. But the Shetland pony would find her way out. Now, they needed to find a new latch that would help to keep the pony in her stall. But each one that Sorya would try, Luka would figure it out within five minutes and was out of her stall. So, the hunt was still on for that perfect latch that was Luka proof.
Hanging up the phone, Sorya leaned back in her chair as she let out a deep breath. So much was going on. She often wondered how she balanced everything so perfectly. She really did not want to question her tactics as she knew that if she did, something would go wrong. After a few moments, her door opened as Maria entered with her coffee.
“You are a life saver. I am hoping that this coffee with help me forget about everything that is going on. Did you get something for yourself?” Sorya asked as she took the venti sized Frappuccino and took a drink. It was just what she needed. She felt everything suddenly slide off her shoulders.
“I did, thank you. I also managed to get Shaniqua an apology coffee as I know she is not going to be so happy about…” but she was interrupted by the someone outside.
“Who the Demons broke the coffee pot?!” the familiar southern voice of Shaniqua exclaimed from the reception area that led to Sorya’s office. Sorya smiled, but it quickly faded as Shaniqua came into the office. “Sorya, did you know that someone broke the coffee pot? I was just about to make me a cup when I noticed that there was an out of order sign on it. When I find out who…”
“It was me. But it was an accident. I promise to get a new one with my own salary,” Maria answered as she looked at Shaniqua. “I can stop by the store this evening and get one. But I did get you a coffee from Starbucks as an apology. I hope you are not mad at me.”
Shaniqua was a flashy southern black woman who had the confidence of a peacock. She was a little heavyset. But she said she did not care to be skinny. She loved her body no matter what. She would often dress in outfits that had a pop of color. Sometimes that color would be a bright neon color or a pastel. But sometimes she wore interesting prints in her clothing. Shaniqua loved fashion as she would come to work in nothing but designer clothing. Those flashes of color looked good with her mahogany skin. Today she wore a cheetah print blouse with a yellow skirt. Around her waist was a gold belt. She also had on a pair of gold heels. Her nails were done with a pink color nail polish to bring the outfit all together. She even wore a black wig that faded to brown and styled in an afro. Gold hoop earrings hung from her ears along with a few gold rings on her fingers.
Looking outside the door, Shaniqua noticed the coffee that was sitting on her desk. “Well, I thank you for the coffee. And I accept your apology, Maria.” Shaniqua then left the office as she quietly closed the door.
“Well, it looks like we have that solved. Are you ready for your meeting with the board of directors?” Maria asked as she handed Sorya some papers that she would need for the meeting.
TBC...
